Spotify has settled a class-action lawsuit over mechanical royalties with the creation of a fund for compensating the artists and labels who have not been paid those fees. If approved by the court, Spotify will set up a fund worth $43.4 million for payouts around compositions that it played without paying mechanical royalties. Continue Reading
In an interesting conversation on CNBC, ex-Warner chief Edgar Bronfman voiced his advocacy for streaming, putting the access-vs-ownership disruption in context of a broader media transformation. “Music is probably better off.” Continue Reading
The connected car revolution continues to grind along incrementally, model year after model year, with app connectivity becoming easier as the American auto fleet (12 years old on average) modernizes. The digital dashboard is the gridiron, and the traditional button radio is the line of scrimmage as audio providers collide for position. But it doesn’t end there. Continue Reading
In the ongoing collaboration of DMR Interactive and Texas A&M University called The Download on Podcasting, we get a Memorial Day update of the team’s work. With two new documents, the venture offers researched guidance on how to start podcasting. Continue Reading
NPR Chief Executive Jarl Mohn, radio/podcast star Elvis Duran, and the debut of new smart speaker research are highlights of the upcoming RAIN Podcast Business Summit on June 21 in New York — the only podcast gathering dedicated to the business of on-demand audio and its value to advertisers. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Fast Company tackles music as marketing tool. The Atlantic on podcasts reviving democracy. Glenmorangie introduces a very high end bottling. Continue Reading
Otto Radio, a personalized audio company, announced several new content agreements. The platform will now air audio programming from CBS News, ABC News, Bloomberg, The Associated Press, and AFP. Continue Reading
Spotify has reportedly added four new members to its board of directors in advance of its potential plans for a direct listing on the NYSE. The addition of Tom Staggs, former COO for Disney, has drawn particular notice. Continue Reading
Veritone and CBS Radio have entered a partnership. As a result, the broadcaster will receive a license to the artificial intelligence company’s Veritone Platform. This tool allows CBS to monitor and analyze audio data, which can be used for real-time tracking of advertisements and other content. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Up close and personal with Saavn. Behind the scenes with Big Machine’s streaming plan. Continue Reading
Bulgaria is beginning its first trials of DAB+ digital broadcasting. The country’s Communications Regulation Commission has issued a trial license to EF DIP Treiding for transmitting DAB/DAB+ radio in Sofia. Continue Reading
We received a note from Patty Newmark, who with her husband Dave runs Newmark Advertising, that they have launched a new podcast discovery platform called PodSearch. PodSearch is described as “an interactive directory for podcasts, giving people easy-to- use keyword and category search tools to find podcasts that match their interests.” Continue Reading