A new online radio service launched this week: Mad Genius Radio. It is technically and legally a non-interactive online radio platform (like Pandora). But the interface invites much more customization than other lean-back services. It is fun, addictive, and an interesting new user experience in streaming audio. Continue Reading
STRATA, a media buying platform that connects advertisers with media publishers, has re-positioned Pandora’s ratings profile on its dashboard, separating it from radio stations, according to Inside Radio and RAIN News sources. The action represents the latest twist in a long path of Pandora competing against U.S. broadcast radio for advertising dollars. RAIN spoke to several sources for comment. Continue Reading
Napster has entered into a partnership with Audi and will be appearing in select car models starting this fall. “Connectivity has become more and more important in daily life,” said Patric Niederländer, Rhapsody International’s vice president of business development in Europe. Music Week reported that the integration was expected to expand into additional models in 2015. Continue Reading
Plugging on despite its legal woes, Grooveshark announced a new plan for a live concert series. Grooveshark Presents aims to tap into the platform’s community for input and suggestions as it plans the events. “We are removing the significant risks promoters take in booking talent, simply by combining the intelligence gathered from our streaming platform with our unique ability to communicate with our listeners,” CEO and cofounder Sam Tarantino said. Continue Reading
As hi-rez listening solutions continue to pop up (Neil Young’s Pono Music being the best-known), RAIN senior writer Anna Washenko test-drove the newly launched Tidal streaming platform from European company Wimp. It costs twice as much as other on-demand services ($20/month). Is it worth it? Continue Reading
Programmatic advertising is well established in the web display industry, and growing fast in video. Radio (broadcast and streaming) lags behind, but awareness is growing as ad-buying software platforms become more sophisticated for audio. What is the future? For Gordon Borrell, the answer is clear: Programmatic will take over audio ad buying and selling, and sales reps face elimination and changing roles. Continue Reading
In a fascinating and daring webinar yesterday hosted by Gordon Borrell, attendees were treated to a historical review of media technology disruption, followed by predictions in today’s media. One of those predictions: Half of AM/FM terrestrial stations will disappear by 2024, their demise driven by adoption of alternative in-car listening choices. RAIN spoke with Gordon Borrell. Continue Reading
In announcing its third-quarter financial results iHeartMedia revealed some key updates for iHeartRadio. The streaming platform hit 56 million registered users as of September 30. The current figure marks growth of 43% year-over-year. Continue Reading
As streaming audio advertising gradually becomes more personalized to the listener, localized ads increasingly appear. One solution — registration data — gives audio publishers a way to sell inventory on a regional basis, so listeners in a state or city hear streaming commercials localized at that level. In our recent ad-stalking, we wanted to anecdotally track how much city-localized advertising was delivered by Pandora in a 90-minute listening session. Continue Reading
Sirius XM posted earnings of $136 million in the third quarter, more than doubling the $63 million earned in the year-ago period. Revenue growth for the satellite radio company was more moderate, up 10% to $1.06 billion for the quarter. Continue Reading
Research firm BIA/Kelsey and business intelligence firm AdMall have formed an alliance to provide high-quality information to media buyers. BIA/Kelsey will furnish some data from its Media Ad View Plus product, plus comparison data of traditional vs. local spending. Continue Reading
Pandora announced that Chris Phillips will join the company as chief product officer. In the new role, Phillips will focus on product management, design, and analysis, in addition to defining and leading the overall product strategy for the online radio business. Continue Reading