Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: A rallying cry for indie podcast support. Spotify Awards releases finalists. Beware the bootleg podcast. Continue Reading
CD Baby is ending a major segment of its operation. The company announced that it will close its online retail store on March 31. After that date, the retail store will transition into a download portal. Continue Reading
Susan Wojcicki wrote a blog post to mark YouTube’s fifteen’s birthday. The video platform was registered as a website on February 14, 2005, and the current YouTube CEO shared a few figures in her post looking forward to the company’s next goals. Continue Reading
Indian telecom Reliance Industries is putting more money into its streaming music operation. The company made an investment of $19.6 million into JioSaavn. The audio platform was created in March 2018. Continue Reading
Deezer is launching a concert series inspired by its curated playlists. The streaming company plans to host a collection of small, invitation-only shows under the banner Deezer LIVE. Continue Reading
Podcast Movement Evolutions, an addition to the annual Podcast Movement conference and an expansion of it, was produced last week in Los Angeles. The event expanded on the six-year-old Podcast Movement summer gathering, offering three tickets levels and four content tracks for different types of attendee. Continue Reading
SoundCloud introduced a new feature that allows users to upload tracks from their smartphones. This feature is rolling out for the audio platform’s iOS app, with Android coming soon. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group posted strong financial results for its 2019 fiscal year. Parent company Vivendi also used the earnings announcement to share some developments for the label. Not only is UMG getting a group of new partial owners, but it is also the latest music business to be targeting an IPO. Continue Reading
Apple has hired Jeff Bronikowski as its new global head of strategic music intiatives. He joins from Warner Music Group, where he was SVP of global business development and head of new technology and innovation. Continue Reading
Spotify is giving a bigger global rollout to its standalone Kids app. The software is rolling out today as a beta for anyone with a Spotify Premium Family subscription in the UK and Australia. Continue Reading
The Google/Alphabet empire has been rumored to be planning consolidation under its sprawling umbrella of music properties. The latest insider info hints that the transition to phase out Google Play Music in favor of YouTube Music. Continue Reading
Many upstart businesses have emerged over the past several years with the goal of bringing a streaming experience to hardcore fans of niche genres, aiming to provide more detail and discovery for audiences who might feel underserved by mainstream operations. The upcoming service Jazzed is, unsurprisingly, trying to reach jazz fans. Continue Reading