Apple is reportedly now charging listeners in some markets for what was previously a completely free trial of its streaming music service. According to AppleInsider, people in Australia, Spain, and Switzerland will be charged 99 cents for three months of preliminary access to the Apple Music platform. Continue Reading
Spotify has announced two changes to its team. First, it has hired M&A specialist Sheila Spence. The other personnel change is the departure of product director Matthew Ogle. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: A look at one of radio’s biggest events. RAJAR results for Q1. United States radio rules. Much more. Continue Reading
This week, Spotify announced that it is now testing open exchanges for real-time buying for its audio inventory. The streaming company will be working with select SSP and DSP partners for this latest effort in programmatic advertising. Continue Reading
The latest blog post from Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein discusses questions related to the burgeoning device category for voice assistants. His company has also partnered with Jacobs Media for a new company called Sonic Ai. Continue Reading
Vevo has rolled out a new app for the Apple TV, with more television support to roll out in the future. The new features for Vevo’s Apple TV presence include a pop-up navigation bar for browsing while viewing videos and curated video and playlist recommendations. Continue Reading
The Department of Justice is appealing a September decision by federal judge Louis Stanton which contradicted the DOJ on the issue of fractional licensing. The DoJ filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, an action it had been planning to take for months. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: A video experiment from Spotify; Troy Carter on music’s value chain; UK streaming data; FCC votes to start dismantling net neutrality. Continue Reading
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a dense, highly-informed and descriptive whitepaper about programmatic advertising — which also suggests abandoning the term “programmatic” and replacing it with “automation.” There is also a great infographic. Continue Reading
Spotify has embarked on yet another acquisition. The streaming service has bought Niland, a Paris-based machine learning startup offering music analysis technology. Niland’s work has improved how AI can optimize search and recommendation features for music. Continue Reading
RAJAR has released its first-quarter results for radio listening in the UK. The data showed that 48.2 million adults or 89% of the UK’s adult population listen to radio stations each week. The first quarter weekly listening rate has consistently hovered between 89% and 91% since 2012. Continue Reading
Claire Atkinson, the NY Post writer who is at the head of many anonymously-sourced rumors about streaming media businesses, says that SiriusXM and parent company Liberty Media are again discussing an acquisition with Pandora. Continue Reading