Amazon announced that it will launch its Echo smart speaker line in Australia and New Zealand. Pre-orders for the devices begin today, and the first shipments are expected in early February. In addition the company is rolling out Amazon Music Unlimited in those two markets starting February 1. Continue Reading
Private equity firm Diversis Capital has acquired media software company Marketron from previous owner BlackRock Capital. In the deal, Diversis names Michael Collins as Marketron CEO, exiting previous chief executive Jeff Haley. Continue Reading
Media software company Futuri is announcing today that broadcaster Alpha Media will use Futuri’s suite of audience engagements products. They include POST, TopicPulse, and Alexa Skills. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcasts are now 25% at Slate. YouTube tightens access to ad program. Programmatic and podcasts at Spotify. Continue Reading
Stream ripping has been at the forefront of music piracy for a few years now, and it continues to be a concern for the industry. The practice was a focus in the 2017 Notorious Markets List from the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The report has placed a focus on digital piracy in recent years, and stream ripping was the focus in the 2016 edition. It remains a top concern in the 2017 version. Continue Reading
Diversified Canadian media company Rogers announced its commitment to programmatic audio advertising, and has selected AdsWizz to provide technology for ad insertion, ad serving, and yield optimization. Continue Reading
MIDia Research compiled a consumer survey for LyricFind. The analysis covers two distinct topics. First is some statistics about the streaming music markets in the Germany, the UK, and the U.S. Second is how those markets and the users of different services think about lyrics features. Continue Reading
B2B music provider 7digital announced last week that it has signed on to power playlisting platform 8tracks. The companies have agreed to at least one year of collaboration. Under these terms, 7digital will provide hosting and streaming for all of 8tracks’ directly licensed music. Continue Reading
A group of popular performers has filed an amicus brief against Pandora centered on pre-1972 recordings. Jeffrey Knowles and Julia D. Greer of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP filed the brief in the California lawsuit on January 12. Continue Reading
Facebook has been busily amassing licensing deals with several music industry leaders, and one is of particular interest for independent publishers and songwriters. The social network inked a deal with Harry Fox Agency/Rumblefish to create a standardized music licensing and administration deal for indies. Continue Reading
Warner Music Group (WMG) is reportedly attempting to ease 130 employees out of the company, offering them buyouts. According to Billboard, those staffers “deal with physical product,” which probably means the CD part of Warner’s business. The action is targeted within WEA, the distribution, marketing and sales division of WMG. Billboard’s sources indicate that the projected cost saving would be applied to distribution and marketing of streaming music. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Smart speakers dominated CES and continue to make headlines. Continue Reading