Pandora has partnered with the This American Life podcast. The audio program, produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago and hosted by nerd hero Ira Glass, now has its own channel on Pandora where listeners can tune in to hear compelling or unusual stories about whatever that week’s theme is. New episodes will air on Mondays. Continue Reading
One of the big story arcs in the music world today centers on distribution. Several of the day’s hottest acts have been exploring new ways of using digital platforms to get their new work out to listeners. Over the weekend, another powerhouse joined their ranks. Continue Reading
With the recent wave of music industry organizations worldwide releasing their data for 2015, two distinct trends have emerged. One of them is a growing dissatisfaction with the flow of money through ad-supported streaming services. Some reports just imply frustration, while others have centered on YouTube as the symbolic scapegoat for their anger about the amount of revenue generated by that type of media platform. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Podcasting; the non-death of radio; best internet-radio list; newsletter recommendations Continue Reading
Spotify just changed the rules of the game, raising an unprecedented $1 billion in convertible debt. Guest columnist Mark Mulligan analyzes — what is Spotify’s strategy, and where will growth come from. One key: “The 9.99 subscription model is incredibly difficult (perhaps impossible) to run profitably at scale.” Continue Reading
Never is a very long time. Or, if you’re Kanye West, it’s somewhere in the range of seven weeks. West’s latest album was released on Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play today. It’s also now available for purchase through West’s website. Continue Reading
Spotify has increased its war chest of cash, taking one-billion dollars in a debt offering to institutional investors that points explicitly to a future Initial Public Offering (IPO). The deal rewards investors with discounted pricing in the event of a Spotify IPO, and Spotify is punished if the public offering is delayed. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James reviews the LG Stylus 2 with its DAB+ receiver. Also a look back at Capital Radio, deep debates of video vs. radio, and much more. Continue Reading
There’s no rest for the weary at Google. The team is reportedly working on a livestreaming app dubbed YouTube Connect. Like YouTube Gaming and YouTube Music, YouTube Connect would be a standalone app that complements the core video service. Continue Reading
Podcast network Wondery has hired Jeffrey Glaser as its new president of content. Glaser joins Wondery after nearly two decades with 20th Century Fox Television, where he was executive vice president of current programming. This is just the latest in a string of high-profile leaders from the television and radio industries moving into podcasts. Continue Reading