Next Big Sound has made the entirety of its Pandora data available for public viewing. Anyone who is curious about statistics (and has a free Next Big Sound account) can explore metrics such as radio spins, interactive plays, thumbs up, and station adds for every artist on the audio platform. Continue Reading
Spotify is testing a scaled-back version of its Android mobile app that cuts down on features in favor of less data use. Spotify Lite has appeared on the Google Play Store as a beta version in select markets. Continue Reading
Apple has introduced an analytics dashboard that offers insights into listener behavior within the tech company’s streaming music service. Apple Music for Artists is only available to a few thousand performers in the initial rollout. Feedback from these artists made result in tweaks or improvements to the system before its broad launch in spring. Continue Reading
The New York Times has published a data visualization comparing the popularity of top artists across the U.S. The publication used a cross-section of Billboard’s Top 100 artists and YouTube viewing data to create heat maps of where those performers are listened to the most (and the least). The artist maps offer insight into where and how some newer big acts got their surge to the top, who is keeping the familiar names atop the charts, and which regions have the most die-hard fan support for local heroes. And yes, there are some interesting surprises. Continue Reading
Digital music distributor CD Baby has added a Trending and Analytics dashboard for its clients. “This knowledge gives our musicians a vital guide of not only where to tour, but where to market their tracks and albums via targeted social media promotion,” said Kevin Breuner, CD Baby VP of Marketing. Continue Reading
T-Mobile’s Music Freedom program is under investigation by a Dutch regulator. The Authority for Consumers and Markets will examine whether it creates an unfair disadvantage for competing services under the Netherlands’ net neutrality rules. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Finding radio and audio in fall previews; consumer data in the music industry; finding potential breakouts in Pandora data. Continue Reading
T-Mobile has further expanded its roster of entertainment services available data-free on its Music Freedom and Binge On programs. The newly added music platforms are Amazon Prime Music, Chilltrax, ESPN Radio, OHIO.FM, PreDanz, and Uforia. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Sony’s future sans sales; another metadata service joining the mix. Continue Reading
In August, we shared a Wired article that questioned the narrow demographic group that has been dominating the growing podcast space, noting that the limited viewpoints could limit the format’s reach. New data from Quartz confirms that bias among the people sitting down behind the mic. Continue Reading
We have seen increased interest among mobile service providers in letting customers use select platforms without charging their data plans. Virgin Mobile and Verizon are both making inroads into the space, but there has been skepticism about how the carriers may go about securing those partnerships. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Streaming may mean the end fall blockbuster albums; a data scientist finds the most timeless songs; Wired on Internet radio comeback. Continue Reading