Pandora made two announcements this week centered on its interactions with the industry. First, the company has partnered with Music Reports, a rights administration platform. Second, Pandora hired a new Head of Publisher Licensing and Relations. Continue Reading
Slacker Radio has joined the ranks of audio services inking deals with the telecom sector. The Internet radio company is participating in a promotion from U.S. Cellular that will see qualifying customers get one year membership to Slacker Radio Premium for free. Continue Reading
The National Association of Broadcasters’ (NAB’s) Pilot research division has complete a survey of FM capability in U.S. smartphones sold in 2015. While FM reception continues to advance in the U.S. smartphone footprint, it remains mostly absent, and one unfortunate fact is likely to keep it that way. Continue Reading
PwC has released its Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2016-2020, and the report includes projections for music, radio, and Internet advertising. Global E&M spending is expected to rise from $603 billion in 2015 to $720 billion by 2020. The consultant shared some highlights from the global and U.S. editions of the report. Continue Reading
Here’s another collection of the talks and sessions at music industry event Midem in Cannes. Topics covered in these sessions include live-streaming video, marketing potential, indies combatting safe harbor rules, and the power of Alibaba Music. Continue Reading
Several European nations have reported developments in adoption of DAB and DAB+ in cars. Growing percentages of new car models come equipped with digital radio receivers across Europe, particularly in the UK, Norway, and Switzerland. Continue Reading
Spotify has hired Troy Carter as its global head of creator services. Carter has a long history in music, spending 15 years in talent management and founding entertainment company Atom Factory. So far, the speculation is that Carter could be tasked with securing exclusive releases for the streaming service. Continue Reading
Pandora has introduced a new native mobile ad experience that aims to improve impact and effectiveness for marketers. The new format relies on rich media and works to coincide with the natural behavior of the audio company’s mobile audience. Express and the Lexus Dealer Association are the first brands to beta test the new format. Continue Reading
Media conglomerate E.W. Scripps has acquired podcast listening app Stitcher from global music service Deezer, which acquired Stitcher in October, 2014. The acquisition places Stitcher within Midroll Media, a podcast distribution and sales company, which Scripps purchased in July of last year. We spoke to Midroll exec Lex Friedman about what this means for Midroll Media. Continue Reading
The growing interest in streaming and digital music has created a subset of tech companies aiming to improve audio quality. We’ve seen multiple Kickstarter projects promising better performance for digital tunes. However, the latest product announcement isn’t from another new kid on the block. Continue Reading
When the Copyright Royalty Board set new figures for the 2016-2020 time frame, SoundExchange was vocal in its stance that the $.0017 and $0.0023 rates were too low. Now it is preparing to mount an appeal of that decision, filing a statement to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 31. Continue Reading
In a keynote interview at MIDEM over the weekend, Pandora CEO Tim Westergren talked about Pandora’s plan to build an on-demand service to complement its market-leading streaming radio platform, and the company’s support of the music industry. Along the way, Westergren reiterated his company’s explicit mission to replace broadcast radio, and why that’s a good thing for listeners and musicians. Continue Reading