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Test Drive: AudioBurst’s curated talk radio

Today we’re taking a spin with the beta launch of a new online property called AudioBurst. The site collects talk radio segments from stations across the U.S. and puts them online in short clips dubbed ‘bursts.’ This is definitely a fun idea for those listeners who are big fans of audio content and want a more streamlined experience, but it does require a lot of interaction. Continue Reading

Aurous music platform launches under dark legal clouds

There’s a new streaming service on the horizon and it’s already attracted lots of buzz and lots of scrutiny. Aurous is a free and ad-free music platform that pulls its tunes from licensed third-party sources such as SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. Within days of its official alpha launch, the service was hit with a lawsuit by the RIAA alleging massive copyright infringement. Continue Reading

UK managers’ group issues report arguing for more transparency in digital royalties

The Music Managers Forum released a new report titled “Dissecting the Digital Dollar” that examines the industry’s income from digital sources. The UK group used the report as a chance to push for more transparency in the business of online music. It posed seven key issues for the industry to address and closed with a survey of managers. Continue Reading

Research: 66% of American broadband households use a streaming audio service

Parks Associates conducted market research into the connections between broadband Internet and streaming music. The results showed that of the 97.64 million U.S. households with broadband access, 66% use a streaming audio service. That figure could grow as more home audio technology adapts to keep up with the shifting preferences to digital music. Continue Reading

Apple Watch owners are divided on Apple Music; points to broader trends

Research company Wristly conducted a survey of 1,350 Apple Watch owners about their use of Apple Music now that the streaming platform has ended its initial free trial period. While Apple Watch owners represent just a sliver of the Apple Music audience, it’s worth examining the figures since the people buying the debut model of the smartwatch are likely heavy Apple brand devotees. The results showed that more than two out of three respondents tried the streaming service. Continue Reading