Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:
RAD and the value of podcast listener data: Earlier this month, NPR introduced a new system of podcast analytics called RAD. While the move is a big step for a form of entertainment that has struggled to find reliable sources of listener data, the program was not met with universal approval. The Verge profiled some of the skepticism around RAD, including why some podcast platforms are opting not to take part in the measurement and tracking program.
Get an Apple Music year-in-review with this app: Spotify usually delights its users by opening up its data stores for a year-end round-up, with details such as total listening time, top artists, and other interesting personal statistics. Apple Music may be the other top dog in streaming subscriptions, but it doesn’t offer its listeners any comparable annual wrap-up. But if you just have to know who your top artist of 2018 was, there’s an app for that. Music Year in Review from NoiseHub can link to your Apple Music account in order to share some stats. It’s much more minimal that Spotify’s Wrapped campaign, but still more than you’ll receive directly from Apple.