Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, released a new market report that included data on Brits’ radio listening habits. The report found that live radio broadcasts accounted for the majority of most adults’ total listening time, but the figures were drastically different for the 16 to 24-year-old age bracket. Continue Reading
RealNetworks included some insights into the money situation at Rhapsody in the SEC filing for its second-quarter financial results. For the period, Rhapsody posted revenue of about $42.4 million, up from about $35.7 million in the second quarter of 2013. Despite the healthy jump in revenue, the service is still operating at a loss. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Behind Spotify’s algorithms; music royalties cheat sheet; Internet radio company Reciva snapped up Continue Reading
A new poll from Harris Interactive detailed the knowledge and preferences of prospective vehicle buyers about connected cars. Among those who were at least somewhat interested in owning a connected vehicle, 65 percent said they would prefer to have a built-in system. That’s good news for the projects currently in the works at the tech leaders, such as Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto, because they’ll have a leg up in buyer interest. Continue Reading
Uprise.fm is a forthcoming streaming site that aims to make rare, unique, and live recordings available in the digital space. The project, scheduled for launch in the U.S. and Canada in 2015, recently signed on Daniel Lanois as its creative director and chief music curator. Continue Reading
All Def Digital, the cross-platform network spearheaded by Russell Simmons, secured $5 million in Series A financing. The funding will support the network’s growth, original programming, and initiatives for artist and talent development. This multimedia resource for the hip-hop community has also forged interesting ties to streaming music. Continue Reading
Pandora inked its first direct record-label deal thanks to its new partnership with Merlin. Under this arrangement, Pandora will negotiate its payments directly with the independent rights group for the music Merlin represents rather than paying the Copyright Royalty Board’s statutory rates. Continue Reading
In a recent interview, Pandora CFO Michael Herring spoke about the company’s interest in making its services more friendly to drivers on the road. To that end, Bloomberg reported that Pandora is exploring the world beyond music, with interest in formats such as talk radio, news, and sports. Continue Reading
Rhapsody is bringing two music discovery startups into the fold with acquisitions announced today. Statements from Rhapsody about the acquisitions seemed to imply that neither standalone product would immediately be shuttered, but it does seem likely that the new team members will be putting their expertise toward some new features for the streaming platform. Continue Reading
Following its purchase of the platform in July, Google has revamped Songza’s terms of service. Songza members are required to agree to the new ToS from Google and its privacy policy, as well as agree to transfer their personal information from Songza to Google. Users who don’t agree to the Google terms will not be able to log in to their old accounts. Continue Reading
Sources said that Beats Music CEO Ian Rogers will be overseeing iTunes Radio going forward in addition to his leadership of the Beats streaming service. The Wall Street Journal reported that having Rogers at the head of both the iTunes Radio and Beats Music could help keep a cohesive feel across the two services. Continue Reading
YouTube lost another lead on its music program. Product management head Shiva Rajaraman is leaving to join Spotify. It’s unclear how this personnel change might impact YouTube’s chances of rolling out its new music product, which was expected to launch this summer. Continue Reading