Podtrac’s June 2017 podcast rankings marked another month of shuffling. While many of the top players remained the same from May, a few familiar faces fell in the standings. The big change was NPR’s Invisibilia returning to the list, landing at the No. 4 spot. On the other side of the coin, Serial dropped out of the top 20 entirely. Continue Reading
Midroll Media announced the addition of seven new podcasts to its Earwolf comedy network. The new programming covers a wide breadth of styles and formats. The announcement also serves to mark the 500th episode of Comedy Bang! Bang!, the network’s flagship podcast hosted by comedian Scott Aukerman. Continue Reading
Spotify has reportedly made progress toward securing a licensing deal with Warner Music Group. Reuters cited four unnamed sources in its exclusive report that the streaming company was moving closer to an agreement with the third major label. The specifics of this alleged arrangement are still being hammered out, but the sources told Reuters that the parties had already agreed to Spotify paying a smaller share of revenue to Warner in exchange for the label’s artists to window their work to paid subscribers for a period. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Advice on doing media interviews. Fallout from the BBC’s salary reveal. More radio beers. Continue Reading
Video platform Vimeo has announced that Anjali Sud will be its new CEO. Her previous role with the company was general manager and senior vice president of the creator business. She replaces Kerry Trainor, who departed as CEO more than a year ago. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcasts at twice the speed spark debate. Will Apple ever offer podcast creation tools? SoundCloud shuts down volunteer “archive” project. Continue Reading
Licensing and royalties continue to create clouds for Spotify. The streaming company has been sued by two different parties for copyright infringement, with claims that Spotify did not obtain the required licenses to stream their respective catalogs. Continue Reading
Apple Music has secured a new exclusive, this time a livestreamed performance by indie rock outfit Arcade Fire. The band is playing a concert to promote its upcoming album, Everything Now, but for those who can’t physically attend the show in Brooklyn, it will be streamed exclusively on the Apple platform. Continue Reading
Host and distributor audioBoom posted its mid-year financial report with results for the six months ending May 31. Revenue rose 460% over the year-ago period to more than £1.84 million. CEO Rob Proctor added some insight to the numbers. Continue Reading
In 2016 the RAIN Internet Radio Awards celebrate their 7th year as the most prestigious celebration of excellence in the online audio industry. Click through for categories, and the submission link. It’s easy, and it’s free. Continue Reading
Congress is preparing to address the topic of royalties for pre-1972 recordings, a move that sparked positive response from several music industry players. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the CLASSICS Act to establish royalty payments for the creators of music recorded prior to the advent of federal copyright laws in 1972. Representatives from SoundExchange, the RIAA, and Pandora have all reacted favorably toward this proposal. Continue Reading
PodcastOne has launched a new mobile app that includes interactive features in social and video alongside its audio programming. Listeners can tune into their shows and engage with them in new ways, such as viewing behind-the-scenes photos, taking polls, and messaging other fans. The app also introduces a virtual currency for its loyalty program. Continue Reading