Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Two BBC Radio execs talk about broadcast and streaming. Pandora’s new CEO chats to Billboard. Taylor Swift is best buds with Spotify now. Continue Reading
Deezer has inked a deal to bring football content (soccer for us Americans) to its listeners in Australia. The company extended its partnership with UK radio network talkSPORT to provide Aussie Premium subscribers with games and related programming for the English Premier League. Continue Reading
September 30 has been dubbed International Podcast Day, a chance for people in the industry to raise awareness and promote the audio format. The day will feature all types of programming, from livestreamed talks to bar meetups. Continue Reading
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai issued a statement that pushed for Apple to activate FM chips in its phones. Although his missive focused on the laudable goal of public safety in emergencies, the pointed dig at Apple appears misguided. Apple iPhones haven’t contained FM chips for more than a year. Continue Reading
Anchor has raised a Series A funding round of $10 million. Google Ventures led the round for the podcasting company, with participation from Accel, The Chernin Group, Eniac Ventures, Homebrew, Atlantic Records CEO Craig Kallman and others. Anchor has now raised a total of $15 million. Continue Reading
The 6th annual RAIN Summit Europe returns to London for the fourth year, November 7 at the beautiful BP Theatre in the British Museum. Four key presenters have joined the speaker roster, bringing research, new industry developments, and immersive audio theater. Continue Reading
Spotify has added another personalized playlist to its programming. This one is titled Your Time Capsule, and it says it will “take you back in time to your teenage years.” Music is a powerful tool when it comes to nostalgia, but does Spotify deliver? Here’s our take from the RAIN News team. Continue Reading
Apple Music has surpassed 30 million subscribers. That’s the top-line takeaway from Billboard’s recent conversation with the streaming service’s leadership. Jimmy Iovine, Zane Lowe, and Larry Jackson sat down with the publication to talk about their strategy for attracting even more paying listeners and expanding into all sorts of new exclusive content. Continue Reading
The primary focus of Amazon’s big event in Seattle yesterday may have been on the new home technology, but the company also announced that its Alexa voice control systems will be integrated into BMWs and select models of the Mini. BMW and Amazon had already worked on an Alexa skill for the use in the car, but yesterday’s news shows a deeper and more comprehensive application of what voice control can do in a vehicle. Continue Reading
Amazon hosted a jam-packed day of announcements on Wednesday, with a heavy focus on expanding its Echo product line and bringing its Alexa voice controls to more places. Continue Reading
Audio.ad has collaborated with the Mobile Marketing Association to compile a guide for digital audio advertising in Latin America. This playbook is a free download available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. It contains statistics, concepts, and best practices around digital audio consumption in Latin American markets, including case studies of successful brands. Continue Reading
Reuters is reporting that Spotify’s latest private trading numbers are now valuing the streaming company at about $16 billion. The publication cited unnamed sources familiar with the latest deals for Spotify, although the company declined to comment on the rumor. Reuter’s sources predicted that by the time Spotify goes public, it could be worth at least $20 billion. Continue Reading