• Billboard's Ed Christman reported today that Warner Music Group is planning to lay off 400 employees. The restructure includes staggered layoffs and additional hires in digital areas. (Billboard.biz)

• According to the Financial Times, EMI has interest from three private equity groups: Fortress, Cerberus and the previously mentioned One Equity. All three are expected to make presentations to EMI's board of directors this week. EMI will reportedly open its books to all three and will give them until May 23, the day it announces its annual results, to make full offers. (The Age)

• Billboard is reporting that "at least six" indie labels plan either to pull their catalogs from eMusic or offer only back catalog through the music download service. "I hope they can make it a better value proposition for the labels," said one unnamed label head. "But if they don't, we are planning on pulling out." eMusic offers subscriptions of varying quantity and price. Though popular, the low subscription prices means labels get less per song that they would from sales other download stores. A recent price hike by eMusic appeared to be a move to appease some disgruntled labels. (Billboard)

• Warner Music Group is launching a production unit called Den of Thieves that will create content for video platforms such as television, DVD and mobile. (Variety)

• The Tennessean's Nicole Keiper has a good article on high-tech music marketing -- and I don't think it's good just because I'm quoted frequently. Keiper talked to Nashville musician Jeremy Lister and the manger of Ben Folds -- also of Nashville -- about their experience performing in the virtual reality world of Second Life. MySpace, too, is a topic, as is music-oriented MySpace clone Virb. (The Tennessean)

• An old Tower Records location that former Tower owner Russ Solomon is using to open a new retail site will be called R5 Records-Video and is slated to open in June. (Sacramento Bee)