Otto Radio, a personalized audio company, announced several new content agreements. The platform will now air audio programming from CBS News, ABC News, Bloomberg, The Associated Press, and AFP. Continue Reading
Spotify has reportedly added four new members to its board of directors in advance of its potential plans for a direct listing on the NYSE. The addition of Tom Staggs, former COO for Disney, has drawn particular notice. Continue Reading
Veritone and CBS Radio have entered a partnership. As a result, the broadcaster will receive a license to the artificial intelligence company’s Veritone Platform. This tool allows CBS to monitor and analyze audio data, which can be used for real-time tracking of advertisements and other content. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Up close and personal with Saavn. Behind the scenes with Big Machine’s streaming plan. Continue Reading
Bulgaria is beginning its first trials of DAB+ digital broadcasting. The country’s Communications Regulation Commission has issued a trial license to EF DIP Treiding for transmitting DAB/DAB+ radio in Sofia. Continue Reading
We received a note from Patty Newmark, who with her husband Dave runs Newmark Advertising, that they have launched a new podcast discovery platform called PodSearch. PodSearch is described as “an interactive directory for podcasts, giving people easy-to- use keyword and category search tools to find podcasts that match their interests.” Continue Reading
Podtrac has posted its April 2017 rankings of the top podcasts and podcast publishers. The new hit from Serial Productions, S-Town, took the top spot on the list of podcasts. That performance helped boost This American Life/Serial to No. 2 on the publisher list. Continue Reading
At the recent Worldwide Radio Summit, radio marketing and research company Nuvoodoo presented new research on podcasting. The company has shared data from two recent surveys about podcast listenership. For the overall population, 9.5% of respondents spend at least one hour a day listening to podcasts. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group could see an initial public offering if the music industry financials continue to improve. The label is owned by Vivendi, a Paris-based media conglomerate, and the parent company is considering floating a minority stake in its music business. Continue Reading
A new survey from AdWeek measures youth attachment to YouTube in a more dramatic light: 50% of Gen-Z respondents (from a survey field of 1,500) said they “could not live without” YouTube. Nearly all respondents (95%) use YouTube to some extent. Gen-Z’ers are just starting to emerge into the adult marketplace, unfamiliar with non-digital life and paying for daily media content. Continue Reading
An NBA team is making waves among fans and audio experts with its own online radio station. The Golden State Warriors has run the Warriors Sound online radio channel for two years now. Its programming includes a prerecorded mix of interviews, audio documentaries, historical retrospectives, and some music as suggested by the team’s community. Continue Reading
Apple is reportedly now charging listeners in some markets for what was previously a completely free trial of its streaming music service. According to AppleInsider, people in Australia, Spain, and Switzerland will be charged 99 cents for three months of preliminary access to the Apple Music platform. Continue Reading