Author: Brad Hill

ASCAP and BMI jointly create Songview data platform for new level of music rights transparency

Posted on by Brad Hill

Leading performance rights organizations (PROs) ASCAP and BMI have jointly announced the launch of Songview, a searchable database of music ownership rights. Better organization and transparency in the tangled field of music ownership has long been needed, according to nearly all experts in the field, to more accurately and quickly direct royalty payments to the proper creators. Continue Reading →

TikTok releases first-ever music report, indicating a powerful music discovery role

Posted on by Brad Hill

Over 176 different songs surpassed 1 billion video views on micro-video platform TikTok. That from the company’s first annual music report. Over 70 artists have broken on the platform, and landed major label deals. While major surveys put YouTube as a leading music discovery environment, TikTok seems determined to build recognition for its role in finding and sharing songs. Continue Reading →

Global Top-20 streaming +5% in October, and longterm U.S. streaming trend (Triton Digital Webcast Metrics

Posted on by Brad Hill

U.S. stream listening in September was steady as a month-over-month metric following August, according to Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics Top 20 Ranker. While group leader Pandora dipped by about one percent, gains for iHeartRadio, RADIO.COM, and ESPN helped keep the overall ship on an even keel. Click through for RAIN’s long-term trend chart from 2009 to present. Continue Reading →

DAX lands exclusive U.S. sales representation for Audiomack streaming

Posted on by Brad Hill

Digital audio ad platform DAX has announced an agreement with Audiomack, a crowdsourced music streaming platform, to exclusively represent U.S. ad sales. Audiomack serves about 20-million monthly active listeners (MAUs). Adding that reach to DAX’s existing portfolio brings the number to 115-million MAUs that DAX can target for advertisers. At the same time, DAX notes, the Audiomack deal strengthens DAX’s base of Gen Z and Millennial audience. Continue Reading →

Spotify signs Meghan Markle & Prince Harry in exclusive podcast production

Posted on by Brad Hill

The Spotify podcast deal-making dreadnought sails on, now signing the ex-royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to an exclusive production arrangement. The model seems to be taken from the Spotify/Obamas deal which tied a new production company, Higher Ground, to Spotify (not an equity acquisition). Likewise, Harry and Meghan have fashioned a production company called Archewell Audio. Click through for details and a trailer. Continue Reading →

Podtrac Top 2020 podcasts: Two-list comparison

Posted on by Brad Hill

Podtrac released its Top 25 New Podcasts of 2020 list. The release follows an earlier reckoning at the end of Q3 — an intermediary list. We compare the two for a look at which podcasts (six of them) were added in the two months which separate the two list measurements. Click through for the graphic. also — the network power of Wondery and iHeartRadio is on display. Continue Reading →

IAB Podcast Upfront shifts to May in 2021, closer to the video NewFronts

Posted on by Brad Hill

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that the annual Podcast Upfront, a fall event in past years (September in 2020), is moving to the week of May 10 in 2021. The idea is to get it closer to the IAB NewFronts (week of May 3), the video counterpart to the podcasting event, “to enable marketers to evaluate their omni-channel investments in an increasingly holistic way.” Continue Reading →

Evergreen Podcasts enters morning news space with investment in Five Minute News

Posted on by Brad Hill

Evergreen Podcasts, which inhabits what we call the emergent network space, has announced a partial acquisition of Five Minute News, and is declaring an intent to grow other shows into the daily short-news space. The investment amount is not disclosed, but Evergreen will host, distribute, and support all marketing programs for the podcast. Continue Reading →