James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Reflections on small-scale DAB in the UK and how it might work. Much more from the international audio industry. Continue Reading
SoundCloud drew some heat recently when some users noticed changes in their audio quality. Select people noticed a shift from 128 kbps MP3 to 64 kbps Opus when using the SoundCloud streaming platform. The company has since clarified that these experiences are part of frequent tests it makes of audio, but are not part of any overall change to its technology or listening experience. Continue Reading
Tidal is the latest streaming music service to ink a partnership with Dubset, a specialist in licensing for DJ sets and remixes. This deal will allow the rightsholders to be paid when their work is used by a producer or DJ in their adaptations and other creative work. Continue Reading
Nielsen shared its 2017 report covering the Canadian music market, and the narrative falls in line with its data for the United States. Total music consumption in the country increased 13.6% to 49.5 million units. Hip-hop and R&B were the fastest-growing genres in Canada. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it has surpassed 70 million subscribers. The news came in a tweet from the streaming company on Thursday afternoon. That’s an exciting milestone with a direct listing in the works, but the departure of Chief Content Officer Stefan Blom could give investors pause. Continue Reading
Jimmy Iovine may be departing Apple this year. Sources told Billboard that the long-time music executive plans to leave in August 2018 when his shares in the tech company have fully vested. Apple has declined to comment on the rumors. Continue Reading
Roku is elbowing its way into the voice and smart speaker space. The company, best known for its streaming video set-top boxes, announced that it plans to launch its own voice assistant this year. Also, Roku said it is expanding its licensing program to include soundbar and smart speaker manufacturers. Continue Reading
Nielsen’s 2017 report reflects the same trends that were highlighted by researchers and big data throughout the year. Streaming is becoming ever-more securely entrenched as the foundation for today’s music industry, with growth in both consumption and sales. Continue Reading
Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research reflects on the two Spotify developments that dominated yesterday’s headlines. First, the streaming service has taken its first strides toward launching a direct listing. Second, Spotify was sued by music publisher Wixen. Is the listing in trouble? Continue Reading
BuzzAngle Music has shared its music consumption data for 2017. The number of on-demand audio streams reached a new record high, up 50.3% to 376.9 billion, including both subscription and ad-supported streams. Subscription streams were up 57.5%, while ad-supported streams grew just 27.3%. Continue Reading
Some Sirius XM subscribers have been informed that their subscription costs will go up starting in mid-February. The price hike is attached to a Music Royalty Fee already paid by some accounts. Continue Reading
Podcast measurement firm Podtrac has revised two of its Podcast Industry Ranking charts for November audience size, citing IAB podcast measurement guidelines. The action removed iHeartMedia from the Top 10 Podcast Publishers chart, and the Top 10 Snackable Podcasts chart (formerly Top 15 Snackable Podcasts). Continue Reading