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
Alphabet, the parent company behind Google, has announced its second quarter financial results. The company posted quarterly revenue of $26 billion, up 21% on-year. Net income for the period depended on whether the recent $2.7 billion fine levied by the European Commission was included in the accounting. Continue Reading
UK teens are heavy music consumers on digital and streaming platforms. BPI and the ERA commissioned a study from MIDiA Research about the music habits of Generation Z, which includes millennials up to age 19. The report noted trends about their musical platforms of choice as well as other online behaviors. Continue Reading
Today marks the start of VidCon, the online video convention that brings together creators, industry representations, and fans of the still-exploding media format. The event is usually a chance for YouTube to announce new features or new statistics, and this year it has done both. Continue Reading
ASCAP announced that it has entered a multi-year U.S. performance rights deal with YouTube. This arrangement is designed to help members of the performing rights organization to get paid for use of their work on the video platform. Continue Reading
Stephen Bryan has joined YouTube as the video platform’s new head of label relations. The appointment will take effect in July. He is still working at SoundCloud as the audio company’s chief content officer through the end of June. Continue Reading
A new survey from AdWeek measures youth attachment to YouTube in a more dramatic light: 50% of Gen-Z respondents (from a survey field of 1,500) said they “could not live without” YouTube. Nearly all respondents (95%) use YouTube to some extent. Gen-Z’ers are just starting to emerge into the adult marketplace, unfamiliar with non-digital life and paying for daily media content. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Research into YouTube’s music industry influence; Apple launches Giphy channel; NPR interview on corporate sponsorships; MP3s are dead. For real. Continue Reading
Warner Music Group has signed a global licensing deal with YouTube, but the major label still reportedly expressed reservations about working with the video platform. CEO Steve Cooper has reportedly shared an internal memo with WMG that said the YouTube deal was signed “under very difficult circumstances.” Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: YouTube to make original shows for free viewing; PIAS manager talks live video potential; Harry Styles fans try gaming the charts. Continue Reading
YouTube is trialling a redesign of its desktop product, offering an advanced look and soliciting feedback on the changes. The new look is based on the Material Design philosophy, an approach to presenting digital experiences. According to a blog post announcing the redesign, YouTube said the key principles are simplicity, consistency, and beauty. Continue Reading
YouTube talent show draws on television talent; can podcast search engines help discovery; ASCAP conducts voter survey on music licensing. Continue Reading