TechCrunch reported last week that Playlists.net may be in talks for an acquisition. Unnamed industry sources said that tech companies and record companies have expressed interest in the site, although there have been no further leads on a frontrunner. Who might those potential buyers be? Continue Reading
The latest report in our journal of ad-stalking in music services. We spotted a funny mash-up of a wine club and a wakefulness drug. Also, t-Mobile continues its intensive marketing to online listeners of its recently announced data-free music streaming. Continue Reading
LH Labs, part of Light Harmonics, completed a crowdfunding campaign to fund creation of the Geek Wave. Although Geek Wave doesn’t have the star power of Pono Music behind it, the LH Labs team still received huge financial support from audiophiles: this “high-performance portable music player” exceeded its initial Indiegogo goal of $38,000 and closed out with $1,323,073 in pledges. Continue Reading
Webcast streaming has enjoyed strong growth during 2014, and has lifted 19% year-over-year, according to data released by Triton Digital in its Webcast Metrics Top 20 Ranker for May. The month-over-month measurement dropped two percent, the first monthly dip after nine consecutive growth months. Year-to-date, stream listening has risen over 10 percent. Continue Reading
The existing partnership between Rdio and Shazam took a big leap forward today. Going forward, the music-identification tool will allow Rdio members to stream whole songs from within the Shazam app. The updated Shazam app hit iOS on Monday, with a rollout expected for Android in the next few days. Continue Reading
RAIN announces the judging panel for the 5th Annual Internet Radio Awards, which honor achievements and best practices in the Internet radio industry. The awards will be presented at RAIN Summit Indy, September 9, at the Indiana Convention Center. Continue Reading
On Friday, the team behind new high-rez music ecosystem Pono Music announced that rock legend Neil Young will take on the role of CEO, replacing John Hamm at the helm, with Rick Cohen taking on the role of COO. The new music service is reportedly scheduled to launch by the end of this calendar year, a timeline bump from the original April goal. Continue Reading
The simmering legal battle for collective licensing took a new turn last week. Martin Bandier, chairman of Sony/ATV/EMI, said that his company would consider withdrawing from the U.S. collective licensing system unless the Department of Justice overhauls the current regulations for song performance rights. Continue Reading
Jazz lovers can be hardcore fans, with specialty interests in historical eras, legendary performers, and certain instruments. The genre lends itself to more specialized coverage than what is normally found in the universal music services. For the lean-back jazz aficionado, two services — JazzRadio and AccuJazz — provide seemingly endless great listening tailored to mood and sub-genre. Continue Reading
Music jukeboxes have been popular for about 90 years. Online music services and mobile technology have created a “celestial jukebox” that’s available anywhere — an astonishing marvel best appreciated by people over 35 and history students. The modern versions of the jukebox are streamlined to the consumer’s favor in every way — less money, more mobility, bigger selection. But I the attraction is essentially the same as when tabletop jukeboxes were in every New Jersey diner: Music you choose, in new places and times. Continue Reading
Garth Brooks is the best-selling solo artist of all time. He has been content to sit out the digital music disruption, which has mainly occurred during a 13-year retirement. Tomorrow, though, the official Garth Brooks site will start selling downloads of Brooks’ back catalog. A new album will drop in November, and the download version will likewise be sold exclusively on the site. Continue Reading
One of the hottest trends in the transportation field nowadays is that of “car sharing,” a/k/a short-term, neighborhood-distributed car rentals, a la Zipcar. In this narrative, which is both hilarious and horrendous, founding editor Kurt Hanson describes the stunning failed experience of trying a newly-developed car-sharing service offered by legacy car-rental company Hertz. Spinning off a new business line separate from a firm’s core competency isn’t as easy as it might seem — and Kurt Hanson extends that point to the Internet radio industry. Continue Reading