iTunes 3 - RAIN News

Twitter’s new Audio Card launches with any SoundCloud embed and one iTunes track

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Anna Washenko

Twitter has introduced a musical new feature called the Audio Card that allows its members to embed a track in a tweet. The social network is first working with SoundCloud on the launch of the feature, and the streaming platform’s entire library will be made available for embeds. A select number of partner artists are rolling out the feature today, and the social network said that its @TwitterMusic handle would announce updates about the people and organizations using the Audio Card. Continue Reading →

Friday fun: Apple’s eRase U2 (Conan O’Brien)

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Brad Hill

Apple’s free and forced distribution of U2’s new album is the gift that keeps on giving. The epic pushback by Apple users has turned the incident into a meme with hilarious side effects. Click through for a few minutes of Friday fun — Apple’s imaginary damage control solution from Conan O’Brien. Continue Reading →

Apple/U2 follow-up: blurring the meaning of ownership

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Brad Hill

Four days after our initial coverage of Apple’s forced distribution of U2’s new album, the controversy continues to swirl. A good deal of media punditry has concluded that the marketing gambit, in which Apple put the band’s new album, Songs of Innocence, into the music collections across the iOS mobile landscape, was an outright failure. But 33-million people listened to the album, making the experiment a large success. Continue Reading →

Gift horse: Apple/U2 promo suffers angry user pushback

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Brad Hill

Apple’s music platforms — iTunes and iTunes Radio — have issued innumerable album previews and exclusive releases. Promotions of those events seek to drive sales in an era when streaming is eating into music ownership. Taking the concept a step further, Apple bundled U2 released U2’s new album, Songs of Innocence, globally, by dumping the album directly into iPhones, iPods, and iPads throughout its vast user base. Much gnashing of teeth ensued. Continue Reading →

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Apple looks forward: Free U2 album on iTunes and the end of iPod Classic

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Anna Washenko

Apple didn’t share any big streaming-centric news at its product reveal yesterday, but the music updates that did come out of the major tech event still serve as a sign of the trends to look for both on- and offline. U2 was the musical guest at the event, and the band closed the performance by announcing that its new album would be available for free to all iTunes customers. The other big development was a silent change that didn’t take place on stage: Apple discontinued the classic iPod. Continue Reading →

Garth Brooks launches digital music store GhostTunes.com

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Anna Washenko

Country sensation Garth Brooks took his first baby step into the digital realm in July, but today he announced the beta launch of an entirely new online music service. It’s called GhostTunes.com. The focus with this platform is control for the musicians, but listeners will also have several options for how to enjoy their purchases. Continue Reading →

Why Digital Music Services Always Steal Each Other’s Customers (Mark Mulligan)

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Mark Mulligan

by Mark Mulligan

Mark Mulligan is one of the industry’s most astute observers and analysts. This guest column examines customer sharing, revenue cannibalization, and the next five years in music — “one of the music industry’s most dramatic periods of change. The last ten years might have been disruptive but the change that is coming will be even more transformative.” Continue Reading →

Apple reportedly buying Beats

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Brad Hill

In what would be a blockbuster $3.2-billion deal that re-shapes the ownership structure of streaming music, Apple is reportedly set to acquire Beats Electronics, which includes Beats Music. If it plays out as rumored, the acquisition would vault Apple into the music-subscription industry, adding a third pillar to its music business. Continue Reading →

Owning music: down. Acquiring music: up.

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Brad Hill

Listening to music and acquiring music are entwined. In 2014, collecting music has a new meaning, and increasingly occurs without the need of a traditional music product — physical or virtual. What collecting music means today. Continue Reading →

Spotify: Growth in the U.K., and even bigger claims

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Brad Hill

Spotify’s European head of label relations, Kevin Brown, told a British music publication that Spotify has gained one-million listeners in the U.K. over the past four months. This data point is spawning headlines that Spotify is bigger than iTunes in Europe. It’s an apples-to-oranges comparison. Continue Reading →

Apple might extend iTunes to Android

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Brad Hill

Apple is mulling a subscription music service, reports are swirling that Apple might consider creating an Android app for iTunes, distributing the world’s largest music store outside of the Apple ecosystem for the first time. The news is a significant indicator of Apple’s openness to new business paths. Continue Reading →

New survey analyzes iTunes Radio listening and buying behavior

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Brad Hill

A study authored by Sam Milkman of Music Forecasting seeks to understand why iTunes Radio does not drive iTunes music purchases in greater volume. The important part of the survey is what Milkman learned about usage habits and attitudes. Continue Reading →