Apple Podcasts is now home to 1 million shows. My Podcast Reviews reported on the count, which came from its Podcast Industry Statistics measurement system. Just under half of those million podcasts appear to be active. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. It’s another batch of pandemic stories from several podcasting insiders. Read on for the latest insights from Megaphone’s Max Turck, Pacific Content’s Steve Pratt, and Podcast Pontifications’ Evo Terra. Continue Reading
Plex has launched a new version of its music player software. The company’s R&D division has created an update to Plexamp, named as a nod to the Winamp music player. The original Plexamp was launched in December 2017 as a software program that could play any music format. Continue Reading
Amazon is continuing to make tweaks and adjustments to the experience of using its Alexa voice assistant. One of the latest developments is a long-form speaking style for the AI. This feature is designed to help skill developers to make it easier for customers to engage with a large volume of content, such as in a news article or podcast. Continue Reading
Apple Music has taken the browser-based version of its streaming service out of beta. This web iteration of the platform has been in testing for months after its initial introduction in September. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web, once more with a focus on stories emerging from the coronavirus pandemic and its impact. Today, an exec suggests connecting with company podcasts, independent musicians’ output grows, and podcast stats about kids from PRX. Continue Reading
A streaming music app co-owned by Sony Music and Universal Music is adding a free tier. The labels operate NOW That’s What I Call Music! brand, which includes the NOW Music app for both iOS and Android mobile devices in the UK. The app now offers a free, ad-supported counterpart to its usual mid-tier subscription of £4.99 per month. Continue Reading
Acast has entered a new partnership with DIVE Studios, a podcast network centered on K-pop performers. Under this partnership, Acast will offer DIVE Studios monetization services at scale and support advertising on its podcasts. Continue Reading
Warner Music Group has appointed Oana Ruxandra as its new chief digital officer and executive vice president of business development. She rejoined WMG in 2018 after two years at Universal Music Group, and was most recently the company’s interim head of business development and its EVP, new business channels – chief acquisition officer. Continue Reading
SoundExchange announced that Colin Rushing has been promoted to its chief legal officer. Rushing has been with the organization for more than a decade, and has served as its senior Vice President and general counsel since 2014. Continue Reading
We saw a wave of startups looking to combine music and social media in meaningful ways back in 2014-2015. Now, a fresh crop of entrepreneurs is looking to apply social networks to podcasting. The latest startup to try this combination is Goodpods. Continue Reading
Spotify’s latest move in its pitch for podcast dominance is to bring on a new hire. The role is head of podcast editorial, and the company put an emphasis on reaching Millennial and Gen Z audiences in the description. Continue Reading