2015 Predictions: Over 20 thought leaders look into the new year
Happy New Year!
RAIN is pleased to present 43 predictions from 21 thought-leading guest futurists: Continue Reading
Author: Brad Hill
The most-read stories of 2014
Streaming audio is a many-faceted industry. At RAIN News we observe, report, and analyze ongoing narratives pertaining to many aspects of online audio — business models, user interfaces, revenue metrics, audience growth, legal wrangles, and many more. What catches the interest of our readers? Continue Reading
ReelRadio gets real lawyers, for free
ReelRadio has obtained pro bono legal assistance in its argument with the RIAA. ReelRadio streams vintage radio airchecks, some of which include music, and the RIAA says the site is out of complicance. The law firm of King & Spalding has agreed to partner with the ReelRadio and handle the case. Continue Reading
2014 numbers, and what we learned from them
Studies, surveys, and metrics abounded in 2014. RAIN News readers demonstrated acute interest in research which attempted to tease out trends in the fast-changing field of streaming audio. Click through for a rundown. Continue Reading
Editor’s Notebook: My album of the year comes from 1991, and from YouTube
by Brad Hill
Streaming is the present and the future, but sometimes it circles back to the past. A story of music discovery in the newest major music service, illustrating that the streaming lifestyle has many dimensions. Continue Reading
adStream: Skippable audio ads
We had heard about SoundCloud’s skippable audio ads, and were on the prowl to see one in action. We struck gold in the new Gimlet Media site. There, we found the unique ad technology used by SoundCloud to present a 30-second pre-roll audio ad. Continue Reading
WideOrbit acquires Castfire for monetizing on-demand content
Media management company WideOrbit has acquired the audio/video publishing platform Castfire, adding a new dimension to WideOrbit’s ad-insertion solutions. WideOrbit plans to position Castfire with its Abacast Clarity product, which it obtained with the Abacast acquisition in June. Continue Reading
7digital announces high quality audio strategy with new Meridian MQA format
British streaming music platform 7digital announced a technology partnership with Meridian Audio, and is the launch partner of Meridian’s MQA high-res audio format. MQA stands for Master Quality Authenticated, and delivers high fidelity audio in a streamable file size. We spoke to 7digital CEO Simon Cole about the importance of streamable high-res music. Continue Reading
UMG chairman pledges to “re-design business models”
In a leaked internal memo published by Billboard, CEO and Chairman of Universal Music Group, Lucian Grainge, promised a continued commitment to artist development, and pledged to “re-design business models” as necessary. The memo comes at a time when major labels are engaged in publicized contract renewal discussions with Spotify. Continue Reading
Pureplay of the Day: All-Transistor Radio
Ready for an antidote to the ordinary? The extraordinary All-Transistor Radio, a project of Magic Transistor, is the answer. More eccentric than college radio, All-Transistor Radio is programmed by a disparate affiliation of music collectors around the world. Continue Reading
As Aupeo builds new paths to connected cars, we speak with CEO Holger Weiss
We learned that Aupeo is readying an update and re-branding of its Personal Radio product, soon to be re-named Personal Radio by Aupeo. Stay tuned for details during CES week in January. In the meantime, we spoke with CEO Holger Weiss, who Skyped with RAIN News from his Berlin office. Continue Reading
Internet Radio Rewind #024
A weekly podcast from RAIN News
Sponsored by AudioBoom
A six-minute blast of news you need to know in streaming music and online audio. This week: New research into music videos; PodcastOne’s breakthrough partnership; Fighting back against a podcast patent; Deezer gets a CEO…and music lyrics; Vessel — a new video service; Ed Sheeran loves Spotify and calls Taylor Swift a past-era artist. Continue Reading