SoundExchange filed its rebuttal document with the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), part of the “Webcasting IV” proceeding which will set music licensing rates that govern online radio royalty payments to artists and labels for the 2016-2020 period. Pandora filed its… Continue Reading
Spotify is looking to hire a vice president of public policy to help give voice to the company’s interests among lawmakers. This new hire will report to Jonathan Prince, Spotify’s global head of communications and public policy. Continue Reading
The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed Pandora Australia CEO Jane Huxley for insight about the streaming environment down under. Pandora is reportedly adding between 20,000 and 30,000 users a week, and has already passed the 2 million members milestone. Even though additional services have entered the streaming space in Australia, Huxley told the Herald that those companies were creating additional interest in the music platforms. Continue Reading
Pandora has introduced a new feature called Artist Audio Messaging that will allow musicians to directly communicate with their fans. Lenny Kravitz is one of the first musicians to have access to the feature, and he used it to introduce a new song. The service is getting a small rollout for now, but the company said it aims to scale it up to more people over time. Continue Reading
In another demonstration of “willing buyer, willing seller” deal-making, Pandora has negotiated a direct licensing deal with Naxos, one of the world’s most prolific classical music labels. Before this, Pandora’s most widely publicized private negotiating effort was with the international consortium of independent labels, Merlin. Both deals are important. Continue Reading
In recent editions of this feature we’ve looked at pre-roll audio ads (e.g. in Stitcher), and we regard audio pre-rolls as effective marketing that doesn’t strain the listener’s patience. We search for them in TuneIn and Pandora, and find something interesting — the second-roll. Continue Reading
Pandora and BMI are scheduled to go to court tomorrow and hash out the legal issues surrounding the streaming company’s royalty payments to the performing rights organization. BMI is seeking 2.5% of Pandora’s revenue for royalties, up from the 1.75% that it currently pays. Pandora wants a rate of 1.7%, comparable to the rates paid by most terrestrial radio stations. Continue Reading
In its quarterly conference call, Pandora revealed earnings for Q4 2014, and full-year 2014. audience growth was sharply up, due in part to holiday listening. The company fell short of its Q4 guidance, disappointing investors, who sent the stock shivering downward in a double-digit percentage slide. CEO Brian McAndrews expressed long-term confidence and declaimed 2015 “the year of conviction.” Continue Reading
ComScore released its review of the top 50 digital media properties in the U.S. for December 2014. Pandora ranked No. 19 with 89.4 million unique visitors during the month. iHeartMedia Digital also secured the final spot on the new list at No. 50. Continue Reading
Pandora has joined a trade group called the Internet Association. The group works on advocacy within many Web-centric topics, such as net neutrality, protecting Internet freedom, developing the Internet economy, privacy, and cybersecurity, but it also lobbies on broader topics such as international trade and law enforcement. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Pandora to livestream Jack White show; Google infographic gives EDM education. Continue Reading
Pandora released a data-filled infographic in honor of receiving 50 billion thumbs. “Thumbs give each listener the power to make Pandora personal to them,” the accompanying blog post said. “Every thumb up and thumb down has not only made your stations better, but helped us make better song choices for every listener.” Continue Reading