Spotify has been building momentum for a push into Japan, and the increasing number of job postings for the nation may indicate that the company is nearing a launch date. The streaming company currently lists 12 open jobs for its office in Tokyo. Continue Reading
Last spring, Spotify turned heads with the announcement of plans to turn its streaming audio platform into a more comprehensive entertainment hub with podcasts and video content. Over the following months, there has been curiosity and increasing impatience about when those changes would hit the service. This is the week. Continue Reading
Spotify has acquired two companies, adding their talent to its product development and engineering teams. One purchase is Cord Project, the other is Soundwave. No financial details of the purchases were disclosed. Continue Reading
Spotify has partnered with coffee chain Starbucks for what they’ve dubbed a “new digital music experience” in stores across the U.S. Under this new arrangement, patrons will be able to identify music playing over the store loudspeakers from within the Starbucks app. Continue Reading
The Financial Times reported over the weekend that Apple Music has reached 10 million subscribers, which represents impressive growth over six months. What does it indicate about the future audience growth for Apple Music? Guest columnist Bret Kinsella infers a churn rate from publicly disclosed retention numbers, and arrives at a prediction.
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Spotify has been hit with a second lawsuit in two weeks, again centered on licensing and royalties. The plaintiff is artist Melissa Ferrick, who said her songs have been streamed more than a million times without proper licensing. Continue Reading
In December we wrote about the Listomania research from Chris Price of New Slang Media. Part two of Listomania goes deeper and more granular with a case study of Justin Bieber’s hit song, “Love Yourself.” What are the respective roles of streaming and broadcast radio in fostering a global hit song? Continue Reading
David Lowery has filed an attempted class action lawsuit against Spotify, charging that the streaming service knowingly and willingly distributed music without the correct mechanical licenses. Lowery is a vociferous critic of streaming music services.
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In addition to the gift-wrapping and boxes, we’re also spending our post-holiday stupor unpacking the impact of The Beatles’ arrival into the streaming music space. This Monday morning focuses on social data, Spotify, and the top song choice this weekend. Continue Reading
The Beatles are finally on-demand. It’s not the first time a celebrated hold-out splashily entered the interactive streaming space. But it feels different, closing the loop on a tectonic disruption of music consumption. Continue Reading
Spotify has announced plans to add a new component to its behind-the-scenes features. The streaming service is making a songwriters and publishers administration system to help ensure that the right people get the right payments for the music they have on the platform. Continue Reading
Rdio’s closure meant some scrambling for an unusual partner. The now-shuttered streaming service was the music partner for Tesla’s Model S series of electric cars. Rdio has now been replaced by Spotify for the vehicles in Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong. Current Tesla owners in those markets will see Spotify replacing Rdio through an over-the-air software update. Continue Reading