Pandora’s boss for Australia/New Zealand exits
Jane Huxley, the managing director for Pandora in Australia and New Zealand, is departing the audio company. She joined the business in 2012 to launch Pandora in those regions. Continue Reading
Author: Anna Washenko
TuneIn hires new head of music
TuneIn has appointed Anthony “DJ Reflex” Jaramillo as its new head of music. In this role, Jaramillo will be responsible for building and curating TuneIn’s original music stations. He was most recently head of radio for Tidal. Continue Reading
Voltra beta testing a stream-to-own digital download store
A new music startup is hoping to reach music collectors who want the convenience of digital listening with an artist-focused business model. It’s called Voltra, and it is an unusual hybrid of streaming and digital downloads. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio wins pre-1972 case in Georgia Supreme Court
The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled in favor of iHeartRadio in a pre-1972 copyright lawsuit. The online audio platform was in court over the question of whether its service should be treated as a broadcast, and thus exempt from a state statute that makes it illegal to transfer sound recordings without the owner’s consent. Continue Reading
Spotify testing video in playlists
Listeners browsing through Spotify’s RapCaviar playlist may find themselves becoming viewers. The streaming service is experimenting with a mixed audio and visual format in its popular rap playlist. Clips range from an intro and outro video for the curated playlist to full-length music videos. Continue Reading
Deezer touts Flow with new ads
Deezer is launching its first global ad campaign to promote its Flow feature. The spots highlight the lean-back listening option, which plays a personalized stream of music based on the listener’s taste. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Two SXSW stories; St. Patty’s Day podcasts
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcast round-up from SXSW; Zane Lowe not the biggest fan of playlists; listening of the Irish. Continue Reading
Google Home tests out audio advertising
Voice-activated smart home speaker Google Home has started experimenting with what may or may not be an ad format. Owners of the device started hearing unprompted promotions for Disney’s upcoming live action version of Beauty and the Beast. Although Google then said the mentions weren’t intended as ads, will advertising be coming to these devices? Continue Reading
Thailand plans digital radio launch for 2018
Thailand is slated to hear digital radio beginning in 2018. The country’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said it plans to launch digital radio next year. Continue Reading
Vevo debuts social viewing option
Vevo has unveiled a new feature for watching music videos with multiple people. The tool, dubbed Watch Party, sets up simultaneous viewing across multiple computers. Continue Reading
Analyst: Apple Music is a tenth of services revenue with much room to grow
RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani offered some insights about Apple and its music outlook in a note to investors. By his estimates, Apple Music contributes 10% of the tech giant’s services revenue, while iTunes is responsible for 22%. Continue Reading
Rumor Fact(ory): Spotify nearing major label deals with some surprising propositions
Financial Times is the source of the latest Spotify speculation, reporting that the streaming service is close to final licensing deals with the major labels. The core of those arrangements, is that Spotify would pay a lower royalty fee to the labels, but in exchange would temporarily gate major album releases for paying customers. Continue Reading