Technology, hardware, and gadgets. WiFi speakers, digital dashboards, and more.
Less than a week after the IAB Podcast Upfront, at which Panoply was a presenter, that organization has dramatically changed strategy and structure. Panoply, which creates podcasts and hosts them (both its own shows and those produced by others), is severing its content operation, and becomes a podcast advertising/technology company. Continue Reading
The Interactive Advertising Bureau has released a whitepaper authored by its Digital Audio Committee, chaired by Les Hollander of Spotify, who forwarded the publication to RAIN News. The document is an examination of brand safety issues in digital advertising, and an advocacy paper for digital audio’s unique advantages. Click for summary and download link. Continue Reading
Spotify has been dedicated to its ad-supported free tier since the service’s inception, and is now slowly introducing an interesting feature which could make commercial interruptions more agreeable to listeners, and make the ad platform smarter for advertisers. Continue Reading
SoundCloud has reintroduced comments on its mobile platform, after several years in which the social feature was not included in the app experience. Listeners on both iOS and Android can add their notes to tracks and read the comments from others. Continue Reading
DAX, the UK-based digital audio advertising platform, announced the launch of a strategic sales division in the United States. It also hired Ryan Rose to lead this division as director of sales and partnership development. DAX shared details with RAIN. Continue Reading
Zeno Media, an aggregator of broadcast stations specializing in niche a diaspora communities, has launched a new strategic thrust with an agreement with about a dozen Haitian radio brands. Those stations are bundled into an app which provides streaming, Call-to-Listen (Zeno’s founding technology), on-demand content, subscription options, and intellectual property protections. Continue Reading
Pandora is taking the next step with its programmatic advertising strategy. After announcing the beta launch of a private programmatic marketplace in February, the audio company has now opened up the exchange to general buying. Continue Reading
Amazon is launching a feature called Alexa Cast that will allow smartphone controls for devices enabled with its voice-activated technology. That includes both speakers from its Echo product line as well as devices from other hardware companies that integrate Alexa. Continue Reading
Sonos, the wireless speaker company, is setting its sights on an initial public offering of $105 million. The company filed paperwork this spring in order to pursue an IPO, although no date has been set at this time. When the offering happens, though, Sonos will make 5.55 million shares available at a price range between $17 and $19 per share. Continue Reading
The Spring 2018 edition of The Smart Audio Report, produced by NPR and Edison Research, will be released tomorrow (Wednesday July 18) in a 1pm webinar. It is a key research report about the adoption and use of smart speakers, arguably the most important new distribution platform since smartphones. In a teaser release, NPR and Edison have revealed a few key findings. Continue Reading
Canalys, a British research firm, has released its latest projections for smart speakers. The company anticipates that the smart speaker installed base will reach 100 million by the end of 2018. By 2020, it estimates the installed base will reach 225 million units. Continue Reading
The Audio Council of the Australian Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB Australia) today released an update to its podcast audience measurement guidelines. The released document is mainly influenced by the guidelines issued by the U.S. IAB Podcast Technical Working Group. There are three main points. Continue Reading