This week brings two updates from the growing Amazon entertainment and technology ecosystem. First is a new price option for its streaming music service, and second is a development for its Echo product line. Continue Reading
Deezer is rebranding and updating its premium tier, which includes high fidelity streaming audio. Instead of Deezer Elite, the subscription is now called Deezer HiFi. The price is unchanged at $19.99 / £19.99 per month. Continue Reading
Listeners for on-demand audio display some distinct demographic trends compared with AM/FM radio. That’s the key takeaway from a Nielsen study commissioned by Westwood One and Cumulus Media to investigate the audience for local on-demand audio content. Continue Reading
PodcastOne sent a notice describing the upcoming launch of PodcastOne Sports, spearheaded by a new show called Attack Each Day: The Harbaugh’s Podcast, hosted by U. of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh. Existing sports shows will be piled into the new category, and a slate of new originals is planned. Continue Reading
Music licensing platform Jamendo is launching in the U.S. The company specializes in serving independent artists, running both a licensing platform for performers and a free streaming service for private, professional use. It has been operating in Europe for more than a decade, and now is officially bringing its two-pronged business model state-side. Continue Reading
audioBoom announced a batch of five new shows for its podcast network. This second wave of programming, following the first set of shows shared in June, includes original and co-produced podcasts. “We are excited to be at a place where we can successfully introduce listeners to new, original content while supporting the growth of popular, established shows” said Brendan Regan, audioBoom’s vice president, of U.S. content and partnerships. Continue Reading
Podcast company Acast has hired Henrik Isaksson to head up its operations in Australia. Isaksson joins the audio and podcasting platform from a programmatic mobile advertising service called Amobee, but his resume also includes work at Spotify, where he began in sales and progressed to become a country manager. Continue Reading
Pandora has entered a partnership with fitness wearable company Fitbit to be the exclusive streaming music provider for the new Fitbit Ionic. Through this arrangement, subscribers to Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium tiers can sync workout stations or their top created stations directly to a Fitbit Ionic without needing their phones. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: James has updates from the wide world of audio, including news from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong. Continue Reading
Southern Cross Austereo, one of the largest radio and media groups in Australia, has signalled that it might raise its podcast advertising rates a bove its radio ad rates. The message came from CEO Grant Blackley, along with a financial release for fiscal 2017 that showed a 41% profit increase on 7.5% revenue gain. Continue Reading
At Podcast Movement last week, a panel of thought-leaders well known to RAIN readers and Summit attendees made a series of predictions to answer questions put by moderator Bryan Moffet of National Public Media. Sarah van Mosel (Market Enginuity), John Rosso (Triton Digital), Rob McCracken (Scripps) and Rob Walch (Libsyn) were in hot seats of a panel put on by Jacobs Media in a conference track marketed to radio professionals. Continue Reading
Global label agency Merlin has announced reaching a milepost of $1-billion dollars or rights payments distributed to member labels. Merlin licenses on behalf of 20,000+ indie labels in 53 countries. Continue Reading