The Music Modernization Act has passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, an approval that marks a huge step forward towards overhauling mechanical licensing in the United States. The legislation took a risky path of hotlining, where unanimous support is required for approval. Continue Reading
AdsWizz has teamed with Communicorp Media for a new digital audio advertising exchange in Ireland. The audioXi service launches with 20 million monthly impressions from more than 20 independent publishers. Continue Reading
Years after the decision, SoundExchange is still pushing for an appeal of the Copyright Royalty Board’s determination of webcasting rates for the 2016-2020 period. Legal expert David Oxenford shares some background on how appeals courts review these cases and breaks down the latest ruling. Continue Reading
Spotify is losing another high-level leader, the latest in a continuing exodus from top positions within the streaming service. Seth Farbman is departing his role as chief marketing officer, which he has held for three and a half years. Continue Reading
Music Biz and AudienceNet have released their Audio Monitor report on U.S. music consumption habits. The survey examined trends for on-demand streaming, which are being heavily driven by the youngest listeners, as well as AM/FM radio and smart speakers. Continue Reading
This American Life has been dethroned as the top podcast in Podtrac’s monthly show ranking. After several months atop the chart, the popular program dropped to second place behind The New York Times’ The Daily. Continue Reading
The Music Modernization Act, a sweeping overhaul of mechanical copyright laws, could face its final hurdle in the Senate today. Billboard has cited sources who claim the legislation could be hotlined for the Senate this afternoon. Hotlining is a process for proposed laws that are expected to be passed unanimously by a verbal vote. Continue Reading
Pandora’s latest personalized playlist is a curated selection of new music releases just for its Premium listeners. The Drop is a customized collection based on machine learning models. The programming includes new music from artists each listener already favors alongside recommended performers. Continue Reading
Spotify’s next global move appears to be focused on the Middle East and North Africa. An email leaked from an advertising agency based in Dubai revealed that the streaming service is seeking brands to advertise at a November launch in the region. Continue Reading
MIDiA Research has released its data on the global market shares held by streaming services at the midway point of 2018. Overall, music subscribers totaled 229.5 million in H1 2018, an increase of 16% from the end of 2017 and up 38% over the year-ago period. Revenue generated by those subscribers in the first half of 2018 reached $3.498 billion. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Digging into Periscope Audio from Twitter, and the tech world’s view of radio versus podcasting. Continue Reading
In a webinar co-produced and hosted by RAIN, Midroll executives noted that 50% of Midroll’s podcast revenue is now attributed to national brand advertising. That figure represents a moment of balance indicating that brand advertisers are increasingly recognizing podcasts as important marketing venues. The webinar is available for streaming. Continue Reading