Mobile analytics company App Annie released its list of the top app publishers of 2014. Pandora landed at number 37 in the rankings. Many of the 52 companies focus on mobile games or social media, and some of those companies put out dozens or even hundreds of apps. Pandora, even with its narrow focus, was one of the few music-focused brands to secure a spot on the list. Continue Reading
Nielsen announced its acquisition of data technology firm Exelate. Exelate serves the digital marketing ecosystem, specializing in audience intelligence and segmenting. The acquisition is a programmatic move for Nielsen. Continue Reading
A power-packed podcasting panel will highlight RAIN Summit West, April 12 in Las Vegas. Called On Demand Is In Demand, the panel will gather podcast personalities and podcast network executives onstage to discuss their shows, and the future of this hot industry segment. Continue Reading
WideOrbit announced this morning the launch of WO Streaming, a re-branding and integration of the Abacast Clarity product in the company’s software suite. WideOrbit acquired Abacast last June. Clarity (now WO Streaming) is Abacast’s cloud-based streaming and ad-insertion solution. Continue Reading
CDs are having a tough time of it on the sales charts, and some retailers seem to be throwing in the towel. Starbucks announced that it will no longer have discs for sale at its counters. Grocery chain Whole Foods may be considering the same move. Continue Reading
Pandora isn’t the only one getting in on the SXSW fun. NPR also is gearing up for the music facet of the event with the launch of an interactive app called The Austin 100. It features 100 songs from its recommended performers to see at the festival. Continue Reading
RealNetworks has released its 2014 financial data, and it includes a snapshot of the performance for Rhapsody. Rhapsody posted net revenue of $173.48 million in 2014 with a net loss of $21.34 million for the year ending Dec.31. Continue Reading
Later this month, creatives, thought leaders, pundits, and music fans alike will converge on Austin for SXSW. Pandora will be hosting a concert series at the event. In its blog post announcing the lineup, Pandora said that it would provide live broadcasts of all the performances. It already has the dedicated SXSW station up and running. Continue Reading
Lots of leaders and startups in the music industry have been exploring options for improving sound quality in online listening. We’ve seen lots of new platforms touting their hi-fi, lossless sound, but one of the top criticisms of those services is that people listen to them with mediocre headphones. A new Kickstarter project aims to literally amp up the sound quality for people even without top-shelf headphones. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Beats vs. Spotify; proposed new streaming model Continue Reading
ASCAP posted revenue of more than $1 billion last year, the first performance rights collector to do so. The company distributed more than $883 million in royalties to songwriters, composers, and publishers. ASCAP also said that it doubled the number of performances that it has processed for payment, paying out royalties for 500 billion musical moments. Continue Reading
Talk to app developers, psychologists, or productivity experts, and you’ll likely hear about the concept of gamification. The goal is to offer perks for completing tasks, turning an activity that could be a chore into a fun system with rules and rewards. It’s been used for educational purposes, for changing habits, and now some enterprising folks have turned gamification theory onto music discovery. Continue Reading