Twitter has added Spotify support to its audio cards. Any of the streaming service’s 30 million tracks can be turned into the audio post on Twitter. The cards will only play 30-second previews and will link to the full song in Spotify. Continue Reading
Spotify has debuted a new outlet for brands to get involved with the streaming company’s popular playlists. Sponsored Playlist puts a brand’s name on one of Spotify’s curated playlists, with the sponsorship options designed to match marketing needs with a musical audience. This marketing option is now available in the U.S. and in beta in the UK. Continue Reading
Spotify has signed a deal with Dubset Media Holdings that will bring more mixes onto the streaming platform. Dubset’s MixBank technology can be used to identify copyrighted music in a user-generated song, which means the appropriate labels and publishers can clear the samples used in a mix. Continue Reading
Spotify’s recently released 2015 financials created an interesting story: strong revenue growth and market domination, along with widening losses at the bottom line. Midia Research founder Mark Mulligan peels back the layers to analyze underlying dynamics. “Rights costs are the Spotify’s Achilles Heel.” Can scaling audience growth give Spotify enough leverage to gain better label rates? If not, the outcome might be unwelcome to those rights-holders. This guest column is a must-read. Continue Reading
Bottom-line profit in the streaming music business is elusive, and progress is measured less by reduced losses as by audience and revenue growth. That’s why Spotify is so happy about its 2015 financials. Continue Reading
Spotify has altered the pricing structure for its family plan. Under the new pricing, a family plan includes up to six individual Premium accounts for $14.99. The feature set for the plan is unchanged. Continue Reading
Spotify has hired Francis Keeling as its new vice president, global head of licensing, effective June 1. Keeling joins the streaming service after a 14-year tenure at Universal Music Group. “Francis is one of the very best in the business,” said Stefan Blom, Spotify’s chief content officer. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: One ex-radio career news specialist decries the downfall of an award-winning station; pirates interfere with licensed radio; Microsoft kills off its in-phone radio tuner. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: More records for Drake’s record; a rational take on Radiohead and Spotify; Spotify exec talks Apple Music impact. Continue Reading
On the Move tracks hires, promotions, and other notable personnel changes within the online audio industry. Today’s moves include big hires for Universal Music Group and Gaana. Also a new face is joining Spotify’s Asian operations. Continue Reading
The American Music Rights Association (AMRA), owned by music publisher Kobalt, which claims to be the largest independent music publisher in the world, reported increased earnings from both YouTube and Spotify in Q3 2015. During its first three months of administering Kobalt’s catalog in Europe, AMRA saw a 26% increase in Spotify earnings and a 34% increase in YouTube earnings for the publishing client. Continue Reading
Spotify is planning to create 12 original video series. A few months after adding video clips to its mobile service, Spotify is introducing a roster of original shows, with episodes running just 15 minutes or less. This new content will initially roll out to the streaming service’s free and paid users in the U.S., the UK, Germany, and Sweden. Continue Reading