Sam Smith and Beck might have taken home the statuettes, but according to SoundHound, the big winners from the Grammys were Ed Sheeran and Jeff Lynne. Sheeran, who was up for several awards, performed “Thinking Out Loud” during the show. It was the most SoundHounded song of the event and also translated into the most purchases through the app. Continue Reading →
The Recording Academy and an alliance of A-list musicians have formed the Creators Alliance, an advocacy group that hopes to influence U.S. music licensing regulations for streaming services. the venture was announced by Neil Portnow, President and CEO of The Recording Academy. Continue Reading →
The U.S. Copyright Office released a comprehensive critique of how music licensing works in the U.S. Criticism, by itself, is not noteworth ythese days. The document is exceptional for its detail, pedigree, and disruptive recommendations. The headline recommendation: Broadcast radio should start paying artists. Continue Reading →
In its quarterly conference call, Pandora revealed earnings for Q4 2014, and full-year 2014. audience growth was sharply up, due in part to holiday listening. The company fell short of its Q4 guidance, disappointing investors, who sent the stock shivering downward in a double-digit percentage slide. CEO Brian McAndrews expressed long-term confidence and declaimed 2015 “the year of conviction.” Continue Reading →
A weekly podcast from RAIN News
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A six-minute blast of news you need to know in streaming audio.
THIS WEEK: U.S. Copyright Office slams radio royalty exemption; Webcast metrics for November; Pandora earnings; iHeartMedia enters custom advertising; the newest podcast hit; streaming services expand globally Continue Reading →
Quick news items and worthy reads from around the web:
Spotimap: Fun with maps. And music.
Billboard releases Power 100 rankings Continue Reading →
The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors announced a new campaign that aims to increase the percentage of royalty income that songwriters receive from online music services. The initiative is seeking a 50/50 split of the royalties, in addition to an larger slice of advertising income from YouTube and other comparable platforms. Continue Reading →
RAIN News and XAPPmedia invite you to partipate in Internet Radio and Streaming Report 2015, a comprehensive survey of industry insiders about trends in the streaming audio marketplace.
Internet Radio and Streaming Report 2015 is an open survey intended for participants in the streaming audio industry. Both streamlined and comprehensive, it is designed to produce vital intelligence about industry issues in an efficient survey that can be completed quickly.
Click through for a link to the survey. Continue Reading →
Vevo announced updated viewing data for its video hosting platform, reporting that its clips had more than 10 billion monthly video views in January 2015. The figure marked an 86% increase year-over-year for Vevo. Continue Reading →
Hi-fi streaming service Tidal announced plans to push into 22 new markets during the first quarter of 2015. The expansion, coming hot on the heels of another European push that already happened in January, will bring Tidal’s total audience to 30 nations. Continue Reading →
ComScore released its review of the top 50 digital media properties in the U.S. for December 2014. Pandora ranked No. 19 with 89.4 million unique visitors during the month. iHeartMedia Digital also secured the final spot on the new list at No. 50. Continue Reading →
The Download on Podcasts, a weekly feature covering the development of podcasting as a vital audio category, is sponsored by PodcastOne. Podcasts are on-demand audio programs, growing quickly in audience, programming, and revenue. Podcasting turns to viral marketing to grow… Continue Reading →