Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler resigned today, effective January 20 (inauguration day). It is a customary resignation when a new political administration is headed for the White House. In this case, a Republican president overseeing an agreeable Congress makes likely a reversal of net neutrality. what does it mean for online audio? Continue Reading
Podcast hosting and ad-tech company Art19 announces today that it has formalized a relationship with Feral Audio, a comedy podcast network that is enjoying what might be called an “accidental success” story. Feral Audio’s entire catalog of 50 shows is on the Art19 platform, and RAIN spoke with the CEO of Feral. Continue Reading
Webcast listening in October lost 2% compared to the previous month, erasing a two-point gain in September, according to Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics monthly Top 20 Ranker, released today. Click through for RAIN’s long-term historical charting. Continue Reading
In a revealing blog post that transparently reveals company financials while explaining economic realities of the music streaming business generally, 8tracks Founder and CEO David Porter has announced that his company has “nearly wrapped our deal with the first of the major labels.” Along with that revelation, Porter says that 8tracks will start its subscription service in the new year. Continue Reading
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Radio stations know that ads are a great marketing tactic for businesses. However, ads are only the beginning of the sales journey. Radio stations can help ad clients complete the sales journey and maximize their radio ad dollars by sharing five helpful SEO tips. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: The year in streaming by Pitchfork; interview with Spotify’s head of content partnerships. Continue Reading
Political and genereal news sites are abuzz with the discovery of a small but crucial provision buried deep in the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act, which restructures governance of Voice of America, the U.S.’s official broadcast presence around the world. Continue Reading
Podcast discovery — it’s a persistent challenge that affects listeners, creators, and distributors. The headline problem? An ocean of content and no easy way to dive deep. One of the best ways to make podcast content visible in general internet searching is to post transcripts. A new service tackles the audio search challenge. Continue Reading
Last night at Pier 36, spacious indoor venue near the bottom tip of Manhattan, Pandora hosted hordes of music lovers for Pandora Holiday Live, a concert featuring The 1975, Bishop Briggs, and Bastille. One hour before the doors opened for the teeming crowd which had reportedly been lining up for two days, a small group of media and finance professionals were given a preview of Pandora Premium, the on-demand service which the company has been promising since its acquisition of Rdio last November. Continue Reading
With Pandora and iHeartRadio exploring mid-priced music services (both named “Plus” and priced identically at $4.99/month, with similar features), the question of consumer uptake arises. Will music lovers buy into semi-interactive services that cost half as much as fully on-demand music platforms? MusicWatch tackles the question with a new survey. Continue Reading
As promised in September, iHeartRadio has launched its two-tiered subscription product: iHeartRadio Plus, and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster.
Both are being rolled out in beta today, with a free 30-day trial. The new subscriptions service features two breakthrough functions: replaying and saving songs from live radio. Continue Reading
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has published an updated guide to digital advertising for media buyers. The 21-page document charts the business ecosystem and clarifies its vocabulary for advertisers. It is produced by the IAB Digital Audio Committee. Continue Reading