Mark Edwards, managing general partner of multi-disciplinary media consultancy Mark Edwards Worldwide, pens a guest post about how technology is changing the position of radio. He focuses particularly on the traditional task of serving and informing local communities. Continue Reading
Amazon will roll out its voice-controlled Echo speaker to three new markets: the UK, Germany, and Austria. It is expected to launch in the additional nations on Sept. 28. The BBC reported that a reason for the delayed rollout beyond the U.S. was to ensure that the Echo speakers could support local accents. Continue Reading
Spotify is expecting to launch soon in Japan. Unnamed sources told TechCrunch that the rollout is set to happen before the end of September. The streaming platform has had an office in Tokyo for more than a year and has been laying the groundwork for the expansion for even longer. Continue Reading
The Netherlands posted revenue growth for its music industry in the first six months of the year. Trade group NVPI reported that the overall market increased 23.2% from the same period last year to 72.3 million euros. Digital sources grew 41.1% to 44 million euros, and digital now has a market share of 61.5%. Continue Reading
Shortly after the U.S. stock market closed on Thursday, Pandora announced that it had reached agreement with Warner Music for direct licensing of Warner recordings in Pandora’s upcoming on-demand music service. Pandora now appears locked and loaded to launch the on-demand service which has been in the works since last November. Continue Reading
Pricing options are turning into one of the more interesting trends in streaming music, and now labels are also getting in on the act. Universal and Sony have collaborated on a limited access music app called NOW Music+. Continue Reading
SoundCloud Go is rolling out to Australia and New Zealand. The two markets join the U.S., UK, Ireland, and France as recipients of this model from the audio company. SoundCloud Go offers listeners access to the company’s full catalog of more than 135 million tracks with no ads. Continue Reading
Spotify has cruised past 40 million subscribers, adding 10 million since March of this year. The improvements in those paying listener numbers are good news for the on-demand streaming sector. Continue Reading
This morning Pandora announced the initial roll-out of a mid-tier subscription service called Pandora Plus. Costing $4.99 a month, this plan eliminates commercials, raises the limit on skipping songs, includes song replays, and offers a version of offline radio listening. New features for free listening are also rolling out. It is a milestone day for Pandora, as it introduces one on-demand feature which moves the company into new legal and business territory. Continue Reading
Dash Radio, the 27/7 online radio platform that’s both free and ad-free, has entered a partnership with lyrics provider Genius. As a result, Genius’ databases of lyrics and and other metadata will be integrated into Dash’s online radio platform. Continue Reading
The rumor mill was churning recently over the idea that Apple might acquire Tidal, but such as deal is not in the works. In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Jimmy Iovine denied any plans to push for a takeover. Continue Reading
A new trend in music piracy could be counteracting the gains made by subscription streaming services. According to new research by the IFPI and Ipsos, nearly half of people aged 16 to 24 use software to make illegal copies of streamed music. Continue Reading