We reported last week that Pono Music had launched a new equity crowdfunding project to raise additional funds for its hi-fi digital music player and store. Investors have pledged more than $5.24 million to the company thus far, and there are still two weeks to go. [Update: The campaign will now stretch until Sept. 30; how much money does Pono need?] Continue Reading
The International Confederation of Authors and Composers Societies, better known as CISAC, has a new director general. Gadi Oron, who previously served as CISAC’s general counsel, is now helping the organization of musical publishing collecting societies. Continue Reading
For anyone falling under the ‘content creator’ umbrella at YouTube, the sole path to making money has been to allow ads on your channel and hope for a massive viewership. That could change with a new feature that allows channels to operate a digital tip jar. The new crowd funding feature has reportedly rolled out in a handful of markets — Australia, Japan, Mexico, and the U.S. Continue Reading
John Stephens didn’t expect his radio station to win the “Best of Saint Louis” reader poll. But after Our Musical Roots, his classic rock pureplay, got a lot of votes in the Riverfront Times annual survey, he had some questions. It turns out the station was eliminated from the winner’s list because, according to the newspaper, “Internet radio isn’t real radio.” This week station staff and listeners will protest with picket signs outside the newspaper offices. Continue Reading
In today’s RAIN News we cover an Internet radio station in Saint Louis which was denied a “Best of Saint Louis” reader-survey award, despite having the votes, because “Internet radio is not real radio.” Is the Saint Louis newspaper which ran the contest correct? Or is Internet radio a legitimate form of “real” radio? Vote your opinion! Continue Reading
8tracks, the profitable and uniquely differentiated music platform, has reportedly obtained a funding round of $1.28-million. Investor identity is not disclosed in a Series D form filed with the SEC. that form indicates that the total investment, after a second portion closes, will be worth $1.4-million. Continue Reading
This week: T-Mobile expands Music Freedom … TuneIn scores in sports … New Gracenote exec … Streaming metrics (from Denmark) … KKBOX gets big funding in Asia … Pandora in your face! (Google Glass, that is). Continue Reading
Last September, several major record labels filed a lawsuit against Sirius XM seeking damages for the satellite radio company’s failure to pay royalties for recordings made before federal copyright protection was enacted in 1972. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the judge hearing the lawsuit issued a tentative ruling that indicates a favorable result for the satellite radio company. The suit in question was filed last September by Capitol Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group Recordings, and ABKCO, with the labels arguing that state laws should protect use of the older recordings. Continue Reading
After several high-profile exits, YouTube has snagged a music industry pro to join the team under its umbrella. Brian Felsen, who was the president at CD Baby, will now serve in the same role at AdRev, a YouTube network partner that operates a music monetization service, a licensing platform, and multi-channel network. Continue Reading
Interesting news bits and worthwhile reads from around the web. TODAY: A ten-year history of podcasting; the industry-viral “Distortion of Sound” video; Spotify for Windows Phone. Continue Reading
Billboard reported on weekly album sales today from Soundscan, noting benchmark low performance, and identifying long-term trends. They key bullet point is 3.97-million units sold in the latest reporting week — the first time album sales have dipped under 4-million. Continue Reading
Market-leading online radio brand Pandora has put its service into Google Glass, adding to its reputation as an assertive distributor in outside-the-home environments. The “Glassware” app was developed during a Pandora hackathon. The company proposed it to Google, which put it into Glass. Continue Reading