Since 2014 RAIN News has featured New Year predictions from industry illuminati. We received nearly 200 predictions from 53 contributors on three continents. Over 70% of the contributions are about podcasting. Continue Reading
Podcast tech and sales company Megaphone is starting the new year with a hiring announcement: David Cohn becomes the firm’s VP and Head of Sales. His 20-year media career as a sales executive has moved him through AskMed.com, Ranker, and Receptiv. Continue Reading
Metallica music was streamed a billion times in 2019 by 46-million people who listened to 90-million hours of the stuff. Those metrics were shared by the band from its Wrapped for Artists tool. There is a certain irony. Continue Reading
Chinese media conglomerate Tencent is reportedly acquiring 10% of major label Universal Music Group (UMG). The deal includes an option to own an additional ten percent within a year. The two companies have mutually benefited in the past. Continue Reading
Browse through the most-streamed songs of 2019 among various music services, and you see predictably repeated names: Ariana Grande and Post Malone preeminent among them. Shazam, a popular music-ID app which identifies songs heard ambiently, shows a differentiated 2019 list. Continue Reading
Streaming music services could be redefined as data warehouses. What to do with all that info? Well, make money with it, naturally … but also make end-of-year wrap-ups listing platform highlights. Below, some of them. iHeartRadio’s interactive 2019 top artists… Continue Reading
Venerable streaming music service 8tracks will close on December 31, SF-based Founder and CEO David Porter announced. This ends an 11-year run of a streaming music service notable for its innovation, loyalty of its contributing users, and unique product. Continue Reading
Podcast company Audioboom has appointed Stuart Last as its new CEO, effective immediately. Last has been at Audioboom since 2014, and has held roles including COO. Continue Reading
Mighty Audio secured Kickstarter success back in 2016, and now the pint-sized portable for music streaming has announced a new expansion. The device echoes the old iPod Shuffle, and it offers listeners Spotify Premium playlist streaming on-the-go without a phone. Continue Reading
Vivendi has reportedly been in discussions with Tencent for several months to develop a deal for the Chinese conglomerate to acquire a stake of Universal Music Group. But even as the discussions drag on, there’s still plenty of uncertainty around whether an agreement will come together. Continue Reading
Two days after releasing the November edition of its Top Podcasts industry ranking, which showcases the top 20 U.S. podcasts according to Podtrac measurement, the company removed two programs which appeared on the list for the first time. The revision follows an investigation by James Cridland of Podnews. Continue Reading
Valence Media, the parent company for Billboard, has acquired Nielsen Music. This means the chart company and the source of its data will be united under one roof. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Continue Reading