RAIN Summit West, the premiere educational and networking conference for the online audio industry, occurred on April 6 in Las Vegas. A powerful agenda included an all-star lineup of executives and celebrated thought leaders participating in 14 onstage events. Click for the full audio of the all-day event, organized as a playlist. Stream in full, or pick single session. Continue Reading
Spotify is making a splash as it enters Asian countries with lower prices for its premium subscription service. Spotify has entered its 56th country, entering the Philippines with a $3 price (converted to U.S. dollars) for subscription. If that seems cheap, consider contrasting GDPs. Continue Reading
Veteran digital-music executive Ted Cohen moderated the “Listener’s Choice” panel at RAIN Summit West on Sunday in Las Vegas. His mission was to tease insights from music-service executives about how they differentiate, attract listeners, and navigate business realities of a crowded market. (AUDIO) Continue Reading
In this guest article, IP attorney Angus MacDonald of the University of California analyzes the recently-released 2013 annual report from SoundExchange, and Pandora’s financial statements, to conclude that Pandora pays over 50% of SoundExchange collections to labels. What does this mean for U.S. regulations in the next royalty period? Continue Reading
Last week at RAIN Summit West, the lens focused on podcasting for a panel called “The Podcast Phenomenon: Capturing Listeners with Compelling Content.” Click through for full audio. The discussion ranged from creative excellence to the challenges of audience measurement. Continue Reading
Representing a 63 percent jump in the last year, music service Rhapsody now counts 1.7-million subscribers. Rhapsody International operates both the Rhapsody and Napster streaming-music brands in North America, Europe, and South America. The sharpest gains have resulted from Rhapsody’s distribution deal with telecom giant Telefonica Continue Reading
Market-leading Internet radio service Pandora released its monthly audience metrics for March today, promoting year-over-year growth in its key metrics. the most controversial statistic is “Share of total U.S. radio listening,” which jumped to more than 9%. Listening hours grew also, while audience size remained the same. Continue Reading
Bryan Moffett is VP, Digital Strategy & Sponsorship Operations at National Public Media (NPM). We spoke with him in a pre-RAIN Summit phone conversation about NPR’s approach to its audiences via archived content, and the potential of its recently-announced launch partnership with XAPPmedia for voice-activated mobile ads. Continue Reading
Today XAPPmedia, a leading audio ad technology company, will announce the launch of XAPP Ads, which the company describes as “the first interactive audio advertising service for Internet radio publishers.” RAIN got an advance look/listen, and chatted with XAPPmedia CEO Pat Higbie. Continue Reading
Weekend Perspective is a quick and concise catch-up of the week’s news. This week: Pandora’s unique deal … Larry Rosin’s stern warning in Europe … Michael Robertson’s $41-million verdict … Mark Fratrik’s prescription for radio revenue … the remarkable Radio League app … and news bites from the music services. Continue Reading
RAIN Summit West, now in its 13th year with a full-day agenda of panels and presentations, will include a focust on the varied and dynamic field of podcasting. Podcasting is a key topic in online audio. Along with heightened interest in podcasting come new definitions of what a podcast is, and the potential of its marketplace. Continue Reading
Patrick Main is a “Peetnik” — he works for Peet’s Coffee & Tea, a 300-store chain that predates Starbucks. As Bar Quality Manager, Patrick Main is involved in every aspect of the customer experience in a Peet’s store, and a good choice to manage the latest feature — new music soundtracks in collaboration with Pandora. Continue Reading