We received strong interest in our latest RAIN Poll, which asked readers to pick their preferred home listening device(s). In addition to the votes, this poll attracted an unprecedented number of comments, as readers were motivated to describe (and brag about?) their home-listening rigs. Streaming in general led the field. Continue Reading
RAIN Summit West, an educational and networking conference co-located with the NAB Show, is providing a $100 discount on an NAB Show SMART Pass or Conference Flex Pass to RAIN registrants. Alternatively, a free NAB Show exhibit-only pass is available to RAIN attendees. Continue Reading
In November we reported that Turntable.FM, the venerable group-listening service, shifted course, closing its group-listening virtual rooms and starting a concert-streaming service. Now, founder Billy Chasen announces that Turntable Live shut down in January, her has moved on to another startup, and Turntable.FM is officially closed. Continue Reading
The court decision in the ASCAP vs. Pandora royalty-rate trial was released this morning. In the lengthy court document, presiding federal judge Denise Cote explains how ASCAP failed to achieve the escalated royalty rates it sought on behalf of its client publishers and composers. “ASCAP has not carried its burden.” Continue Reading
NCAA basketball and March Madness fans will not be tethered to broadcast this year. TuneIn announced an expanded partnership with WestwoodOne to carry live coverage of the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Champioship. The deal includes full play-by-play of all 67 games, plus the Women’s Final Four. Continue Reading
Last week we learned from the Radio Advertising Bureau’s 2013 Revenue Report that digital dollars continue to increase at a much faster rate than other revenue segments for radio broadcasters. One of the obvious reasons why the digital sector is growing quickly is that the streaming audience is growing in all the right ways. Continue Reading
The Internation Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) released its summary of digital music usage and revenue for 2013. As with the RIAA report issued this week, the IFPI document shows vigorous growth of streaming and subscription music, bolstering a general industry picture of declining physical sales. Continue Reading
RAIN Summit West, now in its 13th year with a full-day agenda of panels and presentations, will shine an illuminating light on the sometimes bewildering field of connected cars and digital dashboards. Paul Heine, Senior Editor of Inside Radio,will moderate the “Dashboard Dynamics” panel. Continue Reading
Real estate search site Trulia is making news this week by launching a $45-million ad campaign for its mobile app. Trulia is placing a big bet with a marketing campaign of this size — nearly six times larger than last year’s total media spend of $8-million. Interestingly, the Trulia campaign is leaning on streaming for its audio portion. Continue Reading
Pandora announced higher prices for its premium listening plan, Pandora One. The changes result from escalating royalty costs to labels and performers, according to the blog-post announcement, and will take effect for some subscribers this week. The price changes affect 3.3-million premium users, out of 250-million registered users. Continue Reading
Do you ever wish your classic rock station were … less classic? Obviously, lovers of the genre don’t mind hearing the same music over and over for years on end. But there is a deeper level to rock oldies that can result in a sweet moment of recognition: “Oh yeah! I haven’t thought about that song in ages!” Continue Reading
Napster — one of the most loved, loathed, and lasting brands in the history of online music. The Napster brand is audaciously being used by Ryan Lester, a college student taking some time off for personal projects. Lester has put up Napster.FM, implicitly arguing that a brand’s trademark does not extend across top-level domains — dot-com and dot-fm, for example. Continue Reading