Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: “First, a Word From Our Celebrity” in the New York Times. More recap from the Infinite Dial by Westwood One. Brazilian startup exploring the power of musical chatbots. Continue Reading
Slacker Radio may be close to turning a profit. In a recent interview, Slacker Radio CEO Duncan Orrell-Jones talked about the positive effects of committing to being a niche audio service and about the pricing outlook for audio subscriptions. Continue Reading
The ranks of streaming holdouts have been slowly dwindling as the digital distribution takes hold of ever-larger market share. The latest artist to ponder a change of heart is hard rock band Tool. Sources claiming to be familiar with negotiations said members of Tool have been talking to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music about paths to releasing their music. Continue Reading
Podcast company Panoply is running a campaign that asks listeners to select new shows to get picked up for a full season. The Panoply Pilot Project has debuted four first episodes of original podcasts. Listeners can offer feedback on each show and vote for the ones they want to hear as a regular Panoply series. Continue Reading
A Piper Jaffray analyst, bullish on Pandora stock, surveyed existing users of the free Pandora radio service to determine the level of demand for Pandora Premium, the fully interactive on-demand music platform launched on March 13. Survey results indicate a 15% “intent” among non-paying Pandora users to upgrade into the Premium product. Continue Reading
AudioBoom and YouGov collaborated on research into the podcast market and questions of diversity. According to the survey results, 76% of minority Americans listen to podcasts less than once a week and 60% don’t listen to them at all. Continue Reading
SoundCloud’s financial future has been looking hazy, but the company has acquired a line toward more stability. The online audio platform has secured a $70 million round of debt funding. Continue Reading
The team behind podcasting megahit Serial has some good news and some bad news for their fans. S-Town, the first show launching under the Serial Productions name, will be released on March 28. The not-so-good news is that the third season of Serial may not air until next year. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio has reached a new audience milestone. The online audio company has reached 100 million registered users. “100 million registered users is an amazing milestone, and we are thrilled to see such great momentum and traction for iHeartRadio,” iHeartRadio President Darren Davis said. Continue Reading
Wednesday is the final day of early pricing for reservations to the RAIN Digital Audio Advertising Summit on April 12 at the House of Blues in Chicago. The half-day knowledge and networking event features deep dives into creative audio, programmatic advertising, podcasting, and new research. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Drake topples Ed Sheeran’s records. Rookie Magazine joins the podcast wave. ASCAP board election results. Continue Reading
Amazon Music has updated its iOS app to add support for Apple CarPlay. This means that drivers with the in-vehicle digital dashboard can use it to access Prime Music, Music Unlimited, and their purchased or saved digital music from the retailer. Continue Reading