Comedy podcast network Earwolf Media announced its merger with podcasting advertising network The Mid Roll, to form Midroll Media, an end-to-end production and monetization company for online program producers. Jeff Ullrich, founder of Earwolf, is the founder and CEO of the combined entity. Continue Reading
In a punchy keynote address at the New Music Seminar in New York yesterday, SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe provocatively claimed that music sales decrease when radio plays songs. Huppe used that theme to support an argument that broadcast radio should be required to pay performance royalties to artists and labels, from which radio is currently exempt. Continue Reading
Seeking to capitalize on the quick rise in demand for digital advertising solutions, WideOrbit, a leading provider of business management software to media companies, has acquired Abacast, a technology company providing ad-insertion tools to webcasters. Continue Reading
Beats Electronics (recently acquired by Apple) file a trademark revision dated April 25, expanding the protected use of its iBeats trademark.
Formerly assigned only to the in-ear Beats headphones product, the application for expanded protection covers uses that seem clearly aimed at potentially rebranding Beats Music, in whole or part. Continue Reading
RAIN Hotspots — the five most-read articles last week. Price Waterhouse Cooper predicts the music business … Steve Goldstein looks for radio in his new car … interview with the CEO of Commotion, a unique social app for radio … Siri gets Shazam … Pandora’s spot load in May. Continue Reading
The rumor factory is never idle for long these days. Days after Apple turned rumor into reality by acquiring Beats Electronics (including Beats Music), unnamed sources told the New York Post that Google is interested in grabbing Internet radio brand Songza, at a reported value of $15-million. Continue Reading
Internet Radio REWIND, an audio recap of the week. This weekly podcast is a quick and concise catch-up of the week’s top stories. This week: Apple’s announcements …. The future of the music industry … the U.S. government might change music licensing … and independent labels throw YouTube under the bus. Continue Reading
Music licensing is a hot topic in 2014 in the U.S., with all constituencies — broadcast, streaming, creators, labels, artists, lobbying groups — jockeying for position to make an argument for change … or trying to halt change. The U.S. government, which regulates the maddening thicket of music licensing rules and rates, is trying to understand all the angles just as industry observers are. Continue Reading
PPL (Phonographic Performers Limited), the British collection agency of performance royalties to labels and artists, announced its 2013 revenues, showing year-over-year growth in money collected, and clients served. PPL performs a parallel function in Britain’s music ecosystem as SoundExchange does in the U.S. Continue Reading
Most publicity around Pandora is U.S.-based, naturally enough since most of its business and audience are stateside. But Pandora is available in two other national markets — Australia and New Zealand. Today comes an announcement of Pandora partnering with Samsung in a distribution agreement that puts the Internet radio platform on Samsung Smart TVs. Continue Reading
In the latest update of a standoff between Google’s YouTube platform and organizations of independent music labels, the labels are escalating the argument to the British and Belgian governments. The complaint centers around YouTube’s “bullying and intimidating behavior” during contract negotiations for a new YouTube music service. Continue Reading
In 1941, the U.S. Justice Department set up a music licensing system that still governs publishers, composers, and songwriters. Today, the Justice Department announced its intention to review the 73-year-old laws and consider changing them. At stake — how publishers negotiate royalty payments, how much money music creators earn, and costs to streaming music services. Continue Reading