Test Drive: Spotify’s My Year in Music

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Following on the release of its global year-in-review earlier this week, Spotify has also added a tool so that individuals can check out their 2014 listening data. The feature breaks down your song choices over the past 12 months into very detailed genres. The data is interesting on its own, but Spotify took things a step further with Play it Forward, where the streaming platform can create a personalized playlist of songs based on what you liked most in 2014. Continue Reading →

Sirius XM agrees to settlement, will pay states for misleading advertising and billing

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Sirius XM has agreed to a settlement of $3.8 million following claims that it engaged in misleading advertising and billing practices. The complaint was brought by 45 state consumer protection agencies that argued Sirius customers were having issues canceling their contracts. The agencies claimed that the satellite radio company offered extra incentives to staff members who retained customers who wanted to end their subscriptions. Continue Reading →

Nielsen’s renamed Total Audience Report reduces platformism, notes lower TSL for AM/FM

Posted on by Brad Hill

Nielsen released its Q3 Total Audience Report, formerly called the Cross Platform Report. The name change signifies a philosophical reconception as well as new marketplace realities. In the metrics, AM/FM time-spent listening dropped slightly year-over-year, but it is the generational shift which really stands out. Continue Reading →

Native advertising growth for streaming audio

Posted on by Brad Hill

Native advertising has ebbed and flowed across media categories for decades. 2014 has been a year in which the streaming audio market has embraced native campaigns, and signs point to increased adoption by advertisers, and increased offerings by publishers. We spoke to Cathy Csukas (Adlarge) and Lex Friedman (Midroll Media) for sell-side perspective. Continue Reading →

Spotify launches geo-targeted ad platform with Triton Digital

Posted on by Brad Hill

Spotify today announced the launch of a geo-targeted advertising platform for its ad-supported freemium service level. The initial rollout includes the top 15 listening markets. Launch partner Triton Digital provides verification metrics through its Webcast Local Metrics product. We spoke to Spotify ad exec Brian Benedik. Continue Reading →