Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. Today’s items include a Google Podcasts AMA, some figures from a Russian streaming service, and more of the latest on how the music industry is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading
Anchor, the streamlined podcast creation platform owned by Spotify, announced an update to its analytics tools. The service is adding more metrics for podcasters powered by Spotify. The new charts on the Anchor dashboard are based on data coming from Spotify streams rather than from download counts or from RSS feeds. Continue Reading
Owen Grover departed as Pocket Casts’ CEO at the start of the week, and is already taking the helm at a new operation. He has joined TrueFire Studios, an alliance of online music education companies, as its chief executive. Continue Reading
SoundCloud has been moving aggressively to support independent and grassroots artists in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Today, CEO Kerry Trainor authored a blog post outlining the company’s strategy to help alleviate the financial woes performers are facing. Continue Reading
NPR has hired Michael Smith as its new chief marketing officer. He will step into the post beginning April 6. Most recently he was senior vice president and general manager of digital channels for Scripps Networks. “It’s essential to NPR’s future that its content and audience reflect America’s full diversity,” Smith said. Continue Reading
In an unusual move, Apple Podcasts announced a radical change in its approach. Rather than wait for the world’s celebrities to decide that they want to join the podcasting bandwagon, Apple has proactively moved to create a show for every single one of them. Read on for a credible and 100% accurate statement from Apple representative April Everfirst. Continue Reading
Huawei, the China-based technology company, has launched its own mobile music service in Europe. Huawei Music is a streaming music app designed to work with the business’ smartphones and tablets. The European launch is backed by licensing deals with the three major labels, and the app’s library includes 1.2 million albums and more than 50 million tracks. Continue Reading
After a lengthy process that seemed at many points like it would come to naught, Vivendi has officially sold a stake in Universal Music Group to a consortium led by Tencent. The completed deal is for a 10% stake in the major label, with the option to acquire another 10% at the same valuation. Continue Reading
Spotify has been taking a meandering path for the launch of its standalone Kids app. The program is designed for children, with no ads and with age-appropriate content. While the app is a standalone piece of software, it requires a Spotify Premium Family subscription to use. Continue Reading
Spotify had several newsworthy moments this week. Here’s the latest from the streaming service. The company has created a new option for listeners to directly support artists who are losing gigs and revenue to the coronavirus pandemic. Algoriddim, the maker of popular app Djay, announced that Spotify was revoking access to the program and its compatriots. And new reports that a Korean launch is near. Continue Reading
Jeff Ulster, Chief Technology and Content Officer at TPX, pointed us to the infographic below, made by TPX to facilitate podcast listening for people who don’t quite know how to get started. “They make great company while keeping your social… Continue Reading
YouTube Music is continuing to broaden its feature set. The latest update is an expansion of its lyrics display. Access to a tab with the full lyrics to a song was introduced in the YouTube Music Android app a few weeks ago. Now, YouTube is making the feature available to all users. Continue Reading