AM radio veteran turns to Kickstarter for new talk show

Dimitri Vassilaros was a talk host on AM station KDKA, and his resume as broadcaster and journalist includes stints with CBS, Clear Channel/iHeart, Gannett, Tribune-Review, and Hearst. He has a new program in his sights, and has turned to Kickstarter to fund what he says will be both an online radio production, and a podcast. Continue Reading

This Is My Jam to end active use, enter into archive mode

The team behind This Is My Jam announced yesterday that the service would cease operating in its current state. The leaders said that past jams would be put into a read-only archive mode in September, meaning they can still be listened to but not added to. Members will also have several options for preserving and exporting their song choice lists, according to the announcement. Continue Reading

Rumor Fact(ory): Freemium restrictions still under consideration at Spotify

According to a new report from Digital Music News, Spotify may be reconsidering its free tier approach. Sources have allegedly told the site that Spotify may begin adopting a windowed path, making some music releases only available to paid listeners or only opening it up to free listeners for a short amount of time. The company is reportedly considering several different options for what form that gated material might take. Sources told DMN that multiple of those options could see a rollout in early 2016. Continue Reading

Apple files for “digital mixed tape” patent

Apple has filed a patent application for a concept of gifting “digital mixed tapes” that could be a future addition to its music department. The application suggests a system for creating customized complication albums and then gifting them to another person. These albums could include some unique features, such as revealing a track’s title only as it is played or limiting the ability to fast forward. The patent also suggests options for incorporating multimedia content to the audio experience. Continue Reading

Rhapsody posts record revenue for Q2 with increased losses

Rhapsody’s Q2 financial data revealed customer growth of 50% over the past year, exceeding 3 million subscribers. The streaming platform reached a record revenue of almost $50.1 million for the period, up from revenue of $42.4 million in the year-ago period. However, its quarterly losses also increased to nearly $12.1 million, compared with a loss of $4.7 million in the second quarter of 2014. Continue Reading