Spotify is closing out the year by sharing statistics. First, the streaming service shared its top performers of 2018. Second, it has opted to promote its platform for another year with the Wrapped promotional campaign of advertisements sharing unusual or funny data points from its listeners. Continue Reading
Mixcloud has started to roll out a fan-to-creator subscription option to its streaming service. Select lets listeners subscribe directly to individual Mixcloud channels and offer their direct support to favorite creators. Continue Reading
Cadence13 has entered an exclusive partnership with Pushkin Industries. This new audio company is the work of co-founders Jacob Weisberg, former chairman and editor-in-chief of the Slate Group, and Malcolm Gladwell, a writer and bestselling author. Cadence13 will exclusively represent shows from Pushkin Industries beginning January 1, 2019. Continue Reading
Apple Music is getting involved with this year’s Grammy Awards. The streaming service will have live video of the nominations event for select categories on December 7 at 8:30 am Eastern. The Apple Music stream will happen alongside their reveal on CBS This Morning. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: SCA’s big plans for original podcasts. In-car audio on the rise. Apple HomePod engineering lesson. Continue Reading
India’s music market has finalized a merger between two major players. Jio Music and Saavn have completed the union of their streaming services, creating a single entity that has a combined value of $1 billion. The joint platform is called JioSaavn. Continue Reading
Radio consultant and podcast producer Mark Ramsey is announcing today a new division of his Mark Ramsey Media company, focused on research and other services for Christian broadcasters. The effort is “built specifically to serve the unique needs of Christian broadcasters, both commercial and non-commercial.” Continue Reading
Tencent Music Entertainment has launched its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The music arm of the Chinese conglomerate Tencent is looking to raise between $1.07 billion and $1.23 billion in this move. It is targeting a valuation between $22 billion and $25 billion. Continue Reading
The acquisition of Triton Digital by E.W. Scripps has closed, the parent company announced this morning. First announced six weeks ago, the merger settles what has been an uneven path for Triton in 2018, as it adds an important piece to Scripps’ digital acquisition strategy. Continue Reading
Panoply Media’s lead data analyst, David Martin, has penned a blog post exploring the value of podcast ratings. Martin defines a rating is the number of 1-5 stars a listener gives a show, while a review is their written assessment. The podcast company’s statistics showed that about 80% of shows in the U.S. iTunes store have no ratings listed. Continue Reading
Major labels and publishers are quick to call in the copyright lawyers, and this time their target was a podcast that they claimed was illegally using music in episodes. David Oxenford explains the distinctions between different performance licenses and what podcasters should do to stay on the right side of copyright law. Continue Reading
Warner Music Group has hired Jess Keeley-Carter as its new senior vice president of global digital marketing. She will assume the role beginning January 14. She joins the label from Facebook, where she oversaw label partnerships in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Continue Reading