Sponsored by AudioBoom
The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: CRB royalty rates due any day; Triton Digital webcast metrics; Rhapsody grows its audience; WNYC pokes Facebook with audio; Spotify faces a decision, more. Continue Reading
Pandora has launched a new native app for the Apple TV. The program brings the core Pandora features of managing, creating, and listening to radio stations to the Apple hardware. The Apple TV poses an interesting challenge in the living room entertainment space. Continue Reading
It was a short run. Aurous has formally settled with the RIAA for $3 million and has officially shut down. Aurous appeared on the scene in October, promoting itself as a free (and ad-free) streaming platform that pulled music from licensed third-party sources. Continue Reading
The Wall Street Journal has hopped on the podcasting bandwagon. The publication launched WSJ Podcasts, a suite of 12 shows covering topics in news, tech, and finance. The Panoply podcast network is partnering with WSJ for distribution. Continue Reading
We have seen increased interest among mobile service providers in letting customers use select platforms without charging their data plans. Virgin Mobile and Verizon are both making inroads into the space, but there has been skepticism about how the carriers may go about securing those partnerships. Continue Reading
Cue the listening binges: Serial is back on the digital airwaves. The first episode of season two for the popular investigative podcast launched today on its website, iTunes, and Pandora. Continue Reading
sponsored by PodcastOne
Nearly two years ago, an article that questioned why audio doesn’t go viral, went viral. The article’s complaint has not been fully answered. Recently WNYC posted one of its podcasts to Facebook, but had to wrap it in a video because Facebook doesn’t have native audio. Podcasting might be the catalyst which changes the lack of social sharing in audio. Continue Reading
Roger Lanctot is Associate Director of Strategy Analytics, and a thought leader in the connected-car space. In this guest article, he set forth the outlook for radio, even as tech companies do battle over the hardware for connected vehicles. Continue Reading
The British Phonographic Industry and the Entertainment Retailers Association have investigated the crossover between streaming music patrons and CD purchases. The UK organizations found that 66% of its survey respondents use streaming as a discovery tool, then buy physical copies of their favorite works. Continue Reading
Rhapsody announced that its subscriber base increased by 45% over the past year. “Despite increasing competition, we continue to believe in the value of music and see our role as vital in creating experiences with music that users around the world will pay for,” said Ethan Rudin, Rhapsody’s CFO. Continue Reading
Google has rolled out a family plan to cover all of its music properties. The Google Play Music family plans cost $14.99 a month and allow up to six users on the account. The new price tier is rolling out in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the U.S. Continue Reading
We love when Spotify finds cool ways to share data, and the end of the year is often when the streaming service shines. It delivered a Year In Music round-up that details any individual’s music choices from the last 12 months in a beautifully designed package. Continue Reading