Quick Hits: Shared streaming and branded podcasting

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:

Shared music streaming apps taking off: Vocativ examined the recent trend of social-focused entertainment apps. Both music and video services have been arriving that are designed to share the experience with friends. “Music touches and at times even takes a shot to the heart and soul and we long to share our heart and soul as part of sharing life,” said Greg Leekley, CEO and cofounder of Vertigo, a music-sharing app. “Vertigo’s vision for the future is absolutely to free people to share life through music.”

Branded podcasting continues to grow: Dell Technologies is launching a new podcast series with Pacific Content, a company specializing in branded shows. The new six-part show will be hosted by journalist Walter Isaacson, who wrote a critically acclaimed biography of Steve Jobs. “Trailblazers is an interesting motif for the podcasting industry, too, because kind of like the golden age of TV where a lot of creators are doing interesting stuff, it’s happening the same way for audio right now,” said Steve Pratt, principal of Pacific Content.

Anna Washenko