Serial’s back with season two
Cue the listening binges: Serial is back on the digital airwaves. The first episode of season two for the popular investigative podcast launched today on its website, iTunes, and Pandora. Continue Reading
The Download on Podcasts: Will podcasting force Facebook to allow viral audio?
sponsored by PodcastOne
Nearly two years ago, an article that questioned why audio doesn’t go viral, went viral. The article’s complaint has not been fully answered. Recently WNYC posted one of its podcasts to Facebook, but had to wrap it in a video because Facebook doesn’t have native audio. Podcasting might be the catalyst which changes the lack of social sharing in audio. Continue Reading
Roger Lanctot: Radio Will Survive Dashboard Clash
by Roger Lanctot
Roger Lanctot is Associate Director of Strategy Analytics, and a thought leader in the connected-car space. In this guest article, he set forth the outlook for radio, even as tech companies do battle over the hardware for connected vehicles. Continue Reading
BPI survey finds streaming may bolster CD sales
The British Phonographic Industry and the Entertainment Retailers Association have investigated the crossover between streaming music patrons and CD purchases. The UK organizations found that 66% of its survey respondents use streaming as a discovery tool, then buy physical copies of their favorite works. Continue Reading
Rhapsody closes year with 3.5 million subscribers
Rhapsody announced that its subscriber base increased by 45% over the past year. “Despite increasing competition, we continue to believe in the value of music and see our role as vital in creating experiences with music that users around the world will pay for,” said Ethan Rudin, Rhapsody’s CFO. Continue Reading
New family plan covers Google Play Music and YouTube Red
Google has rolled out a family plan to cover all of its music properties. The Google Play Music family plans cost $14.99 a month and allow up to six users on the account. The new price tier is rolling out in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the U.S. Continue Reading
Test Drive: Spotify’s 2015 Year in Review
We love when Spotify finds cool ways to share data, and the end of the year is often when the streaming service shines. It delivered a Year In Music round-up that details any individual’s music choices from the last 12 months in a beautifully designed package. Continue Reading
Amazon Prime adds concert subscription add-on, hinting at a bigger streaming vision
Amazon Prime is the latest major company to add a concerts and live performance angle to its streaming service. It has made Qello Concerts available as an a la carte channel for its Prime members. Qello is an initial member of the Amazon Partners Streaming Program, which brings a la carte third-party video content to the platform. What might this signal about Amazon’s longer-term entertainment plans? Continue Reading
WNYC experiments with social-friendly “audiograms”
WNYC Studios is testing out Facebook as a distribution channel, publishing a new, full-length episode of its Here’s the Thing show to the podcast’s Facebook page. The 48-minute episode was uploaded as a native Facebook video since the social network doesn’t support direct audio uploads. WNYC is calling this odd hybrid an audiogram. Continue Reading
Triton Local Network now in STRATA for easier buying of streaming advertising
Triton Digital has announced that the Triton Local Network (TLN) is integrated in the STRATA media buying platform. The integration allows advertisers and agencies to view audience metrics in local markets, and plan campaigns within and across markets, with geographic and demographic targeting. Continue Reading
Spotify may test out windowing content
In a big potential strategy shift, Spotify is allegedly open to some artists temporarily restricting their music to its paid tier. Unnamed sources told The Wall Street Journal that Spotify will consider windowing content based on whether a listener pays for the service. An insider said Spotify would be trying this strategy as a test first to assess the impact it might have on usage and subscription membership. Continue Reading
Deezer joining Apple CarPlay
Deezer announced that its streaming service is now available on Apple CarPlay. The French company’s Premium+ and Elite subscribers can now use their subscription through the connected car system. This marks Deezer’s second big car tie-up in two months. Continue Reading