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 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 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
Russian streaming service Zvooq has finalized a contract with Sony Music, making it the only fully licensed independent music service in the country. “Sony Music is the owner of one of the largest international catalogs, and our cooperation with that company will allow Zvooq to present the entire volume of international music to our users,” the company’s Head of Content Tanya Mulkidzhanova told Billboard. Continue Reading
Milk Music, the streaming platform from Samsung, has added a sports genre to its programming. This category will include live streams of college sporting events, including more than 900 college football games and conference championships and more than 3,000 college men’s basketball games. Continue Reading
September 9 marks Pandora’s 10th anniversary. In honor of the milestone, the online radio company announced that it will gift its U.S. listeners with a full day of ad-free music. The Listener Love Day promotion will run from 12 a.m. Eastern on the 9th to 12 a.m. Eastern on the 10th. Continue Reading
TuneCore has announced its formal expansion into the UK. The publishing administrator has been serving UK-based artists for some time, but the new change will allow those performers to continue collecting licensing revenue in their local currency. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: More angles on playlist promotion; a call for podcast diversity; streaming needs value perception. Continue Reading
Tidal has accused Apple of blocking its stream of rapper Drake’s performance at a charity concert, claiming it was threatened with a $20 million lawsuit by the tech company on the grounds that Drake currently has an exclusive deal with Apple Music. Tidal called Apple “Big Brother” in a tweet and left the same message on the blank video stream during Drake’s set. Drake’s camp said the stream’s black-out was not due to Apple. Continue Reading
Shazam has reportedly filed financial results for its entire 2014 financial year. While the sound identification app did post solid numbers in terms of audience base, it still had losses overall in the period. Revenue at Shazam in 2014 totaled about £36 million, but the net loss was £14.8 million. The results did reveal nearly 120 million monthly active users for the service, though. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Streaming may mean the end fall blockbuster albums; a data scientist finds the most timeless songs; Wired on Internet radio comeback. Continue Reading
Pandora’s Australian team is seeking a new commercial director. Jon Stubley, who most recently held the job, announced his departure from the company after two years in order to spend more time with family. Before Pandora, Stubley also worked at Macquarie Radio and the Australian Radio Network. Continue Reading