Facebook is reportedly pulling yet another exec away from the major labels. Perry Bashkoff is the SVP of global content and revenue development at Warner Music Group. Music Business Worldwide is reporting that Bashkoff will be joining the social media network next year. Continue Reading
Spotify’s valuation may have reached $19 billion thanks to private trading. That’s up from a rumored valuation of $16 billion in September. Sources familiar with the trades claimed that the private trades for the streaming music services were happening at a price of more than $4,000 per share. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio has entered a partnership with Jibo to launch Jibo Music. The music features have been added to the Jibo product, a cross between a voice-activated smart speaker and a cute robot. Jibo owners will automatically get access to iHeartRadio music through a software update beginning on Monday. Continue Reading
A report from Norway’s Dagens Naeringsliv claims that Tidal is in serious financial trouble. The article claims that company lost $44 million dollars before taxes in 2016 and says Tidal only has six months of cash left. It reportedly based the information on the accounts of parent company Project Panther Bidco. But is there any truth to it? Continue Reading
Triton Digital announced a partnership with 365 Digital, a digital publisher solutions business in South Africa. In the new deal, 365 Digital will leverage Triton’s a2x programmatic exchange and will promote its benefits to local publishers and advertisers in the country. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. Podcasting is on the rise, and as with any hot concept, several startups have already emerged to fill specialized needs. Here’s a look at three newcomers: Descript, Backtracks, and Shortcut. Continue Reading
Deezer announced an expansion into Israel. The company’s free tier and its Premium+ options will be available at launch, as well as a Family plan. The company expects to roll out Deezer HiFi in the coming months. Continue Reading
Another audio creator is making a second leap to television. Night Vale Presents has carved out a niche in telling stories about the spooky and supernatural. FX is working with Sony Pictures Television to create a TV series based on the company’s fictional radio show Welcome to Night Vale. Continue Reading
Kevin Brown is departing Spotify, where he is head of artist and label services UK and international, at the end of the year. He first joined Spotify in 2013 and is one of the most senior industry-facing leaders at the company. During his tenure, Brown helped improve relationships between the company and artists. Continue Reading
Pandora has hired a new chief marketing officer. Aimée Lapic will step into the role beginning December 13. Lapic will spearhead digital, social, and mobile marketing initiatives for the online audio company, in addition to leading consumer brand strategy, market positioning, performance-based marketing, and partnership marketing for Pandora. Continue Reading
The BBC has rolled out its first full voice app, creating Amazon Alexa skills for all of its radio stations and podcasts. The skills include controls such as play, pause, and resume. This move expands the broadcaster’s content available on devices running Amazon’s voice assistant platform. Continue Reading
Nielsen has published a new study into the effectiveness of podcast sponsorships and advertisements. The purpose was to measure “brand lift” across different measures, with a focus on comparing to video pre-roll ad effectiveness. Continue Reading