Canadian collection agency SOCAN announced a record-high revenue for 2017, but the organization shared the news with a caveat. Total performing rights revenue surpassed $350 million last year, up 6.4% from the year prior. Royalties distributed to SOCAN members reached more than $300 million, a record high for the group. Continue Reading
Podcast company Gimlet Media has added a unit for film and television. Gimlet Pictures will be led by Chris Giliberti. The new division creates a home for the three projects Gimlet has already launched in film and TV, and will oversee any future developments in that same vein. Continue Reading
Dubset Media Holdings is providing Apple Music with three exclusive DJ sets from Steve Aoki, Sigala, and DJ Suss One. Each mix is built from tracks available for use through Dubset’s MixBank catalog. The technology platform helps identify rightsholders for the different tracks used in DJ sets or remixes, and secures quick approval for their use. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Mark Mulligan on Yonder. Mark Ramsey on smart speakers. Radioplayer UK expands Alexa skills. Continue Reading
Spotify has launched a new app designed specifically for listening to curated playlists. Stations, now available on Android mobile devices, appears to offer a lean-back listening experience. The app is free to download and use, no Spotify Premium subscription is required. Continue Reading
Sirius XM has shared its results from the 2017 fourth quarter and full fiscal year. The satellite radio company posted quarterly revenue of $1.4 billion and a net loss of 37 million, or 1 cent per share. For the full year, revenue totaled $5.4 billion. Net income was $648 million, or 14 cents per share. Continue Reading
Sony Music and Tencent Music have joined forces to launch a music label. Liquid State will focus on electronic and dance music artists both from Asia and across the globe. Continue Reading
Commercial Radio Australia has appointed Jaime Chaux as its new head of digital. In this position, Chaux will develop the industry group’s approach and strategy for the whole digital space, including podcasting and DAB+. He is currently head of Content for PodcastOne Australia. Continue Reading
Playlisting service 8tracks has been gradually pivoting its business model over the past year, and has been offering listeners transparency into the decisions every step of the way. The latest move is no different, as the company announced the introduction of audio ads and why they made the move. Continue Reading
audioBoom announced a new wave of original and co-produced podcasts joining its network. The company is also launching second seasons for multiple shows that it debuted last year. Continue Reading
Apple rolled out the beta version of its hotly-anticipated podcast analytics in December, meaning show producers have had about a month to collect and assess new amounts of data around how their work performs in one of the most important podcast platforms. Wired spoke to several industry leaders about Apple Podcast Analytics, and their early findings support the anecdotal evidence that podcast listeners are indeed deeply engaged with and supportive of their shows. Continue Reading
AdLarge’s digital audio division, cabana, announced another show joining its roster. One Part Podcast is hosted by Jessica Murnane, who uses the show as a platform to help women to improve their lives. The weekly podcast features conversations with guests such as former boxing champion, author, and fellow podcaster Laila Ali. Continue Reading