Amazon has two new developments around its voice assistant and smart speaker efforts. The first item is the launch of Amazon Alexa and the Amazon Echo line in Italy and Spain. The other development is a way to submit feedback on Alexa voice skills. Continue Reading
SoundCloud announced a new integration with Instagram. The latest update allows users to share music from the SoundCloud library directly to their Instagram Stories. The deal is the latest in what has been a very busy fall season for the digital audio provider. Continue Reading
Music has always been a potent force for inspiring emotions, but that passion can extend to music platforms as well. Recent data from MusicWatch found a possible reason why so many studies are seeing low interest in radio among the younger generations. Continue Reading
TuneIn announced a new deal with an original podcast from journalist and news personality Rachel Maddow. The company has been chosen to exclusively represent sales opportunities for Bag Man: A Rachel Maddow Original Podcast. Continue Reading
Merlin, the indie label group and digital rights agency, is marking the second anniversary of launching its office in Japan with some new data. The company announced that distributions to Japanese members have grown by 200% from the first half of 2017 and the first half of 2018. Continue Reading
Deezer has launched for markets in the Middle East and North Africa. The rollout comes on the back of an exclusive deal with the Rotana Group, which has the rights to a large library of Middle Eastern music. Deezer is offering its new users six months of its Premium tier for free. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia announced that it will host a new live event to recognize listers’ favorite podcasts. The iHeartRadio Podcast Awards are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on January 18. Winners for 17 of the 22 categories will be chosen by listeners and voting begins today. Continue Reading
The passage of the Music Modernization Act marked the end of a years-long effort to enact changes to federal laws governing music licensing. But turning that page also marked the start of a new chapter, one where successes could prove equally challenging to find. Continue Reading
SoundCloud announced multiple deals this week, all centered on further raising the platform’s profile with DJs. First, the company announced integrations with several DJ applications. Second, it has secured a partnership with Dubset, a service for quickly licensing and distributing DJ mixes while managing all the appropriate royalties. Continue Reading
Sirius XM has entered a marketing partnership with Amazon to offer two potential deals in the crossover between satellite radio and smart speakers. The bundles are part of a major promotional initiative by Sirius XM called Bring Us Home, a campaign centered on encouraging listeners to use its satellite radio plans outside of cars. Continue Reading
Commercial Radio Australia has announced plans to form a podcast working group intended to help grow podcasting in the region. The group will help lead development of podcasting, as well as providing related advice to the radio industry about consumer promotion, audience measurement and reporting, market research, and education. Continue Reading
Merlin announced that it has hired three people for its member services and legal teams. It has been an active year for the independent label group and global digital rights agency, which now has global license deals with 25 digital music services. Continue Reading