Quick Hits: Radio conglomerates, voice control, and album art
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Questioning the conglomerate approach; how voice controls are influencing music at home; album art endures. Continue Reading
Rhapsody launches virtual reality concert app
Rhapsody notified us about a new app called Rhapsody VR. Not an update to the venerable music service app, but a supplementary one that uses 360 video technology to view concert clips. Rhapsody calls it “Music’s first virtual reality experience.” Continue Reading
WorldDAB launches group to improve in-car DAB experience
WorldDAB announced the formation of a new group centered on cars. The Automotive User Experience Group will focus on improving the use of in-car DAB radios and understanding the effect of future trends with the technology. Continue Reading
BPI renews calls for safe harbor change to prevent “strip-mining” music
The British Phonographic Industry is no stranger to the siege against YouTube, but it has launched another volley against the video platform. In its Music Market 2016 report, the BPI highlighted the revenue disparities delivered by subscription streaming and album sales, and by ad-supported freemium services. Continue Reading
In the new era of small webcasting, StreamLicensing builds tech to survive
Webcaster host StreamLicensing runs a business model that pays label royalties on behalf of its member stations, funding the business with advertising target to combined audiences. But when that royalty cost dramatically escalated for U.S. webcasting in January, owner Marvin Glass sold to Stardome Media Group and warned the new owners that success would be an uphill climb. We spoke with a Stardome exec about the way forward. Continue Reading
PRX launches RadioPublic as “radio rethought” for mobile landscape
Radio distribution experts PRX have launched a new company that aims to reimagine audio for mobile devices. The first goal for RadioPublic will be to create a listening app focused on discovery and engagement with a range of audio types, including spoken-word stories, news, information, journalism, and entertainment. Continue Reading
Leading musicians’ advocate hired by Sirius XM as Director of Music Licensing
In a move that seems to cross a perceptual boundary between music artists and music services, Casey Rae, CEO of the Future of Music Coalition, is resigning that post and taking the role at Sirius XM as Director of Music Licensing. He will remain in Washington D.C. Continue Reading
Debut of BuzzAngle Music 2.0 analytics system
BuzzAngle Music, the new kid on the block for music charts, announced the launch of the latest version of its reporting and analytics service. The company, which bills itself as “music consumption analytics for the new era,” delivers daily reports measuring the performance for songs, artists, or albums. Continue Reading
Digital radio on the rise in RAJAR Q1 results
The first quarter RAJAR data for 2016 revealed steady growth for radio listening in the UK, depending on the platform. All radio listening had an audience of 47.8 million adults, or 89.3% of the adult population. Digital radio audience has continued to grow slightly, from 56% in Q4 2015 to 57% in Q1 2016. Continue Reading
Electric Jukebox study raises questions over age and streaming
Electric Jukebox, which makes a set-top box for music, has commissioned a study from YouGov that explored how streaming may be missing out on the over-35 age demographic. The survey found that more over-35 respondents consider radio easier to use than streaming; only young millennials showed a strong preference for streaming over radio. Continue Reading
Webcast listening grew in March; strong Q1 rise (Triton Webcast Metrics)
Webcast listening in March grew by 2% compared to February, and notched a 15% rise year-over-year, according to Triton Digital’s monthly Webcast Metrics Top 20 Ranker, released this morning. Click through for historical charts. Continue Reading
Why radio should sell music
Radio has been selling music for a long time. Just not directly. No broadcaster claims it as a primary goal, compared to generating ratings and advertising revenue, but radio’s ability to create a sales story is certainly at the heart of its resistance to the latest music industry call for a performance royalty. No matter where you land on that issue, radio is more valuable to the music business if it can demonstrably generate purchases, and if there are still purchases to generate. Continue Reading