In a recent interview, Pandora CFO Michael Herring spoke about the company’s interest in making its services more friendly to drivers on the road. To that end, Bloomberg reported that Pandora is exploring the world beyond music, with interest in formats such as talk radio, news, and sports. Continue Reading
Rhapsody is bringing two music discovery startups into the fold with acquisitions announced today. Statements from Rhapsody about the acquisitions seemed to imply that neither standalone product would immediately be shuttered, but it does seem likely that the new team members will be putting their expertise toward some new features for the streaming platform. Continue Reading
eMarketer reports on survey data collected in march by B2X Care solutions, investigating how consumer ages 16-65 use their smartphones. The report is slanted toward online map use. But we noticed that music use was at the same usage level in the original research. Continue Reading
If the steady throb of 60-beats-per-minute dance music helps power you through the day, Club Fusion is a pureplay you need to know about. (www.fusionradio.fm).In today’s high-energy listening to Club Fusion we’ve heard Tiesto, Chromeo, Antillas, Kiesza, Cascada, and others. Continue Reading
Following its purchase of the platform in July, Google has revamped Songza’s terms of service. Songza members are required to agree to the new ToS from Google and its privacy policy, as well as agree to transfer their personal information from Songza to Google. Users who don’t agree to the Google terms will not be able to log in to their old accounts. Continue Reading
Coleman Insights has completed its guidance research for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and Emmis Communications, the developer of NextRadio. The study’s first part was about how consumer consume radio generally. This second part examines consumer reaction to the NextRadio app. Continue Reading
Sources said that Beats Music CEO Ian Rogers will be overseeing iTunes Radio going forward in addition to his leadership of the Beats streaming service. The Wall Street Journal reported that having Rogers at the head of both the iTunes Radio and Beats Music could help keep a cohesive feel across the two services. Continue Reading
YouTube lost another lead on its music program. Product management head Shiva Rajaraman is leaving to join Spotify. It’s unclear how this personnel change might impact YouTube’s chances of rolling out its new music product, which was expected to launch this summer. Continue Reading
This weekly podcast is a quick and concise catch-up of must-know news in streaming music and online audio
This week: Swell Music shutters … Vevo looks for a buyer … Pandora releases earnings … NPR reinvents radio, again … Sirius and Radionomy have news. Continue Reading
Amazon announced the addition of a new member to its board of directors. Judy McGrath, former CEO of MTV Networks, was elected to the board in an appointment that will take effect on Oct. 1. She will join the company’s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee, according to the SEC filing that detailed her election. Continue Reading
Apple issued an official welcome to Beats Music and Beats Electronics, indicating that the acquisition, announced in May, is now finalized. “Music has always held a special place in our hearts, and we’re thrilled to join forces with a group of people who love it as much as we do,” the statement on Apple’s website read. Continue Reading
RAIN founding editor Kurt Hanson is reporting from Tokyo, where he is surveying the tech, culture, and audio landscapes. This is his fourth report. iPhones are popular in Tokyo, but there is a peculiar exception. Continue Reading