The British Phonographic Industry released its official 2016 annual report. Total music consumption for the year rose 1.5% to 123 million album equivalent sales. The past year saw 45 billion audio streams served to UK listeners. Continue Reading
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has released the 2016 edition of its digital radio report. Digital radio was responsible for 45.5% of total listening hours in Q3 2016. In some local areas, it has surpassed half of listening time. Continue Reading
BPI, the British Phonographic Industry, has created a new initiative focused on bringing technology into its work in new ways. The BPI Innovation Hub will meet quarterly to connect tech companies with record labels. Continue Reading
RAJAR data from the third quarter showed a continued leveling out of growth in radio listening. The Q3 2016 numbers found 89.1% of the UK population tuning in each week, a steady result from 89.3% in the year-ago period. Continue Reading
Subscriptions have become big business in the UK, with 78% now paying for one. New research from Zuora and YouGov surveyed more than 2,000 British adults about their use of subscriptions. A shift toward experience over ownership emerged as a key takeaway. Continue Reading
Panoply, the podcasting network owned by publisher Slate, is planning to launch an office in London. This new base will focus on increasing collaborations with audio talent in the UK market. Continue Reading
AudioBoom has inked an exclusive deal for the hosting, distribution, and monetization of the podcast No Such Thing As A Fish. The popular British podcast features comedic investigations into obscure or unusual facts. The four hosts are researchers for the BBC2 panel show QI: Quite Interesting. Continue Reading
UK Music issued its latest Measuring Music report, which found the industry on the rise with notable growth in streaming. Music contributed £4.1 billion in GVA (gross value added) to the UK economy across 2015. Continue Reading
Apple Music has its first UK telecom deal. Six months of free access to the streaming service will be available to new or upgrading customers of mobile operator EE beginning Sept. 1. Continue Reading
Sony Music UK has acquired Ministry of Sound Recordings. The artist division is an arm of the dance music entertainment business that began with the London nightclub of the same name. Continue Reading
The latest RAJAR data shows continued growth for UK digital radio in the second quarter. Fifty-nine percent of the population tunes in to digital radio each week, up from 57% in the first quarter of this year. The share of all radio on digital platforms rose for yet another quarter to reach 45.3%. Continue Reading
Universal Music UK has introduced a new brand focused on playlists and compilations. Universal Music On Demand is a response to the importance of playlists in the streaming music economy and could look to protect the role of professional curators. Continue Reading