New Jay-Z album marks first exclusive for Tidal and Sprint

Jay-Z is releasing a new album at the end of the month, but it will be exclusive to his Tidal streaming platform. This new exclusive title, 4:44, marks the first such development for Tidal after its partnership with Sprint. In January, Sprint purchased a 33% stake in the streaming company. With this first shared exclusive, new customers of the telecom’s can have a six-month free trial of Tidal HiFi and listen to the new album for free. Continue Reading

iHeartMedia launches audio/visual ad project with Fox Networks Group

iHeartMedia has entered a partnership with Fox Networks Group to create Smart A/V Audiences, a suite of data-driven advertising products across both audio and video segments. Smart A/V Audiences will allow the creation of customized audiences by targeting for specific interests, then delivering video and audio ads to those individuals. The project builds on iHeartMedia’s SmartAudio programmatic ad tool. Continue Reading

James Cridland’s Future of Radio: How to do Facebook Live, playing dirty against the opposition, and Infinite Dial Australia

by James Cridland

James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: NPR advises on using Facebook Live tool. Tales from the trenches of radio promotion. Infinite Dial data for Australia. Continue Reading

Musical.ly joins the original content bandwagon

Social video app Musical.ly is now creating original shows. The platform emphasizes user creativity, and has become a hub for lip syncing and other fan music videos. The planned episodes will run just two to four minutes and will feature content from NBC, MTV, and Hearst. Original content has become a core marketing promise for companies across the entertainment and media landscapes. Continue Reading

Larry Rosin: Rise of Smart Audio

by Larry Rosin

Guest columnist Larry Rosin announces a new research project: The Smart Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research, which will debut at the RAIN Podcast Business Summit next week, June 21 at the AXA Auditorium in Manhattan. The half-day 9am-1pm event will feature Edison Research VP Tom Webster presenting never-before-seen survey data and video. Continue Reading