Sonos hosted a press event today to announce its latest developments in implementing voice controls into its wireless speaker product line, a pivot the company first announced in March 2016. First, the company introduced a new smart speaker with voice controls. Continue Reading
Nielsen has released its latest Music 360 report, an analysis that touches on several key trends in the U.S. music industry’s ongoing shifts into the digital space. First, it highlights a growing interest in playlists and music curation. Second, despite the high interest in streaming, radio continues to hold a strong share. Continue Reading
Podtrac has published its September 2017 podcast publisher rankings. It marked a somewhat unusual month, as the list of the top publishers showed no changes in names or order from August. Continue Reading
Matt Hancock, the UK’s Minister of State for Digital, called for shifts in radio production to make all new devices digital by default. He spoke via video interview during the Drive to Digital 2017 radio industry conference, encouraging preparation for a possible future transition to digital broadcasting. Continue Reading
Podcasting company Panoply Media has unveiled a new audio service designed for children, featuring audiobooks and original podcast content. Pinna is intended for listeners aged 4 to 12. Original series on the ad-free iOS mobile app cover genres including mystery, fantasy, sports, bedtime stories, a game show, and a musical show. Continue Reading
Triton Digital announced that it will act as the ad tech stack to monetize digital audio ad inventory for Anghami, a streaming music provider for the Middle East and North Africa region. Anghami’s digital ad inventory is exclusively represented by Digital Media Services, part of the Choueiri Group. With this deal, Anghami and DMS will leverage Triton’s Tap ad server for targeted audio ad insertion. Continue Reading
Microsoft will discontinue its Groove Music program, phasing out its internal streaming and download service after December 31. Groove Music Pass was Microsoft’s music bundle option, available across its hardware platforms such as Windows phones and Xbox game consoles. In its place, Microsoft is expanding its relationship with Spotify. Continue Reading
Facebook introduced its new internal video platform, Watch, in August, and music brands are already hopping on the bandwagon. iHeartRadio is one of the early adopters, and has launched a show called “iHeartNow with Elvis Duran.” Duran is a DJ on iHeartRadio and will host interviews with musicians and celebrities. The show will have new episodes every afternoon. Continue Reading
A recent industry event examined the outlook for digital audio in the Middle East and North Africa. Music streaming company Anghami organized a Digital Audio Day alongside Triton Digital and DMS, the digital arm of Choueiri Group. A report shared at the event found that 69% of marketers in the region expect to increase their digital audio ad investment by up to 15% this year. Continue Reading
Shazam has filed its 2016 financial results, which included annual revenue of £40.3 million. “We are very pleased with our 2016 performance and we’re in great financial shape,” Executive Chairman Andrew Fisher said. Continue Reading
TargetSpot announced that it will be the exclusive digital audio ad network partner for MeTV Music, the streaming audio counterpart to television network MeTV. In this capacity, TargetSpot will be the third party digital audio sales network for all the streaming inventory on MeTV Music. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Apple’s non-existent smartphone FM chips. Discussions of local media’s importance in Australia. Much more. Continue Reading