Rhapsody and Napster have settled a long-standing class-action lawsuit over mechanical licensing. The settlement, filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, will see the streaming services make payouts to self-published songwriters whose compositions were played on the music platform. Continue Reading
Traug Keller of ESPN talks to Steve about the sports specialist’s approach to podcasting. He shares insights on the network’s popular shows and how it developed a strategy. Continue Reading
Webcast listening in September was 8% higher than the year-ago period, as Spotify widened its upward trend advantage compared to Pandora. This according to Triton Digital’s Top-20 Ranker, a monthly report based on Triton’s Webcast Metrics streaming measurement technology. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s International Radio Trends is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Triton Digital’s webcast metrics, hurdles to radio on smart speakers, a station for Polish-speaking truck drivers, and much more appear in this week’s edition. Continue Reading
A German startup received a funding round to support its development of a voice assistant focused on use in cars. German Autolabs secured €7 million for its work on the AI dubbed Chris, which launched in Europe late in 2018. Drivers can use Chris to operate Android phones behind the wheel, with support for messaging, navigation, calls, and music commands. Continue Reading
After previous hints that it would be reframing its approach, Apple has reportedly hired Sam Jadallah to lead its smart home business. CNBC reported that Apple has picked up the former Microsoft executive, who most recently was CEO of a smart lock company called Otto. Continue Reading
Jason Hoch has departed Stuff Media, and its new parent company iHeartMedia. He was the head of new initiatives and EP at the HowStuffWorks podcast network. Hoch is leaving to join Imperative Entertainment and head up the studio’s newly created podcast division. Continue Reading
SoundCloud has introduced a distribution tool. SoundCloud Premier distribution allows creators to have their uploads sent to other music and digital services, opening up new audiences and new revenue streams for the performers. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: SoundCloud at the Grammys. Apple Music’s Grammy deal. Smart speakers’ language options. Singing in tongues. Continue Reading
The text of the EU Copyright Directive has been finalized, meaning the stage is set for a sweeping legal update that could have unintended consequences for online communication in the bloc. With the final language decided, new revisions cannot be made and the legislation will go to the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee ahead of a final vote, which is expected to occur in March or April. Continue Reading
Google has several operating systems under its umbrella, and one of them is getting a pivot in response to the swelling interest in smart speakers. The Android Things operating system was initially designed as a simpler platform for use in Internet of Things hardware. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group’s fourth-quarter results have been posted by parent company Vivendi, capping a big year and leaving any potential buyers with more information about what the label has to offer. UMG’s revenue for the period totaled €6.023 billion. Continue Reading