Apple’s HomePod has not been a fast mover. It has been slow to make inroads with U.S. consumers, and it has also been gradual with reaching new markets. The latest development will bring the smart speaker to Japan, although later than originally expected. Continue Reading
Renee Wang, founder and CEO of podcast app Castbox, recently gave a brief interview to Bloomberg about the current state of her company. She said Castbox has 30 million listeners, including 3 million daily active users. Continue Reading
Merlin has entered an agreement with Jaxsta, an Australia-based business specializing in technology and music credits. Under the terms of the commercial data access agreement, the global indie label and rights management network will provide Jaxsta with official data about the music creations of its members. Continue Reading
LyricFind announced a new deal with the Canadian government. The Toronto-based lyrics licensing and database company received funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage Creative Export Canada program for a two-year effort focused on licensing, transcribing, and translating works by artists and songwriters in the country. Continue Reading
Spotify introduced a new version of its app specifically designed for regions with limited or weak mobile coverage. Spotify Lite is available as a free download for Android devices in 36 markets around the world. Continue Reading
The TED Radio Hour podcast will be sounding a little different next year. NPR announced that Guy Raz will step down from his dual roles as host and editorial director of the show at the end of 2019. Continue Reading
Edison Research has been going international with The Infinite Dial this year. Shortly after announcing plans to bring its audio survey to South Africa, the company shared that The Infinite Dial Germany will debut later this year. Continue Reading
The U.S. Copyright Office has made an important step forward in enacting the provisions passed by the Music Modernization Act last fall. The office selected the group led by the National Music Publishers Association to manage the creation and operation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective. Continue Reading
New podcast projects continue to come fast and furious, catering to new audiences or subjects. This week marked the debut of Earios, a podcast network focused on shows created by women. The network began with a Kickstarter campaign and is now powered by Acast. Continue Reading
Voice assistants have been gaining in popularity, but many people are cautious about the technology for privacy reasons. When a microphone is constantly on and waiting to respond to a possible command, is it recording any and all other audio? And what happens with those recordings? Continue Reading
Spotify has hired Cameron Farrelly as its new global creative director. In this capacity, he will oversee the creative vision for artist and music marketing, along with developing campaigns, activations, and original intellectual property. Continue Reading
Rolling Stone has launched its own interactive charts to monitor music popularity. The charts are powered by BuzzAngle Music, which rebranded to the name Alpha Data following an investment from Rolling Stone parent Penske Media Company last July. Continue Reading