PRX has received a grant of $465,000 from the Barr Foundation that will support a multi-tier podcast training program next year. The 2018 campaign will build on PRX’s Podcast Garage studio and its Project Catapult training program for public radio stations. Continue Reading
YouTube has signed a new licensing deal with Universal Music Group. UMG did say that the deal would lead to “growing compensation” for its artists, but neither company has disclosed details. “We’re thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Universal Music Group,” YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said. Continue Reading
BMI announced that a Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has ruled in its favor, meaning the preforming rights organization will be able to continue its use of fractional licensing. That’s a big win for BMI, although understanding why requires some review of legal proceedings and details from the past 18 months. Continue Reading
Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein shares an interview with Brian Mayfield, SVP of Media for Ramsey Solutions, about how The Dave Ramsey Show managed to perform so well on Apple’s 2017 charts. Continue Reading
Triton Digital has inked another partnership for its a2x programmatic advertising marketplace. The latest integration is with AdTheorent, a predictive advertising business focused on using machine learning and data to connect advertisers with the ideal audiences. Continue Reading
audioBoom, the podcast and audio on-demand platform, has shared some statistics from a “transformational” 2017 fiscal year. “Audioboom is now in the strongest possible position to maximize the foundations we have built over the last three years,” audioBoom CEO Rob Proctor said. Continue Reading
Austria is getting its first DAB+ multiplex next year. RTG Radio Technikum has secured a 10-year license taking effect April 3, 2018. The project will involve 11 radio programs, an electronic program guide, and a hazard warning service in greater Vienna if needed. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Mark Mulligan looks ahead to 2018. SoundCloud CEO is still serious about the company’s roots. The experts weigh in on podcast discoverability. Continue Reading
The Copyright Royalty Board recently made its ruling for royalty rates to be paid by Sirius XM in 2018-2022. David Oxenford lays out the known details of the determination along with some important notes about the appeal for the webcasting rates set for 2016. Continue Reading
Vevo has split with president and CEO Erik Huggers. According to the company, Huggers is stepping down after two years at the helm of the music video service to pursue other opportunities. Alan Price will act as interim CEO in addition to continuing his work as CFO. Continue Reading
Pandora has partnered with Comcast to launch the its full suite of services on the Xfinity X1 set-top box. All of Pandora’s features across all membership tiers have been integrated into the Comcast hardware, including support for voice commands, which work with the Xfinity X1 voice-controlled remote. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Two big broadcasters jump aboard the Alexa skill train. Loudness wars and conflicting LUFS standards. Much more from around the audio world. Continue Reading