Apple Music now has a bot for playback of full songs in Facebook Messenger. This is the first time a streaming service has been set up to allow users access to a complete track within that platform. Only Apple Music subscribers will be able to use the full-song functionality. Continue Reading
SoundCloud added a critical new statistic to its analytics suite. Creators can now see information about how their work is being shared and heard on user playlists. It includes who is sharing their tracks in playlists and how many plays that collection has contributed for the track. Continue Reading
Google’s media event earlier this week showcased the company’s voice assistant and voice-control technology. Two music and audio services – iHeartRadio and Spotify – are part of tie-ups around Google Assistant. Continue Reading
Intelligence company NuVoodoo Media Services shared information about smart speaker ownership from its Ratings Prospects Study. The company asked almost 3,000 participants between the ages of 14 and 54 about the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot, and found an overall ownership rate of 15.5%. Continue Reading
We were interested to see Tom Taylor’s note about the Tesla Model 3 electric car, which is apparently being delivered with no AM/FM or most other audio options. Tesla responded to the report with a promise that future audio capability will be added via over-the-air updates. Continue Reading
Many legacy media organizations have hopped on the podcasting bandwagon as the audio format’s popularity has grown in recent years. One such company is book publisher Macmillan. Macmillan Podcasts has a decade of experience in developing and distributing audio shows, and the division just announced its fall show lineup. Continue Reading
Rivet Radio has continued its collaboration with E.W. Scripps to create audio skills for use with devices enabled with Amazon’s Alexa voice controls. Following the completion of a pilot program in Tampa, Scripps contracted Rivet to expand their Alexa skill program to eight more markets that went live in August. Continue Reading
Integr8 Research conducted a survey to explore radio ownership trends and whether the emerging smart speaker product segment is growing into a replacement for radio sets. The company surveyed more than 3,000 radio listeners aged 15 to 39 who are dedicated to a local genre station. Ownership of radios appeared shaky. Continue Reading
Spotify has hired Adam Parness as its new head of global publisher licensing. Parness most recently spent about a year with Pandora as head of publisher licensing and relations. Continue Reading
audioBoom has entered a distribution deal to bring Jukebox, the audio entertainment operation from India-based ticketing platform BookMyShow. As a result of the deal, several audioBoom podcasts will be made available on Jukebox for Indian listeners. Continue Reading
Google is expanding its footprint in the smart speaker space with two new products. The Google Home Mini is a puck-shaped option priced at $49. The Google Home Max is a larger version of the original Google Home with a more powerful sound system. Continue Reading
PodcastOne has added two executives to its leadership team. Casey Jacobs is the company’s new vice president of sports and development. Allyson Marino also joins PodcastOne as director of special programs. Continue Reading