Year in review: A timeline of 2015’s important stories
Compiled by Anna Washenko and Brad Hill
Never a dull moment in the streaming audio business! Here, a glance back at milestones. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: SoundExchange’s unclaimed royalties; streaming and inequality; Pirate Bay shenanigans
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: SoundExchange’s 2014 unclaimed royalties drop; a primer on streaming inequalities; Pirate Bay co-founder at it again. Continue Reading
Apple files for additional Beats station trademarks
Following up on some earlier speculations, Apple has filed for the U.S. trademarks for additional Beats stations. French website Consomac reported that Apple now has applications under review for Beats 2 through Beats 5. Continue Reading
Smooth Jazz Chicago prepares to shut down in small webcaster fallout
Smooth Jazz Chicago, a RAIN Pureplay of the Day recipient, announced that it will end its three-year Internet radio business on December 31. Founder Rick O’Dell explained that the business cannot afford the new webcaster royalty rates without small webcaster protection which is expiring. Continue Reading
David Lowery sues Spotify for unpaid royalties
David Lowery has filed an attempted class action lawsuit against Spotify, charging that the streaming service knowingly and willingly distributed music without the correct mechanical licenses. Lowery is a vociferous critic of streaming music services.
Continue Reading
CRB Developments: Revised Rates and Terms, Issues about Performance Complement and Small Webcasters
Unsettled issues are flowing into the industry mindspace following the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) ruling of new webcast royalty rates to labels on December 16. Broadcast law attorney David Oxenford untangles what the issues mean to broadcasters and small webcasters. Continue Reading
Amazon posts big holiday numbers for Prime (including Music)
The holiday shopping period is usually a gold rush for retailers, and Amazon is no different. The company issued a press release with some key points from its December performance, and it revealed not just powerhouse results from the shipping and retail departments, but a surprisingly strong outcome for Prime Music as well. Continue Reading
CRB: Small webcasters face January 1 with fear, anger, hope, and strategies
Small webcasters feel left out. The music licensing terms under which they have been operating since 2006 are about to expire. Countless small businesses, many of them streaming unique programming in specialized music categories, could shut down this week. Owners of independent streaming stations who have contacted RAIN News have expressed dismay, fury, and guarded hope that the omission of a carve-out for small webcasting represents a delayed announcement that could still arrive in time. Continue Reading
Data from the first weekend of streaming The Beatles
In addition to the gift-wrapping and boxes, we’re also spending our post-holiday stupor unpacking the impact of The Beatles’ arrival into the streaming music space. This Monday morning focuses on social data, Spotify, and the top song choice this weekend. Continue Reading
Facebook moves closer to native audio with Deezer
We have commented on Facebook’s lack of native audio, and reported on an experiment with NPR. Now, Facebook is wading a little deeper into native audio via an agreement with Deezer. Users will be able to share 30-second clips from Deezer’s big music library, directly to Facebook. Continue Reading
RAIN News staff celebrates The Beatles in music services
The Beatles can now be streamed in major music services, and the RAIN editorial office is unreasonably (but seasonally!) giddy about it. Here, with cutting-edge analysis and lyrical insight, Anna Washenko and Brad Hill unabashedly discuss. Continue Reading
Midnight struck, Santa came, we left cookies, he left The Beatles
The Beatles are finally on-demand. It’s not the first time a celebrated hold-out splashily entered the interactive streaming space. But it feels different, closing the loop on a tectonic disruption of music consumption. Continue Reading