Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify not that into exclusives; Pandora as disruptor; MMF seeks streaming equity stance from Universal; a look at musical crowdfunding success. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it will revive the Spotify House at SXSW in Austin with the support of several business partners. Expect to see tie-ins with Chromecast, PlayStation, SoulCycle, and more at this year’s Spotify House. Continue Reading
MusicWatch has released new research on the various forms of music piracy, how music consumers obtain music without generating revenue, and to what extent they do. A complicated profile of tech-savvy, copyright-confused consumer emerges, and a new descriptor: “badquisition.” Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: An innovative radio app out of Finland; other radio news from Vatican City, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and everywhere in between. Continue Reading
A husband-and-wife broadcasting and station ownership team has seen fast growth of their home-grown cloud-based syndication system that is being used by dozens of station affiliates, and might be unique. Continue Reading
8tracks announced an update in how international listeners will be able to access its playlisting service. The company said that outside of the U.S. and Canada, listeners would only be able to experience playlists by YouTube video playback. The big change is that international listeners will not be able to stream from the iOS or Android mobile apps anymore. Continue Reading
Nielsen’s Q3 2015 comparable metrics report revealed the latest figures for media consumption, including strong results for radio. More than 90% of adults listen to radio each week, giving the medium more reach than TV, PCs, or smartphones. Continue Reading
Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton spoke at the Code/Media conference, sharing the major label perspective on streaming and where it’s headed. He endorsed the concept of windowing, where fans can pay more for quicker access to content. Continue Reading
Indie music service Drip announced plans to close on March 18. For five years, Drip provided a platform for direct-to-fan subscription music. Artists and labels used the flexible service to distribute exclusive content to fans, offer discounted event admission, sell special edition merchandise, and more. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group reported its 2015 financial results, which demonstrated continued growth for streaming and subscription services. The two formats doubled their share to account for 24% of the company’s total recorded music revenue. Continue Reading
The most informative part of quarterly earnings calls can be the Q&A with investors, for the strategic story beyond the financials. Click through for insights, perspectives, and forward projections voiced by CEO and Brian McAndrews and CFO Mike Herring in last week’s responses to investors. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web, all focused on podcasts and podcasting. Read on for questions about podcasts vs advertisers; Nielsen talking audience data; and why Gimlet Media doesn’t have an app. Continue Reading