James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James reviews the LG Stylus 2 with its DAB+ receiver. Also a look back at Capital Radio, deep debates of video vs. radio, and much more. Continue Reading
AdsWizz has a new programmatic deal with Varick Media Management. Under this partnership, AdsWizz will be supplying an audio-centric solution for efficient digital audio inventory buying. It will also provide new ad formats and targeted access to premium publishers. Continue Reading
After all the big statements about his new album “never” going to appear on Apple, Kanye West appears to have changed his mind. For one song, at least. The track “Famous” arrived on other streaming services, including both Apple Music and Spotify, over the weekend. Continue Reading
Pandora founder Tim Westergren has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer effective immediately, the company announced this morning. Former CEO Brian McAndrews is leaving the company. Continue Reading
Spotify is collecting some interesting information from playlist creators about their use of the feature. According to Music Ally, the survey inquires about whether the respondent makes and shares playlists, and how much they know or care about how others interact with their creations. Continue Reading
France trade body SNEP recently released year-end data for the nation’s music market, but bundled in with that information was a new approach to its chart strategy. The 2015 album chart included streaming data. Continue Reading
Vevo is improving the recommendations it gives on its mobile app, but it’s looking to other music companies for ideas. The Vevo mobile app can now integrate with Spotify, Twitter, and YouTube accounts, and that data goes into better suggestions for the listener. Continue Reading
NPR hired Thomas Hjelm to fill its newly created post of Chief Digital Officer. In the new position, he will be responsible for guiding NPR’s digital strategy and keeping ahead of how listeners want to experience content. Continue Reading
New social music app Noted launched today. The platform, which originally debuted last year as Nusiki, has rebranded itself with improved technology focused on discovery. It combines algorithms with analysis of social interactions to make recommendations. Continue Reading
A couple of session summaries emanating from the Radiodays Europe conference earlier this month indicate that public radio in Britain and Nordic countries is facing challenges of reduced listening to traditional radio among young people. Continue Reading
When Kanye West launched his latest album, the focus was on his protective approach to distribution. The strategy was controversial at best, especially given the immediate wave of piracy the title faced. But in the weeks following the official release, West has been less obviously changing how his fans perceive the very idea of an album in the streaming age. Continue Reading
Another new Kickstarter project is seeking support to release a new WiFi speaker product. The HUB by ekko audio can cast high-resolution audio to up to 10 speakers or headphones. Continue Reading