NetEase Cloud Music has secured a financing round of $600 million to help it compete in both China and on the global stage. The streaming service has more than 600 million registered users and is a major player in China’s music market. Continue Reading
Voice assistants and smart devices are one of the hottest topics for the audio industry, and a new report from Voicebot.ai, PullString, and the RAIN Agency traces the trend’s progress. According to the report, voice assistants have moved out of their first phase, marked by availability across platforms and languages and access to core features. It suggested that the second phase of voice will be marked by more nuanced features, use in more contexts, and availability on more connected devices. Continue Reading
Pocket Casts today announced a comprehensive redesign and feature update that brings several improvements to the podcast app across web, iOS, and Android. In our testing of pre-launch builds, we found that Pocket Casts has gone beyond mere remedies of previous usability issues, innovating features and modernizing the experience. Continue Reading
Spotify expanded into two new spaces this week. First, the streaming service has launched an app for Apple Watch. The other development for Spotify is a geographic expansion, with a launch into the Middle East and North Africa. Continue Reading
Spotify has secured another veteran hire from Condé Nast Entertainment. Sahar Elhabashi is reportedly joining the streaming service as vice president, head of content business. She spent more than six years at the media juggernaut. Continue Reading
Creating a milestone moment in the evolution of podcasting, Pandora today launches its anticipated podcast offering, powered by the Podcast Genome Project. The launch puts in play a key strategic element as described in recent earnings calls. Continue Reading
Triton Digital announced that Mediacorp, the leading media company in Singapore, has signed on to use its services in digital audio and podcasting. Under the terms of the arrangement, Mediacorp will use Triton services for online audio delivery, ad insertion, and programmatic ad sales. It will also leverage Omny Studios’ podcasting expertise. Continue Reading
Vox Media is making a shift in its burgeoning podcast strategy. The media company has signed a distribution deal with Panoply Media and is bringing its entire podcast network to the Megaphone platform. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James muses over the pros and cons of adapting new technologies in radio, and shares updates from around the world of audio and broadcasting. Continue Reading
A London tube strike did not prevent 200 delegates from attending RAIN Summit Europe at the British Museum on Wednesday. A full day of presentations, interviews, and panel talks covered podcasting, streaming, advertiser expectations in digital audio, research, and the coexistence of radio and streaming. The event featured a diverse roster of speakers from the U.K. and the continent, as experts came from France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium to participate. Continue Reading
The E.W. Scripps Company has released its third-quarterly financials. The period included several big business developments for the media giant, including the announcement of plans to acquire Triton Digital and a rebranding of its podcast efforts. Continue Reading
Spotify has opened access to yet another feature for its free listeners. Spotify Connect, which lets listeners stream their music to speakers enabled with the tech over Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth, will be updated to include people on the ad-supported tier. Continue Reading