Larry S. Miller, director of the Steinhardt Music Business Program at NYU, has issued a freely available and widely discussed whitepaper that administers a whopping dose of tough medicine to the terrestrial radio industry, advising it to adapt, or else. Continue Reading
Global label agency Merlin has announced reaching a milepost of $1-billion dollars or rights payments distributed to member labels. Merlin licenses on behalf of 20,000+ indie labels in 53 countries. Continue Reading
Pandora has added to the smart speaker research hitting the industry this year with the first release of information from a commissioned survey by Edison Research examining how consumers use Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. The survey was conducted with interesting methodology, essentially reinventing the listening diary concept. Continue Reading
Borrell Associates put on a free webinar on Wednesday, hosting presenters Fred Jacobs (Jacobs Media) and Steve Goldstein (Amplifi Media) to talk about smart speakers, and their importance to radio. The program evangelized the platform’s rise as an important opportunity for radio, and offered a takeaway list of tips. Continue Reading
The New York Post’s Claire Atkinson has put SoundCloud back into headlines. The streaming platform has been rumored as a sale target for months on and off. The Post is now reporting that “a host of players” are currently interested in taking over the company. Sources have most recently pointed to Deezer and Apple as possible buyers, with private equity firms also allegedly in the running. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Smart audio study from Edison. No more Pandora down under. Radio 1 Vintage. Much more. Continue Reading
Radio is the top source of audio consumption for Australians, with 85% listening to either an AM/FM or a DAB+ station in an average week. That’s the update in Edison Research’s new report: The Infinite Dial Australia. Commercial Radio Australia, Southern Cross Austereo, and Triton Digital commissioned the investigation into the digital media consumption of Australians. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Silicon Valley’s views on radio. A charming move by a kids’ channel in Denmark. Lots of shows from Ed Miliband. Continue Reading
The Smart Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research, which had its world release at yesterday’s RAIN Podcast Business Summit, revealed that the voice-activated devices (e.g. Amazon Echo/Dot and Google Home) encourage audio listening, music service subscription, and have become extremely valued additions to their owners’ lifestyles in sometimes surprising ways. Continue Reading
Digital rights agency Merlin has posted the results of its 2017 member survey, reflecting a snapshot of the independent music label industry. Merlin’s revenue distributions have increased 52% year-on-year to $353 million. That marks an eightfold spike in member payouts within the past four years. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio has reached the milestone of 1 million downloads in Canada. The audio company launched in Canada in October 2016 after inking a partnership with Bell Media at the start of the year. Continue Reading
This year’s WWDC announced Apple’s foray into WiFi speakers, bringing it into direct competition once again with Google and Amazon for control over music and audio in your home. The new device is called HomePod, and it will retail for $349. The initial launch is this December for the U.S., the UK, and Australia, with a broader global rollout next year. Continue Reading