RAIN News

Kickstarter project offers better sound with portable amplifier

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Lots of leaders and startups in the music industry have been exploring options for improving sound quality in online listening. We’ve seen lots of new platforms touting their hi-fi, lossless sound, but one of the top criticisms of those services is that people listen to them with mediocre headphones. A new Kickstarter project aims to literally amp up the sound quality for people even without top-shelf headphones. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: Beats vs. Spotify; a new streaming model

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Brad Hill

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Beats vs. Spotify; proposed new streaming model Continue Reading →

ASCAP pulled in more than $1 billion in 2014

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

ASCAP posted revenue of more than $1 billion last year, the first performance rights collector to do so. The company distributed more than $883 million in royalties to songwriters, composers, and publishers. ASCAP also said that it doubled the number of performances that it has processed for payment, paying out royalties for 500 billion musical moments. Continue Reading →

Editor’s Notebook: Ipsos In-Car Audio Study confirms people like what they’re familiar with

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Brad Hill

by Brad Hill

A new Ipsos In-Car Audio Study, sponsored by iHeartMedia, reveals that most repondents listen to AM/FM radio in the car, and overwhelmingly like push-button radios in the dashboard. This column notes that the average American car is 11.4 years old, and that technology change is always resisted by a preference for the familiar. Continue Reading →

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Test Drive: Tradiio

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Talk to app developers, psychologists, or productivity experts, and you’ll likely hear about the concept of gamification. The goal is to offer perks for completing tasks, turning an activity that could be a chore into a fun system with rules and rewards. It’s been used for educational purposes, for changing habits, and now some enterprising folks have turned gamification theory onto music discovery. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: Tech, telecoms, and Twitter

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Tech and telecoms; Twitter music exec to exit. Continue Reading →

SoundCloud has paid out more than $1 million in ad revenue

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Anna Washenko

SoundCloud shared some insights about its program to help creators monetize their tracks. The On SoundCloud campaign has more than 100 people signed up as Premier Partners. Since the program launched in August, it has paid out more than $1 million in ad revenue to labels, audio partners, and artists. Continue Reading →

Pureplay of the Day: Leonard Nimoy tribute

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Brad Hill

It’s too much to say that the RAIN News editorial office is obsessed with Star Trek, but everyone here is a fan. As with many other people around the world, the momentous death of Leonard Nimoy affected us strongly. To find a streaming audio tribute, we turned to a source that is obsessed with Star Trek: Kurt Hanson’s AccuRadio. We weren’t disappointed. Continue Reading →

Triton Digital and Edison Research to launch Webcast Metrics for podcasts

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Brad Hill

Triton Digital is announcing today that it will launch audience measurement for podcasts, in partnership with Edison Research. The new product, called Webcast Metrics On Demand (WCMOD), is slated to be released later this year. Continue Reading →

Milestone: Half of U.S. adults use online radio monthly

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Brad Hill

Edison Research announced a consumer survey milestone: Over half (53%) of U.S. adults (12+) listened to online radio in the past month. Sources include terrestrial station webcasts, online radio like Pandora, and other services like Spotify. The percentage translates to an estimated 143-million people. Continue Reading →

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Internet Radio Rewind #032: New congressional bill; new podcast network; more

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Brad Hill

A weekly podcast from RAIN News

Sponsored by AudioBoom

A six-minute blast of news you need to know in streaming audio.

THIS WEEK: Local Radio Freedom Act hits Congress; a new podcast network; Led Zeppelin loosens the leash; streaming audio growth projection; something new for Radioplayer; Russell Brand podcast; Starbucks leaves behind CDs. Continue Reading →

Two digital execs leaving Universal Music Group

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Universal Music Group has lost two of its top digital executives this week. CEO Lucian Grainge said that UMG would “be making announcements in the coming days” in response to Wells’ exit in particular. Universal has been making some intriguing inroads into the digital space in recent months. Continue Reading →