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The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Crunching RIAA numbers; the value of ad-supported listening; streaming milestone; the return of Earbits; Deezer’s announcement. Continue Reading
The new digital plans for the BBC aren’t going to be adults-only. Alice Webb, director of BBC Children’s, laid out details of the broadcaster’s Big Digital Plan for Children. That plan includes the expected launch a new iPlayer aimed specifically at content for kids. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Industry insider breaks down labels vs musician math; PPM killing HD radio; using mobile devices for surround sound. Continue Reading
Beats 1 has added three new artist-led shows to its programming roster, with more artist hosts to be announced in the coming weeks. Zane Lowe also talked about the philosophy behind having performers participate behind the mic at Beats 1 in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Continue Reading
Earbits announced that it has been acquired by You42 The online radio company had a near-death experience last year, shuttering for about three days before a mysterious benefactor swept in to save the day. After a year of working with You42 under wraps, the newly owned Earbits is ready to launch new releases of its iOS and Android apps next month. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Pandora CEO advocates role of ad-supported streaming; when regional streaming services favor telecoms; ad blockers good for radio? Continue Reading
SAG-AFTRA’s roughly 160,000 members have ratified a new successor deal with the recording industry. Last month, the organization set out the details of the three-year arrangement, which included a new payment formula for revenue generated outside the U.S. by online streaming and non-permanent digital downloads. Continue Reading
Bite-sized news app Rivet Radio, released upgraded versions of its Android and iOS apps, and announced a new key partnership with Radiate Media which adds real-time, geo-targeted traffic updates to the news programming. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: SoundCloud CEO on labels, varied business models; Apple Music is tops down under; how Pandora’s CTO works. Continue Reading
The New York Post has reported new numbers about sign-ups at Apple Music. Considering how much hype centered around the new entry into the streaming market, it’s somewhat to be expected, but the degree to which rumors and speculation have swirled around Apple Music is impressive. Continue Reading
Streaming had a strong performance in the first half of 2015, according to the latest RIAA report. Overall wholesale revenue rose 0.8% to $2.3 billion compared with the year-ago period, and overall retail value inched down 0.5% to $3.2 billion. While those percentage changes are small, they do still mark a contrast from the group’s 2014 mid-year report, where the market’s wholesale revenue dropped 2.5% as streaming growth wasn’t enough to balance the losses in other sectors. Continue Reading
Deezer announced that it plans to hold an IPO later this year. The streaming service is currently projected to obtain a market valuation of about 1 billion euros ($1 billion). Going public could help the French platform to compete with other rival services in the increasingly crowded streaming space. Continue Reading