James Cridland’s International Radio Trends is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James recaps an action-packed week in the UK audio industry. Continue Reading
Triton Digital and Edison Research have set a date for the release of the latest data from their Infinite Dial research report. The survey will be broadcast live and online on Wednesday, March 6 at 2pm Eastern. The Infinite Dial regularly assesses habits and trends for audio in the United States, including topics such as podcasting, smart speakers, and AM/FM radio. Continue Reading
Sonos may be looking to diversify its product lineup beyond speakers. Sources told Bloomberg that the company is developing high-end, wireless, over-the-ear headphones. As with its smart speakers, the new headphones would reportedly take an agnostic approach, supporting multiple music services and digital assistants. Continue Reading
Rumblefish and 7digital have broadened their existing relationship. Rights administration service Rumblefish is a division of the Harry Fox Agency. Under the new deal with B2B music specialist 7digital, Rumblefish will leverage its rights management solution to speed the launch of services and streamline administration for music distribution models powered by 7digital. Continue Reading
AdsWizz has unveiled a new program for certifying advertisers’ expertise in digital audio. The Digital Audio Expert Program will test participants on their knowledge of advertising in this format as well as building new skills in audio. OMG Programmatic is the first agency to complete the certification program. Continue Reading
Omny Studio announced that it has partnered with social media video company Headliner for a new deal. Under the terms of the arrangement, Headliner will provide Omny clients with one-click access to create podcast audiograms from within their content management workflows. Continue Reading
One week after CES, Steve attended a conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The subject? Amazon Echo and how people will respond to and use the technology. Continue Reading
CD Baby has announced a partnership with SACM, the only performance rights organization in Mexico. It is a milestone deal and the first such agreement SACM has joined with an external entity. Continue Reading
The European Copyright Directive passed one big hurdle in the fall, but the fate of the contentious legislative overhaul is now in question. Two components of the legal package have raised debate: Article 11, which lets publishers charge a fee when online platforms like Google or Facebook show snippets of their articles, and Article 13, which makes platforms such as YouTube liable for user-generated content that infringes copyright. Continue Reading
Subscription-based online music service Akazoo will be acquired by Modern Media Acquisition Corp. (MMAC), the company founded by ex-CEO of media group Cumulus, Lew Dickey. Complex stock maneuvering will result in new ticker symbol, but straight line for existing investors. Continue Reading
Adam Carolla has extended his exclusive deal with PodcastOne. The popular podcaster has signed an agreement covering join production, distribution, marketing, and sales for his collection of podcasts through 2023. Continue Reading
One of SoundCloud’s co-founders is leaving the audio company’s day-to-day operations. Eric Wahlforss announced that he is exiting his role as chief product officer in favor of an advisory role beginning March 1. Continue Reading