When Apple Music was first introduced to the world back in 2015, the platform’s attempt at a social feature raised some eyebrows. Now, according to a notice sent to artists on the platform, Apple Music Connect is gradually getting shut down. Continue Reading
YouTube is making tweaks to its YouTube Music platform, continuing its efforts to make the video-focused service an appealing option for music subscribers. The latest update will see its YouTube Charts being made available as playlists in its 29 launched markets. Continue Reading
Streaming software company Shoutcast has released two new premium services for companies. The new subscriptions are Shoutcast for Business and Shoutcast for Enterprise. These plans are both intended to offer easy options for streaming a radio station to any device worldwide. Continue Reading
E.W. Scripps has completed its sale of eight radio stations, which marks the final steps of divesting its radio division. The media company sold stations in Boise, ID and Tucson, AZ to Lotus Communications for $8 million. Continue Reading
Tencent Music Entertainment has launched its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, making the long-awaited move to go public just before the year’s end. The Chinese music company has priced its shares at $13 a piece for a total of $1.1 billion. Continue Reading
Pandora has hired a new member of its programming team. Akim Bryant joins the audio company in the role of top 40 coordinator, curation programming. He will be based in Pandora’s New York office and will work closely with Tiana Lewis. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Broadcasting to British millennials. Two journalism awards for WNYC podcasts. Unqualified finds a home at WeWork. Continue Reading
AWAL, the artist services company owned by Kobalt, announced plans to open an office in Canada. The new location in Toronto is currently hiring for several positions. The office is scheduled to open in early 2019. Continue Reading
Deloitte has released its 2019 predictions and is forecasting a big year ahead for smart speakers. The company projected that the smart speaker market will be worth $7 billion in 2019, a spike of 63% for total industry revenue. The report also gave a positive outlook for radio and artificial intelligence. Continue Reading
Tencent Music Entertainment is facing yet another hurdle as its planned IPO date approaches. Investor Hanwei Guo is suing Guomin Xie, the company’s co-president, claiming that the exec allegedly coerced him into selling his equity stake in Ocean Music, which later became Tencent Music Entertainment. Continue Reading
Spotify has entered a unique cross-promotion deal with comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres. The streaming service will have a new content hub on its site with playlists, podcasts, and video clips curated by DeGeneres. In return, the performer will make on-air plugs for Spotify during her eponymous TV show. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia is in the process of restructuring after a strategic move of declaring bankruptcy in March. Despite several years of financial difficulties, the company still has such a large footprint in broadcasting and audio that it has been the subject of takeover rumors. First, Apple was allegedly engaging in talks with the media conglomerate. Now, Liberty Media is reportedly interested as well. Continue Reading