SoundCloud subscriptions debut in the Netherlands
SoundCloud has launched its subscription tiers in the Netherlands. SoundCloud Go and SoundCloud Go+ are now both available for listeners in that market. Continue Reading
SBS sees 50% growth following WideOrbit programmatic ad pilot
The Spanish Broadcasting System saw more than 50% growth in CPM after a pilot test for programmatic digital audio advertising. The broadcaster witness the spike after participating in the WO Programmatic Digital Audio platform from ad-tech company WideOrbit. Continue Reading
Steve Goldstein: Why Many Radio Station Podcasts Underperform
by Steve Goldstein
The latest blog post from Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein reviews the struggles many radio stations have with their podcasting efforts. He points to the different listener expectations between a radio broadcast and a podcast. Continue Reading
Facebook recruits for even more music jobs
Facebook is continuing a hiring spree focused on music, leading to increased speculation that the social media company will be branching beyond just status updates and Likes. There are three active job openings for Facebook. Continue Reading
One of SoundCloud’s earliest employees departs
One of SoundCloud’s earliest employees has departed the company. David Noël, who began as a community manager and evangelist then climbed the ladder to head of SoundCloud’s internal communications and evangelist, is leaving. He was one of the first seven… Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio: Radiodays Europe special, plus audio on Facebook Messenger, and Starbucks warn about BBC iPlayer
by James Cridland
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Many slides and missives from Radiodays Europe, plus a smattering of other news from around the audio and radio world. Continue Reading
Spotify acquires startup MightyTV
Spotify has made another startup acquisition. This time the purchased company is MightyTV, a company specializing in video recommendations. Financial terms were not disclosed. Continue Reading
Quick Hits: Podcast advertising; more Infinite Dial recap; curation by chatbot
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: “First, a Word From Our Celebrity” in the New York Times. More recap from the Infinite Dial by Westwood One. Brazilian startup exploring the power of musical chatbots. Continue Reading
Slacker Radio CEO talks about profitability and pricing
Slacker Radio may be close to turning a profit. In a recent interview, Slacker Radio CEO Duncan Orrell-Jones talked about the positive effects of committing to being a niche audio service and about the pricing outlook for audio subscriptions. Continue Reading
Another holdout wavers: Tool may release music to streaming platforms
The ranks of streaming holdouts have been slowly dwindling as the digital distribution takes hold of ever-larger market share. The latest artist to ponder a change of heart is hard rock band Tool. Sources claiming to be familiar with negotiations said members of Tool have been talking to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music about paths to releasing their music. Continue Reading
Panoply Pilot Project gets listener feedback for possible new podcasts
Podcast company Panoply is running a campaign that asks listeners to select new shows to get picked up for a full season. The Panoply Pilot Project has debuted four first episodes of original podcasts. Listeners can offer feedback on each show and vote for the ones they want to hear as a regular Panoply series. Continue Reading
Investment analyst surveys Pandora users to identify demand for Premium service
A Piper Jaffray analyst, bullish on Pandora stock, surveyed existing users of the free Pandora radio service to determine the level of demand for Pandora Premium, the fully interactive on-demand music platform launched on March 13. Survey results indicate a 15% “intent” among non-paying Pandora users to upgrade into the Premium product. Continue Reading