Spotify 66 - RAIN News

Next Big Sound examines streaming trends: Growth, social media, and specialization

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Next Big Sound released its summer report, and the focus for this season was streaming and social media. Even though Pandora purchased the music data specialist this spring, the company is still able to provide compelling insight across several streaming platforms. In fact, Next Big Sound has already tracked more than 1 trillion online plays in the first six months of the year. That covers activity from YouTube, Vevo, Vimeo, Spotify, Rdio, SoundCloud, and new owner Pandora. Continue Reading →

Rumor Fact(ory): Freemium restrictions still under consideration at Spotify

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Anna Washenko

According to a new report from Digital Music News, Spotify may be reconsidering its free tier approach. Sources have allegedly told the site that Spotify may begin adopting a windowed path, making some music releases only available to paid listeners or only opening it up to free listeners for a short amount of time. The company is reportedly considering several different options for what form that gated material might take. Sources told DMN that multiple of those options could see a rollout in early 2016. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: Beats 1 as radio rival; Spotify as hitmaker;

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Brad Hill

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web. TODAY: Does Beats 1 steal radio’s last advantage? Is Spotify a hitmaker? And U2 went on podcasting to break news. Continue Reading →

New partnership brings Beatport exclusives to Spotify

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Anna Washenko

SFX Entertainment has entered into a partnership with Spotify. This new arrangement will bring music and video content from Beatport to Spotify’s streaming service. Brand new Beatport CEO Greg Consiglio said that the company is in the midst of building out new content partnerships with other distribution channels, but Spotify is the only one that will get access to Beatport’s new music exclusives. Continue Reading →

Test Drive: Spotify’s newest feature is a weekly personalized mixtape

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Spotify has launched a new feature called Discover Weekly. This is a two-hour playlist personalized to each individual listener. The song choices for the Discover Weekly list stem from your particular music taste and what other similar fans are listening to. Spotify is billing it as a custom-made mixtape delivered each Monday morning. So how good are the recommendations? Pretty solid. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: Pandora programmatic; YouTube compared to cable; Spotify’s new playlist

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Brad Hill

Worthy news items and interesting reads from around the web. Today: Analyzing Pandora programmatic; YouTube is bigger than cable; inside Spotify’s new playlist. Continue Reading →

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Internet Radio Rewind #51: Neil Young exaggerates; FTC and Apple; how do high-schoolers listen?

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Brad Hill

A weekly podcast from RAIN News

Sponsored by AudioBoom

The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Neil Young exaggerates; FTC and Apple; how do high-schoolers listen? Continue Reading →

Spotify data map and playlists share local music tastes worldwide

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Anna Washenko

The Spotify Insights blog has a new data creation for its fans to play with. The latest is a musical map with accompanying playlists showcasing the songs that are most unique to many of the world’s cities. Editor Eliot Van Buskirk calls these songs ‘distinctive,’ tunes that one location seems to enjoy a lot but other areas don’t. Continue Reading →

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High school class of 2015 listens to more Spotify, less Pandora

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Brad Hill

Research company Niche has released its annual survey of media usage among high school graduates. The survey collected responses from 10,000 members of the 2015 graduating high school class. Spotify is the big music gainer, but Pandora still rules. Continue Reading →

Infographic details the value of a single stream on Spotify, Pandora

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Much digital ink has been spilled about the value of streaming, from its intangible impact on the music industry to the very tangible bottom line. Billboard crunched some numbers about the value of a single stream at both Spotify and Pandora, shedding a little light on who is getting what under the current deals. Continue Reading →

FTC reportedly investigates Apple over music service commissions

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Brad Hill

Last week we reported (with some commentary) on Spotify’s email to iOS subscribers, which recommended unsubscribing from the music service in iTunes, and re-subscribing directly through Spotify. Now, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly examining Apple’s policy. Continue Reading →

Internet Radio Rewind #50: Dramatic streaming growth; Spotify’s odd request; Facebook and music

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Brad Hill

A weekly podcast from RAIN News

Sponsored by AudioBoom

The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Nielsen mid-year report; U.K. streaming growth; Spotify tells subscribers to unsubscribe; Xbox Music reborn; Facebook and music. Continue Reading →