Warner Music Group announced two personnel developments. First, Kieron Donoghue is leaving the label. Second, Warner has hired Mark Baker as vice president of public policy and government affairs. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Where to find free music downloads; advice for how to monetize your podcasts; podcasters may listen less to other podcasts. Continue Reading
Spotify has introduced a new platform for helping promote emerging artists called RISE. Performers selected for RISE will receive preferential, mixed-media playlist placement, and editorial programming within Spotify. The music company will also support the artists with special live events and television ads. Continue Reading
Samsung announced that it is upgrading its Bixby voice assistant platform and adding support for more connected devices. Bixby debuted last year, but was only available on Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone line. Now it will be made open to developers of any other smart devices. Continue Reading
Billboard announced that will adjust how it weights streaming equivalents for its charts. Under the current system, Billboard only distinguishes between streams from on-demand platforms and streams from programmed services, with more weight given to the on-demand plays. Beginning in 2018, Billboard will begin weighting paid streams more heavily than free listening streams. Continue Reading
TuneCore announced that its artists have collectively earned more than $1 billion in collective revenue from downloads and streaming. The company offers artist services and music publishing administration, helping to collect the royalties from digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. Continue Reading
Spotify is rumored to be launching in Romania next month. A few local blogs have posted that the streaming platform will be arriving in the European market on November 28. Continue Reading
Deezer is continuing it partnership spree with another telecom deal. Russian mobile operator Beeline is the subject of the new agreement. Beeline is controlled by the Veon Group, and users of the platform will receive special offers and services from Deezer. Continue Reading
Content feed company Inoreader announced that it is integrating Audioburst’s API. This brings Audioburst’s curated “bursts” of audio programming into six of Inoreader’s RSS feeds: tech, entertainment, sports, U.S. news, world news, and business. The integration offers an audio counterpart to the company’s text news items. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: First reactions to Sonos One. iHeartMedia gets a dose of reality (TV). What’s the deal with iPhones and FM chips? Continue Reading
XAPPmedia announced a new platform for creating voice skills across multiple systems called One Voice AI. The service is now operating more than 450 voice apps, up from 119 at the company’s previous update in early September. At last month’s announcement, the company was mostly focused on supporting the Amazon Alexa system. One Voice AI offers expanded reach that includes Microsoft Cortana and Google Assistant. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group announced the creation of an accelerator engagement network designed to help the major label build ties with the next wave of music startups. Up to ten programs will participate in the first year of the project. UMG will provide industry expertise during the application process as well as mentorship to companies focused on digital music that are accepted into the accelerators. Continue Reading