The deal is reportedly worth high single-digit millions to AOL, which will plow some of that cash back to Radionomy as a 12% investment stake. Mergers and acquisitions are always defined by their “synergy,” but sometimes the chemistry can be hard to discern. This one is awash with synergy. Continue Reading
Net neutrality advocates were bitterly disappointed, if not totally surprised, by today’s ruling against the Federal Communications Commission by a Washington D.C. appeals court. The court’s decision might be paraphrased like this: “You classified the Internet wrong. What are you going to do now?” We’re wondering the same thing. Continue Reading
Korean tech giant Samsung is talking to Paris-based music service Deezer about a partnership or investment stake. Samsung is best known to U.S. consumers as a device maker (smartphones, TVS), but is also a network LTE provider and infrastructure partner to phone companies. Continue Reading
If 2013 was the year when labels released their star albums on Internet radio, 2014 is starting by reversing that trend. Clear Channel announced that Bruce Springsteen’s new album, “High Hopes,” will launch today with a one-hour radio documentary/preview. Continue Reading
British rock band Oasis has yielded to time and trend, adding its 10 albums (representing over 70-million album sales) to Spotify, Rhapsody, Deezer, and Rdio. As usual with announcements like this, but rarely mentioned, YouTube already carries Oasis extensively, with full albums, live performances, official videos, and the band’s own YouTube channel. Continue Reading
Shazam and SoundHound identify songs on the radio for hundreds of millions of users. Both apps make it easy to turn the song into a starting point in Rdio, Spotify, and other online services. Shouldn’t there be a way radio can participate in the song-identification gateway? We have an idea. Continue Reading
Why has AM/FM lost 30 percent of its key listening metrics since 2008? Founding editor Kurt Hanson reflects on history, harkens back to the day when he ran a leading ratings company, and disputes a theory. HINT: it’s not about the Portable People Meter. Continue Reading
RAIN Summit NYC (“Pureplays and Podcasts”) has finalized a slate of panel topics targeting the content and business sides of online audio. Today is the final day of early-bird pricing, offering the afternoon-plus-cocktails event for only $49. Continue Reading
It’s official: Beats Music will open for subscription on January 21. It is clear from initial marketing, screenshots, and the long announcement from CEO Ian Rogers that Beats will focus on personalization and hand-crafted listening stations. If that doesn’t work, Beats has two more cards in its pocket. Click for the RAIN Preview. Continue Reading