Tidal is joining the bandwagon of streaming music sites to expand into podcast hosting. Tidal On Air is its new podcast hub, which has already signed on five shows centered on music. Their first episodes will be available exclusively to Tidal subscribers. Continue Reading
Pandora Premium, long in development and selectively released in March, is available to all users as of this morning. Along with that, Pandora has started a new ad campaign titled “Sounds Like You.” Many people will view the unlimited release of Pandora Premium as the more important news. Today is a moment of fruition that alters the competitive landscape of music services. Continue Reading
Pandora, which has defined streaming music for millions of consumers since 2008, today formally announces the start of Pandora Premium, putting the market-leading internet radio company in direct competition with Spotify and iHeartRadio. Click for details, screenshots, and analysis. Continue Reading
PayPal led a survey about digital media consumers. The global survey covered 10 markets and about 10,000 consumers about their digital media habits. According to the results, 86% of music consumers listen on their smartphones, making it the top hardware choice for listening. Continue Reading
Slate-owned podcast network Panoply notified us of a few developments related to its Megaphone podcast content management platform. New high-profile publishers have joined Megaphone, and a new product called Megalink offers a user-friendly subscription process that also gives producers more intelligence about listeners. Continue Reading
The final week of the year is a good time to reflect on what was, and look forward to what will be. Today, the most-read articles and the #1 story of 2016. In an unprecedented concentration of interest, RAIN News readers drove our coverage of 2016’s most important news event to the top five most-read articles of the year. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: BBC World Services expands its language offerings. PRX offers podcast training to radio. Big changes for Brisbane’s breakfast radio. Continue Reading
Understandably lost in last week’s giant election news was a significant announcement from Google. Its Android Auto product, already rolling out with 200 car models, and likely to forever change radio listening patterns, received a major boost. Continue Reading
J.D. Power conducted its first customer satisfaction survey for paid music streaming services. The results showed generally close rankings, but it did have some notable exclusions. Continue Reading
AdLarge Media has expanded its content partnerships with a deal to represent New Mommy Media. The audio network includes programs for mothers at various stages of pregnancy, birth, and infancy. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Forecasts for the future of AM radio. Considering Norway’s approach to a DAB+ transition. Much more. Continue Reading
Several YouTube leaders offered views of the company’s next steps at VidCon, a convention for the industry, creators, and fans of online video. Those steps will include investments in mobile livestreaming and expanded content offerings. Continue Reading