Universal Music Group posted revenue of €5.673 billion in 2017, up 10% from the previous year. Revenue from streaming and subscriptions grew 35.4%, which offset declining revenue from both downloads and physical sales. Continue Reading
Hot on the heels of its merger with Triton Digital, podcasting platform audioBoom has shared two more business developments. First, the company has entered a partnership with The Podcast Exchange. Second, it has hired Jenni Skaug as its senior sales director. Continue Reading
Pandora Premium is now available as a web version to complement the existing mobile experience of the on-demand streaming service. When the paid option launched in March 2017, it was only available as a mobile app for iOS and Android platforms. Continue Reading
Amazon is continuing to mobilize for an expansion into India. The latest development is Amazon Prime Music extending its deal with Warner Music Group to offer the label’s catalog to listeners in that market. According to The Economic Times, this marks the sixth deal to expand the Prime Music library that will be available in India. Continue Reading
South By Southwest will return to Austin, Texas, next month. Several audio companies are looking to make their mark on the interdisciplinary conference. Pandora announced that it will host music performances at The Gatsby from March 13-15. Podcast platform Stitcher will also have a presence at SXSW. Continue Reading
Recode’s Code Media Conference has had a few notable appearances from the audio and music space. New SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainor recently took his turn in the hot seat, marking his first public interview since taking the helm at the audio company. Continue Reading
The New York Times’ morning news podcast The Daily will extend to radio, joining a cross-medium expansion trend. More than a simple syndication, The NYT team will produce a 30-minute version of the show offering a detailed dive into one or two big headlines from the day. Continue Reading
Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein explores how a few podcasts have worked to stand out by cross-promotion with other media outlets. Shows like 2 Dope Queens and The Daily are notable examples. Continue Reading
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki spoke about at the Code Media conference, covering several hot-button topics for the video platform. She addressed the controversy around Logan Paul, expansion plans for YouTube Red, and Facebook’s move into video. Continue Reading
Apple HomePod is still making headlines as the newest contender in the smart speaker space. Loup Ventures conducted some insightful research comparing Siri on the HomePod with rival voice AI systems. Although Siri fell short, there are some quick ways for Apple to improve the score for its voice system. Continue Reading
Direct-to-fan platform Bandcamp has shared its 2017 year-in-review, with some solid statistics for independent performers. Bandcamp’s results show a markedly different path than the overall music industry, and the company had some sharp words reflecting on the status quo. Continue Reading
Multiple music and audio platforms are making aggressive starts to 2018. Spotify and Apple Music have recently shared plans to expand their user bases. Although the end goal of growth is similar for each of the platforms, their exact circumstances are quite distinct. Continue Reading