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Rumor Fact(ory): Music Key changes and trouble possibly brewing at YouTube

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Anna Washenko

We learned recently that the official YouTube Music Key launch has been postponed, and two new rumors circulating about the popular video platform could provide some insight as to why. First, there has been speculation that YouTube is aiming to make Music Key part of a bigger subscription video service, positioning it as a rival to Netflix and Hulu as well as to music-centric streaming platforms. The second rumor is that music labels may be questioning the current status quo of YouTube’s ad-supported model. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: Pandora programmatic; YouTube compared to cable; Spotify’s new playlist

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Brad Hill

Worthy news items and interesting reads from around the web. Today: Analyzing Pandora programmatic; YouTube is bigger than cable; inside Spotify’s new playlist. Continue Reading →

YouTube CEO offers notes on Music Key, mobile plans

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube Music Key has mostly been quiet since the initial excitement over its beta launch last November. The last that we heard of Google’s planned subscription service, the beta had been extended into September. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki spoke at a Fortune event yesterday and touched on the outlook for Music Key, offering just a little bit of insight on its status. Continue Reading →

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High school class of 2015 listens to more Spotify, less Pandora

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Brad Hill

Research company Niche has released its annual survey of media usage among high school graduates. The survey collected responses from 10,000 members of the 2015 graduating high school class. Spotify is the big music gainer, but Pandora still rules. Continue Reading →

Missives from Midem: Streaming is a hot topic for the industry conference

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Anna Washenko

This weekend, some of the music industry’s biggest names gathered in Cannes for the Midem conference. Many of the talks and interviews this year addressed the business of streaming. Here are some highlights from leaders at Sony Music, SoundCloud, YouTube, Believe Digital, and Tidal. Continue Reading →

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Internet Radio Rewind #046: YouTube Analytics; Merlin magic for SoundCloud; FCC liberates Pandora; more

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Brad Hill

A weekly podcast from RAIN News

Sponsored by AudioBoom

The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: YouTube Analytics; DASH Radio emerges; Merlin magic for SoundCloud; FCC liberates Pandora; the ideal cost of music. Continue Reading →

YouTube adds new Music Insights analytics for artists

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube launched a new set of analytics called Music Insights specifically for musicians. The participating artists can use Music Insights to view engagement information, including their most popular songs and the locations where they have the largest number of fans. It also shares aggregated view counts, which include fan-uploaded videos using that artist’s songs as well as views of videos on the performer’s own channel. Continue Reading →

MusicWatch measures music service competition; Apple must differentiate its upcoming offering

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Brad Hill

Research company MusicWatch publicly released data points from its Annual Music Study, measuring relative popularity among leading streaming music outlets YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, VEVO, and iTunes Radio. The timing anticipates Apple’s expected announcement of its new on-demand music platform. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: YouTube exec on Music Key; hypothetical Apple acquisitions; a possible class action against Sony

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: YouTube’s Kyncl says all’s well with Music Key; who could Apple buy next?; Potential Sony class action following contract leak. Continue Reading →

Quick Hits: Mark Mulligan on Spotify’s updates; CNET on YouTube; Pandora on music therapy for cancer

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Brad Hill

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the Internet: Spotify’s new competitive strategy; YouTube and the music industry; finding therapeutic potential in Pandora’s Music Genome. Continue Reading →

Editor’s Notebook: Spotify and YouTube cross into overlapping territory

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Brad Hill

When Spotify announced last week that it was adding video to its content catalog, it signaled a directional shift and a competitive thrust into YouTube’s territory. YouTube, meanwhile, is inching its Music Key subscription platform onto Spotify’s front lawn. Other brands like Deezer and SoundCloud are also blurring their lines of identity. It’s all about un-platforming … while trying to succeed as a platform. Continue Reading →

YouTube Music Key beta gets extended to September

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Anna Washenko

YouTube has extended the beta trial for its Music Key subscription service through Sept. 15. According to the emails sent to current beta testers, the extension is a thank you for the helpful feedback received during the first six months of testing. Continue Reading →