Steve Goldstein: What’s next on Spotify’s shopping list?

by Steve Goldstein
“The podcast wars are here,” says Steve Goldstein in this guest column. With comparisons to baseball, TV, and satellit radio, Goldstein lays out the anatomy of podcasting’s new competitive parameters. It’s not about just getting users to sign up for Premium service — Daniel Ek is going after radio. Read this exceptional anlysis. Continue Reading

Steve Goldstein: Why voice is much bigger than smart speakers

by Steve Goldstein
The Amplifi Media CEO sits down for a conversation with Bret Kinsella, founder and CEO of Voicebot.ai. The two discuss the outlook for voice tech, where radio fits in the picture, some of the the current common hurdles to adoption, and why the field is much more than just smart speakers. Continue Reading

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Bret Kinsella: Streaming Royalties Rise, But What Story Does SoundExchange Data Tell?

by Bret Kinsella

Royalty payments are the single biggest cost for Internet radio and audio streaming services. Guest columnist Bret Kinsella examines SoundExchange’s Q4 financial statement, and matches it up to streaming growth metrics. The two datasets don’t match, but it’s not about lower revenue to the music industry. It’s about the money taking different paths to get there.
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Bret Kinsella: Apple Music at Six Months -10 Million Subscribers and a Free Tier

by Bret Kinsella

The Financial Times reported over the weekend that Apple Music has reached 10 million subscribers, which represents impressive growth over six months. What does it indicate about the future audience growth for Apple Music? Guest columnist Bret Kinsella infers a churn rate from publicly disclosed retention numbers, and arrives at a prediction.
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Advertising Doesn’t Need to Fight the Machines

Many in the advertising world think of Big Data as a damper to the creative process and the cause of the “wind tunnel” effect. What they don’t realize is that Big Data is more likely to become marketing’s biggest ally than its mortal enemy. Guest column by Bret Kinsella of XAPPmedia. Continue Reading