Quick Hits: Radio’s value gap; branded podcasts; Prince’s catalog
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Terrestrial radio and the value gap; snapshots of branded podcasts; Prince’s catalog could go back for sale. Continue Reading
Music meets neuroscience: A glimpse at the possible future of personalized listening
We think about listening to music as a sensory, intangible experience. Great music taps into our feelings in ways that seem impossible to identify. An article in Quartz examined how much science there can be behind music, with an investigation of a trend that uses neuroscience to create a certain response in the listener. Continue Reading
This Sunday in Vegas: Join RAIN for cocktails and networking
Join us for a Cocktails and Networking event in Las Vegas, Sunday April 23, from 4:30 to 8:00pm. This opportunity to meet radio and internet colleagues takes place the day before Monday’s start of the NAB Show. Although RAIN is not producing the RAIN Summit West online audio conference in 2017, as in previous years, we don’t want you to miss the valuable and fun networking that RAIN Summits are famous for. Continue Reading
Warner hires director for playlists
Warner Music Group has made another addition to its digital team, this time focused on the role of playlists in today’s streaming music industry. Michael Steele has been hired as the label’s director of playlist programming and curation. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio: S-Town is 8x bigger than Serial, kind of. Plus the UK’s golden age of radio
by James Cridland
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Early successes for Serial Productions’ sophomore act. Ink spilled about UK and its golden age of radio. Much more. Continue Reading
TuneCore now offering artists advances
TuneCore has entered a collaboration with Lyric Financial, a financial services and tech company focused on the music industry. As a result, TuneCore will begin offering U.S.-based clients automated online advances on their future distribution sales revenue. Continue Reading
Streaming boosted UK to five-year revenue high in 2016
The British Phonographic Industry reported that the UK music industry saw 5.1% revenue growth in 2016. The year’s performance of £926 million in trade income marks a five-year high. Following the trends we’ve seen for 2016 across many countries, the UK results stemmed from a 61% increase to streaming revenues. Continue Reading
Slacker Radio reportedly cuts workforce, but scope of layoffs is unclear
RAIN News received an anonymous tip yesterday informing us that Slacker Radio had reportedly laid off “about half the company.” The email claimed that Slacker’s leadership has been trying to keep the magnitude of the cuts quiet. Continue Reading
Two digital strategy hires for Warner
Warner Music Group has hired two new people for its digital strategy team. The major label brought on Michael Drexler as its vice president of digital strategy and corporate development. Allan Coye joins as vice president of digital strategy and business development. Continue Reading
Rumor Fact(ory): Pandora seeking cash deals from private equity firms
Pandora may be on the hunt for a new influx of cash to support its expansion. Claire Atkinson of the New York Post reported that Pandora is looking to work with a private equity firm to obtain more funds. Sources said that Pandora has had talks with firms including Providence Equity Partners, Silver Lake and KKR. Continue Reading
RAIN Summit in Chicago jammed the House of Blues with audio buyers and industry influencers
Dozens of audio buyers from Chicago ad agencies joined online audio influencers from 52 companies at RAIN Digital Audio Advertising Summit at the legendary House of Blues. The audience packed the main floor and spilled into the two side bar areas. The streamlined, four-hour event featured 20 speakers and six staged sessions. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia brings on EVP for digital products marketing
iHeartMedia has hired Donna Pickett as its new EVP of marketing, digital products. She will be tasked with boosting the performance all of the media company’s digital streaming businesses. Continue Reading