Steve Goldstein: Test Driving Amazon’s Echo Auto
by Steve Goldstein
Steve writes about his experience behind the wheel with the Amazon Echo Auto: the good, the bad, and the fishy. Continue Reading
Knowable launches platform of audio-first educational courses
A new company called Knowable officially launches today, aiming to bridge the gap for audio in educational purposes. It offers a library of courses, ranging from 4 to 8 hours long, hosted by subject experts. The library covers a range of topics with a focus on self-improvement and business subjects that aren’t covered in traditional academic settings. Continue Reading
Spotify shares free tier stats during Canada Audio Day
Spotify hosted a Canada Audio Day event featuring data about listenership in the country. The survey of almost 8,000 Canadians, conducted in collaboration with Kantar, explored the how radio and Spotify’s free tier intersect in six of the country’s major markets. Continue Reading
SoundCloud Go+ subscription launches in Austria
SoundCloud has rolled out its paid subscription program in Austria. SoundCloud Go+ offers ad-free listening to SoundCloud’s catalog, as well as offline sync and options for higher audio quality in streaming. Continue Reading
Pandora launches broad mobile redesign, plus two Apple-specific iOS features
Pandora has redesigned its mobile app to introduce new features focused on personalization and discovery. The updates include the mobile launch of the Pandora Modes feature that rolled out to the web version in March. Continue Reading
DAX lands exclusive ad sales deal for Urban One
Global digital audio arm DAX announced that it has entered a long-term partnership with Urban One, an urban content distributor in the U.S. formerly known as Radio One. Under the terms of the deal, DAX will be the exclusive sales representative for Urban One. Continue Reading
Voxnest measures top revenue-generating podcast categories
In the latest of its analyses of the Voxnest Audience Network, Voxnest has laid out a snapshot of top-earning podcast categories. The Voxnest Audience Network (VAN) represents 138-million monthly plays (streams and downloads). The top-earning category? Sports. Continue Reading
Tech leaders join forces for an initiative to improve support for multiple voice assistants
Voice technology is still a nascent field, and one with lots of development yet to be made. A new joint effort from multiple tech operations, dubbed the Voice Interoperability Initiative, aims to improve how customers can navigate using multiple voice services. Continue Reading
MusicWatch Q2 survey finds 77% Americans listen to music via streaming
MusicWatch found that more than three-quarters of American adults are music streamers. The result is from the company’s Q2 report on music consumption, shared ahead of publication by Billboard. The assessment found that 77% of U.S. internet-users age 13 and up listen to music via streaming. Continue Reading
Spotify lets all mobile listeners add podcasts to playlists
Spotify is continuing to expand its podcast options for listeners. The latest move is an option to include both music and podcasts in a single playlist. The company noted in the blog post announcing the update that this has been a frequently requested feature. Continue Reading
Deezer partners with five podcast companies
Deezer announced new partnerships with five podcast companies. The streaming audio service is now collaborating with multiple noteworthy businesses, as well as offering new technical updates for its work with two ongoing partners. Continue Reading
GM will roll out a Alexa Auto to millions of car models next year
General Motors announced that it is rolling out a new Amazon Alexa experience for multiple car makes in the first half of 2020. Models of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac from 2018 and newer will be getting access to Amazon’s voice AI support in this move. Continue Reading