Warner Music Group posted is Q2 financial results. Quarterly revenue for the major label totaled $825 million, up 11% from $745 million in the year-ago period. Digital revenue rose 21.9% to secure a 53.2% share of Warner’s total quarterly revenue with $400 million. Continue Reading
In one of the most eventful days in company history, Pandora released its Q1 earnings, disclosed the first subscription numbers for Pandora Premium, announced a new $150-million investment, altered its board rules making it easier to change directors, and accepted the resignation of its board Chairman and another board member. Continue Reading
Rights management company Kobalt Music Group has raised $75 million in a Series D funding round. The Hearst Entertainment media conglomerate led the financing, and existing Kobalt backers Balderton Capital and MSD Capital also participated. Continue Reading
SoundCloud has introduced a new discovery feature for its members. The Upload is a personalized list of song recommendations. The selections are based on a listener’s past track choices, and it promises better suggestions the more a person listens within the SoundCloud ecosystem. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: YouTube to make original shows for free viewing; PIAS manager talks live video potential; Harry Styles fans try gaming the charts. Continue Reading
ESPN is bringing back its TrueHoop podcasts with a few small changes. The sports broadcasting platform has made some cuts to its editorial staff recently, and last week it had shut down the TrueHoop podcast network. Continue Reading
Spotify is reportedly making plans to lease a new office space in London. The company is in advanced negotiations for a 60,000 square foot space, three times the size of its current office in the UK. Continue Reading
The Orchard, an independent music distributor owned by Sony, has acquired two of its rivals. It has purchased German-based finetunes and Norway-based Phonofile. The labels distributed by these companies will gain access to the services provided by The Orchard. Continue Reading
Apple has posted its Q2 2017 results. Quarterly revenue for the tech giant totaled $52.9 billion, up from $50.6 billion in the year-ago period. Apple does not break out any of the financial details for its streaming music platform, but that product is included in its Services arm along with revenue from any of its digital content. Continue Reading
Rights administration specialist Kobalt Music Group has announced some updates to its top leadership. First, Richard Sanders has stepped down as the company’s president and chief revenue officer. Laurent Hubert, who heads the company’s platform and investments team, will be replacing Sanders. Continue Reading
YouTube is trialling a redesign of its desktop product, offering an advanced look and soliciting feedback on the changes. The new look is based on the Material Design philosophy, an approach to presenting digital experiences. According to a blog post announcing the redesign, YouTube said the key principles are simplicity, consistency, and beauty. Continue Reading
Registration for the June 21 RAIN Podcast Business Summit opens today, as tickets for the milestone conference go on sale at the Early Pricing level for a limited time. Between now and May 16 attendees may register to be part of the event at New York’s AXA Event & Production Center for $299. Continue Reading