Quick Hits: Spotify fires its PR; a piracy reality check
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify drops longstanding PR firm; continued piracy problems and potential solutions. Continue Reading
Author: Anna Washenko
Apple files for DRM patent to enable song sharing
Apple has filed for a new patent that could change how digital rights management is handled in its music properties. iTunes buyers could potentially share files downloaded from the store. If it plays out that way, it could open a secondary revenue stream for Apple’s decelerating music store. Continue Reading
Nielsen’s Music 360 report confirms streaming popularity
New data from Nielsen highlighted the massive shift to online listening. The Music 360 2014 study found that 93% of Americans listen to musicmore than 25 hours a week. Many do so while at work, doing chores, and in the car. The meat of the new report is how convincingly listeners have shifted online. Continue Reading
Guvera officially acquires Blinkbox Music
Rumors started circulating last month about Blinkbox Music coming under Guvera’s wing, and those speculations were confirmed today. Guvera has purchased the music streaming platform from UK retailer Tesco. Financial terms of the deal were not released. The music service has 2.5 million registered users for its app and delivers about 100 million streams a month. Continue Reading
Rocki adds support for Spotify Connect
Rocki has added Spotify to its roster of supported audio services. Rocki makes a device that plugs into traditional speaker systems and gives them WiFi capability. With the addition of Spotify Connect, owners of the Rocki device can listen to and control their music from within the Spotify mobile app. Continue Reading
Edison Research: Podcast users shift from AM/FM, listen to podcasts more than anything else
In a newly released piece of the ongoing Share of Ear study by Edison Research, podcast users justify the “super listener” label bestowed by Edison’s report last fall. The updated fall edition of Edison Research’s Share of Ear study revealed that podcast listeners spend six hours and eight minutes each day (on average) consuming audio, and are shifting away from AM/FM listening. Continue Reading
Australia’s streaming music revenue doubled in 2014
The Australian Recording Industry Association shared its 2014 wholesale figures from the country’s music scene. The end of the year charts found that revenue from streaming music subscriptions rose 111% compared with 2013. Online subscription and ad-supported services now account for more than 10% of the total Australian market value. Continue Reading
Umano offers streaming narrations of the web’s written work
We’re used to sitting down at our computers to skim the news, or maybe even going old-school with a physical copy of the paper. Umano aims to give an audio angle to that experience. The company supplies narrations of written web content. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Global digital music outlook; Spotify gets tactile on iOS
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Billboard on global digital music projections; Spotify adds touch and swipe controls on mobile. Continue Reading
Tidal announces new European expansion
Tidal has rolled out in five new European markets. The hi-fi streaming service is now available in Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The service promises a library of more than 25 million tracks at lossless, CD quality. Listeners in the new markets will pay the same subscription price of $19.99 per month for access. Continue Reading
Saavn has 11 million monthly active users
Indian streaming service Saavn released audience data, revealing that it has 11 million monthly active users. According to CEO and co-founder Rishi Malhotra, Saavn had 30 million people use the service in 2014. Continue Reading
Rdio announces major expansion and mobile deal
Following its big launch in India, Rdio announced a push into 24 new countries in the Caribbean, Central American, and Asia Pacific region. The new markets bring the total number of countries with Rdio availability to 85. Continue Reading