Shane Tobin is departing his role as Head of Partnerships for Content & Creator at Spotify. Tobin was a business development director at Echo Nest prior to its acquisition by Spotify, and he rose through the ranks since the data-focused company folded into the streaming platform. Continue Reading
Short form video platform TikTok has been growing its reach in new markets outside its home base of China. After a brief removal from the mobile app platforms for both Google and Apple in April, the service has resumed in India. The Economic Times reported that TikTok now has 200 million users in India, including 120 million who are active every month. Continue Reading
Digital music distributor DistroKid has entered a deal aimed at curbing unauthorized streaming. DistroKid signed an agreement with Audible Magic and will use its new partner’s RightsRxTM solution to check the authenticity of all uploads by its artists. DistroKid is furthering its internal tools for stopping piracy. Continue Reading
Spotify is officially updating its user interface for to create a clearer divide between music and podcasts. The new layout for Your Library will be rolled out to all Premium users. The change seems limited to the mobile experience, at least for now. Continue Reading
Shazam announced a new update to its Android app that lets the software identify songs playing on a listener’s headphones. The feature is called Pop-Up Shazam, and it lets the app access other programs running on the phone or tablet in order to analyze the audio. Continue Reading
Spotify’s newest personalized playlist aims to make life more enjoyable for commuters with a healthy helping of inspiration from radio. The new playlist is Your Daily Drive, and it blends tailored music with podcast programming and news. Continue Reading
Longtime SoundCloud executive Michael Weissman has been promoted to the role of company president. He will be responsible for driving SoundCloud’s growth and strategy, including its subscription and advertising businesses, its marketing, and its content licensing. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcast-to-television producers talk shop. Netflix and a unique podcast strategy. Student podcasts to make you smile. Continue Reading
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