The Music Business Association announced two new additions to its board of directors. The newest members are Elizabeth Moody, vice president of global content licensing at Pandora, and Rob Harvey, head of label relations in North America for Spotify. In addition to the new members from streaming companies, Matt Signore was elected as the board’s new treasurer. Continue Reading
Famed television talk show host Jerry Springer is among the celebrities who have jumped on the podcasting bandwagon. His weekly show – Tales, Tunes & Tomfoolery – is now on Westwood One’s podcast and on-demand platform via audioBoom. Continue Reading
Independent label network and rights agency Merlin announced the opening of a new office in Japan. “Merlin was conceived as an outward-looking global organisation, and the Japanese market will be of paramount importance to our international membership,” Merlin CEO Charles Caldas said. Continue Reading
BitTorrent announced plans for a limited streaming service in June, but that experiment appears to have been short-lived. The company has reportedly shut down the BitTorrent Now streaming operation, sources told Variety. The business also fired the co-CEOs it hired back in April, Robert Delamar and Jeremy Johnson, and laid off an unknown number of other staff members. Continue Reading
Vevo has hired Jon Gisby its new Head of Europe. He joins the company after working on the BBC’s digital strategy and running content and services at UK ISP Freeserve. In this new role, he will be responsible for delivering Vevo’s plans for content, technology, and monetization in that market. Jon Gisby has been a forward-looking executive during a career with many parts. Continue Reading
A mobile music app dubbed Soundtrap has finished a $6 million funding round. The company is developing a cloud-based music-making platform that allows for easy collaboration. The latest funding will go toward accelerating product development and rolling out in new markets. Continue Reading
CBS Radio has announced that J.D. Crowley, previously head of digital media for CBS Television Distribution, has been appointed Executive Vice President, Digital, for CBS Radio. In the New York office Crowley will report to CBS Radio President Andre Fernandez. Continue Reading
8tracks, a unique playlisting service that has moved in and out of profitability during the last several years, sent an email to investors yesterday disclosing results of a funding campaign, and announcing an upcoming shift of its business model. 8tracks will move away from ad-supported listening, becoming mainly a subscription service. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Indian podcasting will boom in a few years; music leaders rank among the New Establishment. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio is launching in Canada this month. Plans to go north were first announced in January, when parent company iHeartMedia entered a partnership with Bell Media. Now the pair have set Oct. 10 as the official launch date, but Bell Media is making the service available now as part of a special preview period. Continue Reading
AERO, the Spanish Online Radio Association, has announced that it will develop a comprehensive certification of Spanish internet radio stations and podcasts. The work will culminate in a “Certified Directory of Online Radio,” to be published in December.Internet radio stations and podcasts which can demonstrate Spanish listenership may request participation. Continue Reading
The Music Managers Forum has released a new call for transparency in the streaming music space. In the second part of its Dissecting the Digital Dollar report, the organization said that more openness is needed about deals between streaming services and labels/publishers. Continue Reading