The latest RAIN Poll asked about preferences for in-car listening. AM/FM wins. By a small margin, a plurality of votes selected terrestrial radio over music apps streamed in the car via a smartphone. Not a single vote was cast for “Dashboard apps.” Lots of interesting comments this week. Continue Reading
In his latest blog post (part 1 of 2), RAIN founding editor Kurt Hanson observes that television is reverting to a three-network system, as in the 1970s. the difference is that the three content networks are Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. It is a renaissance of TV, but the deck chairs are rearranged. Continue Reading
Audiam, a seven-month-old startup, announced closing a $2-million investment round. Notably, the coalition of investors comprises musicians, small-label owners, and producers. The company solves a unique problem, by identifying unauthorized use of recorded music on YouTube, and generating royalties for rights-holders. Continue Reading
Edison Research and Triton Digital released another small preview of The Infinite Dial 2014 study this evening. The factoid relates to smartphone ownership, which has grown over 500% during the last five years. Now, 61% of all 12+ Americans own a smartphone. Click for a registration link to tomorrow’s Infinite Dial webinar. Continue Reading
RAIN News managing editor Brad Hill was questioned about Apple’s CarPlay initiative on the Tech Shift segment of WBEZ’s Afternoon Shift program. WBEZ is a public FM station, and the originator of NPR’s widely-syndicated Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me program. Tech Shift is hosted by Niala Boodhoo. Click to listen. Continue Reading
Jake Sigal describes himself as a passionate music lover, and he founded Livio in 2008 with a $10,000 loan from his parents. He is a featured speaker at RAIN Summit West, April 6th in Las Vegas, where he will be on the Dashboard Dynamics panel. We spoke to Sigal by phone. Continue Reading
Registered users comprise everyone who has created a log-in to Pandora’s service, which is required to create a personalized station and hear something. So, presumably, that 250-million number includes anyone who has kicked the tires even just once. About 30% of signups turn into active users. Continue Reading
Terrestrial radio has a newly official ratings competitor on the local level: Internet radio. In a culmination of a rigorous two-year evaluation period, Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics Local ratings product has received accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC). Continue Reading
A new report out from Gartner Research reveals that Google’s Android mobile operating system took the market-share lead in 2013 from Apple’s iOS platform. In a startling role reversal, Android jumped from 46 % to 62% of 2013 tablet sales, while Apple’s OS dropped from 53% to 36%. Continue Reading
We were tipped over the weekend by Robert Maccini, who notified RAIN that he had heard an iTunes Radio commercial on a Boston FM station, WKLB. Maccini listened until he heard the ad again, and pounced with a recording device. Click through to hear the live-read commercial. Continue Reading
UPDATE: The two sides of this dispute have reached an out-of-court, non-financial settlement. The Spotify playlists in question, which replicate compilation albums produced by British label Ministry of Sound, will be removed from Spotify’s search engine, but not removed from the service. Continue Reading
Apple and a trio of car companies used the Geneva International Motor Show to announce the roll-out of CarPlay, formerly called iOS in the Car. CarPlay will hit the road later this year in selected Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo models. Not all music apps will work — Pandora is excluded. Continue Reading