The big tech companies usually wind up butting heads in their overlapping product categories. Amazon got out of the game first with the Echo, its portable, voice-activated speaker system. Now Google has joined the race with last week’s announcement of a rival product: Google Home. Continue Reading
T-Mobile has introduced another round of services to its data-free Binge On plan, which now includes some musical video sources. Thanks to the latest development, video offerings from Spotify, Tidal, Google Play Music, and Radio Disney can all be viewed without counting against high-speed data plans. Continue Reading
Increasingly vocal critics of YouTube have a heroic new champion, not new to the cause, but willing to dramatically escalate its rhetoric. Five-time Grammy-winner Maria Schneider, who has testified before Congress on “safe harbor” issues that affect musicians, released two blazingly critical documents. Together they comprise the harshest and most articulate indictment of an anti-YouTube stance taken by an increasing number of music rights-holders. Continue Reading
“Today, I’m happy to announce that on mobile alone YouTube now reaches more 18–49-year-olds than any network — broadcast or cable. In fact, we reach more 18–49-year-olds during primetime than the top 10 TV shows combined.”
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki made this announcement at an industry event targeting advertisers and agencies. Continue Reading
Another telecom has added options for its customers to have data-free streaming music access. Australia-based Optus introduced Optus Music for the unmetered streaming for its prepaid customers beginning May 2. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: A look at podcasts in Google Play, coverage from RAIN Summit West, the BBC’s British programming, and DAB+ rolls out in Indonesia. Continue Reading
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After months of waiting, Google’s on-demand music service, Google Play Music has launched its podcast section. In doing so, Google joins Spotify, Deezer, and Pandora by incorporating podcasts into a music-only catalog. Here are four things to know. Continue Reading
Gracenote founder and chief strategist Ty Roberts is leaving the company he founded to join Universal Music Group as the company’s first chief technology officer. Gracenote was founded in 1998 as CDDB (Compact Disc Database) and built its reputation on its waveform-based identification of titles and other metadata of CD tracks. Continue Reading
If the adage is that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, then a free music service that’s legally on the level is even rarer. That’s the promise of Trebel Music, a mobile download service that’s focused on high schoolers and college students. Will young listeners find a fresh appeal in music downloads? Continue Reading
When the Beatles discography was released to on-demand music services on midnight of Christmas Eve, it was a gift to music lovers of all persuasions. At midnight last night, the Beatls streaming collection was substantially enlarged and rounded with the release of the three Anthology double albums. Continue Reading
Samsung is ending its Milk Music service in Australia on April 28. The streaming platform launched in the country last February. Samsung is reportedly offering Milk customers three free months of access to Google Play Music subscriptions as a consolation. Continue Reading
The mobile analytics experts at App Annie are still churning out reports on 2015. This week, the company revealed the top app publishers from the year based on worldwide annual revenue from both iOS and Google Play. Continue Reading