The five most-read articles in RAIN News. Thanks for reading!
- The most-read piece this week, by far, was our coverage of the Generator Research financial study of streaming-music business models. The U.K. firm was blunt and categorical in declaring a flawed model that can never attain profitability without new kinds of revenue generation. Provocatively, the study laid responsibility on high royalty payments to music rights-holders.
- iTunes Radio as the Pandora-slayer? That meme is losing steam. A new NPD survey revealed a large majority of respondents listen to Pandora, while a small minority tuned into iTunes Radio.
- Lew Dickey, CEO of Cumulus Media, talked at length about online partner Rdio, and streaming audio generally. Dickey spoke of “the widening digital audio space.”
- Edison Research presented a new study called #MeetTheMillennials, at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. Key usage points were mixed with interview quotes and video footage.
- Music-ID app Shazam leveraged its immense base and information database into a partnership with Warner Music to create a Shazam-branded record label. Warner says its A&R execs shouldn’t be afraid, but hello, Big Data.