Spotify reportedly close to Warner licensing deal

Spotify has reportedly made progress toward securing a licensing deal with Warner Music Group. Reuters cited four unnamed sources in its exclusive report that the streaming company was moving closer to an agreement with the third major label. The specifics of this alleged arrangement are still being hammered out, but the sources told Reuters that the parties had already agreed to Spotify paying a smaller share of revenue to Warner in exchange for the label’s artists to window their work to paid subscribers for a period. Continue Reading

Congress introduces legislation for pre-1972 royalties; music industry parties react

Congress is preparing to address the topic of royalties for pre-1972 recordings, a move that sparked positive response from several music industry players. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the CLASSICS Act to establish royalty payments for the creators of music recorded prior to the advent of federal copyright laws in 1972. Representatives from SoundExchange, the RIAA, and Pandora have all reacted favorably toward this proposal. Continue Reading

PodcastOne launches new mobile app, adds video partnership

PodcastOne has launched a new mobile app that includes interactive features in social and video alongside its audio programming. Listeners can tune into their shows and engage with them in new ways, such as viewing behind-the-scenes photos, taking polls, and messaging other fans. The app also introduces a virtual currency for its loyalty program. Continue Reading

Edison Research: All eyes on Australia in new Podcast Consumer report

Edison Research has posted a new report titled The Podcast Consumer Australia 2017. The new geographic focus of the survey offers analysis not just of that market, but also provides comparisons with the U.S. podcast audience data from the Podcast Consumer report released earlier this year. The research was sponsored by Triton Digital, Commercial Radio Australia, and Southern Cross Austereo. Continue Reading