Canalys has published its 2020 outlook for the Internet-of-things industry. It projected that smart speakers, smart personal audio devices, and wearable bands would see a 9.8% increase in shipments for a total of 718 million units during the year. Smart speakers are forecast to see just 1.5% year-on-year growth. Continue Reading
Deloitte released its annual report with predictions for the tech, media, and telecom sectors. The analysis included a section devoted to audiobooks and podcasts. Deloitte predicted that the global podcast market would be worth $1.1 billion in 2020, while it pegged the global audiobook market as hitting $3.5 billion. Continue Reading
The Chinese government may have given a reprieve to Tencent Music Entertainment. Sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that the State Administration of Market Regulation, China’s antitrust authority, has suspended its investigation into the company. Continue Reading
Lizhi, a leading audio content app in China, has launched on the U.S. stock market. It is trading on Nasdaq, and is one of the first non-music platforms from the country to go public. Lizhi is offering 4.1 million shares at $11 per share. Continue Reading
Two of China’s major businesses announced a new deal that will impact the country’s music landscape. Alibaba Group has acquired e-commerce platform Kaola from NetEase for about $2 billion. The deal will also see Alibaba invest about $700 million into NetEase Cloud Music. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcast review bombs at Apple. Audible landing blockbuster development deals. Growth for Ximalaya and China’s podcast audience. Continue Reading
A Chinese regulator is investigating the music industry deals made by Tencent Music Entertainment, according to Bloomberg. The country’s antitrust authority, the State Administration for Market Regulation, will review Tencent’s deals with the three majors as well as other labels. Continue Reading
Canalys has been tracking shipments of smart speakers for the past several years, and its report on the second quarter of 2019 revealed a shakeup in leading brands. Amazon remained the top brand with 6.6 million units shipped for its Echo line securing 25.4% market share. Baidu, based in China, took over the second spot with 4.5 million units. Continue Reading
Himalaya is one of the podcast startups that caught eyes and ears with its $100 million in backing, and the company is already putting efforts into original show creation. The business spun out an entity called HiStudios, which will focus on programming hosted by social media influencers and sports personalities. Continue Reading
Strategy Analytics has released a study examining the outlook for terrestrial radio as alterative entertainment options take hold in cars. The survey of 4,790 car owners in the U.S., the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and China pointed to a downward trend for terrestrial radio in favor of streaming and satellite radio. Continue Reading
New research further solidifies the importance of China as a future top market for applications of voice technologies. Canalys released a prediction that China will be the world’s largest smart assistant install base by 2023, numbering an estimated 5.8 billion devices with the technology built-in or compatible. Continue Reading
China has been a market of interest and growth for audio over the past year, but that rise may not continue unchecked. The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered 26 audio-focused apps to close or enter talks with regulators on Friday. Continue Reading