Quick Hits: Radio and resiliance; SoulCycle and Spotify; music and messaging
Today’s brief news items feature some unexpected combinations. Continue Reading
Spotify
Editor’s Notebook: The controversial value of free
by Brad Hill
The recording industry has always been troubled by free music, understandably. Yet the progression of disruptive technology has made music an Internet commodity. Spotify is arguing that free listening is necessary to scale streaming revenue. Continue Reading
Spotify hires former Gap CMO for marketing role
Spotify has hired Seth Farbman to serve the streaming service in a top marketing position starting April 6. His experience will likely be focused on growing Spotify’s audience of listeners and guiding the company’s general service marketing. Farbman most recently worked at clothing retailer Gap, where he joined as its first global CMO in 2011. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Beats/Spotify royalty throwdown; future of car radio; UMG settlement
Today’s brief news items are all about Apple: Beats Music royalty payouts; the future of car radios; UMG ready to settle musician lawsuit. Continue Reading
Kurt Hanson: “Stream Battle” at Radiodays Europe 2015
by Kurt Hanson
RAIN News founding editor Kurt Hanson traveled to Milan for Radiodays Europe 2015. This bulletin covers a fascinating research session called “Stream Battle.” Continue Reading
Spotify debuts at #2 in Triton Webcast Metrics Top-20 Ranker for January
Month-over-month webcast listening grew by five percent in December, according to Triton Digital’s monthly Webcast Metrics Top 20 Ranker. The lift came despite lower listening during Christmas week, compared to the three previous weeks. Big gains for streaming in 2014. Continue Reading
Rumor Fact(ory): Spotify may pay out $1 billion to UMG
Spotify has allegedly projected that it will pay Universal Music Group $1 billion over the next two years. Internal emails obtained by the New York Post detailed the streaming service’s financial predictions. The $1 billion figure covers music royalties, ad revenue, and subscription fees. Continue Reading
Jon Maples: Does Music Subscriber Growth Cripple Profitability?
by Jon Maples
Guest columnist Jon Maples analyzes Rhapsody’s release of 2014 financial results. Revenue up for the on-demand music service. Losses up, too. What does it mean for the model? Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Beats vs. Spotify; a new streaming model
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Beats vs. Spotify; proposed new streaming model Continue Reading
Björk questions freemium, but embraces other music technologies
Björk has built the reputation as one of music’s more unique and innovative performers and songwriters, so it’s no surprise that many people listen up to hear her perspective on the industry today. In an interview with Fast Company, Björk addressed some of the challenges that go into releasing an album in today’s music market. She has opted to keep her new album off of Spotify over concerns about its freemium business model. Continue Reading
Spotify announces updates to its desktop platform, including lyrics
Spotify began rolling out a new update to its desktop listening platform this week. The big change is the addition of lyrics. This feature is powered by Musixmatch, and you can access the lyrics by clicking the new button next to the play bar. Continue Reading
In sign of the times, Led Zeppelin opens catalog to more streaming services
In the early days of streaming, it wasn’t uncommon for big-name musicians to withhold their catalogs from online services. Led Zeppelin was a famed holdout, to the point where the band giving exclusive rights to Spotify back in 2013 was groundbreaking. So it’s a sign of the times that the Zep is expanding where you can hear its music. This week, the band opened up its library to listeners on several more platforms, including some that specialize in hi-def listening, such as Tidal and Deezer Elite. Continue Reading