Universal Music Group saw streaming grow to a larger portion of its second-quarter results. The major label’s EBITDA for the first half of 2017 rose 61.6% to €286 million over the year-ago period. Total revenue jumped 15.2% to €2.67 billion euros ($2.98 billion). Continue Reading
Spotify has two updates to its leadership ranks today. First, Zuzanna Gierlinska is the new head of programmatic for Europe. A 17-year veteran, she brings experience from work at Oracle, BlueKai, and Microsoft Advertising. The other personnel news is that Tom Calderone has departed the company. Continue Reading
Westwood One has updated its State of Podcasting 2017 report to reflect additional research on the audio format. It addressed the key takeaways in a blog post. The data point to steady, continual growth in the podcast audience. Advertisers have also been getting on the podcast bandwagon as the listener base grows. Continue Reading
Vevo has introduced a live talk show format to its music video platform. Vevo Live will deliver artist interviews in front of a studio audience in addition to interactions with online viewers. After testing over the summer, Vevo Live had its soft launch episode starring Fifth Harmony. Continue Reading
RAIN is pleased to announce the finalists in each of the five categories in the 8th Annual RAIN Internet Radio Awards, sponsored by Benztown. The prestigious RAIN Awards celebrate excellence in online audio. The annual program is judged by a panel of independent experts. Winners will be announced at RAIN Summit Austin, next Tuesday, September 5, at 3:30. Continue Reading
Engagement platform Second Street has acquired email database marketing company Presslaff Interactive Revenue, in a deal whose terms remain undisclosed. Continue Reading
Pandora is getting a new data onboarding portal for brands to deliver their messages to listeners. Real-time information services company Neustar is building the self-service portal for advertisers to upload their data to Pandora at scale and help those brands to build up audiences. Continue Reading
We’re in the midst of a watershed year for streaming music, as industry reports continue to hit new milestones in revenue. That growth is likely to continue, according to a new report from Goldman Sachs. The latest analysis from the financial company projected that by 2030, the global recorded music industry will be worth $41 billion. Continue Reading
This week brings two updates from the growing Amazon entertainment and technology ecosystem. First is a new price option for its streaming music service, and second is a development for its Echo product line. Continue Reading
Deezer is rebranding and updating its premium tier, which includes high fidelity streaming audio. Instead of Deezer Elite, the subscription is now called Deezer HiFi. The price is unchanged at $19.99 / £19.99 per month. Continue Reading
Music licensing platform Jamendo is launching in the U.S. The company specializes in serving independent artists, running both a licensing platform for performers and a free streaming service for private, professional use. It has been operating in Europe for more than a decade, and now is officially bringing its two-pronged business model state-side. Continue Reading
Pandora has entered a partnership with fitness wearable company Fitbit to be the exclusive streaming music provider for the new Fitbit Ionic. Through this arrangement, subscribers to Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium tiers can sync workout stations or their top created stations directly to a Fitbit Ionic without needing their phones. Continue Reading