Spotify has a new exclusive podcast on the horizon, and its tapping well-known talents yet again. The upcoming show is called I’m Gonna Be Kevin Bacon, and Kevin Bacon will be in the story playing himself. Continue Reading
Spotify announced today that it is ending its beta test of direct distribution for independent artists. The streaming service conducted a trial for nearly a year, which allowed indies to upload their music directly to Spotify rather than relying on a third-party service. Continue Reading
Apple has been facing criticism over its App Store for many months, including a direct challenge from Spotify about the share it takes of subscription fees. Apple has issued a response to the anti-trust complaint Spotify filed against it in the EU in March, but both companies have some holes in their arguments. Continue Reading
Soundtrap, a platform for real-time audio collaborations, has revised the features on its free tier. The service now offers unlimited capacity for stored projects; the previous free version only allowed five stored projects. Continue Reading
Spotify’s interactions with publishers and songwriters have gotten even more complicated, with the streaming service claiming that it overpaid on mechanical royalties in 2018. The Copyright Royalty Board issued its mechanical royalty payment rates in December 2018 after the music platform had already paid out almost a full year under a different rate scheme. Continue Reading
Spotify is continuing to roll out new features and functions to its burgeoning podcasting efforts. The latest development is the ability for advertisers to target its free tier of listeners based on the shows they listen to. Continue Reading
Spotify has folded another popular podcast under its umbrella. The audio company will be the exclusive home of the third season of Riggle’s Picks, a show from comedians Rob Riggle and Sarah Tiana where the pair discuss sports, culture, and life. Continue Reading
Shane Tobin is departing his role as Head of Partnerships for Content & Creator at Spotify. Tobin was a business development director at Echo Nest prior to its acquisition by Spotify, and he rose through the ranks since the data-focused company folded into the streaming platform. Continue Reading
Spotify is officially updating its user interface for to create a clearer divide between music and podcasts. The new layout for Your Library will be rolled out to all Premium users. The change seems limited to the mobile experience, at least for now. Continue Reading
Spotify’s newest personalized playlist aims to make life more enjoyable for commuters with a healthy helping of inspiration from radio. The new playlist is Your Daily Drive, and it blends tailored music with podcast programming and news. Continue Reading
Stream listening gained about 3% month-over-month in February, according to the Triton Digital Webcast Metrics Top 20 Ranker. The key metrics is Average Active Sessions (AAS), which measures the average number of simultaneous listeners. Continue Reading
Spotify is planning a return for its Sound Up bootcamp, a program that provides podcast training to women of color. As with the inaugural session, ten applicants will be chosen for a week-long accelerator in New York City. Continue Reading