Omny Studio announced the launch of Apple Podcast Consumption Analytics, which was first announced in a webinar with RAIN News in August. This service is now out of beta testing and is available to enterprise customers. Customers using the analytics will be able to track and report consumption data from streamed plays of podcast episodes listened to on the Apple Podcasts app. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Automation practices at Carolina Classic Hits. Royal National Institute of Blind People and its efforts for digital audio accessibility. Some dubious reporting about Spotify’s popularity in Ireland. Much more. Continue Reading
When AudioHQ announced the release of its original Bronzeville podcast series, one of the forces intersecting in that project was ART19, the podcast tech company which hosts the series. Now, we learn that AudioHQ and ART19 have cemented that relationship, and Sean Carr’s ART19 will be the hosting platform for other AudioHQ productions. Continue Reading
BMI and the Radio Music License Committee have set an interim licensing rate that will apply while the two parties continue negotiating a final rate. Judge Louis Stanton, who presides over BMI’s Federal Rate Court in the Southern District of New York, set the interim amount. Continue Reading
Apple Music has partnered with the UK’s Royal College of Music for classical music curation. The school will create playlists on a regular basis, with help from its staff and professors. The first playlist highlights works by British composers who have connections to the conservatory. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group posted its financial results for 2016. The company reported total revenue of nearly €5.27 billion ($5.83 billion) and total recorded music revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.63 billion). Streaming revenue outpaced physical music sales for the first time at UMG. Continue Reading
PRX and iHeartRadio are collaborating on a day of live podcast performances at SXSW. Podcasts are usually put through re-recording and editing in order to get a polished final episode, so the trend of live recordings poses a challenge for the producers. Continue Reading
Gracenote has launched connected databases for video, music, and sports metadata. By connecting these three topics, Gracenote makes a broad set of information available to global entertainment providers and makers of smart devices. Continue Reading
Spotify has been nibbling at podcast distribution for over a year, bundling a substantial range of popular shows into the otherwise all-music app. Now the global leader in on-demand music leans into on-demand podcasting with an announcement of three original shows to be launched in coming weeks. Continue Reading
We are delighted to share news sent to us from iHeartMedia: Steve Keller, CEO of iV, has been awarded the iHeartMedia Scholarship for Leadership in Audio Innovation, a program conducted with the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. RAIN News readers have a chance to meet Steve Keller next Tuesday at RAIN Online Audio Advertising Summit, where Keller is showing his work. Continue Reading
Pandora has entered into a partnership with A Million Ads, in a deal to give marketers two new tools for reaching the audio platform’s listeners. The two companies will deliver real-time personalized creative audio at scale, with ads that can take location, time of day, and weather. Continue Reading
RadioPublic, a mobile podcast listening app, is launching a discovery feature called Podcast Playlists. Each playlist is themed by topic or activity, and they are programmed by podcast experts, producers, and listeners with episodes from across different shows. Continue Reading