Spotify acquires subscriber specialist Preact
Spotify has acquired Preact for an unspecified price. Preact is a cloud-based company that helps subscription-driven businesses acquire new subscribers and retain existing ones. Continue Reading
Billboard’s No. 1 song last week had the fewest downloads since 2006
Many reports and statistics over the past year have pointed to a demonstrable shift in music consumption toward access via streaming and away from ownership, either in physical or digital formats. The latest data point in this ongoing trend comes from Billboard’s charts. Continue Reading
Spotify is now beta testing Sonos control in-app
Sonos’ partnership with Spotify is getting a new layer. The companies have launched the public beta for controlling music on the wireless speakers directly from the Spotify app. With this beta, anyone on the same wifi network as the Sonos speaker can take control of the music choices. Continue Reading
Streaming continues to perform in Sony Q2 results
Sony reported its financial results from the second quarter, with the parent company posting some declines while its music division recorded growth. Sony Music Entertainment reported revenue up 8% on-year to 150 billion yen ($1.49 billion). Continue Reading
YouTube inks long-awaited licensing deal with German collection society
YouTube has entered a licensing deal with German collection society GEMA. The two parties had been at an impasse since 2009, meaning that German viewers would often have music videos containing GEMA repertoire blocked. Details of the arrangement have not been disclosed, but they seem to have taken immediate effect. Continue Reading
AudioHQ signs exclusive ad deal with Digitally Imported
AudioHQ has entered a deal to be the exclusive seller of audio advertising inventory for electronic music specialist Digitally Imported. The exclusive partnership is for the United States and will begin in 2017. Digitally Imported joins an AudioHQ client roster that also includes SoundCloud, Slacker, 8tracks, and Triton Digital. Continue Reading
8tracks details subscription plans
8tracks shared a blog post detailing how it will roll out its previously announced subscription plan. It’s a transparent discussion of why and how the company is altering its business model. Continue Reading
Aupeo to end general public operations
Personalized Internet radio service Aupeo is shutting down on Nov. 30. The platform will end public operations on that date, with today the last date that premium subscribers will be billed with monthly charges. Continue Reading
NPR hires podcasting general manager
NPR has hired a new general manager of podcasting. Neal Carruth is stepping into the role, shifting to the new position after service as the supervising senior editor for NPR’s business desk. Carruth has spent 17 years with the broadcaster, and will start the new job after Thanksgiving. Continue Reading
Pandora Premium to get December debut, followed by Q1 2017 launch
Pandora has pegged Dec. 6 as the date to unveil its upcoming interactive streaming service. Pandora Premium will be introduced to the public at an event that day in New York City. However it will not officially launch until the first quarter of 2017. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio: One-man station now has 35,000 listeners, plus the UK’s audience figures and a nice sponsor story from Australia
by James Cridland
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Success for a one-man station; RAJAR data for the third quarter; a happy sponsor story; much more. Continue Reading
RAJAR Q3 results show more digital radio growth
RAJAR data from the third quarter showed a continued leveling out of growth in radio listening. The Q3 2016 numbers found 89.1% of the UK population tuning in each week, a steady result from 89.3% in the year-ago period. Continue Reading