RAIN News

StreamGuys offers custom Alexa skill creation to boost broadcasters on Amazon Echo

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Anna Washenko

StreamGuys, a specialist in Internet radio technology, is getting into the Amazon Echo game. The company announced that it can create custom Alexa skills for its broadcast clients. This would bring extra voice command functionalities for listeners tuning in on the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Tap smart home speaker devices. The new feature offering expands StreamGuys’ existing SaaS tools for producing, managing, delivering, and monetizing streaming media and podcasts. Continue Reading →

SoundCloud Next Wave videos highlight underground music scenes

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Anna Washenko

SoundCloud has partnered with The Fader for a documentary miniseries called SoundCloud Next Wave. Episodes in this video series will highlight local music scenes, with the debut focusing on underground rap in Los Angeles. The Fader has also posted a curated SoundCloud playlist showcasing other music from the city’s rap scene. Continue Reading →

Radiotopia contest winner Ear Hustle hits 1.5 million downloads

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Radiotopia announced that its Ear Hustle podcast has been downloaded 1.5 million times. The show came to life as the winner of the network’s Podquest contest last year. Ear Hustle is the work of Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, both incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, and Nigel Poor, a Bay Area artist and professor. Continue Reading →

Mechanical royalties debate sparked once again for Spotify

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Songwriter and publisher royalties have appeared once again as a sticking point for the Spotify streaming service. The New York Post’s Claire Atkinson is reporting that music publishers and songwriters are looking to receive a portion of Spotify’s equity when the company either goes public or finds an interested buyer. According to her sources, the National Music Publishers Association has been deeply interested in the question of equity since Spotify has been more seriously preparing for a direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Continue Reading →

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SoundCloud updates: The noise, the exclusive, and the digital preservation efforts

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Before the weekend, we recapped the activity surrounding SoundCloud and the outlook for its future. The company had issued an odd response to reporting by TechCrunch, and popular hip-hop performer Chance the Rapper said he “was working on” an effort to help the audio platform. Today, we have some further developments on both of those stories. Continue Reading →

Sony reportedly moving forward with Believe Digital acquisition (UPDATED)

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Sony is reportedly in the final stages of a deal to purchase Believe Digital. According to Nikkei, Sony plans to pay an estimated 40 billion to 50 billion yen ($355 million to $444 million) for the distributor and label services company. Update: Believe Digital CEO denies Nikkei reporting. Continue Reading →

UK mid-year report sees streaming up, downloads down

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Anna Washenko

The UK’s music market is following the global trends of increased streaming and decreased downloads. The mid-year data released by BPI and the Official Charts Company showed a 11.6% increase in album equivalent sales for the first half of the year, reaching nearly 63.87 million units. Continue Reading →

James Cridland’s Future of Radio: Zero-rated data, will analytics stifle the creative process, and a UK radio station being hijacked

Posted on July 17, 2017 by James Cridland

by James Cridland

James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Net neutrality’s importance to radio. How analytics could sway podcast creation. A reminder about the importance of good security. Much more. Continue Reading →

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Bridge Ratings finds streaming chips away at radio’s devoted listener base

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Bridge Ratings has posted an update to its New Media Gauntlet study, which reflects listener trends across different media. The latest results showed that although radio’s weekly cume has been relatively stable over time, it has been declining in how many people dub it their favorite listening choice. Streaming, on the other hand, has been rising in “favoriteness,” which Bridge said is chipping away at the numbers for both radio and downloads. Continue Reading →

SoundCloud appears to confirm short finances; Chance the Rapper to the rescue?

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Yesterday’s Quick Hits included a rather dire outlook on SoundCloud from TechCrunch, which shared reports from an all-hands meeting at the audio company that cast serious doubts on its financial outlook. Today brings two responses to that report, one from SoundCloud and one from a possible source of help. Continue Reading →

Nielsen Canada posts streaming growth in mid-year report

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Nielsen has published a mid-year report on Canada’s music market. Total audio consumption for the first six months of 2017 reached 22.9 million units, up 14.4% on-year. The growth was founded on 86.6% grown in on-demand audio streaming, which reached 17.5 billion for the period. Continue Reading →

Google makes New Release Radio available to all

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Anna Washenko

Google Play Music has rolled out its New Release Radio personalized playlist to all listeners across its free and subscription tiers. The curated playlists contain newly released music that Google’s machine learning platform determines each user would like. The feature debuted in June as an exclusive for the owners of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus smartphones. Continue Reading →