Guest columnist Steve Goldstein sends us a second report from CES, where he was impressed by automaker commitment to digital dashboards, and, above all, the “irrefutable trend” to on-demand audio and video. Continue Reading
Things have gotten real for small webcasters. December 31 came and went like a silent specter, as the law which gave special royalty rates to hobby and semi-pro online radio stations expired, its death seemingly unattended by the institutions which have power to revive or replace it. Perspectives from copyright attorney Kevin Goldberg and StreamLicensing founder Marvin Glass. Continue Reading
James Cridland Weekly Links is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Analysis of the CRB ruling in the U.S. Spotify lures away Radio 1’s music head. Much more news from around the world. Continue Reading
Happy New Year!
In last year’s edition of RAIN’s annual predictions, we wrote: “2015 will be an eventful year for all stakeholders in online audio.” It was. This year will carry forward the audio industry’s reputation for disruptive change. RAIN News is pleased to present predictions from 23 thought-leading guest futurists Continue Reading
Never a dull moment in the streaming audio business! Here, a glance back at milestones. Continue Reading
Small webcasters feel left out. The music licensing terms under which they have been operating since 2006 are about to expire. Countless small businesses, many of them streaming unique programming in specialized music categories, could shut down this week. Owners of independent streaming stations who have contacted RAIN News have expressed dismay, fury, and guarded hope that the omission of a carve-out for small webcasting represents a delayed announcement that could still arrive in time. Continue Reading
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Online marketing is growing fast. Businesses will allocate approximately 30% of their marketing budgets to online marketing in 2016, and 77% of businesses plan to increase their digital marketing budgets from last year. Kelly Shelton, VP of Marketing at Boostability, explains why this trend represents a growing opportunity for radio stations. Continue Reading
Rhapsody announced that its subscriber base increased by 45% over the past year. “Despite increasing competition, we continue to believe in the value of music and see our role as vital in creating experiences with music that users around the world will pay for,” said Ethan Rudin, Rhapsody’s CFO. Continue Reading
Indian streaming company Saavn has hired a new exec to lead its charge into sports and comedy content. Gaurav Wadhwa is the service’s new vice president of entertainment and original content. He joined the company from PepsiCo, where he was a senior marketing consultant. Continue Reading
James Cridland Weekly Links is a column by the U.K.’s radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Live streaming stalls at NPR; an Australian station adapts to bush fires; much more. Continue Reading
New research by Bain & Company determined that native digital media has reached a critical mass, and give some insights into how companies in entertainment, publishing, and services could begin to adapt. “Entertainment has passed a point of no return in its transition to native digital,” the report said. It pointed to five key points that businesses would need to address in order to see the most success and shared insightful data points to support this fast-moving trend. Continue Reading
James Cridland Weekly Links is a column by the U.K.’s radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Positive responses to the European Broadcasting Union’s WRC-15 decision; digital radio uptake data for Australia and the UK; several reads on the BBC; much more. Continue Reading