One of the big music industry narratives this year will likely be the expected sale of up to a 50% stake in Universal Music Group. Two very different potential buyers have already emerged. Reuters reported that Tencent Music Entertainment and U.S. buyout fund KKR are each exploring bids for the major label. Continue Reading
Sirius XM announced a new content expansion for its subscribers. The satellite radio company introduced more than 100 curated, commercial-free streaming music channels available exclusively to Sirius XM All Access and Sirius XM Premier Streaming subscribers. Continue Reading
Despite a last-minute legal challenge, Spotify has officially launched in India. The streaming service has brought its premium service to the country with a library of 40 million songs. The free version of its service is also launching in India with a first: these listeners will be able to play songs on demand. Continue Reading
In a startling revision of the podcasting executive lineup, Lex Friedman and Korri Kolesa have departed sales company Midroll Media and start today in new roles at podcast technology company ART19. We spoke with Sean Carr, ART19 CEO. Continue Reading
The RIAA has elected a new board of directors that will serve their posts until 2022. Many labels are represented on the board, which is the latest development in a continuing shift to the trade organization’s leadership. Mitch Glazier was officially instated as the RIAA’s chairman and CEO, and Michele Ballantyne was named as its COO in January. Continue Reading
Pandora has introduced a new feature for creating playlists that combine music and podcasts or other spoken word content. The format is called Pandora Stories, and it’s being slowly rolled out in collaboration with a few celebrity curators. Continue Reading
Digital content startup WaitWhat has landed an investment of $4.3 million. The company, founded by former TED executives June Cohen and Deron Triff, has quickly established itself as a player in podcasting. Along with the funding news, WaitWhat also announced the launch of a new podcast in partnership with Quartz called Should This Exist? Continue Reading
Spotify is making a big push into podcasting, but that isn’t the only area of spoken word content the company is curating. The streaming service has a new “Word” section under its Browse tab. Continue Reading
Tencent Music Entertainment may have came stateside for its IPO, but the company is still keeping plenty of ties to its home country of China. The company recently made a strategic investment in Chinese streaming service Douban FM. Continue Reading
SoundCloud has introduced a distribution tool. SoundCloud Premier distribution allows creators to have their uploads sent to other music and digital services, opening up new audiences and new revenue streams for the performers. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: SoundCloud at the Grammys. Apple Music’s Grammy deal. Smart speakers’ language options. Singing in tongues. Continue Reading
The text of the EU Copyright Directive has been finalized, meaning the stage is set for a sweeping legal update that could have unintended consequences for online communication in the bloc. With the final language decided, new revisions cannot be made and the legislation will go to the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee ahead of a final vote, which is expected to occur in March or April. Continue Reading