A new report from Nielsen, State of The Media: Audio Today, compiled listening figures from 2015 and confirmed the strength of radio’s reach. This report generally found a respectable performance for radio among younger generations, but time spent with the format was still markedly lower than for Generation X and Boomers. Continue Reading
Next Big Sound released a new report offering insights on how to benchmark artist performance. The newly Pandora-owned data company examined ideas for analyzing musicians’ success online. The report tracks data from several social media networks – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vevo, and Instagram – and combined it with an assessment of Pandora plays. Continue Reading
Many European nations have been pushing for the adoption of DAB technology for radio, with some countries setting clear plans for it to completely replace the current FM system. But not all are jumping on the bandwagon. After announcing a ‘wait and see’ attitude last spring, Sweden’s leaders have officially rejected a proposal to transition away from FM radio. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia has shared its financial results for Q4 and FY 2015. The news release also included some details about the iHeartRadio. Although the parent company doesn’t break out financial details separately for its online audio brand, it did share some stats and metrics. Continue Reading
A new podcast from Parents magazine was released yesterday as an entire 32-episode season, Netflix-style. Pregnant women and their partners can start listening at the episode that matches their stage. This clever idea adds a dimension to on-demand audio. Continue Reading
Deezer continued its expansion onto the road with the announcement of integration with Android Auto. The partnership will bring access to the usual features of a Deezer account behind the wheel. Continue Reading
A New York investment company has taken on a major role with PledgeMusic, a music service combining crowdfunding and direct-to-fan concepts. The move from Magna Entertainment follows an investment of $3 million it made in the platform in 2014. Continue Reading
“Do you want to spend hours sorting and building playlists, rather than being served songs you love?” That’s the question posed by the soon-to launch new music wearable Aivvy. The product is a set of headphones bundled with the company’s own streaming music service of 50 million tracks. Continue Reading
Apple has added new functions to iTunes for podcast publishers. Existing users will be glad of the added controls. Newcomers to Apple distribution won’t know what they are being spared. The new service makes installing a show in iTunes faster and more direct. Continue Reading
The BBC has released a new, standalone music app. The free BBC Music app pulls from the broadcaster’s radio, TV, and online content pools to present a customizable suite of entertainment for Android or iOS phones. It includes both audio and video material, such as live performances and interviews, but all revolving around musical topics. Continue Reading
Today brings an announcement from ad-tech purveyor XAPPmedia, describing a partnership with Slacker Radio that brings XAPP’s voice-interactive technology to Slacker listeners for navigating the music library. Slacker users are served promotions for playlists, artists, or songs, and can switch to the promoted music by saying a word or phrase without touching the screen. Continue Reading
For those people who miss the days of the iPod Shuffle, a new Kickstarter project aims to give fresh life to portable listening. Mighty Audio promises to be a mobile listening device free from a smartphone. Once you sync up the device with your phone, it can locally store up to 48 hours of offline Spotify music. Continue Reading