Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: YouTube to make original shows for free viewing; PIAS manager talks live video potential; Harry Styles fans try gaming the charts. Continue Reading
ESPN is bringing back its TrueHoop podcasts with a few small changes. The sports broadcasting platform has made some cuts to its editorial staff recently, and last week it had shut down the TrueHoop podcast network. Continue Reading
Jovem Pan, the largest radio network in Brazil with 142 stations, has allied with Audio.ad, the audio advertising company serving Hispanic market in the Americas, to put its digital audio inventory in Audio.Ad’s automated platform. The partnership gives Jovem Pan advertisers access to Tail.digital, an audience data and segmenting platform. Continue Reading
Spotify is reportedly making plans to lease a new office space in London. The company is in advanced negotiations for a 60,000 square foot space, three times the size of its current office in the UK. Continue Reading
The Orchard, an independent music distributor owned by Sony, has acquired two of its rivals. It has purchased German-based finetunes and Norway-based Phonofile. The labels distributed by these companies will gain access to the services provided by The Orchard. Continue Reading
Webcast listening in February spiked upward by eight percent compared to the previous month, according to Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics monthly Top 20 Ranker, released today. Year-over-year listening to streams gained 12%. Click through for long-term trendlines. Continue Reading
Apple has posted its Q2 2017 results. Quarterly revenue for the tech giant totaled $52.9 billion, up from $50.6 billion in the year-ago period. Apple does not break out any of the financial details for its streaming music platform, but that product is included in its Services arm along with revenue from any of its digital content. Continue Reading
Rights administration specialist Kobalt Music Group has announced some updates to its top leadership. First, Richard Sanders has stepped down as the company’s president and chief revenue officer. Laurent Hubert, who heads the company’s platform and investments team, will be replacing Sanders. Continue Reading
YouTube is trialling a redesign of its desktop product, offering an advanced look and soliciting feedback on the changes. The new look is based on the Material Design philosophy, an approach to presenting digital experiences. According to a blog post announcing the redesign, YouTube said the key principles are simplicity, consistency, and beauty. Continue Reading
Ad-tech company AdsWizz is now in the Alexa development business, partnering with iHeartMedia on the publishing side, and ad agencies Assembly, Mediavest|Spark, and Mindshare. Alexa is the voice-controlled home assistant platform developed by Amazon and embodied in the Echo, Dot, and Look devices. Skills involve interactive listening and voice-activated responses to advertisements. Continue Reading
Registration for the June 21 RAIN Podcast Business Summit opens today, as tickets for the milestone conference go on sale at the Early Pricing level for a limited time. Between now and May 16 attendees may register to be part of the event at New York’s AXA Event & Production Center for $299. Continue Reading
Varick Media sent an announcement today that it has expanded its relationship with Triton Digital, using Triton’s a2x programmatic marketplace in Canada. Continue Reading