Spotify announced today that it has more than 20 million subscribers and 75 million active users on its streaming platform. The company started off 2015 with the announcement 60 million active users and 15 million paying subscribers, meaning Spotify grew quickly to hit this milestone. Spotify also closed a round of funding today valued at $526 million. Continue Reading
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The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: YouTube Analytics; DASH Radio emerges; Merlin magic for SoundCloud; FCC liberates Pandora; the ideal cost of music. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Billboard on Spotify payouts; Steve Albini talks copyright; Deezer not worried about Apple rivalry. Continue Reading
Spotify said that it adds nearly 60,000 new users per week in Australia and about 20,000 new users a week in New Zealand. It also said that a quarter of Australian’s population has at least tried out the platform. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 30% of Spotify’s Aussie users pay for the premium subscription. The streaming service has been active in the Australian market for three years. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it will launch a version for Android Wear. The smartwatch version will allow listeners to navigate through their playlists, select the tunes they want, and browse for other songs. The Android Wear app will roll out gradually over the month of June. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the Internet: Spotify’s new competitive strategy; YouTube and the music industry; finding therapeutic potential in Pandora’s Music Genome. Continue Reading
When Spotify announced last week that it was adding video to its content catalog, it signaled a directional shift and a competitive thrust into YouTube’s territory. YouTube, meanwhile, is inching its Music Key subscription platform onto Spotify’s front lawn. Other brands like Deezer and SoundCloud are also blurring their lines of identity. It’s all about un-platforming … while trying to succeed as a platform. Continue Reading
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The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: Two podcast funding deals; the new Spotify; Pandora acquires more metrics; MixRadio breaks loose Continue Reading
Yesterday, we briefly reported on the contract between Sony and Spotify that was leaked online earlier in the week. We learned today that the International Music Managers Forum used the contract lead as a catalyst for an open letter to the European Commission in an effort to demand more transparency in digital deals. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Sony/Spotify contract leaked (then removed); another songwriting exec critiques safe harbor laws. Continue Reading
At today’s Spotify Event, held in the company’s New York office, CEO Daniel Ek and other senior leaders announced and demonstrated new features that will roll out in updated apps starting today. There are three main parts of Spotify’s announcement. “Life with Spotify will never be the same,” CEO Daiel Ek said. Continue Reading
Starbucks, which has a long history as a music purveyor within its larger mission of caffeinating the world, today announced a partnership with on-demand music service Spotify. The alliance is trumpeted as a “First-of-its-kind music ecosystem.” Continue Reading