Pink Floyd drummer uncharacteristically praises music streaming. The iconic rock band has been a staunch and excoriating opponent of Pandora in the past, criticising the leading Internet radio platform for seeking lower royalty payouts. Speaking independently of the band, drummer Nick Mason granted an interview with the Wall Street Journal (“Streaming Is the Future”). Pandora wasn’t mentioned, but Spotify was, a lot. “Spotify for us was a success.” Mason seems to be basking in an epiphany: “Now it’s becoming clear that streaming is not another form of piracy.”
Rhapsody will add BandPage profiles. Music subscription service Rhapsody, which recently transitioned its leadership and suffered a
deep-cut staff layoff, is adding a dimension to its programming through a partnership with BandPage. BandPage offer fan engagements and monetization opportunities to artists, who can craft experiences ranging from meet-and-greets to song critiques. Rhapsody will bundle BandPage experiences into its platform, synchronized with listener searches for participating bands. The partnership could be a pioneering way of inserting high-touch artist experiences into low-pay music streaming, increasing revenue for the band and engagement for the user.
Lefsetz on change. Bob Lefstez’s editorial rampages (see The Lefsetz Letter) are always entertaining, if not always on the money. The recent rant about iOS 7 was a lot of whine for the dime. Today’s disquisition (distractingly titled “Porn”) examines shifting consumer demands and the devaluation of legacy music assets and business models. “Change is constant. The key is to see the opportunities as opposed to mourning the loss.”
Rdio adds a feature. Lean-forward listening platform Rdio is encouraging lean-back use with its new Recommendations segment, fueled by
Rdio’s ongoing relationship with The Echo Nest. The new feature surfaces albums, stations, and playlists based on usage history. It’s available on desktop now. Mobile-first evangelists would say that nothing is launched which isn’t a phone app, and presumably Rdio will roll out Recommendations to iOS and Android. (See Rdio’s blog announcement.)