BRS Media launches .RADIO subdomans for .am and .fm
BRS Media, domain administrator for dot-FM and dot-AM website addresses (called top-level domains, or TLDs) has launched a new addressing twist — the dot-RADIO subdomain. Continue Reading
Tech
Technology, hardware, and gadgets. WiFi speakers, digital dashboards, and more.
Gracenote hires Ethan Kaplan as head of its music business
Media technology and database company Gracenote announced this morning that it has hired music tech veteran Ethan Kaplan as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Music. “When I was 16 I started a fan website for the band R.E.M.,” says Kaplan. “The rest of my career extends from there.” Continue Reading
TuneIn jumps aboard Android Auto launch
Not letting any grass grow under its feet, TuneIn announced its compatibility with Android Auto, in time for Pioneer’s launch of its new Android-enabled NEX dashboard systems. The Pioneer aftermarket solutions put Android Auto into cars for the first time, with TuneIn along with it. Continue Reading
New tech syncs up digital and analog radio signals
One of the top criticisms of HD radio is gaps in coverage. A new development from Belar Electronics could help create a better experience for listeners in areas where coverage is less robust by eliminating the delay between digital and analog signals. This should allow seamless switching between the two with no noticeable gap in locations where HD signal is weaker or unreliable. Continue Reading
Clip Interactive intros FM reception in its mobile listening platform
Today Clip Interactive announced a new capability of its Total Audience Solution platform, allowing FM reception as an alternative to streaming a radio station. In smartphones, FM reception must be enabled by activation of the phone’s FM chip. The first phone… Continue Reading
DAAST specification for audio ad serving now in adoption phase
Six months after its introduction by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the Digital Audio Ad Serving Template (DAAST) is in its adoption phase. “Industry adoption of DAAST enables digital audio ads to be easily run and tracked in a consistent manner across publishers, similar to other digital marketing mediums,” said Scott Cunningham, Senior Vice President, IAB, and General Manager of the IAB Technology Lab. Continue Reading
Shazam plans to move into wearables this year
Wearables have been the big buzz of the tech world recently, and where the tech game goes, the app developers will follow. Rich Riley, CEO of Shazam, spoke with Gizmodo at MWC 2015 and said that the company is looking to push into the world of smaller screens and wrist access. “I think you’lll see us move into wearables in 2015,” he said. “You’ll see us do something there for sure.” Continue Reading
Kickstarter project offers better sound with portable amplifier
Lots of leaders and startups in the music industry have been exploring options for improving sound quality in online listening. We’ve seen lots of new platforms touting their hi-fi, lossless sound, but one of the top criticisms of those services is that people listen to them with mediocre headphones. A new Kickstarter project aims to literally amp up the sound quality for people even without top-shelf headphones. Continue Reading
Editor’s Notebook: Ipsos In-Car Audio Study confirms people like what they’re familiar with
by Brad Hill
A new Ipsos In-Car Audio Study, sponsored by iHeartMedia, reveals that most repondents listen to AM/FM radio in the car, and overwhelmingly like push-button radios in the dashboard. This column notes that the average American car is 11.4 years old, and that technology change is always resisted by a preference for the familiar. Continue Reading
Triton Digital and Edison Research to launch Webcast Metrics for podcasts
Triton Digital is announcing today that it will launch audience measurement for podcasts, in partnership with Edison Research. The new product, called Webcast Metrics On Demand (WCMOD), is slated to be released later this year. Continue Reading
Pandora app hits Xbox One consoles in Australia, New Zealand
Pandora announced in December that it would have a native app on the Xbox One, the latest game hardware from Microsoft. That app is now also available to Xbox One owners in Australia and New Zealand, Pandora’s two other markets outside the U.S. Continue Reading
A new trend toward agnostic listening
Part of the business model for most streaming platforms is to attract and retain the largest possible number of listeners. That could lead to a listening landscape that’s fractured, with people choosing just one or two services to fill all of their audio needs. Yet with each of the major players offering a slightly different subset of performers and content, it makes sense that listeners would be interested in combining the libraries of more than one streaming platform. Continue Reading