The National Music Publishers Association is circulating a petition among songwriters to gather support for its case with the Copyright Royalty Board. The CRB will decide on a royalty rate for interactive music streams over the 2018-2022 period over the course of this year, hearing proposals from all sides of the music industry. Continue Reading
B2B digital audio services provider 7digital has acquired competitor 24-7, according to an exclusive report from MIDiA Research. The music services provider has assumed full ownership of the long-time rival business from MediaMarktSaturn, a German retail company. Continue Reading
Car listening continues to be a topic of interest for the audio industry. The Infinite Dial from Edison Research and Triton Digital charted the latest trends for what people hear behind the wheel. AM/FM radio still holds court as the top audio source used in the primary car for 82% of respondents. Continue Reading
Pandora continues to top the rankings of audio brand awareness in the Infinite Dial. According to the data from Edison Research and Triton Digital, 86% of respondents were aware of Pandora. iHeartRadio came second with 71% awareness. Spotify’s 62% awareness… Continue Reading
Mark Ramsey, head of consultancy Mark Ramsey Media and frequent RAIN columnist, has inked a production podcast deal with Wondery. The first show to emerge out of that deal stretches the definitions of what listeners might expect in a podcast with its look at the creation of one of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterworks. Continue Reading
Shazam has launched a new augmented reality platform for its brand partners, artists, and users. With this tool, unique Shazam Codes on real-life objects can be viewed with the app on a smartphone to unlock additional content. The codes can reveal anything from 3D animations to product visualizations, mini-games to 360-degree videos. Continue Reading
CD Baby announced that it now has 100,000 songwriters under its publishing administration service. In addition to that statistic, CD Baby Publishing is also planning a big expansion effort for this year. Continue Reading
This week, songwriters, composers, and publishers will begin lobbying the Copyright Royalty Board for larger royalty fees from streaming services. The hearing for songwriters and their professional organizations is set to start today. The CRB will be reviewing proposals from several parties as it works to determine the royalty rates paid for interactive streams over the 2018-2022 period. Continue Reading
Spotify has acquired a UK startup, further growing its behind-the-scenes tech capabilities. Sonalytic, which was just founded in April 2016, specializes in audio detection. No financial details were disclosed. Continue Reading
Google Play is the latest digital music platform to hop on the bandwagon of original podcasts. The show is called City Soundtracks. Each of the short episodes features an interview with a musician about the impact of their hometown on their work. Continue Reading
The latest development in the unfolding legal story between Sirius XM and Flo & Eddie is about the background paperwork. Music Reports has been chosen as the royalty administrator for a ten-year license for the satellite radio company’s use of Flo & Eddie’s recording catalog and other recordings from prior to 1972. Continue Reading
Spotify appears to be testing the hi-fi audio waters. Some users of the streaming service appear to have been chosen to test a version of Spotify’s premium features coupled with lossless, CD-quality audio. According to screenshots of the A/B testing for Spotify Hi-Fi, the potential upgrade could add between $5 and $10 a month to the existing monthly cost. Continue Reading