Quick Hits: Radio conglomerates, voice control, and album art
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Questioning the conglomerate approach; how voice controls are influencing music at home; album art endures. Continue Reading
News
BPI renews calls for safe harbor change to prevent “strip-mining” music
The British Phonographic Industry is no stranger to the siege against YouTube, but it has launched another volley against the video platform. In its Music Market 2016 report, the BPI highlighted the revenue disparities delivered by subscription streaming and album sales, and by ad-supported freemium services. Continue Reading
PRX launches RadioPublic as “radio rethought” for mobile landscape
Radio distribution experts PRX have launched a new company that aims to reimagine audio for mobile devices. The first goal for RadioPublic will be to create a listening app focused on discovery and engagement with a range of audio types, including spoken-word stories, news, information, journalism, and entertainment. Continue Reading
Leading musicians’ advocate hired by Sirius XM as Director of Music Licensing
In a move that seems to cross a perceptual boundary between music artists and music services, Casey Rae, CEO of the Future of Music Coalition, is resigning that post and taking the role at Sirius XM as Director of Music Licensing. He will remain in Washington D.C. Continue Reading
Debut of BuzzAngle Music 2.0 analytics system
BuzzAngle Music, the new kid on the block for music charts, announced the launch of the latest version of its reporting and analytics service. The company, which bills itself as “music consumption analytics for the new era,” delivers daily reports measuring the performance for songs, artists, or albums. Continue Reading
Electric Jukebox study raises questions over age and streaming
Electric Jukebox, which makes a set-top box for music, has commissioned a study from YouGov that explored how streaming may be missing out on the over-35 age demographic. The survey found that more over-35 respondents consider radio easier to use than streaming; only young millennials showed a strong preference for streaming over radio. Continue Reading
YouTube Red arrives in Australia
YouTube Red has launched in Australia. The paid, ad-free combination music and video subscription is now available to Aussie listeners for AU$11.99. Australia was announced as the second market for the platform back in February. Continue Reading
Kobalt app joins the ranks of new rights and revenue management tools
Kobalt debuted a new app for its publishing clients that offers a real-time view at revenue. For now, the app from the publisher and royalty collection service is only on iOS, with a planned launch for Android in the future. Continue Reading
ASCAP hosts DC advocacy day
ASCAP is hosting an advocacy day in Washington DC in support of legal protections for songwriters and publishers in a streaming music economy. One of the top priorities for the group is arguing for an update to its consent decree with the Department of Justice. Continue Reading
T-Mobile adds streaming music’s video sources to Binge On
T-Mobile has introduced another round of services to its data-free Binge On plan, which now includes some musical video sources. Thanks to the latest development, video offerings from Spotify, Tidal, Google Play Music, and Radio Disney can all be viewed without counting against high-speed data plans. Continue Reading
Reservations open for 8tracks Regulation A crowdfunding investment
8tracks moved closer to its Regulation A crowdfunded investment round today, when it opened the round to non-binding reservations. the company hopes to raise $10-million of the $33-million of interest that was expressed during months of testing. Continue Reading
PodcastOne expands sales force with VP East Coast
PodcastOne announced that Amy Lewis Schacter has joined the company in the role of Vice President, East Coast Sales. Schachter will be stationed in New York. Schachter is making the leap from radio to podcasting after 20 years with CBS where, in 2013, she was named Digital Sales Person of the Year in 2013. Continue Reading