On Thursday, Zenbu Magazines filed multiple proposed class-action lawsuits against several streaming services seeking to collect royalties on music recorded before 1972. The company targeted Beats Electronics, Sony Entertainment, Google, Rdio, Songza, Slacker, and Escape Media Group (which owns Grooveshark) in the complaints. Continue Reading
RAIN is pleased to announce that Anthony Bay, CEO of Rdio, will be the keynote speaker at RAIN Summit West on Sunday, April 12 in Las Vegas, during the NAB Show. Bay joined Rdio in December, 2013, and has guided the company’s expansion — both the business model and the service’s global reach. Continue Reading
Spotify posted strong subscriber numbers to kick off 2015, and at the same time is building its ad-supported business in its free-listening service. The company sponsored a brand impact study by comScore to investigate the streaming consumer experience. The results portray the streaming audience as one that’s accessible and open to marketing and brand initiatives. Continue Reading
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Ford announced that it is replacing the MyFord Touch digital dashboard with a new system called Sync 3. Based on Sync AppLink, the new connected car platform is expected to first appear in 2015 Fords and Lincolns. Sync has defined Ford’s “plug-and-play in-car audio strategy, but the automaker also supports dashboard operating systems developed by Google and Apple. Continue Reading
Martin Bandier, chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV, has added his voice to the criticism of rates paid to music publishers for streaming. “We at Sony/ATV want these digital music services to be successful because they are a great way for music fans to listen to music and have the potential to generate significant new revenues for everyone,” he said. “However, this success should not come at the expense of songwriters whose songs are essential for these services to exist and thrive.” Continue Reading
Dave Van Dyke of Bridge Ratings Media Research has published some recent data about pureplay listening in a LinkedIn post. “Something interesting is happening on the internet streaming front,” Van Dyke writes. He projects that time spent listening to pureplay streaming will exceed terrestrial simulcasting by next year. Continue Reading
Rhapsody is 13 years old today. To celebrate its 13th anniversary, Rhapsody released some new internal data about the streaming platform’s success to date and its listener highlights for 2014. Over 60% of its audience listens to Rhapsody exclusively on mobile devices. Continue Reading
Imagine getting into a taxi and hearing your Spotify playlist, which you were just listening to, coming out of the car stereo. That is the vision, and starting this Friday the reality, of a partnership announced today by Uber and Spotify. The heart of the deal is about ownership vs. access, of both music and transportation. Continue Reading
A New York judge ruled against Sirius XM’s motion for a summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by the Turtles. The band is seeking $100 million in damages for the satellite radio’s playing its songs from before 1972, when federal copyright laws took effect. It is the latest in a series of state court decisions that challenge a loophole in federal music licensing regulations. Continue Reading
Spotify introduced a new use for its Spotify Connect feature, letting listeners use their mobile devices as a remote control for music playing from a desktop. Once you’ve linked up your computer, you can use the mobile app to skip songs and change tracks from the phone or tablet. through this and other features, Spotify seeks to keep users connected to the platform anywhere, and through multiple devices. Continue Reading
A legal tug-of-war between Pandora and performing rights organization BMI has been in progress since a ruling last December, and it took a new twist last week when BMI reportedly advised Pandora that it does not expect any major music publishers to withdraw their catalogs at the end of 2014. This communication was strong on reassurance but weak in specifics. Continue Reading