Pandora has taken a step forward with its Artist Messaging plans. The online radio service has updated its terms of use with language about communication with artists. The company started testing audio messages from artists in February. Continue Reading
MusicWatch and Eventbrite teamed up for a survey of how music discovery impacts listeners’ purchases related to live music. The results showed that 42% of the respondents cited streaming as a music discovery platform, and 51% of those streaming listeners bought tickets to a show by an artist they found on those services. Plus 29% of streaming discoverers attend two or more shows a month. Continue Reading
When should a brand extend to a new and different product, and when not? Kurt Hanson applies the question to coffee, hamburgers … and radio. Continue Reading
IFPI Sweden released half-year data for the nation’s music industry. Streaming revenue increased 7.4% to 425.8 million kroner. That sector generates 83.9% of total sales, with all digital revenue accounting for 88% of Sweden’s music sales. Continue Reading
Neil Young is back in the headlines after he announced that he will remove his catalog from streaming services. His complaint is about sound quality. “I don’t need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution,” he said in a Facebook post. “When the quality is back, I’ll give it another look.” Continue Reading
Most of the heavy analysis of music markets focuses on North America, Europe, and Asia. PricewaterhouseCoopers has given us new insights on the industry in Africa with a new entertainment and media outlook through 2017 for South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. The report covers the radio and music sectors in those countries. Continue Reading
Playlist radio service 8tracks has launched a new web interface in beta to a limited number of users. The refreshed user experience is underpinned by technology which surfaces playlist suggestions based on listening history, previous searches, and social activity on the 8tracks platform. Continue Reading
Webcast listening in May dropped a couple of percentage points from April’s numbers, according to Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics Top 20 Ranker, released today. the may report broke a five-month string of consecutive gains. At the same time, mobile listening to streams topped 75%. Continue Reading
Germany’s music sector posted gains from streaming and sales in the first half of 2015, according to a report by the Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI). Streaming services now account for 12.8% of the country’s music revenue, up from 7.7% in the first half of 2014. “The 87 percent increase in music streaming even exceeds the forecast contained in the streaming study we published back in March,” the group’s managing director Dr. Florian Drücke said. Continue Reading
The UK is seeing growth of digital radios in cars. The Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy is expected to announce today that in Q2 2015, 70% of new cars now come with digital radio as standard. The data point shows growth in new cars with digital radio from 54% in 2014 and 38% in 2013. Continue Reading
In a burst of invention and technology ownership, ad-management firm Wideorbit acquired three patents related to streaming audio. One of them represents a technology which allows song-skipping in radio simulcasts, emulating one of Pandora’s most popular features. Continue Reading
NPR confirmed that it has withdrawn from the MIC Coalition. A representative from the public radio team confirmed the departure, but did not provide a reason. MIC, which stands for “music.innovation.consumers,” was formed earlier in 2015 with the stated goal of creating “a predictable, balanced and transparent music marketplace.” Continue Reading