YouTube Music Key has mostly been quiet since the initial excitement over its beta launch last November. The last that we heard of Google’s planned subscription service, the beta had been extended into September. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki spoke at a Fortune event yesterday and touched on the outlook for Music Key, offering just a little bit of insight on its status. Continue Reading
The Spotify Insights blog has a new data creation for its fans to play with. The latest is a musical map with accompanying playlists showcasing the songs that are most unique to many of the world’s cities. Editor Eliot Van Buskirk calls these songs ‘distinctive,’ tunes that one location seems to enjoy a lot but other areas don’t. Continue Reading
Research company Niche has released its annual survey of media usage among high school graduates. The survey collected responses from 10,000 members of the 2015 graduating high school class. Spotify is the big music gainer, but Pandora still rules. Continue Reading
Billboard and Nielsen have long been the standard for music charts, but a new contender is joining the field. BuzzAngle Music it the new kid on the block, and it’s offering some unique features to stand out from the old guard. Continue Reading
While streaming audio is a mobile-first content category (over 60% of stream listening occurs in iOS and Android devices, according to Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics), desktop listening is hardly dead. Recognizing that, iHeartRadio launched a desktop app for Apple Mac computers. Continue Reading
Much digital ink has been spilled about the value of streaming, from its intangible impact on the music industry to the very tangible bottom line. Billboard crunched some numbers about the value of a single stream at both Spotify and Pandora, shedding a little light on who is getting what under the current deals. Continue Reading
James Cridland Weekly Links is a column by the U.K.’s radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Beats 1 from Apple is still a major subject in the pundit sphere. Plenty of other news and opinion from all over the world. Continue Reading
Last week Emmis Communications held its fiscal-Q1 2016 earnings call. In it, CEO Jeff Smulyan expressed confidence and optimism about terrestrial radio, skepticism of streaming as a primary business model, and continued enthusiasm for the NextRadio initiative. Continue Reading
The Fair Play, Fair Pay Act is getting a boost of support from an unusual corner. Two artists rights and management groups in the UK – the Music Managers Forum and the Feature Artists Coalition – have asked members to get involved with the social media campaign to raise awareness for the issue. The legislation aims to pay performance royalties to musicians for their plays on terrestrial radio. Continue Reading
Last week we reported (with some commentary) on Spotify’s email to iOS subscribers, which recommended unsubscribing from the music service in iTunes, and re-subscribing directly through Spotify. Now, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly examining Apple’s policy. Continue Reading
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The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Nielsen mid-year report; U.K. streaming growth; Spotify tells subscribers to unsubscribe; Xbox Music reborn; Facebook and music. Continue Reading
Public radio is often ambitious in its goals for curating and presenting great music, and the latest project to come out of the organization is a delightful response to recent trends favoring both mobile and video. Several venerable public radio stations have joined forces to power a new mobile app that focuses on recordings of live performances. VuHaus is free for both iOS and Android, and it’s definitely worth a look and a listen. Continue Reading