BBC-backed listening platform Radioplayer announced a new initiative intended to bring streaming of online-only programming into the app experience for the first time. Radioplayer serves an audience of 6-million monthly listeners. Continue Reading
British comedian, actor, and activist Russell Brand is starting a twice-weekly comedy podcast exclusively on audioBoom. Ad-rep firm Adlarge, which already exclusively represents audioBoom’s U.S. audience, will develop custom U.S. advertising opportunities in the new show. Continue Reading
Radioline, a European radio aggregation platform, has launched a new mobile app (iOS and Android) for users in the U.K. and France. The key new feature exports favorite tracks from radio streams to Spotify or Deezer. Besides a definite coolness factor in this feature, it represents an advance of an existing usability trend. Continue Reading
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THIS WEEK: Apple raids radio; YouTube Radio; A study of streaming ad loads; WNYC podcast chief leaves for startup; Spotify licenses Sony music for Europe; Pandora launches Artist Messaging; Tumblr music takedowns. Continue Reading
Starbucks, long the purveyor of lattes and cappuccinos, announced that it will stop selling CDs at its registers at the end of March. “Music will remain a key component of our coffeehouse and retail experience, however we will continue to evolve the format of our music offerings to ensure we’re offering relevant options for our customers,” a Starbucks rep told Billboard about the decision. Continue Reading
Hifi streaming service Tidal announced a new partnership with by:Larm, which runs a music festival and conference on March 4-7 in Oslo. As a result of this deal, Tidal will present the international section of by:Larm’s artist program. Tidal and WiMP’s editor-in-chief Sveinung Rindal will also hold a session during the conference focused on how others can take most advantage of streaming services. Continue Reading
Snapchat has been making big waves in the field of social media, most recently getting valued at a staggering $19 billion. Today, it introduced the ability to add music to your videos. The update lets people have music playing from iTunes, Spotify, and SoundCloud on their phones and then appear in their Snaps. Continue Reading
We reported on the plans for new video service Vessel back in December, and since then have gotten access to its beta. The service uses a business model of an inexpensive monthly subscription ($2.99) that promises advanced access to content. Many have positioned this video service as a direct rival to YouTube, since artists and other video creators might appreciate a paid platform more than a free video playground. After spending some time investigating what the platform has to offer, we’re excited about where Vessel might go, but it has a long road before it will be a true rival of YouTube. Continue Reading
Pandora has introduced a new feature called Artist Audio Messaging that will allow musicians to directly communicate with their fans. Lenny Kravitz is one of the first musicians to have access to the feature, and he used it to introduce a new song. The service is getting a small rollout for now, but the company said it aims to scale it up to more people over time. Continue Reading
PodcastOne has haired Dana Senit, formerly with TargetSpot, as its new Sales Manager, Western Region. Senit was with TargetSpot for nearly seven years. Senit has a 20-year career in sales and account management. Continue Reading
Midroll Media announced today that Chris Bannon, currently VP of Content Development and Production at public radio’s WNYC, will join Midroll as Chief Content Officer starting March 16. RAIN News spoke to Chris Bannon and Midroll Media CEO Adam Sachs about the appointment and the opportunity in podcasting. Continue Reading
The Download on Podcasts is a new weekly feature sponsored by PodcastOne.
2015 is widely proclaimed to be the Year of the Podcast. A lot of media uptake hinges on Serial, last year’s breakout hit program. But momentum has been building in deeper layers of the audio industry. Podcasting’s future has never looked brighter — for radio professionals, content entrepreneurs, and amateur webcasters. Continue Reading