Boomplay Music, a streaming platform serving Africa, announced that it has raised $20 million in Series A funding. The financing will support the company’s expansion efforts across Africa. The company currently has more than 44 million downloads of its app and is adding an average of 2 million new subscribers monthly. Continue Reading
Headliner, a platform for social media audio discovery, has entered a partnership with podcast platform Pinecast. Under the terms of their arrangement, Headliner will provide Pinecast users with the tools to create video clips of their content that can be posted to social networks. Continue Reading
As we reported yesterday, iHeartMedia is striking out on Wall Street with an IPO. How the new stock will fare in iHeart’s post-bankruptcy phase is anyone’s prediction. The company is pushing a message of its size and positioning through key quotes, assertions, and attitudes manifest in iHeart’s S-1 SEC filing which declared the IPO intent. Continue Reading
Apple has reduced the prices for its HomePod smart speaker in several markets. For the U.S., the cost has been cut from $349 to $299. It’s unclear whether this adjustment may pave the way for a future new product launch or if it’s a response to market trends. Continue Reading
Speaker company Sonos announced that it has hired Brittany Bagley as its new chief financial officer. Bagley has already served on the firm’s board of directors for two years, but will step away with her new appointment. Continue Reading
In light of the recent IFPI global industry report, MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan explores several of the trends that may be adapting and altering the music industry in the future. Continue Reading
Sirius XM and Pandora have launched their first cross-platform collaboration since the satellite radio company acquired the online audio platform in September. The new interactive channel, called Pandora NOW, will be available on both of the audio services starting today. Continue Reading
Red Bull is shuttering two of its music operations. Both Red Bull Music Academy and Red Bull Radio will close as a result of structural changes in the energy drink company, which has also built a parallel reputation as a lifestyle and culture brand. Continue Reading
Audioboom, which trades on the London stock exchange, filed an optional quarterly earnings update (formally called a “Trading Update”) to publicize eye-popping year-over-year financial performance. In Q1 2019 the London-HQ’d Audioboom earned U.S. $4.6-million, up 180% from the Q1 2018… Continue Reading
The Google Assistant voice AI platform has introduced two developments this week. First, it is adding a new tool for voice-driven shopping. Second, it’s getting a new sound with its first celebrity cameo. Continue Reading
Edison Research has released a teaser for the next annual installment of its Share of Ear investigation into U.S. audio consumption. The company published a slide from its upcoming 2019 report tracing growth in Internet-delivered audio. Continue Reading
The Australian Recording Industry Association has published its year-end results from 2018. The trade body saw wholesale revenue in the country grow 12.3% to A$526.1 million last year, compared with A$468.7 million. As with so many annual reports around the world, streaming was a key contributor to the increasing revenue. Continue Reading