Streaming continues to supplant music sales: Nielsen mid-year report

Nielsen Soundscan’s annual mid-year report, issued each June, shows the first half of 2014 continuing a definitive consumer migration from purchasing albums to streaming songs. The main takeaway from Nielsen’s mid-year report is that the trend toward streaming appears to be accelerating. In January, Nielsen’s full-year report of 2013 indicated 32% growth in streaming compared to 2012. In 2014, the year-over-year pace is +42% rise in streaming at the year’s midpoint. Continue Reading

THOUGHT LEADERS: A conversation with podcaster Rob Greenlee

Rob Greenlee has been working with podcasts since 1999, is currently content manager for podcasts for Windows Phone, the latest role in a long series of positions with Microsoft. He is co-host of The New Media Show, a video podcast about the business of podcasting. We spoke with Rob Greenlee about The New Media Show, and the business of podcasting generally. Continue Reading

Storyline 2013: Nielsen, Arbitron, and the ratings jigsaw puzzle

When Nielsen acquired Arbitron in September, visions of unification sprang into the minds of observers. Among Internet brands, Pandora arguably has the most to gain by holistic audience measurement. But as lean-back listening is more emphasized in Spotify, Rhapsody, and iTunes, many stakeholders want change in 2014. Continue Reading