YouTube 13 - RAIN News

YouTube reportedly preps Netflix-like service

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Anna Washenko

It has been a very busy year for Alphabet (née Google). Not only has the company undergone a major reorganization and rebranding, but its various entertainment properties have been putting down roots, entrenching themselves for the long journey to becoming the top dogs. The latest development comes from YouTube, which The Wall Street Journal (paywall) reports is working on building up its video offerings to include licensed movies and TV shows. Continue Reading →

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Adweek’s hottest music apps of 2015 mirror last year’s picks

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Anna Washenko

The end-of-the-year roundups continue apace, this time with Adweek’s Hot List detailing the top 24 digital brands, startups, and games from 2015. The list included nods for the ‘hottest music app,’ and if you can remember back to last year’s choices, you’ll be seeing very familiar names. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: YouTube funding fair use cases; the FCC and FM chips; Dash Radio’s tech tools

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: YouTube aiding in some fair use cases; FCC commissioner voices support for FM chip activation; Dash Radio’s multichannel technology. Continue Reading →

YouTube Music standalone app launches

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube has launched its new standalone music app. YouTube Music, which was once just a section of the general YouTube service, is now available as a free download on both the iOS App Store and Google Play. Although anyone can use the YouTube Music app for free, it does offer a premium experience lumped into the YouTube Red subscription. Continue Reading →

On the Move: Shuffles at Universal, BPI, and Google Play

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Anna Washenko

On the Move tracks hires, promotions, and other notable personnel changes within the online audio industry. Today’s changes include a new appointment at Universal, a departure from BPI, and a changing role at Google. Continue Reading →

David Lowery petitions N.Y. Attorney General for publishing royalty investigation

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Anna Washenko

David Lowery, a former professional musician and now an advocate for artists’ rights, has written to the New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman to seek an investigation into unpaid mechanical royalties. This fall has seen some heated debate about licensing payments in the streaming music economy, particularly for publishers. Continue Reading →

Rumor Fact(ory): Does Apple have grander visions for video?

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Anna Washenko

The big gossip swirling around this Monday morning centers once again on Apple Music. This time, the speculation is about the bigger role video may play in this streaming service following the rollout of a new embedding feature for videos hosted on Apple Music’s Connect profiles. Continue Reading →

AMRA enters nearly-global deal for YouTube music royalties

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube has entered an international deal with AMRA, the U.S.-based collecting society, to collect music royalties in more than 100 markets. The deal could streamline the process of collecting royalties for writers represented by AMRA and its parent company, Kobalt. Continue Reading →

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YouTube Red unveiled: The joint video/music subscription launches next week

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube has at long last unveiled its paid, ad-free video subscription service. It’s called YouTube Red, and it will cost $9.99 a month. As predicted, a subscription to YouTube Red will include access to a redesigned YouTube Music app, which will replace Music Key. Continue Reading →

YouTube to unveil video (and music?) plans on Wednesday

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube announced that it will be hosting an event this Wednesday in Los Angeles to formally introduce details about its long-rumored paid video service. Google has been slowly moving toward this shift for months, and the event this week could reveal the culmination of its efforts to create both a more lucrative Netflix- or Hulu-style paid subscription and a formal music streaming platform. Continue Reading →

Rumor Fact(ory): YouTube may be ramping up for fall Music Key, subscription launch

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube Music Key entered its beta almost a year ago, and since then, we’ve been waiting and seeking any minor hint about when and how that launch will happen. According to reports from Re/code, the latest sign seems to point to the date being later this fall. Continue Reading →

Next Big Sound examines streaming trends: Growth, social media, and specialization

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Next Big Sound released its summer report, and the focus for this season was streaming and social media. Even though Pandora purchased the music data specialist this spring, the company is still able to provide compelling insight across several streaming platforms. In fact, Next Big Sound has already tracked more than 1 trillion online plays in the first six months of the year. That covers activity from YouTube, Vevo, Vimeo, Spotify, Rdio, SoundCloud, and new owner Pandora. Continue Reading →