Quick Hits: Podcasts, apps, and Alibaba
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: 26 podcasts you should be listening to; NPR’s podcast strategy; BMG partners with Alibaba; Beatport launches an app; Tinder for music. Continue Reading
apps
Test Drive: How does Amazon’s Prime Music iOS radio feature hold up?
Amazon has updated its Prime Music iOS app with a set of lean-back radio stations. The feature arrived a few months back on the web version, but with mobile listening continuing to rise, bring the fullest service possible to phones is likely to become more and more crucial to a music service’s success. The listening experience is very reminiscent of Pandora, but is it more than a copycat? Continue Reading
Podcasting platform Spreaker launches iOS production app
Podcast platform Spreaker announced the launch of its Spreaker Studio app on iOS. The Studio app is centered on the production side of podcasting. It features a web-based mixing console, a sound effects library, and live audio broadcasting. Continue Reading
Pandora lands on list of top app publishers of 2014
Mobile analytics company App Annie released its list of the top app publishers of 2014. Pandora landed at number 37 in the rankings. Many of the 52 companies focus on mobile games or social media, and some of those companies put out dozens or even hundreds of apps. Pandora, even with its narrow focus, was one of the few music-focused brands to secure a spot on the list. Continue Reading
Umano offers streaming narrations of the web’s written work
We’re used to sitting down at our computers to skim the news, or maybe even going old-school with a physical copy of the paper. Umano aims to give an audio angle to that experience. The company supplies narrations of written web content. Continue Reading
Nusiki throws hat in the social music ring
Social music apps have become a crowded industry of late, and a new company called Nusiki has joined the fray out of Chicago. Co-founder Ben Hewitt described the service as “if Instagram and Spotify had a kid.” Continue Reading
BOOMiO joins the social music market with focus on artists
Several startups have sought to blend online music with a social sharing angle. This Is My Jam, Tapely, and Musx have experimented with how people share and discuss music with the latest technologies and streaming platforms. Another company has joined that social music space, but this one may have an edge thanks to securing support from labels. BOOMiO officially launched out of beta this week. Continue Reading
The Overflow goes niche with Christian streaming app
A new streaming service called The Overflow has crossed the border from Canada, bringing its database of Christian music to U.S. listeners. For now, it is only available as an iOS app, but Billboard reported that a web version is in the works. The company uses 7digital, which recently embarked on project for higher-quality audio formats in streaming. Continue Reading
TuneCore picks up new app DropKloud for Artist Services suite
TuneCore, the online music distribution and publishing administration platform, announced the acquisition of DropKloud, a location-based app for content delivery. Musicians could use that capability to provide exclusive access to songs, share invitations to special events, or release other material for a specific concert. Continue Reading
Pandora, iTunes Radio continue to shine in comScore’s latest smartphone report
ComScore’s latest data covered trends in the U.S. smartphone market, including an assessment of the most popular apps as of October 2014. Only two music apps make the top 15: Pandora with 41.6% reach and iTunes Radio/iCloud at 21.9% reach. Continue Reading
Test Drive: Bop.fm Mobile App for iOS
Bop.fm rolled out its first mobile app today for iOS devices. I’ve been following this company closely of late because its big claim to fame is syncing up multiple music services under one umbrella. For anyone who listens to lots of music styles across many platforms, the idea is certainly appealing. The new mobile program doesn’t have quite as many streaming options as the desktop version, but it still links up three popular ones: YouTube, Spotify Premium, and Soundcloud. Continue Reading
Grooveshark working on a streaming radio app to rival Pandora
In an interview with Dow Jones, Grooveshark CEO Sam Tarantino discussed how the company might be able to stay afloat by completely legal avenues. The streaming platform is expected to launch a radio app called Broadcasts in January. A rep from the company called Broadcasts the “first compliant app” for Grooveshark. Continue Reading