Added Warner Music Group Chairman/CEO Roger Ames: "Hilary is a remarkable leader and when she leaves at the end of the year, she will take with her our sincerest gratitude, respect and admiration."

Sony Music Entertainment Exec. VP Michele Anthony said: "As head of the RIAA, Hilary has given our industry strong leadership on a broad range of complex issues. With the announcement that she has decided to step down, we thank Hilary for her many contributions, and wish her every success. At the same time, we are delighted that Cary Sherman will continue in his current post."

The Washington Post adds some personal info:

Rosen, 44, joined the RIAA in 1986 and has led it since 1998. She has not revealed her plans other than to spend time with her twin 4-year-olds. Her partner — Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay-advocacy group — announced in December that she would leave her job at the end of 2003.

"We decided we wanted to make a change as a family," Rosen said in an interview. She said it's not clear whether that includes remaining in Washington, where she and Birch are a power couple on the social circuit. "She'll figure out what she'll do and I'll follow."

and implied underlying realities:

Though Rosen was publicly praised by music executives yesterday, many have privately said she hasn't done enough to protect the industry and that her aggressive stance has alienated music consumers.

"As in 'If she's so great, why is this getting worse?' " Rosen acknowledged yesterday.

The recording industry faces serious financial problems. Sales of compact discs have dropped over the past two years — from 763 million in 2001 to 681 million last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The industry has begun to build its own online file-sharing services, which typically charge fees for downloading songs.

"We have to invest in transitioning our consumers from the online pirate market into the legitimate market," Rosen said. "We have to be undaunted and strategic in our enforcement efforts to protect the legitimate market and we have to adjust our marketing and sales strategies to the new realities of a very different retail marketplace and consumer base."

Sounds like a defeated person on her way out. But hey, she's good at what she does - maybe a consumer group will hire her now.