SoundCloud made two big business announcements today. First is a new hire: Sonia Flynn is assuming the role of vice president for international at the audio platform. The second item improves SoundCloud’s global presence with the addition of Brazilian Portuguese as a second language option. Continue Reading
Even in May, we’re still seeing some belated analyses of global music industry results from 2014. The latest data focuses on Singapore, where music sales rose 4.7% to S$17.2 million, the first increase following four years of losses. Digital music revenue for the city-state increased 34% from the year prior to S$9.5 million, according to the IFPI data. Continue Reading
In the UK last year, advertising revenue on commercial radio grew 7.2% in 2014, while in the US it shrank 1%. According to an article by Lucy Barrett at UK’s RAB, radio in that country is alive and well and thriving across all it’s platforms. Continue Reading
Malaysian pay-TV operator Astro Malaysia Holdings has launched a new music streaming service called Raku. The platform is powered by 7digital. Continue Reading
TuneCore announced that it is working with Believe Digital, an independent digital distributor and services provider based in Europe. This arrangement will allow TuneCore’s existing customers the option to have a la carte access the global services offered by Believe. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: How the major labels kept control; podcasting as the new business tool; Radio France’s ongoing strike and media support. Continue Reading
Radio World reviewed the current state of HD radio adoption in Mexico. According to iBiquity Digital, more than 40 stations in the country now use the technology, and 13 stations in the capital deliver 24 additional HD2/HD3 channels. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Analyzing streaming revenues against GDP; SoundScan will include Bandzoogle sales; Apple’s redesigned mobile Music app. Continue Reading
The IFPI released its annual Digital Music Report, complete with an assessment of industry trends and case studies. According to the group’s data, 2014 was the first year that digital channels and physical channels accounted for the same proportion of revenue, 46% each. The digital revenue totaled $6.85 billion for the year out of the industry’s total revenue of $14.97 billion. About 41 million people now pay for music subscriptions, which accounted for 23% of global digital music revenue. Continue Reading
GEMA, a German collection society, announced that its 2014 global revenue was €893.6 million euros (about $950 million). Streaming revenue accounted for €44.8 million, up from €26.4 million in 2013, but GEMA came out with a strong statement against the current royalty split between rights holders, songwriters, and publishers. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group has entered into a partnership with Bradesco, a Brazilian bank. Bradesco Music will stream audio and video from Universal’s catalog and deliver music-related editorial through an application for both desktop computers and mobile devices. Continue Reading
New research found that Germany reportedly has 2.5 million are paying for premium streaming services out of about 11.6 million total listeners on streaming platforms. The study, conducted by market research institute GfK for the music trade body BVMI, also reported that 6.4 million German people listen to ad-supported streaming for more than 90 minutes each week. Continue Reading