Google has acquired podcast company 60db. The short-form audio platform announced in a blog post that it will be joining Google starting November 10, but did not disclose price or financial details of the deal. Continue Reading
Spotify has hired a local music industry veteran to join its Berlin office. The streaming company hired Maik Pallasch as its head of shows and editorial in Germany. Spotify has made several noteworthy hires in the past few months. Continue Reading
Integr8 Research published the second part of its investigation into radio listening. The first part examined crossover between owning physical radio sets and streaming audio habits, and the new data looks specifically at listening among people who own smart speakers. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Measuring the impact of landing on Apple’s front page for a new podcast. Some recent statistics from Gaana. Continue Reading
Pandora has introduced a program for universities that challenges students to put its internal data to work in creating social change. The Pandora Challenge: Music & Social Impact program will take place at five schools, and participants will work to drive awareness for cancer patients, LGTBQ equality, and other underserved communities through music. Continue Reading
Triton Digital has hired Richard Palmer as its new Director of APAC Market Development. He will be responsible for managing publisher onboarding, as well as overseeing Triton’s relationships with agencies, trading desks, and trade associations in Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region. Continue Reading
Digital audio service Mixcloud has secured its first major label direct licensing deal. The audio platform announced a partnership with Warner Music Group that will form the basis of a new subscription offering. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Research into radio and smart speakers. Radio 1 at 50. Spotify’s odd podcast stats. Much more. Continue Reading
Recently launched podcast network Podglomerate has added two shows to its lineup. Both are part of the TuneIn First Play program and both premiered on October 2. The new programs are 2 Girls 1 Podcast in production with The Daily Dot and ReMade in production with Serial Box. Continue Reading
Apple Music now has a bot for playback of full songs in Facebook Messenger. This is the first time a streaming service has been set up to allow users access to a complete track within that platform. Only Apple Music subscribers will be able to use the full-song functionality. Continue Reading
SoundCloud added a critical new statistic to its analytics suite. Creators can now see information about how their work is being shared and heard on user playlists. It includes who is sharing their tracks in playlists and how many plays that collection has contributed for the track. Continue Reading
Google’s media event earlier this week showcased the company’s voice assistant and voice-control technology. Two music and audio services – iHeartRadio and Spotify – are part of tie-ups around Google Assistant. Continue Reading