Francis Currie and Benztown behind new radio prep service around musicians and social

In a press release received this morning, a new prep sheet in being marketed to radio DJs. Francis Currie, international radio consultant who starred in RAIN’s Radio Revolution: A Global View event this week, is behind the product. Radio imaging producer Benztown is in the venture as exclusive U.S. distributor. Continue Reading

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Editor’s Notebook: Google’s hasty freemium play

by Brad Hill
Yesterday Google announced it was introducing a free-listening, Internet radio-style component to its Google Play service. The announceement was widely viewed as counter-Apple positioning. But Apple has freemium too. Both companies, the owners of mobile computing, are playing the same game with the same pieces. Continue Reading

Editor’s Notebook: Spotify and YouTube cross into overlapping territory

When Spotify announced last week that it was adding video to its content catalog, it signaled a directional shift and a competitive thrust into YouTube’s territory. YouTube, meanwhile, is inching its Music Key subscription platform onto Spotify’s front lawn. Other brands like Deezer and SoundCloud are also blurring their lines of identity. It’s all about un-platforming … while trying to succeed as a platform. Continue Reading

Editor’s Notebook: What the “FM rules the car” meme should mean to radio

The number of “FM Still Rules the Car” headlines this week signifies a thought trend. The headlines have been induced by two new studies — one by Ipsos, and yesterday’s the Infinie Dial 2015 release by Edison Research. How should broadcast radio be thinking of this? Continue Reading

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Editor’s Notebook: Putting Beats in iOS won’t help much

by Brad Hill

Installing Beats Music as a built-in iOS app creates headlines, and is an obvious maneuver, but it barely lessens the challenge faced by Apple in the brutal music subscription space. It will not, by itself, move the needle for Beats or Apple. A crucial new effort is needed, and Apple has not demonstrated creativity in the music space for years. Continue Reading

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Editor’s Notebook: David Lowery’s attempt to unwind music streaming

by Brad Hill

David Lowery, musicians’ advocate and the foremost critic of streaming music, posted a column in which he prescribes solutions to “fix” the streaming music business model — or, more accurately, his issues with it. Lowery’s arrows are pointed at Spotify, and his suggestions are surprising. Along the way, he misses some reality points. Continue Reading