Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: YouTube’s Kyncl says all’s well with Music Key; who could Apple buy next?; Potential Sony class action following contract leak. Continue Reading
For most of their lives, sound recognition apps SoundHound and Shazam have been playing tag with each other. But recently, we’re starting to see each company carve out a more unique niche. Today SoundHound introduced a new personal assistant. The program is called Hound, and it will be a direct competitor to Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, or Google Now. Continue Reading
WNYC announced that it will take over the distribution of its shows Radiolab and On the Media. The public radio outlet will begin the distribution on Oct. 1, and will also self-distribute its new collaboration with the New Yorker. The move ends WYC’s distribution arrangement with NPR for those programs. Continue Reading
NPR has launched a new series dubbed “Streaming at the Tipping Point.” This collection of articles will address both the business and cultural impact of the transition to streaming, reflecting on the changes in how we experience music. One piece collected interviews with a range of individuals, including industry members, about what they thought a perfect world would be for streaming. Continue Reading
Research and consulting firm Atenga released a study of consumer demand for streaming music services. Atenga is a consumer intelligence platform with a specialty in pricing strategy. The purpose of this study was to find optimal price/revenue points for several online music services. Some results are surprising. Continue Reading
Paul Resnikoff of Digital Music News has uploaded a copy of the agreement SoundCloud is allegedly negotiating with the National Music Publishers Association. The two-year deal offers advances of about $350,000 to the participating publishers. In exchange, SoundCloud would get a license allowing its creator partners to monetize and promote their uploads. Continue Reading
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) rate-setting process, currently in the trial phase, did not conclude on Friday as originally scheduled. Instead, broadcast law attorney David Oxenford tols RAIN News, the proceeding will continue for three days this week. Click through for the new schedule. Continue Reading
As programmatic advertising tools increasingly play a part in audio advertising, Marketron has begun executing software-driven radio spot transactions. The company executed what it calls “the first ever real time programmatic spot buy in the radio industry” last week. We spoke with CEO Jeff Haley Continue Reading
Apple has teamed with some impressive celebrity talent in the recent months, and according to the New York Post, Apple’s latest interest seems to be finding popular performers to work with its new music services. The top artist who has caught the tech company’s eye appears to be Drake. The rapper has allegedly been approached with a $19 million deal to work with Apple, including as a guest DJ for iTunes Radio, the Post reported Continue Reading
James Cridland Weekly Links is a column by the U.K.’s radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: A problem with a Kuala Lumpur simulcast, and many more links from Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. Continue Reading
AccuRadio CEO (and RAIN News founding editor) Kurt Hanson will present a keynote address at this week’s BroadcastAsia event: Navigating Radio’s Competitive Landscape and Charting the Course for an Exciting Future. Continue Reading
Spotify said that it adds nearly 60,000 new users per week in Australia and about 20,000 new users a week in New Zealand. It also said that a quarter of Australian’s population has at least tried out the platform. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 30% of Spotify’s Aussie users pay for the premium subscription. The streaming service has been active in the Australian market for three years. Continue Reading