Spotify appears to be testing out a new driving mode, designed for listeners who are behind the wheel. A few of the people with access to the feature posted about their experience on Reddit. Several streaming platforms and music specialists have explored the idea of special modes for car usage. Continue Reading
India-focused streaming service Saavn is projecting that it could turn a profit by the end of 2018. Co-founder and CEO Rishi Malhotra said that the company is slated to reach revenue between $18 million and $20 million this year. With just 22 million monthly active users, the platform has pursued a combination of niche content and geographic tiers that appears to be delivering success. Continue Reading
The BBC has released its annual plan for 2017-2018. The broadcaster’s budget includes a large investment in children’s programming. It is putting £34 million ($44 million) into BBC Children over the next three years. That money will fund several projects for young audience members, including an enhanced online program with new forms of content and interactivity. Continue Reading
Stream-ripping is the top form of piracy in the UK, with a new report echoing other research into the prevalence of this activity. PRS for Music and the UK’s Intellectual Property Office published a report that pointed to stream-ripping as the top form of piracy. Continue Reading
At WWDC last month, Apple did announce plans to add a new social layer to its streaming music platform. The company’s previous efforts to add connection features in the app have been shaky at best. But Apple Insider has posted some screenshots from the beta of iOS 11 showing the social tools in action, and so far it seems like a more manageable and less obtrusive implementation. Continue Reading
Barely a week has gone by this year without some development from SoundCloud. Today, the news strikes a somber tone. Founder Alex Ljung posted to the SoundCloud blog announcing that the company has cut 173 jobs. Continue Reading
Nielsen has published its mid-year report analyzing music consumption for the first six months of 2017. The report traced many of the same trends as other major industry organizations, including a continued rise in the performance for streaming while sales numbers keep declining. Continue Reading
Forbes has published a new list, this time revealing the 100 highest-paid celebrities. The list has a heavy lean toward musicians, and while many of those performers are still securing a large share of income from other branding and business enterprises, the entire ranking reflects how much creative enterprises have changed with the advent of digital tools. Continue Reading
The New York Post’s Claire Atkinson has put SoundCloud back into headlines. The streaming platform has been rumored as a sale target for months on and off. The Post is now reporting that “a host of players” are currently interested in taking over the company. Sources have most recently pointed to Deezer and Apple as possible buyers, with private equity firms also allegedly in the running. Continue Reading
The White Night Festival in Tel Aviv was a “silent disco” attended by 30,000 people. Music was blasted out — rather, was blasted IN via personal headphones, powered by the custom-built Nobex app for Tel Aviv Radio. Continue Reading
Last week marked the release of 4:44, the much-anticipated new album from Jay-Z. The work was released as an exclusive to Tidal, which is owned by Jay-Z and Sprint, which bought a 33% stake at the start of 2017. The release has not been the smoothest of sailing, an indicator that exclusive album releases are still a contentious approach to distribution that require careful planning to be successful. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Smart audio study from Edison. No more Pandora down under. Radio 1 Vintage. Much more. Continue Reading