Kollekt.fm joins the ranks of agnostic playlisting services
A new playlisting service, Kollekt.fm, is designed as a curation system. It gives users a platform to share their favorite music from across different online sources.
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Now you can Shazam images, opening up new mobile business options
CEO Rich Riley said at the start of the year that Shazam would make pushes into more than audio, and to that end, the company has rolled out a new visual component for its mobile app. The software made its reputation for the ability to recognize and identify songs; now it can also scan for an image. What’s Shazam’s end goal in expanding beyond audio? Continue Reading
Indian streaming service Gaana hacked, and taken offline
Indian music service Gaana suffered an invasive hack of its membership files, and the service is shut down while the problem is assessed and remedied. An individual publicly took responsibility for the hack on Facebook. Seven and a half million Gaana users had their passwords accessed. Continue Reading
Pandora, Spotify continue to hold top spots on App Annie Music Index
App Annie released its April 2015 index of the top performing mobile apps in the U.S. Pandora held the top spot for top app by downloads and revenue, followed by Spotify. SoundCloud was fourth by downloads and iHeartRadio was fifth. In terms of revenue, Beats Music was the No. 3 app, while Rhapsody secured the No. 6 place. Continue Reading
Merlin enters into pan-Asian deal with KKBOX
Asian streaming platform KKBOX has inked a partnership with Merlin, an independent digital rights agency. As a result of the deal, some of the 20,000 independent labels and distributors represented by Merlin will be featured on the Taiwan-based streaming service. The deal covers Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan. Continue Reading
On the Move: IFPI appoints board member; Michelle Jubelirer now COO at Capitol
On the Move tracks hires, promotions, and other notable personnel changes in the audio industry. IFPI appoints new board member; Michelle Jubelirer rises to COO of Capitol. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Mark Mulligan on Spotify’s updates; CNET on YouTube; Pandora on music therapy for cancer
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the Internet: Spotify’s new competitive strategy; YouTube and the music industry; finding therapeutic potential in Pandora’s Music Genome. Continue Reading
Adforce.com signs TuneIn ad-repping deal for selected European markets
Irish ad representation company Adforce.com announced today that it has signed with TuneIn to market TuneIn’s audience and inventory to key European markets. In its announement, Adforce.com promises to combine rich media and innovative audio formats. Continue Reading
Line Music launches for trials in Thailand
As rumored in December, Japan-based messaging app Line has launched a Line Music service for a trial in Thailand. The service is available within Line’s flagship mobile software as an in-app purchase for 60 Baht (about $1.80) per month. The new platform will let users listen to music and share songs with friends either in individual or group chats. Continue Reading
8tracks hires ex-Rhapsody exec Jon Maples to head product development
8tracks announced that it has hired Jon Maples into the position of Vice President of Product. Maples led product development at on-demand music service Rhapsody from 2009 through 2013. Continue Reading
Internet Radio Rewind #044: Podcasting gets funded; the new Spotify; MixRadio breaks loose
A weekly podcast from RAIN News
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The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Two podcast funding deals; the new Spotify; Pandora acquires more metrics; MixRadio breaks loose Continue Reading
YouTube Music Key beta gets extended to September
YouTube has extended the beta trial for its Music Key subscription service through Sept. 15. According to the emails sent to current beta testers, the extension is a thank you for the helpful feedback received during the first six months of testing. Continue Reading