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The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Spotify doubles down on data; radio’s generational shift; Obama goes on a podcast; Asheville radio station goes non-commercial for one month. Continue Reading
Sirius XM has agreed to pay $210 million to settle a lawsuit centered on royalties for recordings made before 1972. The settlement covers about 80% of oldies played by Sirius, and allows the satellite radio company to play those labels’ old recordings through the end of 2017. Continue Reading
Indie licensing agency Merlin conducted a survey of its members and found that digital service revenue increased in 2014 for nearly three-quarters of its respondents. Digital revenue now accounts for more than half of overall income for more than half of Merlin’s members. The survey pointed to streaming and subscriptions as key factors in the growing digital revenue. Continue Reading
TuneIn announced that it is launching a native app for the Xbox One game console. The app syncs with other devices that run TuneIn’s software and allows for the home screen of the console to become personalized based on what you listen to. TuneIn also takes advantage of the Xbox One’s Snap feature, which lets two programs run side-by-side on the screen. Continue Reading
Multiple major independent groups have voiced support for Apple Music following the tech company’s choice to pay royalties during the free trial period of its upcoming streaming service, with many signing contracts that reflect that new policy. WIN, Beggars Group, Merlin, and IMPALA are all joining the bandwagon. Continue Reading
The Download on Podcasts is a weekly feature sponsored by PodcastOne.
If Serial was the first mile marker of podcasting’s modern era, President Obama’s appearance this week on WTF with Marc Maron is the second, and possibly more important signifier.
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Beatport has introduced an embeddable music player that can can be added to websites and social channels. The company also recognized the recent debates about artist payments by putting its policy front and center. That means every stream of a song, no matter where it happens, will yield some payment to rights holders. Continue Reading
Google has unveiled a new free version of its Google Play Music streaming service. This ad-supported tier will offer a more limited lean-back experience compared with the paid subscription to its platform. The free level offers curated playlists designed to pair with specific genres, moods, or activities. It is rolling out first on Android and web, with an iOS update due soon. Continue Reading
Tidal has had another changing of the guard, with interim CEO Peter Tonstad leaving the top position. Tonstad was CEO of Aspiro, which was Tidal’s parent company prior to the buyout by Jay-Z. Tonstad stepped in to replace Tidal’s previous CEO Andy Chen, who stayed only two weeks with the company following the change of ownership. Tidal is also in the news today as a tangent to the latest activities of the current queen of the music scene, Taylor Swift. Continue Reading
Jelli announced this morning the closure of a $21-million funding round. investors includ Relay Ventures, Intel Capital, First Round Capital, iHeartMedia, and Universal Music Group. Jelli has raised $37.6-million in venture funding starting with a $2-million seed round in January, 2010. Continue Reading
Quick Hits scans for brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. Today: Taylor Swift vs. Apple. Continue Reading
The Financial Times published a list of the top 50 tech entrepreneurs in Europe, and the rankings included several key players from the music industry. The list of CEOs and founders was compiled with the help of Founders Forum. Any nominees had to either be European nationals or live in Europe while running a tech company. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek took the top spot. Continue Reading