Big news today for the many fans of This American Life. The iconic podcast is now available on Spotify. Its arrival is a move that could help further entrench Spotify as a major podcast listening platform, and marks a meeting of podcasting’s past and present. Continue Reading
Sirius XM has released its financials for the first quarter of 2020. The satellite radio and audio company reported revenue of $1.95 billion, up from $1.74 billion in the same period of 2019. Net income totaled $293 million, or 7 cents per share, up from $162 million, or 3 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Continue Reading
Tidal appears to be adding a unique new option for connecting with its library. Billboard reported that the streaming service is launching a free tier called Tidal Access. Continue Reading
BIA Advisory Services has released a new forecast for local advertising revenue that reflects the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The original outlook expected that U.S. local advertising would reach $161.3 billion this year, with digital sources pegged to be $66.9 billion. Continue Reading
Google is introducing some adjustments to its voice assistant’s responsiveness. A blog post outlined new tweaks to setting up Voice Match with Google Assistant, as well as fine-tuning how likely it is to be activated. Continue Reading
Westwood One and Magellan AI teamed for an investigation into advertising on top 400 podcasts in the United States. Their review collected between the Q4 2018 and Q4 2019. The pair found that the number of podcast ads has risen on the back of similar growth in the number of episodes. Continue Reading
RAJAR has released its latest Midas study about audio consumption in the UK. The surveys were collected during February. Live radio continued to lead with the highest weekly reach among adults aged 15 and up. We see generational shift as young listeners move from radio to streaming. Continue Reading
Live music events and concert weekends are all on hold due to the coronavirus, but many performers have been turning to online tools to still reach fans. The latest event to make the digital leap is the Red Bull Records Virtual Festival. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia has entered a partnership with Uno Radio Group, a leading Puerto Rico broadcaster. The move that will extend the iHeartRadio brand to Puerto Rico. Uno Radio Group listeners will receive access to iHeartMedia’s content and programming, and iHeart’s advertising partners will be able to work with Uno Radio Group’s stations. Continue Reading
Targetspot, a division of AudioValley, has launched a new tool called Passport Explore, a platform that allows any digital audio player to manage advertising campaigns. This service can set up local, national, and international advertising campaigns across any type of digital audio, including streaming, webradio, and podcasts. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. Today, a writer defends Apple’s HomePod against two of its biggest criticisms, a startup explores the brave new world of podcast SEO, and an interview with Philip Glass on his audio branding for Sonos Radio. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia celebrated Earth Day yesterday with the unveiling of a new initiative that encourages listeners to make small changes aimed at preserving the environment. The year-long campaign is dubbed iHeartRadio Earth. Continue Reading