Spotify introduced a new version of its app specifically designed for regions with limited or weak mobile coverage. Spotify Lite is available as a free download for Android devices in 36 markets around the world. Continue Reading
Two months ago RadioPublic announced Podfund, a venture-backed podcast incubator funded by $2.3-million in venture investments. It is an open-door plan that any audio producer can enter for a shot at gaining a $25,000-$50,000 bankroll, with a revenue-share plan of 7-15% over three years. Today RadioPublic is announcing three audio projects which have gained Podfund support. Continue Reading
The TED Radio Hour podcast will be sounding a little different next year. NPR announced that Guy Raz will step down from his dual roles as host and editorial director of the show at the end of 2019. Continue Reading
Edison Research has been going international with The Infinite Dial this year. Shortly after announcing plans to bring its audio survey to South Africa, the company shared that The Infinite Dial Germany will debut later this year. Continue Reading
The U.S. Copyright Office has made an important step forward in enacting the provisions passed by the Music Modernization Act last fall. The office selected the group led by the National Music Publishers Association to manage the creation and operation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective. Continue Reading
DAX, the digital audio exchange owned by Global, has published its annual report tracking interest in digital audio among advertisers and media agencies in the UK. The resulting whitepaper, titled The Rise of Digital Audio Advertising, describes survey research performed by MTM in the UK. The survey population included 147 manager-level and above employees at media agencies, and 68 people working for brand advertisers. Continue Reading
Podtrac released the Top 10 Podcast Publishers ranking for June. In it, the tightly competitive reign of NPR (#1) and iHeartRadio (#2) continued as in previous months. RAIN has remixed the ranker to list publishers according to the size of audience, and number of plays, per show produced by each publisher. The result shines light on the power of hit shows vs. the power of a network ecosystem. Continue Reading
New podcast projects continue to come fast and furious, catering to new audiences or subjects. This week marked the debut of Earios, a podcast network focused on shows created by women. The network began with a Kickstarter campaign and is now powered by Acast. Continue Reading
Voice assistants have been gaining in popularity, but many people are cautious about the technology for privacy reasons. When a microphone is constantly on and waiting to respond to a possible command, is it recording any and all other audio? And what happens with those recordings? Continue Reading
Spotify has hired Cameron Farrelly as its new global creative director. In this capacity, he will oversee the creative vision for artist and music marketing, along with developing campaigns, activations, and original intellectual property. Continue Reading
Rolling Stone has launched its own interactive charts to monitor music popularity. The charts are powered by BuzzAngle Music, which rebranded to the name Alpha Data following an investment from Rolling Stone parent Penske Media Company last July. Continue Reading
In a RAIN Summit and RAIN News first, we are pleased to offer a complete transcript of a Fireside Chat session from the RAIN Digital Audio Advertising Summit in Chicago, June 4. The team at AdsWizz, a Presenting Sponsor and participant in the onstage conversation, created the transcript for RAIN News readers. Continue Reading