Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:
Leading Apple Music’s next act: Billboard’s Micah Singleton interviewed Oliver Schusser, the current head of Apple Music, on his vision for the streaming service. With Jimmy Iovine handing over the reins, Schusser has been tasked with guiding the second act for the platform. This is an insightful look behind the curtain at this service, with additional commentary from Shazam and Beats 1 senior director Jen Walsh and Apple Music global senior director of editorial Rachel Newman.
Podcast recommendations by DM: Paige Hymson, a Los Angeles Times podcast producer, spoke with the paper’s creative technologist interns to get a snapshot of how young listeners are finding and consuming podcasts. Hymson noted that sharing by direct message on social media platforms is one of the key ways the twentysomethings were sharing their favorite shows.
Streaming growth is still slow in Africa: The music industry has been making moves in Africa lately, with both international and domestic deals making headlines. Despite the apparent uptick, execs from the continent observed that the growth is still slow. The Africa Report interviewed many players from around the industry for their take on how digital platforms and partnerships will fare.