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SoundCloud introduces advertising and new monetization program; what will artists think?

Posted on by Anna Washenko

For the first time in its history, the streaming service will begin running advertisements for U.S. listeners. “The introduction of advertising is an important step for creators,” Founder and CEO Alex Ljung said. “Every time you see or hear an ad, an artist gets paid.” The company also debuted plans for a creator partner program called On SoundCloud that aims to aid members in turning their music streams into revenue streams. The crucial note in SoundCloud’s discussions of this change is its focus on the artists. Continue Reading →

SoundHound adds automated Rdio playlist, following on Shazam’s heels

Posted on by Anna Washenko

SoundHound announced that it has launched a new feature called Connect to Rdio. This update automatically adds all songs that a SoundHound user discovers to a special playlist within Rdio. Before this update, SoundHound already had tie-ups with several streaming platforms. This particular Rdio news, though, is similar to an announcement made by Shazam in July. Continue Reading →

Mixcloud shifts business model with addition of paid account options

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Mixcloud has updated its membership options, adding two paid subscriptions. CTO Mat Clayton said the goal of adding paid tiers was to diversify and smoothen the company’s revenue. “We think it’s important to have a product that allows our users to pay for the Mixcloud service,” Clayton said. “This sets the precedent that content and services on the internet are valuable.” Continue Reading →

Jelli’s RadioSpot ad service rolls out to seven new stations

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Earlier in the summer, Jelli announced plans to suspend its social radio service in favor of its programmatic ad platform. The promising Q1 growth for that service continued on Tuesday, with the company’s announcement that its RadioSpot platform will be deployed at seven more radio stations across the U.S. Continue Reading →

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StreamLicensing’s online stations to get mobile apps thanks to deal with Nobex Partners

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Mobile music is on the grow. Studies by comScore/Millennial Media and AYTM have shown increasing interest in streaming on tablets and smartphones. The latest demonstration of this push into mobile is the just-announced partnership between Nobex Partners and StreamLicensing. Under the new deal, Nobex will help create custom apps for StreamLicensing’s 1,200 radio stations. Continue Reading →

Growing Radio’s Digital Share Is The Answer

Posted on by Jennifer Lane

In this guest column, RAIN Enterprises CEO Jennifer Lane explains why it’s crucial to focus on digital platforms. Core spot revenue is still important to the industry, but recent news developments indicate that broadcasters would be well served to be aggressive in growing their share of the digital pie. Continue Reading →

Bridge Ratings research finds little listener interest in adding news to pureplay streams

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Do you want to hear more than music on your favorite pureplay streaming service? The findings from a study by Bridge Ratings indicate that many people are content with the status quo of songs only. “Adding news or commuter traffic content is likely not going to enhance the experience for most users of these services,” said Dave Van Dyke, Bridge Ratings’ president. Continue Reading →

Market research pegs digital music revenue at almost $14 billion in 2019

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Juniper Research projected that revenue for digital music will be slow to rise from an estimated $12.3 billion in 2014 to about $13.9 billion in 2019. While listeners are likely to gravitate toward cloud-based services, Juniper’s report projected that pureplay streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora will be tested by the growth of personalized music services from Apple and Google. Continue Reading →