YouTube is throwing its hat into the music subscription ring one more time. Bloomberg reported that the video platform is planning to launch a paid music subscription in March 2018. Internally dubbed Remix, the platform would reportedly offer on-demand streaming and elements from YouTube such as video clips. Continue Reading
Google and Amazon are at odds over access, marking a very public division between two tech giants that could cause interruptions for consumers. The two companies had appeared to resolve a question around access to YouTube on the Amazon Echo Show in late November, but Google has reversed course. Today, Google announced that it would not allow YouTube access on either the Amazon Echo Show or the Amazon Fire TV. Continue Reading
YouTube has returned hundreds of music videos to its service in Finland, ending a temporary block on the content. The tech company stopped showing content represented by Finnish collection society Teosto starting November 30 after the two parties were unable to secure a new licensing agreement. Continue Reading
Amazon’s Echo Show has restored access to YouTube videos. The Amazon smart speaker, which has a screen, debuted in the spring but lost the ability to play YouTube clips in September. Google and Amazon each have their own take on why the service was suspended. Continue Reading
YouTube has entered a partnership with Ticketmaster for a deal that will allow artists to include tour dates on their official music videos. The new feature will roll out first to any artists with North America Ticketmaster shows. Continue Reading
European leaders are hearing continued pressure to create stronger solutions in securing the safe harbor clause. The latest move centered on a number of groups that lobby on digital rights sending a letter to Parliament calling for the clause to be eliminated from the draft of the European Copyright Directive. Continue Reading
YouTube has adjusted its approach for how content creators can get paid by their fans. Last week, the video platform announced that it is ending its paid channels initiative, a program that allowed channel owners to directly sell access to their videos to individual subscribers. In its place, YouTube is broadening its sponsorship model. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from the web: Updates from YouTube’s Lyor Cohen; the trajectory of home audio; advertising isn’t going away on Spotify. Continue Reading
Europe’s Nordic region continues to be a standard-setter for digital music adoption. The Polaris Nordic Digital Music Survey 2017 surveyed residents in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark about their listening habits. It found that 80% of all inhabitants between the ages of 12 and 65 used at least one streaming service in the past year. Continue Reading
The New York Times has published a data visualization comparing the popularity of top artists across the U.S. The publication used a cross-section of Billboard’s Top 100 artists and YouTube viewing data to create heat maps of where those performers are listened to the most (and the least). The artist maps offer insight into where and how some newer big acts got their surge to the top, who is keeping the familiar names atop the charts, and which regions have the most die-hard fan support for local heroes. And yes, there are some interesting surprises. Continue Reading
YouTube Music has added an update to its offline listening options for YouTube Red subscribers. Members of the subscription program are now able to choose specific playlists, albums, or songs for offline access as well. Continue Reading
YouTube Head of Music Lyor Cohen said that Google Music Play and YouTube Red will be combined into a single property. Cohen confirmed the eventual merger during a session at the New Music Seminar event in New York. He said the move would help educate consumers and increase the company’s subscriber numbers. Continue Reading