Apple has partnered with mobile social/video platform Musical.ly in a new marketing deal. Under this arrangement, Apple Music will be a supplier of the song snippets that Musical.ly users can pick to soundtrack their video clips. Continue Reading
Amazon has reported its financial results for Q1 2017. The company’s net income for the quarter totaled $724 million. The tech giant doesn’t break out the specifics for its streaming music platforms, but those are part of the Retail Subscription Services division. Continue Reading
DGital announced the addition of Jay Green as its new senior vice president of digital strategy and analytics. In this capacity, Green will lead efforts in analytics and audience development for the on-demand audio company. Continue Reading
YouTube talent show draws on television talent; can podcast search engines help discovery; ASCAP conducts voter survey on music licensing. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it has hired Olivia Regnier as its legal director of EU regulatory affairs. Regnier joins Spotify on May 8 after two decades with the IFPI, most recently as director of the trade body’s European Regional Office. Continue Reading
Bridge Ratings has released new survey info about podcast discovery for listeners, and best practices for creators. Based on its latest data, from Jan. 23-Apr. 10, the rate of audio consumers who had ever listened to a podcast was 43%, up from 30% in the 2016 survey and 26% in the 2015 survey. Continue Reading
It’s a busy day for Sirius XM. The satellite radio company released its quarterly results – Q1 2017 revenue hit a new high –
and it announced a big acquisition – purchasing connected car business Automatic Labs. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it has acquired Mediachain Labs. The company specializes in blockchain research and open source protocols for data management. Mediachain employees will join Spotify’s New York City team. Continue Reading
Kickstarter has helped catalyze 25,000 successful music projects. Molly Neuman, head of music for the crowdfunding platform, penned a blog post announcing the milestone. More than 22,000 creators have completed music projects in the eight years of Kickstarter’s existence. Continue Reading
Red Bull Radio has launched its first-ever real-time radio show. Peak Time will be the new flagship show for Red Bull Radio. It will air every weekday from noon to 2:00 pm ET. Vivian Host, a music journalist and DJ, will lead the show. Continue Reading
Indie label network Merlin announced that its royalty distributions to members have increased eightfold between 2012 and 2017. Along with the royalty news, Merlin has hired Helen Alexander as the finance director. Continue Reading
The IFPI published its annual global music report reflecting on the industry’s 2016 performance. Global revenue increased 5.9% to $15.7 billion. Digital revenue rose 17.8% to $7.8 billion, enough that it now has a 50% share of the global music industry’s total. “If the digital market continues to grow, so too will the overall level of remuneration to artists, as will the levels of overall investment required to create new music whilst helping to drive digital innovation,” IFPI CEO Frances Moore said. Continue Reading