Albums: Not Your Best Entertainment Value
by Kurt Hanson
RAIN’s founding editor Kurt Hanson observes dwindling CD sales, and compares other entertainment costs. Then, a three-step plan for the music industry. Continue Reading
Thought Leaders
Interviews with, and contributions from, the most perceptive voices in the online audio industry.
Mark Mulligan: What $500 Million And Jay-Z Say About the State Of Streaming In 2015
by Mark Mulligan
Guest contributor Mark Mulligan examines Spotify’s new financing efforts and Jay-Z’s foray into the streaming business. Continue Reading
Larry Rosin: The Monster — AM/FM Reach
by Larry Rosin
Guest columnist Larry Rosin, President of Edison Research, shares new results from Edison’s ongoing Share of Ear study. Broadcast radio has enviable daily reach, but it is changing. Continue Reading
Larry Rosin: What’s a podcast again?
by Larry Rosin
Guest contributor Larry Rosin notes that even with surge of publicity for podcasts, many people don’t quite know what they are. Continue Reading
Larry Rosin: NPR One Has Changed My Life
by Larry Rosin
Every now and again – and perhaps more frequently these days – one encounters a technological change that immediately speaks to you and says: “You will never go back.” Continue Reading
Kurt Hanson: Target’s Failure in Canada Holds Lessons for Broadcasters
by Kurt Hanson
In 1962, a confluence of events occurred that eventually disrupted and transformed U.S. retailing. RAIN News founding editor Kurt Hanson examines what went wrong with retailer Target in Canada, and extracts lessons for broadcasters in the digital era. Plus…his dog goes shopping. Continue Reading
Mark Mulligan: What Spotify’s December Growth Tells Us About Pricing
by Mark Mulligan
Guest contributor Mark Mulligan examines Spotify’s recent subscriber reports (15-million paying users), and recommends pricing elasticity for subscription services. Continue Reading
Larry Rosin: Here Comes Hollywood
by Larry Rosin
Edison Research President Larry Rosin was interviewed by CNBC about the “Serial” podcast phenomenon. In this guest column, Rosin expands on his thought that Hollywood is where the impact from “Serial” will occur. Continue Reading
Kurt Hanson: 2015 Predictions
by Kurt Hanson
RAIN’s founding editor Kurt Hanson gazes into the new year, and intones 15 predictions for 2015. Continue Reading
Forget the Whole Pie: Why Small Music Services Should Cultivate Core Audiences
by Mike Spinelli
Is streaming a winner-take-all market? Bob Lefsetz recently implied that, and guest columnist Mike Spinelli offers strategic thoughts targeted to specialized streaming services. Rather than attract every listener in the world, optimize the service around core specialty audiences. Continue Reading
Larry Rosin: Why Is iHeartRadio Not Growing?
by Larry Rosin
Guest columnist Larry Rosin examines trendlines of streaming growth as measured by Triton Digital’s monthly Webcast Metrics report. Continue Reading
Roger Lanctot: Cars Will Have Radios in 2015
by Roger Lanctot
Roger Lanctot is Associate Director of Strategy Analytics, and a thought leader in the connected-car space. In this guest article, he discusses the value of AM/FM radio on the dashboard. “Cars may be losing their CD players, but cars will definitely have radios in 2015. The only problem is that you may not be able to find the radio…” Continue Reading