In its April rankings, comScore found a strong month for Pandora. The online radio platform ranked No. 23 in the list of the top 50 multiplatform properties with nearly 85.3 million unique visitors. Pandora also made the list of top 15 smartphone apps. Continue Reading
Spotify’s recently released 2015 financials created an interesting story: strong revenue growth and market domination, along with widening losses at the bottom line. Midia Research founder Mark Mulligan peels back the layers to analyze underlying dynamics. “Rights costs are the Spotify’s Achilles Heel.” Can scaling audience growth give Spotify enough leverage to gain better label rates? If not, the outcome might be unwelcome to those rights-holders. This guest column is a must-read. Continue Reading
Rivet Radio announced the availability of its News On Hold product. This service plays brief audio news items for customer service callers who are waiting on hold. It is available on the Genesys AppFoundry online marketplace for customer experience applications. Continue Reading
Robi, a mobile operator in Bangladesh, has partnered with Yonder Music to launch a digital music smartphone app. The free app is called Robi Yonder Music Service. It has exclusive content from local artists in addition to music from both local and international labels. Continue Reading
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The paid subscription model presents an opportunity for podcasting, and an experimentation phase seems to be underway now, and accelerating. Different networks are taking different slants in setting up paywalls. There are parallels with the streaming music business.
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Slacker Radio announced an update that highlights original content and audio storytelling. This new version includes 12 original shows. “We believe the magic of music listening does not come from the music catalog alone, rather the way in which the song is delivered to the listener,” CEO Duncan Orrell-Jones said. Continue Reading
Google recently threw its hat into the ring of voice-activated personal assistants, and the latest industry speculation finds Apple working on its own entry. Apple is reportedly developing an at-home speaker assistant powered by Siri. Continue Reading
Sirius XM announced that its Music for Business service is now available on Sonos wireless speakers. This partnership brings Sirius XM’s licensed commercial-free music to businesses using Sonos products. Continue Reading
Indiana’s WBAA public radio station will keep This American Life on its programming roster after listener outcry over a previous announcement that the show would be cut. “After considerable listener feedback, This American Life will remain on WBAA,” a note on the WBAA station now reads. Continue Reading
Podtrac, a podcast audience measurement company since 2005, today released the first monthly ranking of podcast shows and networks. Called the Podcast Industry Audience Rankings, the report is not just the first in a series for Podtrac, but the first ranker of its type for podcasting that we are aware of. It’s fascinating, even as questions abound. Continue Reading
Podcast network Acast has launched a new feature on its hosting platform that allows show creators alternative ways of monetizing their work. With Acast+, programs can charge listeners for exclusive access and premium audio content without advertisements. They can also make early releases available before they are published to the core app for a fee. Continue Reading
Bottom-line profit in the streaming music business is elusive, and progress is measured less by reduced losses as by audience and revenue growth. That’s why Spotify is so happy about its 2015 financials. Continue Reading