Edison Research and NPR have released the latest edition of The Smart Audio Report, with December 2018 survey results about smart speakers. The past year saw the addition of 14 million new smart speaker owners for a total of about 53 million people. That equates to roughly 21% of adults in the United States. The product segment is still firmly in the early majority phase of adoption. Continue Reading
Tidal is bringing better-quality audio to Android smartphones. The streaming service has partnered with MQA, Master Quality Authenticated, to bring advanced audio quality to listeners on Android devices. Continue Reading
Slate has expanded its podcast roster with a daily news show. Today marks the official debut of What Next, which will provide in-depth analysis on one story every day. Mary Harris, a veteran with two decades of experience in broadcast television and public radio, is the program’s host. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. Alexa skill numbers continue to explode. Ear Hustle host’s sentence is commuted. More on Hollywood’s podcast fascination. Continue Reading
MIDiA Research has a new report examining YouTube’s impact on the international streaming market. Its assessment shares statistics from the video platform in Q3 2018 and shares insights as to how the recent legislation passed in Europe could have unintended effects on the music industry as a whole. Continue Reading
Spotify has been making an effort to make podcasts a more visible part of its entertainment offerings, and a new job listing hints at what might be next for its strategy. The streaming service is hiring for the role of Senior Product Manager – Podcast Advertising. This post will be spearheading the development of native audio advertising for Spotify. Continue Reading
Music festival Coachella has expanded its partnership with YouTube. This year, the April event will have both of its weekends streamed live to the video platform. YouTube will host artist vignettes and behind-the-scenes videos alongside a curated selection of the live performances. Continue Reading
BuzzAngle Music has released its 2018 report on the U.S. music market. The analysis showed 16.2% in total album consumption during the year compared with 2017, while total song consumption rose 27.4%. On-demand streams in 2018 totaled 809.5 billion, including 534.6 billion audio streams. Continue Reading
Anna Washenko (RAIN News editor) and Brad Hill (RAIN president) offer a few points of outlook for 2019. On Friday, January 4, watch for the annual RAIN News 2019 Predictions from participating industry leaders. Continue Reading
The UK posted a rise of nearly 6% in music consumption during 2018 on the back of more growth in streaming, according to data from BPI and the Official Charts Company. Total music consumption for the year — including purchases, downloads, and streams — was 142.9 million albums and album equivalents. Continue Reading
Hetal Patel is returning to iHeartMedia for a role as executive vice president of SmartAudio Intelligence Insights. In this position, Patel will head the team creating research and insights to shape iHeartMedia’s value proposition. Continue Reading
The RIAA announced two big changes to its executive leadership. Mitch Glazier is now the chairman and CEO of the trade group, and Michele Ballantyne assumes the post of COO. Continue Reading