Yesterday, Apple news site 9to5mac.com reported that it had received inside information about what the company’s new Beats Music-inspired streaming service will look like. Of course, the author gave no names or explanations of how and where he obtained the intel, so we’re taking it with a grain of salt for the time being. But here’s what we learned. Continue Reading
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The podcast hit Serial was classified as a podcast blockbuster when it attracted five-million accesses (downloads or streams) on iTunes. This week NPR reports that Invisibilia, a show about unseen forces shaping the lives of individuals, has gotten 10-million listens. A new plateau of podcast audience reach helps the whole genre of on-demand audio. Continue Reading
Pandora has joined a trade group called the Internet Association. The group works on advocacy within many Web-centric topics, such as net neutrality, protecting Internet freedom, developing the Internet economy, privacy, and cybersecurity, but it also lobbies on broader topics such as international trade and law enforcement. Continue Reading
The Super Bowl Halftime Show had some excellent news for the performers involved, but SoundHound reviewed more than just the music from the game. The sound-identification app cited Missy Elliott’s performance of “Work It” as the most SoundHounded moment. Continue Reading
For music’s biggest night, it’s no surprise that many industry members have been trading predictions about who the big winners will be. Streaming services are among those looking into their crystal balls to divine which tunes and artists will take home awards. Continue Reading
Le Syndicat National de l’édition Phonographique, better known to non-French speakers as SNEP, revealed that France’s recorded music market revenue fell 5.3% last year to €570.6 million. Revenue from physical formats dropped 11.5% to €325.3 million. Continue Reading
Media software company Marketron announced the hiring of Todd Kalman, who will leave CBS Radio to join the Minneapolis company. Kalman becomes VP of Sales for Marketron. Continue Reading
The first rumblings of skepticism about Pono Music and its promised revolution in sound quality emerged last month, and since then the critics have become more visible and more vocal. Professional musician and journalist David Pogue is the latest to turn his ear to the question of how much different hi-def listening can really offer. In the interest of science, he conducted a blind experiment. Continue Reading
Rdio announced an update to its service in New Zealand, opening up free ad-supported Internet radio to listeners in that country. The updates are available on the Rdio app and website in the New Zealand market. Continue Reading
This year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show had everything: elaborate sets, spectacular costumes, and singing sharks. Thanks to Spotify, it also has some fun data about the performers. Continue Reading
Germany’s music sector generated revenue of €1.48 billion in 2014, according to the Federal Association of the Music Industry’s year-in-review. That total marked a roughly 1.8% increase from 2013. Continue Reading
In browsing Radionomy sites for some new listening, we couldn’t help pausing at the name “Barock Music.” Is this a pun from someone who considers Bach and his contemporaries rock stars? Or is it simply the unintentional consequence of Google Translate for the French station? Whatever the source of the name, the music selections are worth a listen in their own right. Continue Reading