Electric Jukebox has been quiet for several months, but the company and its unusual approach to streaming music is back with a new product. The UK-based business originally entered the scene with a gadget-heavy approach to streaming. Now, it has a second product called Roxi. Continue Reading
Australia is building up a strong coterie of local podcast talent. The latest company to launch in support of the podcasting industry is called Ear Buds. The Melbourne-base podcast network takes a local approach, featuring shows that “reflect the sound of the city.” Continue Reading
TagStation has entered into a new partnership with LG Electronics MobileComm that will see the manufacturer unlocking FM chips in its smartphones. This move means that owners of LG phones will be able to listen to live, local radio on the devices. Continue Reading
Apple is still gunning for a big move into video, according to the latest industry buzz. The Wall Street Journal (paywall) reported that the company plans to invest about $1 billion in its video plans over the next year. A source told WSJ that the money could translate into up to 10 new programs. Continue Reading
A new podcast network called Nearly has launched in Australia. Nearly is led by Courtney Carthy, a former development producer for the Australian Broadcast Corp. It offers a two-pronged approach from the start, with both ad-supported shows for consumers and podcast creation services for brands. Continue Reading
Podtrac’s top podcast rankings for July 2017 remained mostly consistent with the results from June. The month included just one swap: S-Town dropped out of the top 20 and has been replaced with Panoply’s Revisionist History. S-Town was a big mover earlier in the year due to its unusual release plan. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Japan and the vinyl trend; more on Spotify playlists; how much do podcasting pros actually make? Continue Reading
Spotify has been tightening its integration with Facebook, particularly with the social network’s direct chat system. After an initial integration in 2016, followed by capabilities for group playlist creation in June, Facebook Messenger can now offer Spotify music recommendations. Continue Reading
audioBoom has hired Lauren McCain to join its sales team. As senior sales director, McCain will be responsible for leading brand direct and digital agency partnerships. She has worked in the podcasting space for four years, including time with Acast and WNYC. Continue Reading
Omny Studio has entered an agreement to license its platform to CBS Radio. The arrangement grants CBS Radio access to Omny Studio’s podcast hosting, analytics, and social sharing tools. Australia-based Omny will provide infrastructure for the more than 350 original and on-demand podcasts that comprise CBS’ audio programming. Continue Reading
Pandora announced that Roger Lynch, Founding CEO of Sling TV, is the new Chief Executive of Pandora starting September 18. Lynch will replace Interim CEO Naveen Chopra, who will resume his previous role as CFO. The announcement came just after the U.S. market close. P stock is up over 4% at this writing, in the after-hours market. Continue Reading
TuneIn has raised $50 million in support of growing its online radio portfolio. Marker LLC, IVP and Comcast Ventures led the funding round, which sources told Bloomberg values TuneIn at about $500 million. The money will go toward the rights for live sporting events and original programming. Continue Reading