All Def Digital, the cross-platform network spearheaded by Russell Simmons, secured $5 million in Series A financing. The funding will support the network’s growth, original programming, and initiatives for artist and talent development. This multimedia resource for the hip-hop community has also forged interesting ties to streaming music. Continue Reading
ASCAP announced that it is appealing the decision it lost to Pandora in a federal rate-setting trial in March. ASCAP seeks to reverse a district court’s ruling that set a much lower royalty rate for Pandora’s use of music created or published by ASCAP members. In the earlier trial, federal judge Denis Cote was categorical in her rejection of ASCAP’s argument. the stakes are high enough to motivate ASCAP’s appeal. Continue Reading
If the steady throb of 60-beats-per-minute dance music helps power you through the day, Club Fusion is a pureplay you need to know about. (www.fusionradio.fm).In today’s high-energy listening to Club Fusion we’ve heard Tiesto, Chromeo, Antillas, Kiesza, Cascada, and others. Continue Reading
YouTube lost another lead on its music program. Product management head Shiva Rajaraman is leaving to join Spotify. It’s unclear how this personnel change might impact YouTube’s chances of rolling out its new music product, which was expected to launch this summer. Continue Reading
This weekly podcast is a quick and concise catch-up of must-know news in streaming music and online audio
This week: Swell Music shutters … Vevo looks for a buyer … Pandora releases earnings … NPR reinvents radio, again … Sirius and Radionomy have news. Continue Reading
Amazon announced the addition of a new member to its board of directors. Judy McGrath, former CEO of MTV Networks, was elected to the board in an appointment that will take effect on Oct. 1. She will join the company’s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee, according to the SEC filing that detailed her election. Continue Reading
Samsung has added a paid tier to its Milk Music streaming service. The new Milk Premium plan costs $3.99 a month and gives its members offline listening and unlimited song skips. It will also let you turn off the commentary from station DJs and pause the app automatically with the Sleep Timer feature. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Rhapsody exec says labels gave YouTube too much power; Journal and Scripps merge; Lyric sites sued by NMPA. Continue Reading
Music rights organization BMI has entered a partnership with iBiquity, the developer of HD Radio. The two parties will launch a new program called the HD Radio Artist Spotlight, which is intended to help promote new artists and support established ones on tour. The spotlight’s launch will focus on five of BMI’s country music acts. Continue Reading
After 17 years at Warner Music Group, Stephen Bryan has been appointed the new senior vice president of business development and strategy for SoundCloud. “I’ve always felt a deep passion to navigate this incredible transition to digital platforms,” he said. “I think that change will accelerate in the near future, and a company like SoundCloud enables me to continue that.” He enters a company undergoing growth, and growing pains. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. Today — Google buys a raft of domain names that might indicate a name for its new service; IMMF publishes best practices for the digital music industry; U.S.-based Hindi-music service Saavn raising capital. Continue Reading
On April 30, 2012, Rick O’Dell was fed up. WLFM in Chicago switched away from the Smooth Jazz format (to Alt Rock), leaving the city’s terrestrial listeners without a station for that shiny genre. It had happened before, in 2009, when Clear Channel’s WNUA abandoned Smooth Jazz for Spanish-language programming. O’Dell saw an opportunity, and started a localized Smooth Jazz Internet-only station. Continue Reading