Month: January 2015

TuneIn prescribes listening for post-“Serial” withdrawal

Posted on by Brad Hill

The well publicized success of audio programming Serial, which achieved cult status and breakthrough metrics for a pureplay podcast (online only, not an archived radio show), has the podcast industry hoping for rising tide which lifts all boats. It’s not only podcast creators looking at 2015 as a potential growth year for the category. Distribution platforms have much to gain from an anticipated surge of interest in on-demand talk-based audio. Continue Reading →

Qualcomm announces rollout of AllPlay’s universal at-home streaming

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Qualcomm AllPlay is refreshing its existing product with a commercial rollout, the company announced at CES. Several new music partners, including SoundCloud and Tidal, will be supported on the wireless streaming service, joining iHeartRadio, Rhapsody/Napster, and SomaFM. Qualcomm is attempting to reduce home-listening silos with this open-source solution to remote streaming. Continue Reading →

LG to challenge Sonos with low prices for Music Flow speakers

Posted on by Anna Washenko

LG announced its foray into WiFi speakers with the Music Flow suite of products. The company will sell three speakers, three upgraded sound bars, and a portable, battery-powered speaker under this brand. The Music Flow speakers will support the new audio-only Google Cast software, which brings in several music services. LG also has product partnerships with iHeartRadio, Rhapsody, Spotify, and TuneIn. Continue Reading →

AT&T connected-car dashboard, a new entrant to a crowded space

Posted on by Anna Washenko

AT&T has thrown its hat into the auto technology ring with the announcement of its own connected car platform. AT&T Drive is designed to be a modular solution where car manufacturers can pick and choose the features they want. HQ’d in a 5,000-square-foot research center, AT&T Drive joins Google, Apple. Microsoft, and QNX in a crowded space. Continue Reading →

Forget the Whole Pie: Why Small Music Services Should Cultivate Core Audiences

Posted on by Michael Spinelli

by Mike Spinelli

Is streaming a winner-take-all market? Bob Lefsetz recently implied that, and guest columnist Mike Spinelli offers strategic thoughts targeted to specialized streaming services. Rather than attract every listener in the world, optimize the service around core specialty audiences. Continue Reading →

adStream: When audio ads topically match the audio stream

Posted on by Brad Hill

Getting the right ad to the right listener at the right time is accomplished in different ways. We spotted examples of a matchup that is possible with streaming audio — matching product type with playlist type. Specifically, when auditioning Pandora’s “Brunch” playlist (one of Pandora’s house-built listening options, which the company has been promoting lately), we heard ads by McDonald’s and Community Coffee in rotation. Continue Reading →

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Classical music fans get an HD streaming service thanks to Naxos

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Today, we wrote about how The Overflow’s Christian and gospel music streaming app could be signaling a new trend toward niche genre services. Fitting then that shortly after publishing, we heard that Naxos announced the global launch of a classical music service. ClassicsOnline HD is both a streaming service and a download store specializing in high-definition and lossless classical music files. Continue Reading →

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Editor’s Notebook: From digital dashboard to self-driving cars

Posted on by Brad Hill

by Brad Hill

The digital dashboard is a gold-rush scramble for territory. But what if there were no dashboard at all? Autonomous (self-driving) cars are rolling toward us, and will be on the road sooner or later. How will audio competition be shaped when the car is a WiFi-connected living room? Continue Reading →

The Overflow goes niche with Christian streaming app

Posted on by Anna Washenko

A new streaming service called The Overflow has crossed the border from Canada, bringing its database of Christian music to U.S. listeners. For now, it is only available as an iOS app, but Billboard reported that a web version is in the works. The company uses 7digital, which recently embarked on project for higher-quality audio formats in streaming. Continue Reading →