James Cridland Weekly Links is a column by the U.K.’s radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Personal news about James Cridland’s relocation; the supposed death of AM in Europe; coverage of Radio X in the U.K.; DAB is London and Germany; more. Continue Reading
A new survey from European research reveals that Spotify’s freemium plan enjoys an 8.8% reach in Germany. The study was commissioned by Spotify, specifically to bolster its advertising business in Germany. The study compared Spotify’s reach metrics with traditional radio. Continue Reading
Morning drive team “Jeff & Jer” are departing the San Diego airwaves. Whatever the reason, says Kurt Hanson, stations should try hard to retain personality talent — a key strength of radio in its competition with satellite and Internet radio. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Cost analysis of Pandora’s anniversary celebration; Rdio on more Wi-fi speakers; HTC + Spotify + selfies; focus on podcasting in India. Continue Reading
Two leading podcast networks announced updates to their programming. PodcastOne has added six shows, largely focused on sports and fitness. Play.It also added new shows covering a range of topics across entertainment, politics, and sports. Continue Reading
Sponsored by AudioBoom
The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: 200-page BBC report reinvents the mission; record-setting royalty collections in the U.S.; Pandora celebrates an anniversary; more. Continue Reading
MixRadio is setting its sights on the Indonesian market. In an interview with the Jakarta Globe, Asia-Pacific Director Jamie Robertson explained that the music service is making Indonesia one of its top three priority markets. Indonesia has a reputation as a market with extensive piracy, but Robertson does not see those activities as a threat to the legal streaming option offered by MixRadio. Continue Reading
Earlier this week, the BBC released its plans for adapting its services to support digital and online media platforms. The report was mostly about the big picture plans, but a new blog post goes into some detail about the vision for a new radio experience. Mark Friend, interactive controller for BBC Radio and Music, explained the goal of letting every listener have their own personalized radio station. “This will be based on understanding what you normally listen to, what you like, what you don’t like and linking this to factors such as time, location and what device you’re listening on,” he said. Continue Reading
by Ari Shohat
Music curation means different things to different people…and to different services. Guest columnist Ari Shohat, CEO of Digitally Imported, explains how curation can be at the front end of buuilding a catalog, creating a good listening experience and freeing resources. Continue Reading
Performing rights organization BMI announced its financial results from the past year, including total revenue of $1.013 billion. Money from digital sources – including Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube – rose 65% over the previous year. Continue Reading
ABS Entertainment has embarked on a legal crusade to collect royalties for its pre-1972 recordings. ABS filed suits against broadcast radio groups in California earlier in the summer, and now it has put two digital platforms in the crosshairs as well. RAIN News received a copy of a lawsuit filed earlier this week by the pair against Sirius XM and Pandora. Continue Reading
Radio stations have been grappling with simulcasting questions for many years. Within the growing imperative to get a station (or station group) online, there is another question. RAIN Summit Atlanta will examine the issue with thought leaders from broadcast, technology, and marketing. Continue Reading