James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Statistics out of New Zealand and a familiar-looking feature joins iHeartRadio. Continue Reading
The RAJAR report for the second quarter of 2018 shows another period of growth for digital radio, even as the overall performance for radio dipped. The latest results showed that 48.8 million adults, or 89% of the adult population of the UK, tuned in to their preferred stations weekly. Continue Reading
AdsWizz continues to share insights from brands using its new ShakeMe mobile technology for audio advertisements. The ad format, which lets listeners take a pre-determined action by shaking their smartphones, was the center of a campaign for Shell Car Wash that aired on German digital streaming radio service Rock Antenne. Continue Reading
iHeartRadio has collaborated with artificial intelligence platform Super Hi-Fi to improve the digital listening experience by imitating some of the nuances of a live radio broadcast. Super Hi-Fi will provide smoother song transitions such as precise crossfades, volume leveling, and gapless playback to digital listeners. Continue Reading
After some sharp exchanges, the music industry may be reuniting in its support of the Music Modernization Act, at least when it comes to mechanical licensing. Last month, several companies that currently operate in the mechanical licensing space traded barbs with songwriter groups over an effort to change that portion of the proposed legislation. Yesterday, the parties announced a new compromise. Continue Reading
Podcast company ART19 announced that New York Media has joined its client roster. The publisher will work with ART19 for hosting and monetization in its podcast lineup, including its back catalog. Continue Reading
Sonos made its debut on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange today, and the wireless speaker company is reporting modest gains on its first day. In a very special nod to the company’s skills in audio engineering, Sonos spearheaded creating a new opening bell for the exchange. Continue Reading
Podcast publisher Cadence13 announces that Origins, a long-form (seriously, LONG form) podcast hosted by author and journalist James Andrew Miller is set for a second slate of three chapters. If that seems short for a season, you need to know that a “chapter” typically contains six episodes, each longer than an hour. Continue Reading
DAX, the UK-based digital audio advertising platform, announced the launch of a strategic sales division in the United States. It also hired Ryan Rose to lead this division as director of sales and partnership development. DAX shared details with RAIN. Continue Reading
Music piracy in the UK is on the decline thanks to the easy access and availability of streaming services. That’s the takeaway from a new report from YouGov, which found that just one in 10 people in the UK are using illegal downloads. Continue Reading
Deezer has raised €160 million from a mix of new and ongoing investors. The deal brings the Paris-based streaming company’s total valuation to €1 billion. In addition to the fundraising, Deezer and Rotana have inked a deal that will see Rotana’s digital audio and video content distributed through the Middle East and North Africa. Continue Reading
The rapid-fire journey for Musical.ly, a short video and lip sync app, is coming to an end. The app is getting merged with TikTok, a similar program from the portfolio of its Chinese parent company Bytedance. Both video apps are now available exclusively under the TikTok name. Continue Reading