Month: August 2014

SoundExchange Q2 data shows digital radio royalty payments slowly pulling even

Posted on by Anna Washenko

The latest quarterly data from SoundExchange revealed that non-interactive digital radio services are making progress in matching the royalties from other digital revenue streams. Last year, subscription music services such as Spotify, Rhapsody, and Beats Music posted a growth rate of 57 percent. If that rate holds, then those services will make $987 million this year. That would yield $690 million for rights holders, assuming a 70/30 split of the revenue. Continue Reading →

New comScore report: Mobile is huge for digital media, but favors well-established apps

Posted on by Anna Washenko

comScore’s U.S. Mobile App Report covers some interesting ground in how people are (and aren’t) using their smartphones and tablets. Activity on mobile devices makes up 60 percent of digital media time in the U.S. The majority of that digital media is consumed through apps; those programs account for 52 percent of the country’s digital media time. Continue Reading →

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SoundCloud introduces advertising and new monetization program; what will artists think?

Posted on by Anna Washenko

For the first time in its history, the streaming service will begin running advertisements for U.S. listeners. “The introduction of advertising is an important step for creators,” Founder and CEO Alex Ljung said. “Every time you see or hear an ad, an artist gets paid.” The company also debuted plans for a creator partner program called On SoundCloud that aims to aid members in turning their music streams into revenue streams. The crucial note in SoundCloud’s discussions of this change is its focus on the artists. Continue Reading →

SoundHound adds automated Rdio playlist, following on Shazam’s heels

Posted on by Anna Washenko

SoundHound announced that it has launched a new feature called Connect to Rdio. This update automatically adds all songs that a SoundHound user discovers to a special playlist within Rdio. Before this update, SoundHound already had tie-ups with several streaming platforms. This particular Rdio news, though, is similar to an announcement made by Shazam in July. Continue Reading →

Mixcloud shifts business model with addition of paid account options

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Mixcloud has updated its membership options, adding two paid subscriptions. CTO Mat Clayton said the goal of adding paid tiers was to diversify and smoothen the company’s revenue. “We think it’s important to have a product that allows our users to pay for the Mixcloud service,” Clayton said. “This sets the precedent that content and services on the internet are valuable.” Continue Reading →

Jelli’s RadioSpot ad service rolls out to seven new stations

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Earlier in the summer, Jelli announced plans to suspend its social radio service in favor of its programmatic ad platform. The promising Q1 growth for that service continued on Tuesday, with the company’s announcement that its RadioSpot platform will be deployed at seven more radio stations across the U.S. Continue Reading →

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StreamLicensing’s online stations to get mobile apps thanks to deal with Nobex Partners

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Mobile music is on the grow. Studies by comScore/Millennial Media and AYTM have shown increasing interest in streaming on tablets and smartphones. The latest demonstration of this push into mobile is the just-announced partnership between Nobex Partners and StreamLicensing. Under the new deal, Nobex will help create custom apps for StreamLicensing’s 1,200 radio stations. Continue Reading →

Growing Radio’s Digital Share Is The Answer

Posted on by Jennifer Lane

In this guest column, RAIN Enterprises CEO Jennifer Lane explains why it’s crucial to focus on digital platforms. Core spot revenue is still important to the industry, but recent news developments indicate that broadcasters would be well served to be aggressive in growing their share of the digital pie. Continue Reading →