Castbox has joined the ranks of podcast platforms offering subscription access. The company announced the launch of a premium subscription model that will allow podcasters to distribute paid content on its app. It claims to be the first podcast player to adopt a third-party distribution paywall model for premium content. Continue Reading
Merlin, the independent label group and global digital rights agency, has released its 10th anniversary Impact Report. The analysis shows that Merlin will make record-high payouts of $500 million in the next 12 months, a record that’s all the more impressive considering it just reached a cumulative $1 billion in distributions last year. Continue Reading
Corus Entertainment, a major radio/TV group in Canada, has followed up its recent executive podcast hiring spree, allying with The Podcast Exchange (TPX) for representation to buyers. The deal, announced today, interestingly includes both Canada and U.S. representation. Continue Reading
Songtradr has rolled out new tools in digital distribution and audience metadata. The platform can deliver music to streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play, and Deezer. Continue Reading
Verto Analytics released its annual index, offering a snapshot of performance for the most popular music streaming services. The report puts a focus on measuring listener loyalty with its “stickiness” metric and examines which platforms have had success attracting particular listener demographics. Continue Reading
Spotify is continuing its push into the live music space. After turning its popular Rap Caviar playlist into a concert event, the Viva Latino! playlist will get the same treatment. Concerts are becoming a notable revenue stream for the company. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia announced a new development in its “Podcast, Meet Broadcast” strategy. The company has landed an agreement to air Anna Faris is Unqualified on its Top 40 broadcast radio stations and on the iHeartRadio Podcast Network. The iHeartMedia strategy aims to use its broadcast radio reach to assist podcast creators in finding new audiences and growing their base. Continue Reading
Pandora announced that it is bringing listeners music to soundtrack the 2018 FIFA World Cup on the Comcast X1 platform. The audio company is offering a collection of stations to play alongside the game coverage on FOX and Telemundo. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Amy Schumer’s casual approach to podcasting; podcasts > television for true crime; questions about Anchor and ownership. Continue Reading
CD Baby, a digital distributor focused on indie artists and labels, is planning to open a new office in London. The company also announced two hires. Rich Orchard joins the company as director of market development, and he will lead the new European office. Continue Reading
Billboard has made an adjustment to the streaming services that will count toward its chart calculations. Streams logged by iHeartRadio and Pandora subscribers will be included in chart performance beginning July 14. Continue Reading
Spotify has hired Dawn Ostroff as its new chief content officer. Ostroff will be based in Spotify’s New York office. She was previously president of entertainment at Condé Nast Continue Reading