Several new music services have emerged to secure footholds in Africa’s nascent streaming market. The latest is based in Ethiopia and backed by a telecom. Ethio Telecom has partnered with Awtar Multimedia to unveil a service called Awtar Music. Continue Reading
YouTube Music has hired a former Warner Music Group exec to head its operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Dan Chalmers is reportedly moving to YouTube later this year. Continue Reading
Instagram has added the option to include song lyrics in their Stories. Users of the mobile social media app can select a track from Instagram’s music library and then select the section of that song’s lyrics they want to include in their post. Continue Reading
Billboard announced an expansion to its chart offerings. The company is launching new charts for Top Songwriters and for Top Producers. These rankings will be based on weekly activity from several of Billboard’s “hot” charts, with placements based on points accumulated for each attributed song appearing on those other charts. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: How podcasts and other online discourse impact the Supreme Court. Primephonic CEO on saving classical music. What will shape the music of the future? Continue Reading
Audioburst announced the launch of a new service that for integrating short-form into websites and apps. The tool, called Audioburst Studio, is a simple way to create an embeddable audio player. Continue Reading
SoundCloud announced that Gilles BianRosa will serve as its new chief product officer. In this role, BioRosa will set the product vision and strategy behind SoundCloud’s platform as well as leading the teams for product management and design. Continue Reading
Spotify has launched a new standalone app in the United States. Stations is a lean-back listening experience with minimal user inputs. It made its first appearance on Android mobile devices in Australia in January 2018. Continue Reading
Apple made several notable announcements at its WWDC event this year. The headline-making news is that the tech company is shuttering iTunes, the platform that secured Apple’s reputation as an innovator in music. Continue Reading
SoundCloud announced that it is bringing its subscription listening plan to several markets in Europe. SoundCloud Go+ is rolling out today in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. Continue Reading
Ole Obermann is departing his role as chief digital officer of Warner Music Group. He is exiting after three years with Warner, where he helped secure deals with many online platforms for the label. WMG will appoint an interim leader for this team until a permanent replacement is selected. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio has entered a new partnership with Surf Media to bring its audio content to ridesharing services. Drivers for Lyft and Uber who have a Surf rideshare entertainment tablet can now access live radio, artist radio stations, playlists, and podcasts from iHeartRadio. Continue Reading