Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Cmd.fm turns SoundCloud into a radio stream; app for streaming Indonesian indie bands; Universal ties up with Cambodian telecom. Continue Reading
Apple didn’t share any big streaming-centric news at its product reveal yesterday, but the music updates that did come out of the major tech event still serve as a sign of the trends to look for both on- and offline. U2 was the musical guest at the event, and the band closed the performance by announcing that its new album would be available for free to all iTunes customers. The other big development was a silent change that didn’t take place on stage: Apple discontinued the classic iPod. Continue Reading
Spotify unveiled a new blog that will focus on trends and concepts stemming from its various data collections. Dubbed Spotify Insights, the information will be a combination of the global listening numbers that Spotify tracks and the recommendation-based data from its subsidiary The Echo Nest. Continue Reading
Deezer has made significant inroads in the streaming ecosystem of Europe, but soon it will make its first landing in the U.S. The first service it will offer to American listeners is called Deezer Elite. For a monthly subscription of $19.99, listeners can stream lossless FLAC files. Initially, the plan will require listeners to use a Sonos speaker system to stream the tunes, although those people will get a discount on the monthly fee. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Billboard’s critical response to GhostTunes; WholeWorldBand app offers mobile online collaborations; livestreaming concerts and lessons with DoclerMusic. Continue Reading
Two recent articles reviewed the international scope for Rdio. The service is available in 60 countries, but its top markets outside of the U.S. are Canada and Brazil. Mediacaster reviewed Rdio’s business activities in Canada, the service’s second-largest market. While smartphone use in third-largest market Brazil is on the rise, ZDNet cautioned that the country does struggle with the quality of its mobile Internet services. Continue Reading
A mere month after Grooveshark announced that it would be supported on the Chromecast dongle, the streaming service was suspended for violating Google’s Terms of Service. The problem stemmed from allegations by the RIAA that Grooveshark was infringing on artists’ copyright. Continue Reading
Serendip announced that it will cease operations on Sept. 22. In an email to its members, the company said the costs of processing all the posts and serving up playlists on both web and mobile apps were more than the small team could handle. The Israel-based startup was designed to be a music service with a social angle. It pulled music recommendations from a person’s connections on Facebook and Twitter to create playlists. It also had a lean-back radio listening component. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Musicians should speak up about YouTube features; buy music and more from a tweet; Calvin Harris’ billion Spotify streams. Continue Reading
The Interactive Advertising Bureau will release the first standard template for digital audio advertisements today, called the “Digital Audio Ad Service Template” (DAAST). The breakthrough standard was developed by an industry coalition organized by the IAB (the IAB Digital Audio Ad Serving Template Working Group).
The purpose of DAAST is to promote a technical ecosystem in which advertisers, publishers, agencies, and consumer playback devices are aligned to coherently deliver and track streamed audio advertising.
RAIN spoke to Scott Cunningham of the IAB, and Benjamin Masse, co-chair of the Working Group and SVP of Triton Digital. Continue Reading
When an Internet station in Saint Louis picketed a newspaper for eliminating the station from a reader’s choice award of best radio stations, we decided to poll RAIN readers on the crucial question: Is Internet radio “real radio”? The results are definitive, with 70% of responses say: Yes, it is. Click through to see selected comments. Continue Reading
THIS WEEK: Is Internet radio “real radio”? Rdio’s re-launch and free listening. YouTube’s new tip jars for musicians. How much money does Neil Young need? How much moeny did 8tracks get? Internet Radio Awards at RAIN Summit Indy. Continue Reading