Experts from Spotify, Echo Nest launch a new startup focused on personalization and privacy

Echo Nest was once a top name in music recommendations. The startup was acquired by Spotify in 2014, and since then its technology has been leveraged into some wildly popular personalized playlists for that streaming service. Now, a former Echo Nest exec has flown the Spotify coop and is striking out with a new approach to personalized discovery. Continue Reading

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Apple Music rolling out new social-driven playlist with Friends Mix

Apple Music is expanding its standard set of discovery playlists. The streaming music platform has added a Friends Mix, which collects 25 songs that a listener’s friends on the platform have been listening to in heavy rotation. Apple has been expanding the social side of its streaming service with recent operating system updates. Continue Reading

Google makes New Release Radio available to all

Google Play Music has rolled out its New Release Radio personalized playlist to all listeners across its free and subscription tiers. The curated playlists contain newly released music that Google’s machine learning platform determines each user would like. The feature debuted in June as an exclusive for the owners of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus smartphones. Continue Reading

Quick Hits: Norm Pattiz, Apple Music, algorithms sans context and radio’s creative disruption

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Norm Pattiz preaches podcasting in Cannes; Content is key in Apple Music strategy; “I hate the person my music algorithm thinks I am;” public radio leader lays out radio’s creative disruption. Continue Reading