When Nielsen acquired Arbitron in September, visions of unification sprang into the minds of observers. Among Internet brands, Pandora arguably has the most to gain by holistic audience measurement. But as lean-back listening is more emphasized in Spotify, Rhapsody, and iTunes, many stakeholders want change in 2014. Continue Reading
2013 was the year in which music royalties were lifted from the realm of legal arcana, and placed in public consciousness. Along with that, the related issue of musicians’ livelihood was insistently inserted into the online conversation. A U.S. lawmaker introduced a new royalty regulation bill. Radio and label groups cut new deals. And Pandora shifted focus. Continue Reading
In audio, advertisers are relatively blind. Before this year, ad buyers and sellers relied on registration data to gain a blunt demographic knowledge of users. 2013 might be remembered as the year in which understanding and targeting the audio-listening audience gained some degree of maturity. Two nearly coincidental breakthroughs signaled a possible evolutionary leap for advertisers. Continue Reading
2013 saw the important signs of crowding in the online listening space. What marks 2013 is the introduction of music services by the three big technology companies (Google, Microsoft, and Apple), and the tectonic rumbling felt through the industry. When there is reduction in some areas, there is expansion in others. 2013 saw saw feasts and famines. Continue Reading
On March 8, then-CEO Joe Kennedy resigned his position, and the hunt was on for a new captain. That search took six months. On September 12, Brian McAndrews was named Pandora CEO. The McAndrews appointment signaled the company’s intention to focus on monetizing the market-leading audience that Kennedy had built. Continue Reading