Spotify is expecting to expand its team by about a third, according to cofounder and Chairman of the Board Martin Lorentzon. He told reporters at a trade fair in Finland that the streaming company was recruiting around 500 new employees to join the current staff of 1,500 people. Continue Reading
BitTorrent drew attention for its collaboration with Thom Yorke, where it made the Radiohead frontman the first artist to sell a pay-gated torrent of his new solo album. The company announced today that the direct-to-fan Bundle approach can now be used by any artists. The pay-gated platform’s opening was linked with an anniversary album release from DJ and producer Diplo. Continue Reading
In an initiative marked by repeated long delays, it is perhaps unsurprising that Music Key, YouTube’s new music subscription service which was supposed to start today, has been pushed back to tomorrow. In other Music Key news, it is widely reported that a rumored subscriber connection between Music Key and Google’s audio-only subscription service, All Access, will indeed happen. Continue Reading
Rio Caraeff will step down as CEO of Vevo at the end of 2014. CFO Alan Price will serve as the interim leader for the video hosting service while the company looks for a full-time replacement. Vevo has had a rocky year, and the launch of YouTube Music Key is also a potential risk for Vevo’s business. Continue Reading
A New York judge ruled against Sirius XM’s motion for a summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by the Turtles. The band is seeking $100 million in damages for the satellite radio’s playing its songs from before 1972, when federal copyright laws took effect. It is the latest in a series of state court decisions that challenge a loophole in federal music licensing regulations. Continue Reading
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A six-minute blast of news you need to know in streaming music and online audio. This week: YouTube Music Key finally arrives (partially); iHeartMedia rate proposal; in-car listening preferences; Rhapsody earnings; SoundHound’s new app; Disney goes digital on Slacker; Taylor Swift redux. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Sales and subscriptions up for Google Music; SoundCloud cofounder on money and mixes; what the world is listening to. Continue Reading
Radio Disney has started its migration into the digital realm thanks to three new stations arriving on Slacker. The new additions are Radio Disney, Radio Disney Junior, and Radio Disney’s Top 30 Countdown. Disney shuttered 23 of its 24 terrestrial stations back in August as preparation for a push into online platforms. Continue Reading
Ad-tech company AdsWizz announced the hire of Paul Brown as VP, European Solutions. Brown leaves Bauer Media, one of the U.K.’s largest radio groups, where he was Digital Development Director. He joined Bauer as part of the acquisition of Absolute Radio in 2013. Continue Reading
Bandcamp has rolled out an artist subscription for all musicians on its platform. CEO Ethan Diamond spoke with The Guardian about the new feature prior to the official announcement at the SF MusicTech Summit. “The whole motivation here is that when you get to a point that you love an artist – when you go from liking them to being a real true fan of theirs – at some point you just want everything they make,” he said. Continue Reading
Rhapsody posted a net loss of $7.97 million in the third quarter, according to the financial results filed by main investor RealNetworks. The streaming platform generated record-high revenue of $44.1 million, up 25% from the previous year’s figures. In the second quarter, Rhapsody’s net loss was about $4.7 million. Continue Reading
Classical music fans in the UK are getting a new option for keeping up with their favorite symphonies and sonatas thanks to Classic FM and Decca. The companies have partnered to launch a classical music streaming service called Composed. The subscription-based model offers streaming based on mood, composer, or curated playlist, according to Music Week. Continue Reading