Rhapsody released a new car-focused feature for its premium subscribers. Rhapsody AUTO offers drivers more streamlined access to their music on their phones while in vehicles. This update is one way that music and mobile companies are adjusting to how people treat entertainment in their cars. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: How modern podcasting is like the glory days of blogging; Spotify’s new parental leave policy; Apple Music: the mansplainer? Continue Reading
Popular British songstress Adele may be the latest major artist to be “pulling a Taylor.” Unnamed sources with knowledge of her upcoming release told The New York Times that the album “25” would not get a launch on streaming services. The Verge has a slightly different take on the situation. It reported that Adele’s camp was willing to put the album on Spotify, but only if it was restricted to paying listeners. Continue Reading
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Advertisers are interested in the marketing opportunity of podcasts, and will get more serious about it if audience measurement improves. Those are the main points of new research conducted by Westwood One, Advertiser Perceptions, and Ipsos, just released by Westwood One. Continue Reading
A new chapter has unfolded in the saga of SFX Entertainment, its CEO, and a quest for ownership. Robert F.X. Sillerman recently made a third attempt to buy back the remaining shares of his company for $3.25 a share, but withdrew the offer earlier this week. Continue Reading
Monday’s news that Rdio had declared bankruptcy, with Pandora purchasing the company’s remaining assets and making big future plans, turned the tech, business, and music media on its head. The major consolidation in the streaming music space sparked lots of features and think pieces. Here, we’ve collected some of the more useful and insightful writing on the subject. Continue Reading
Amazon has debuted its Prime Music streaming service in Japan,, the fifth market to receive access to the online retailer’s platform. The service will offer listeners in the country more than 1 million tracks, including music by Japanese artists. Continue Reading
NextRadio announced a partnership with BLU, a manufacturer of unlocked Android and Windows phones that can be used with different carriers, or as prepaid phones using BLU’s coverage network. Starting in 2016, NextRadio will be the native FM tuner for all Android devices made by the company. Continue Reading
Bill Simmons is launching a new podcast network under HBO’s umbrella. The Bill Simmons Podcast Network has unveiled a new property dubbed Channel 33. Simmons began airing his own eponymous show in late September, a re-launch of his popular ESPN program. Continue Reading
Yesterday’s announcement that Pandora intends to acquire Rdio assets in a bankruptcy auction focused attention on Rdio’s unpredicted demise.
CEO Brian McAndrews used the Rdio acquisition as a pivot point to sketch a dramatically enlarged strategic vision for his company, one which contained specific answers to two topics he has skirted during this year’s earnings calls: global expansion, and on-demand service. Continue Reading
Digital distributor TuneCore reported that in the third quarter of 2015, artist payments rose 6.1% to $34.7 million. The represented artists also had 3.6 billion streams and downloads during the period. In addition to the quarterly update, TuneCore announced that it is opening an office in Atlanta. Continue Reading
Merlin, a rights and licensing group representing indie music, announced the results of its board election, with representation joining its leadership from several sources. The board consists of 15 people who will guide the group’s strategy until 2017. Continue Reading