The RAIN Digital Audio Advertising Summit in Chicago closed with a lively discussion on the state of podcasting. Several luminaries from the field shared their thoughts on the health of the industry, the need for measurement, and whether Apple would continue its dominance. Continue Reading
In a panel discussion moderated by Les Hollander, Global Head of Audio Monetization at Spotify, data and programmatic advertising were in focus. The panelists represented four key firms across the programmatic value chain. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: The secret to free music is Internet radio. “Streaming Needs to Get a Lot Easier for Consumers.” Breaking up via Spotify playlist. Continue Reading
Big Machine Label Group has unveiled details about Big Machine TV, a full-featured media platform that will host videos, live streams, and other music content. According to the press release announcing the launch, Big Machine is one of the first labels to launch its own streaming platform. Big Machine TV is available now worldwide for laptops, mobile web, and as an Android and Apple mobile app. Continue Reading
IFPI Sweden reported that the nation’s music revenue reached 1.1 billion kronor ($121.9 million) in 2016, up 6.2%. Sweden, home of Spotify, has been a leading country in adoption of streaming, and last year’s results are no exception. Audio streaming secured an 82.3% share of the music industry sales, edging up 8% from its 2015 share. Continue Reading
It seems that acclaimed rapper Jay Z had an odd weekend. He took down his catalog from both Apple Music and Spotify over the weekend. By Monday afternoon, though, he had reversed course on Apple Music and returned his albums to that platform. Spotify, on the other hand, still only has a limited selection from his catalog. Continue Reading
ASCAP has announced a deal with Landr to offer music mastering services to its members. All ASCAP members will now receive a basic subscription to the automated mastering service. Continue Reading
Pandora has promoted Susan Panico to its senior vice president of strategic solutions. Panico’s appointment fills the position left vacant by Heidi Browning, who left the company in the fall of 2016 to join the national Hockey League. Continue Reading
“It’s clear that streaming is taking over,” a Nielsen spokesperson notes when sending us the Q1 Music Report. The quarterly update of music consumption across all platforms shows a 35% gain in number of streams, compared to the first quarter… Continue Reading
The chief officer of the BMG label issued downward sentiment when he talked about the prospects of a music industry revival powered by streaming. “I am very cynical about the view that the good days have returned,” said Hartwig Masuch as quoted in Financial Times. Streaming drives the music industry now, and artists are set to demand a bigger cut from their labels. Continue Reading
BuzzAngle unceremoniously released its first-quarter 2017 music industry consumption numbers today — and only the numbers, without comment or executive summary. No problem there, as the numbers tell a clear story. Continue Reading
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal broke anonymously sourced news (e.g. rumor) that Spotify is planning an “open listing” method of becoming a publicly traded company. In the ensuing media swirl, that method has been termed an IPO-less IPO. Media reactions range from “weird” to “logical.” Continue Reading