Apple Music had two big business developments break yesterday. First, the streaming service debuted a surprise mixtape by hip-hop superstars Drake and Future. Then a new commercial marked a shift in rhetoric for the streaming platform. Continue Reading
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The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Two new and unusual stations; Nielsen report on streaming and music; podcast research; more. Continue Reading
by Kurt Hanson
Do high data costs inhibit listening to streaming audio through mobile devices? Kurt Hanson notes new plan prices from T-Mobile and does some math. The outcome? Mobile bandwidth is trending cheap. Continue Reading
Pandora successfully acquired KXMZ radio station in South Dakota in May, but that doesn’t mean the ownership stayed on secure footing. ASCAP challenged two elements in Pandora’s action to buy the station shortly after the purchase closed, but the FCC today denied them both. Continue Reading
SFX announced that it has secured $60 million in new financing. The company also refinanced its $30 million revolving credit facilities for a total of $90 million. Its founder had made an effort to take the company private but was unable to secure backing as share prices have been dropping. Continue Reading
Pandora CFO Mike Herring participated in a session at a Goldman Sachs conference, fielding questions from one of the financial company’s analysts. His talk touched on how Pandora measures its advertising, it’s latest efforts in mobile ads, and the looming CRB decision. Continue Reading
Brian Benedik, previously head of North America advertising at Spotify, has been promoted to a newly created position as Global Head of Advertising Sales. He will take charge of the company’s entire advertising sales effort across the 58 global markets in which the music service operates. Continue Reading
Geico became the first advertiser to place a buy on Expressway from Katz, the Jelli-powered programmatic platform for broadcast radio spots. The announcement from Horizon Media, which piloted the transaction, claims Geico’s campaign as the first-ever live programmatic buy for spot radio. Continue Reading
This week we are revealing finalists in the Sixth Annual RAIN Internet Radio Awards. Today we are pleased to announce the advancing finalists in the “International Excellence in Online Audio” category. Continue Reading
Deezer has created its first ad spot for UK televisions. The colorful ad shows a series of characters that rhyme with the streaming service, such as geezer and crowd-pleaser. This spot is the first in a series of four, which promise to get ever-zanier with the rhymes. Continue Reading
Jacobs Media and the Public Radio Program Directors conducted the seventh edition of its annual survey to learn more about the preferences of public radio listeners. Among those respondents, public radio saw continued transitions to digital, with 19% of weekly usage happening on those channels. The survey also covered on-demand listening, mobile options, and sustaining memberships. Continue Reading
Triton Digital has announced that Macquarie Radio Network has joined a2x, Triton’s programmatic audio advertising exchange. Macquarie will put its digital audio inventory into the system, which Triton launched in Australia this past summer. Continue Reading