Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Apple developing high-end headphones. Growth of branded podcasts. AI creates an infinite podcast. Continue Reading
Spotify’s latest strides toward a direct public offering has led to some speculation around how the labels that own stakes in the streaming company will distribute their windfall. But independent artists and labels are looking for more assurance that they won’t be shortchanged. Continue Reading
Apple is collaborating with two car manufacturers to encourage adoption of both its in-vehicle infotainment system and its streaming music service. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is offering an Apple Music deal beginning May 1 in the United States. Volkswagon also announced an Apple Music deal in Europe. Continue Reading
Music company Genius raised an investment round of $15 million. The money will go toward a range of purposes, including original content and video, community development, live events, and strategic partnerships. Continue Reading
Deezer announced that it is adding support for voice commands with Amazon Alexa. This integration will begin gradually rolling out in 66 countries beginning today. Deezer will be available on the Amazon Echo and any other devices that support the Alexa voice AI system. Continue Reading
Spotify is expected to roll out in South Africa later this month. The streaming service is hosting a press event on March 13 when it is expected to formally announce the expansion. The first indication of Spotify’s interest in South Africa came with a job listing posted in September 2017 for a senior editor/music programmer to be responsible for that region. Continue Reading
CD Baby paid out $80 million to independent artists in 2017. That performance brings its total payouts to more than $600 million in the distributor and publisher’s 20 years of operation. Over that time, the source of CD Baby’s payouts has shifted dramatically in response to changes in music consumption trends. Continue Reading
Triton Digital and Beasley Media Group have renewed and expanded their existing partnership for digital audio and podcasts. Under the agreement, Beasley will use several elements of Triton’s audio streaming technology, including analytics, ad insertion, and podcast creation. Continue Reading
Spotify’s plans for a direct public listing aren’t just impacting the streaming service. The move also means changes afoot at Universal Music Group, which owns stock in company. Universal has now made a public statement that when it sells its Spotify stock, the label will share the proceeds with its artists. Continue Reading
The British Phonographic Industry reported big numbers in music consumption for 2017, particularly in streaming. Total consumption for the year increased 9.5% to a total of 135.1 million albums and album-equivalents. The year saw 68.1 billion audio streams served, reaching more than half of the UK’s music consumption. Continue Reading
E.W. Scripps hosted its earnings conference call for Q4 2017, and the discussion included details about the Midroll Media podcasting company. Midroll generated $5 million out of the $53 million in total revenue from Scripps’ National Media group. Continue Reading
YouTube is the most popular social media network for U.S. adults. That’s the latest finding from a Pew Research Center survey, where 73% of respondents said they access the video site online or on their smartphone. Continue Reading