Rumor Fact(ory): Beats leaks
The New York Times captured a carload of anonymously sourced information about Apple’s music products. Apple’s refreshed music ecosystem will be unveiled this summer, according to earlier rumors. Continue Reading
7digital financial results reflect decisive turn to streaming
British digital music company 7digital released 2014 financials that embody two major changes, one structural (a merger last year) and one strategic. The company is turning decidedly toward its B2B streaming services. Continue Reading
The Android podcast problem
The Download on Podcasts is a weekly feature sponsored by PodcastOne.
What’s the problem? Lack of a native podcast app, as Apple provides in iPhones. That void makes podcast discovery, organization, and listening more difficult and less at-hand. Continue Reading
Pandora promotes a new VP of industry relations
Jeff Zuchowski has been promoted to the role of vice president of industry relations at Pandora. He has been working at the online radio company since 2012, and was most recently acting as the senior director of artist strategy. With this promotion, his role will continue to focus on building industry ties and forging partnerships. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Radio and resiliance; SoulCycle and Spotify; music and messaging
Today’s brief news items feature some unexpected combinations. Continue Reading
New car radio line offers premarket AM, FM, and digital signal
Silicon Labs has unveiled a new car radio product line that combines AM/FM broadcast signals and digital receivers. The Si46xx range includes receivers/audio processors and multi-standard digital radio ICs. They can receive data from both analog and digital audio sources. Continue Reading
Gracenote hires Ethan Kaplan as head of its music business
Media technology and database company Gracenote announced this morning that it has hired music tech veteran Ethan Kaplan as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Music. “When I was 16 I started a fan website for the band R.E.M.,” says Kaplan. “The rest of my career extends from there.” Continue Reading
Vessel’s windowed video service is now open to the public
Vessel has exited its beta phase and its online video service is now available to all viewers. The service, started by former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, is offering exclusive access to videos to its members for a small monthly subscription of $2.99 a month. To further build up the viewing audience, Vessel is offering a year of free access for anybody who signs up in the first 72 hours following the launch. Continue Reading
Test Drive: How does Amazon’s Prime Music iOS radio feature hold up?
Amazon has updated its Prime Music iOS app with a set of lean-back radio stations. The feature arrived a few months back on the web version, but with mobile listening continuing to rise, bring the fullest service possible to phones is likely to become more and more crucial to a music service’s success. The listening experience is very reminiscent of Pandora, but is it more than a copycat? Continue Reading
Ex-radio pros start an Internet radio venture in Cleveland
John Gorman has four decades of executive programming experience in radio. Jim Marchyshyn was in sales and marketing. The two have partnered to co-found oWOW Media, a Cleveland Internet radio station staffed by sales and on-air personnel who mostly come from broadcast radio. Continue Reading
Kurt Hanson: Final observations of Radiodays Europe
by Kurt Hanson
RAIN News founding editor Kurt Hanson traveled to Milan for Radiodays Europe 2015. This bulletin includes his final observations. Continue Reading
AMP Act could codify digital royalties for producers and engineers
Congress will review another piece of proposed legislation aimed at redistributing digital royalties across the range of people who create music. The Allocation for Music Producers Act, also known as AMP, devotes a share of digital royalties to a song’s producers, mixers, and engineers. Continue Reading