Investment firm TPG Capital is reportedly considering an investment in Spotify. Sky News said that TPG is in talks to provide financing of as much as $500 million in loan notes, which could lead to Spotify increasing the size of its offering to up to $1 billion. These alleged fundraising plans come as Pandora continues to voice its intention to build a competing on-demand music service. Continue Reading
In the wake of David Lowery’s lawsuit against Spotify, other streaming services are now allegedly moving to protect themselves against similar actions. Both Deezer and Rhapsody have reportedly made moves related to Lowery’s catalogs with the bands Camper van Beethoven and Cracker. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it is switching the operation of its streaming music service to Google’s cloud computing platform. Its old system relied on a network of data centers, as well as some assistance from Amazon Web Services. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify not that into exclusives; Pandora as disruptor; MMF seeks streaming equity stance from Universal; a look at musical crowdfunding success. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it will revive the Spotify House at SXSW in Austin with the support of several business partners. Expect to see tie-ins with Chromecast, PlayStation, SoulCycle, and more at this year’s Spotify House. Continue Reading
Spotify has expanded its listenership measurement study, produced by TNS, and today released results of a survey conducted in Canada. Like the European study, the Canada survey measures listening to terrestrial radio and to Spotify’s free online radio service, and demonstrates that Spotify’s audience provides incremental additional reach to radio advertisers. Continue Reading
Spotify has made its first parry in the lawsuit filed against the streaming service by musician and activist David Lowery. According to a newly filed motion, Spotify is seeking to remove the class allegations, calling the case “a fatally flawed candidate” for that status. Continue Reading
Yesterday. There were acquisition rumors. There was an earnings call. There was a jittery-up-and-down stock price. In the middle of all that, Pandora CEO Brian McAndrews laid out the company’s key lines of strategy in this ambitious and pivotal year. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify’s programmatic plans; when companies sponsor podcasts; Sonos taps into neurological research. Continue Reading
The Amazon Echo has added support for Spotify. However, the voice-controlled speaker will only work for subscribers of the streaming service. The Echo is one of many new challengers in the field of WiFi speakers and connected home audio, where Sonos has been the leader for some time. Continue Reading
Last week we reported that Spotify’s long-awaited video content, first announced last May, would finally appear in its mobile apps. Yesterday we were pleased to find a portfolio of video programming, plus audio podcasts, in a freshly updated Android app. Podcast listening in Spotify is a good experience, possibly a game-changer. Continue Reading
After launching in October, Spotify has continued adding to its roster of In Residence shows. These playlists bring a new content approach to the streaming service, one that sounds more like a podcast or a radio show. Now that Spotify is also finally beginning the rollout of its long-awaited video options, it appears that the company is positioning itself as an entertainment hub for more than just on-demand music. Continue Reading