KKBOX, a leading Asian streaming music platform, has obtained a $104-million venture investment from GIC, which the company calls “Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund.” The company says it will use the money to develop its listening platform and expand to new markets. Continue Reading
Mark Mulligan is one of the industry’s most astute observers and analysts. This guest column examines customer sharing, revenue cannibalization, and the next five years in music — “one of the music industry’s most dramatic periods of change. The last ten years might have been disruptive but the change that is coming will be even more transformative.” Continue Reading
Brief news and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify debuts Serendipity music map; a musician’s guide to streaming; digital music’s slow growth in Finland; how tablet market impacts music. Continue Reading
Brief news and worthy reads from around the web: play counts Spotify’s top 50; Bop.fm adds follow feature; billions of bucks expected in subscriptions. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify’s unfilled job listings; Sinfini Music hits Australia; music business considering global release dates; two more execs join ADD. Continue Reading
Market-leading music-identification app Shazam has added Spotify to its list of music services that will play full tracks identified by Shazam. The updated app can hook into Rdio (in a longer-standing relationship), Beats Music, and Spotify. Continue Reading
Spotify announced a new partnership with BandPage that will integrate a digital storefront to artists’ presence on the streaming platform. Musicians will have an option to sell their BandPage merchandise and show tickets, or promote unique fan experiences, from their artist pages on Spotify. The new feature is free for the artists to use, and could be a way for them to turn the streaming service into a hub for fan engagement and revenue. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: RMLC supports consent decrees; Spotify’s first Canadian invites; Pandora ad exec talks targeting Continue Reading
Google has started testing a new form of advertising that gives listeners a direct link to a streaming service. The Wall Street Journal reported that the music services are paying for the pots by the click, similar to Google’s other paid text link ads. “We’re happy to help users quickly find legitimate sources for their favorite movies, music and more via Google search,” an unnamed Google rep told WSJ. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Behind Spotify’s algorithms; music royalties cheat sheet; Internet radio company Reciva snapped up Continue Reading
YouTube lost another lead on its music program. Product management head Shiva Rajaraman is leaving to join Spotify. It’s unclear how this personnel change might impact YouTube’s chances of rolling out its new music product, which was expected to launch this summer. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: The state of streaming; online radio in Australia; live but not in person; Google/Spotify deal debate. Continue Reading