Apple paid up a chunk of change and fended off a challenge in European courts in order to acquire Shazam. Now that the audio-identification app is officially under Apple’s umbrella, the first changes are happening under the new leadership. Continue Reading
Blubrry announced that it is the first podcast-hosting service provider to receive certification of its podcast statistics by the Interactive Advertising Bureau Tech Lab. National Public Radio is the other podcasting outfit to receive certification under the IAB guidelines. Continue Reading
Amazon has shared some year-end milestones for the Alexa skills behind its smart speakers. The company said that there are now more than 70,000 Alexa skills worldwide, growing from the 50,000 announced in September 2018. Amazon also shared a list of what it dubbed the top 25 Alexa skills of 2018. Continue Reading
Commercial Radio Australia and GfK have released their Share of Audio 2018 report, covering insights into different types of audio consumption. The report shares data from audio diaries of Australian listeners, with statistics for radio, podcasts, and streaming audio. The streaming figures include the free and paid tiers for Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Soundcloud, and more. Continue Reading
Vick Bain is departing her position as the CEO of The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, also known as BASCA. Bain steps down after 13 years with the industry group. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James contributes some predictions about radio in 2019. Also he has the story of Vista Radio’s charity drive in Canada along with other items from the radio/audio industry. Continue Reading
Tuned Global has partnered with Tunelet to help the startup launch of a new music service in Africa. Tuned Global provides music streaming solutions with consumer engagement and its past clients include Samsung Mobile, Coca-Cola, and Line Music. Continue Reading
Guest columnist Steve Pratt reflects on the podcast industry predictions experts made for Pacific Content last year. Overall, their forecasts were on point. Read on for a look back at what did (and didn’t) happen in 2018. Continue Reading
LyricFind has entered a deal with South African mechanical rights organization Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (or CAPASSO). The blanket deal will see songs fully licensed and monetized by LyricFind’s lyric licensing platform across 38 countries in Africa. Continue Reading
When Apple Music was first introduced to the world back in 2015, the platform’s attempt at a social feature raised some eyebrows. Now, according to a notice sent to artists on the platform, Apple Music Connect is gradually getting shut down. Continue Reading
Podtrac has released its list of the top ten podcast publishers for November 2018. This iteration of the monthly update includes a new feature from the analytics company. Podtrac introduced a Verified Measurement Service, which allows publishers to work closely with Podtrac for even better confidence in their audience data. Continue Reading
YouTube is making tweaks to its YouTube Music platform, continuing its efforts to make the video-focused service an appealing option for music subscribers. The latest update will see its YouTube Charts being made available as playlists in its 29 launched markets. Continue Reading