Pandora content can be posted to Instagram Stories
Pandora is also getting in on the social media support. The audio company announced that all Pandora users can share content from the platform to their Instagram Stories. Continue Reading
Ximalay’s eye-popping subscriber number; Himalaya funding announcement under question
The Chinese podcast app Ximalaya, and the Himalaya offshoot app which mounted a presence at Podcast Movement last month, are both in the news recently. Ximalaya has stated that the app has “about 500-million users,” according to this report in Abacus News. Himalaya, which can be regarded as an English-language spin-off of Ximalaya, overstated its launch funding, according to reporting in Axios. Continue Reading
YouTube Music could get a ‘retail mode’ to show off the streaming service in stores
A teardown of the latest YouTube Music code updates reveal that Google may be adding a “retail mode” to the subscription service. It is currently testing a mode that appears to let people try out premium features while they’re buying phones. Continue Reading
Facebook Stories now support previews of Spotify tracks
Spotify has deepened its Facebook integrations. The social network now supports track previews when a song gets added to Facebook Stories. These 15-second snippets can play instantly, and followers can tap “Play on Spotify” to hear the full song. Continue Reading
Switzerland announces timeline to end FM broadcasts by 2024
Switzerland is the latest nation planning to cease FM broadcasting. According to a missive from the country’s Federal Office of Communications, radio stations will no longer be available on FM wavelengths after 2024. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s International Radio Trends: Google Assistant – even more like a DJ
by James Cridland
James Cridland’s International Radio Trends is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Google Assistant as voice-operated DJ. A listen back to radio from 1969. Exploring visual augmentations. RAJAR stats. Much more. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Podcast review bombs, Audible deals, and Ximalaya growth
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcast review bombs at Apple. Audible landing blockbuster development deals. Growth for Ximalaya and China’s podcast audience. Continue Reading
Stas Tushinskiy: Inside the AI Challenge of Making Interactive Voice Ads Actually Viable
by Stas Tushinskiy
This guest column by Stas Tushinskiy, Instreamatic CEO and co-founder, offers insights on the challenges of interactive voice ads. One is the rather obvious hurdle of making tech understand natural language that’s opaque and unclear. The other might involve some cursing. Continue Reading
AdsWizz teams with Big Mobile to track store visits inspired by audio ads
Digital audio advertising specialist AdsWizz is introducing a new way to track in the impact of audio campaigns on in-store visits. The company partnered with Big Mobile, a business focused on mobile engagement, for the technology. Continue Reading
Gimme Radio and Gimme Country can sync favorites to Spotify playlists
Gimme Radio and Gimme Country, the free, genre-focused online radio and fan community platforms, are now letting listeners link their accounts with Spotify. The integration will let Gimme users save their liked tracks to a special Gimme-branded playlist on the streaming service. Continue Reading
Vevo to land on more smart TVs thanks to new partnership
Vevo entered a new deal that will see its app made available on smart televisions. The platform has partnered with Vewd, a smart TV OTT software provider based in Norway. Continue Reading
Samsung is beta testing its second smart speaker before launching its first
We’ve still seen no signs of Samsung’s Galaxy Home smart speaker more than a year after it was first unveiled, but the company is already moving ahead with its second device. Samsung has started accepting sign-ups to beta test the Galaxy Home Mini. Continue Reading