News 376 - RAIN News

Shazam opens up its verified artist program for social sharing

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Shazam announced that it is opening up its verified artist program to any performer or band who wants to participate. The verified artist designation allows that profile to share music discoveries with a fan base. The company has been trialling the verification program for the past two months with about 200 artists. Shazam said that it has an audience of 1.4 billion followers for that first set of verified profiles. Continue Reading →

7digital enters deal for Internet radio aggregation service

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Anna Washenko

7digital has entered a partnership with Imagination centered on the FlowRadio Internet radio aggregation service. Under the terms of the deal, the two parties will jointly improve and develop the FlowRadio platform, and 7digital will use it to power IP radio services for other brands. Continue Reading →

Google Play Music launches in Japan

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Google has launched its Play Music streaming service in Japan. A subscription will cost ¥980 per month, but Google is offering the first 30 days as a free trial. For those who register by Oct. 18, they will lock in a discounted monthly rate of ¥780. The service will be available on Android smartphones and tablets and on iPhones. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: The song of the summer, plus two interviews

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify’s song of the summer; interview with Songza founder; iTunes VP says there’s “homework” to do. Continue Reading →

TuneIn adds more college football programming

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

TuneIn is expanding its available programming in college football, announcing the addition of play-by-play broadcasts and team-specific stations for 90 college teams. These new features mean TuneIn listeners will be able to access almost 70% of the NCAA’s Division 1 football. The platform will also be carrying a talk program called “The College Football Blitz” from IMG. Continue Reading →

UK indie labels seeking to join forces behind a new playlist brand

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

We’ve seen some trend pieces in the past month discussing just how important it is for artists’ success to secure spots on streaming services’ popular playlists. The indie community has recognized this and is preparing to jump on the bandwagon. The Association of Independent Music in the UK has issued a request for proposal seeking an entity to operate a streaming music playlists brand focused on indies. Continue Reading →

App Annie: Pandora and Spotify are among the top five iOS apps by revenue

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

App Annie always has great insights into mobile business, and the company’s latest report reviews the most popular iOS apps to date. The report has separate lists for global popularity by download and by revenue, with separate lists for games. Pandora took the crown as the highest-grossing iOS app, while Spotify ranked fifth on that chart. Continue Reading →

Digital accounts for half of Universal’s H1 2015 recorded music revenue

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Universal Music Group reported its financial results for the first half of 2015. It was a milestone period for the company, with digital revenue accounting for more than half of its recorded music operation. Digital music was 50.1% of the revenue at €926 million. Total revenue from ad-funded and subscription streaming rose 34%. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: Ten years of NPR podcasts; Germany gets Google playlists; Apple Music’s male listeners

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Ten years of NPR podcasts; Google’s Songza-style playlists arrive in Germany; nearly three-quarters of Apple Music subs are male. Continue Reading →

Pureplay of the Day: Funky Blues

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Considering the genre’s very name evokes the feeling of being low and sad, blues music can have a surprisingly funky side. That upbeat attitude comes out in spades on the fun and feisty Funky Blues station. Continue Reading →

Rhapsody to add a new Kids section on mobile

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Rhapsody released a video teasing its newest feature: a subset of the streaming service dedicated entirely to kids. This section will feature curated playlists that are fun and child-friendly, as well as the usual discovery and browsing of available artists. Rhapsody Kids will launch on both the Android and iOS mobile versions of the service, but the only date given was “soon.” Continue Reading →

On the Move: Radiotopia’s new executive producer; ASCAP promotions in London; where did Ian Rogers go?

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Anna Washenko

On the Move tracks hires, promotions, and other notable personnel changes in the audio industry. Radiotopia has a new executive producer; ASCAP announced two promotions at its London membership division; Apple’s Ian Rogers has gone to a stylish new gig. Continue Reading →