iHeartMedia delivered its Q4-2015 earning report and investor call last week, and as usual with these calls, the prepared statements and answers to investor questions gave perspective on the company’s strategic thinking. Broadcast and digital are “as one.” Continue Reading
Tidal has been hit with a class-action lawsuit over royalty issues. In an ironic twist for the artist-owned company, plaintiffs claim that they did not receive correct notices of intent from the streaming platform and did not get accurate royalty payments for their music that was played on Tidal. Continue Reading
The UK is adopting new rules for its collection societies aimed at streamlining the artistic rights process across Europe. The regulations, which take effect on April 10, build on an EU directive from 2014 that sought to make digital rights management simpler across borders. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: What’s the role of a website for radio stations? How about newspapers? Also social media stories, the return of The Twilight Zone, and much more. Continue Reading
Much of the podcasting boom has been at the national and global levels, but a new service is looking to carve out a niche for local listening to grow. Satchel is a podcast distribution platform that aims to make connections between show producers and local audiences easier. Continue Reading
The Google/Alphabet empire appears to be setting its sights on Australia next. According to a report from The Australian, joint video/music subscription YouTube Red is slated to roll out there later this year. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Pandora, Merlin, and the CRB; listening beyond genre labels; video and the modern musician. Continue Reading
Weekends were invented for catching up on new podcasts. We’ll check the historical accuracy of that statement, and in the meantime we present new and almost-new shows for your consideration. Happy Friday. Continue Reading
Streaming is a popular music choice in the Nordic region and continues to grow in popularity. A survey commissioned by three European collecting societies found that 9.4 million consumers in the region streamed music in 2015. The survey also inquired about discovery outlets. Radio was the top choice on average, but preferences shifted drastically for the youngest respondents. Continue Reading
Tidal’s rising and falling fortunes have been the subject of much attention in the music media. The latest adventure for the often-conflicted company could be new ownership. Sources have told The New York Post that Samsung has allegedly reopened talks to acquire Tidal. Continue Reading
Standard Media Index released its January U.S. advertising report. As in other recent editions of this report, digital spending across media categories rose. The uplift in digital spending kept the entire ecosystem in a 13-month growth trend. Radio was split: Traditional radio down, Internet radio up, both by double digits. Continue Reading
In the wake of David Lowery’s lawsuit against Spotify, other streaming services are now allegedly moving to protect themselves against similar actions. Both Deezer and Rhapsody have reportedly made moves related to Lowery’s catalogs with the bands Camper van Beethoven and Cracker. Continue Reading