Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Deezer targeting profitability in two years; podcasts as networking resource; Spotify’s Kevin Brown says the charts are not boring Continue Reading
The National Music Publishers Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association International have moved to block Sony Music Entertainment from participating in the new round of Copyright Royalty Board proceedings. After setting webcasting rates for the 2016-2020 period, the CRB will next consider mechanical royalties that will apply to interactive music services for 2018-2022. Continue Reading
NPR is taking steps to deal with its generational programming crisis, announcing that Car Talk will be moved off the lot in September 2017, five years after the show ended new production. With Prairie Home Companion also ending, NPR faces audience development challenges and opportunities. Continue Reading
Apple Music is growing its original video programming. The streaming service has purchased the rights to a new spin-off series based on Carpool Karaoke, the video segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden. The British comedian won’t host the new episodes, but he is attached as an executive producer. Continue Reading
Warner Music Group announced a partnership with streaming video service Vadio. This deal will see Vadio and its distribution partners getting access to music videos from Warner’s artist roster. Continue Reading
SoundCloud is reportedly considering a sale of the company. Unnamed sources told Bloomberg that the online audio company’s leaders are looking for paths to boosting growth and profit. SoundCloud has made several developments in its audio offerings over the past year, most recently introducing Albums. Continue Reading
The hits keep coming for Guvera. The company announced that its streaming service will end operation in its home country of Australia next week. Instead, Guvera plans to shift its efforts to emerging markets. Continue Reading
Pandora has started leveraging its purchase of Ticketfly, adding concert notifications to its online music platform. The notifications are based on individual listening preferences pulled from Pandora’s Music Genome Project. Continue Reading
“Music subscription economics continue to hit the wrong note […] the main culprit for all the red ink is licensing fees.” That is the leading executive summary point of SNL Kagan’s new edition of its annual Economics of Mobile Music, which documents fast growth of music subscriptions, but worries about financial sustainability. Continue Reading
Vevo and Warner Music Group may be nearing a deal that will see the label’s artists appearing on the video platform. According to Billboard, the agreement will see Warner artists’ music videos added to Vevo.com and the Vevo mobile app. The deal, which is more than a year in the works, could be finalized as early as this week. Continue Reading
Webcast listening in May maintained flat performance month-over-month, shaving about one percent of Average Active Sessions (AAS) from April’s total across Triton Digital’s measured Webcast Metrics clients. The story was more vigorous in the year-over-year comparison. Continue Reading
Online radio portal Dash Radio announced several business developments as it begins a second year on interim funding. The influx of financing came from new and existing investors. The company has expanded its offices in Orange County, Calif., added new channels, and made several leadership appointments. Continue Reading