Pandora announced that Chris Phillips will join the company as chief product officer. In the new role, Phillips will focus on product management, design, and analysis, in addition to defining and leading the overall product strategy for the online radio business. Continue Reading
Could wireless carriers take over the broadcast of radio content, removing a vital source of free, over-the-air content and information delivery? Guest Columnist Roger Lanctot of Strategy Analytics examines the question in the context of a Teracom report which denies it could ever happen. Lanctot didn’t think it could either … until he heard the report. Continue Reading
Streaming music sites aren’t just for the realm of professional musicians. NASA has started using SoundCloud to upload recordings made in space, giving us earth-bound civilians exposure to exactly what goes on over our heads. Continue Reading
Pandora has launched a new online service that delivers audience analytics to musicians and their managers. Called Pandora AMP, the “Artist Marketing Program” includes data pulled from the many billions of hours people spend listening to the online radio platform. Any artists currently playing on Pandora can sign up for the free service at the AMP website. This initiative marks the first time pandora has turned its data firehose toward musicians. Continue Reading
Woofer Radio is the Pureplay of the Day. There are many thousands of genre pureplay Internet radio stations. Much rarer are pureplays that fearlessly cross genres with great sensibility and taste. The best examples of that sort of station build loyalty quickly for their great and unpredictable music curation that creates a surprising and satisfying experience. Continue Reading
Pandora has appointed Steve Bené as its new general counsel. Bené joins the online radio service from Electronic Arts, where he held the same position and worked on negotiations with music and movie studios. In his role at Pandora, Bené will be a member of the company’s executive leadership team and will oversee all legal operations. Continue Reading
Demonstrating how blockbuster business deals can quickly change, AT&T has stopped offering new Beats Music subscriptions to its customers. Existing Beats subscriptions that were launched within the AT&T phone plans will continue unaffected. What directional guidance does this news offer on the question of how Apple will incorporate Beats Music? Continue Reading
We have liked Journal Broadcast Group’s digital initiatives since the launch of its breakthrough Radio League app in March. Radio League is a pureplay Internet radio outlet; one of its stations is called Now Trending Hits. Journal has launched a Now Trending website wich complements the pureplay station, and delivers a BuzzFeed-like assortment of newsy items. Continue Reading
David Lowery, musicians’ advocate and the foremost critic of streaming music, posted a column in which he prescribes solutions to “fix” the streaming music business model — or, more accurately, his issues with it. Lowery’s arrows are pointed at Spotify, and his suggestions are surprising. Along the way, he misses some reality points. Continue Reading
Never have the words Alabama and Canada been uttered in the same sentence as much as they are this week. Broadcast law attorney David Oxenford explains why. Continue Reading
An examination of SEC filings revealed that Rdio has raised more than $108 million through four separate securities sales over the past year and change. Its parent company, Pulser Media, raised $25 million in April, $4.4 million in December, $3.8 million in November, and $75 million in September of last year, according to Billboard. Continue Reading
Apple might be preparing a heart-to-heart conversation with its music content providers — the record labels. Apple has reportedly reached out to major labels in an effort to negotiate licensing changes that will let it reduce the monthly subscription price of Beats Music. That might be a struggle. But if any company has a track record of working with record labels to reshape the music industry, it is Apple. Continue Reading