Spotify is trying out a new layer to its alerts about new music releases. The platform already shows full-screen pop-ups to users when their favorite artists drop new albums. With the new feature, artists and their management would have the option to pay to sponsor those recommendations. Continue Reading
Germany has been one of the slower markets to transition to streaming music, and a new study found that the trends toward new technology is continuing to gradually rise. A study conducted by the University of Hamburg for a collection of music industry bodies found that about a quarter of German listeners are paying for a music streaming service. Continue Reading
Pandora has introduced multiple features centered around artist promotion. First, it shared some figures from its Artist Marketing Platform. Second, it launched song credits in more platforms. Continue Reading
NPR has announced the hire of AI expert Noelle LaCharite as Vice President of Digital Technology. NPR’s Chief digital Officer Thomas Hjelm made the announcement. LaCharite has been an artificial intelligence expert at Microsoft and Amazon, and is a veteran speaker, teacher, and digital product developer. Continue Reading
Spreaker has added one-click distribution support for Android app Podcast Addict. The app reported that it has been downloaded more than 9 million times and hosts 750,000 shows. Continue Reading
NPR has announced the second Student Podcast Challenge, an opportunity for kids and teachers in grades 5-12 to create and submit new shows. The first year resulted in 6,000 submitted shows from teams representing 25,000 students. Continue Reading
Acast is launching a new program to help its podcasters put on live shows. It has entered a partnership with DICE to produce a run of events from late 2019 through 2020 in venues around London. Acast Live will feature shows curated from the company’s UK podcast network. Continue Reading
Audioboom is announcing today its fall podcast lineup. It includes three new originals and one renewed show for its third season. Continue Reading
Audiotrade, the digital audio DSP under Latin American specialist Audio.ad, announced a new partnership in programmatic buying. The platform is working with Precision, the programmatic division of Publicis Media, in nine markets. Continue Reading
The BBC has introduced a new approach to providing news on voice-activated hardware. The broadcaster launched an interactive voice news service designed to let listeners have more control over what stories they hear. It is rolling out to Alexa-enabled devices initially, and the BBC expects to add other platforms in the future. Continue Reading
The IFPI and Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) announced a new deal that will see the two parties collaborate on a system for collecting recording industry data. The Repertoire Data Exchange, or RDx, is a centralized industry data exchange service that will allow record companies and music licensing companies (MLCs) to manage their recording rights. Continue Reading
The latest report shared by Edison Research is an examination into the gender divides in podcasting. The results were initially presented at the She Podcasts LIVE event earlier this month. The report found that 29% of women have listened to a podcast in the last month, compared with 36% of men. Women are also drawing closer to an even split in the makeup of the monthly podcast audience. Continue Reading