Podtrac, a podcast audience measurement company since 2005, today released the first monthly ranking of podcast shows and networks. Called the Podcast Industry Audience Rankings, the report is not just the first in a series for Podtrac, but the first ranker of its type for podcasting that we are aware of. It’s fascinating, even as questions abound. Continue Reading
Podcast network Acast has launched a new feature on its hosting platform that allows show creators alternative ways of monetizing their work. With Acast+, programs can charge listeners for exclusive access and premium audio content without advertisements. They can also make early releases available before they are published to the core app for a fee. Continue Reading
Bottom-line profit in the streaming music business is elusive, and progress is measured less by reduced losses as by audience and revenue growth. That’s why Spotify is so happy about its 2015 financials. Continue Reading
The big tech companies usually wind up butting heads in their overlapping product categories. Amazon got out of the game first with the Echo, its portable, voice-activated speaker system. Now Google has joined the race with last week’s announcement of a rival product: Google Home. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: Lead-up to the Next Radio conference; dissecting RAJAR quarterly data; much, much more. Continue Reading
Last week we covered the launch of RadioPublic, a for-profit, public benefit corporation spawned by PRX, the open marketplace which brings together audio producers and public station program directors. To dig deeper, we spoke to Jake Shapiro, former CEO of PRX and founder/CEO of RadioPublic, and Kerri Hoffman, the new PRX CEO. Continue Reading
A streaming-only album has landed on the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for the first time. The work is Chance the Rapper’s new project Coloring Book, which was released on May 13 as an Apple Music exclusive. Continue Reading
Spotify has altered the pricing structure for its family plan. Under the new pricing, a family plan includes up to six individual Premium accounts for $14.99. The feature set for the plan is unchanged. Continue Reading
Continued heat is being applied to Google, YouTube, and — on a deeper level — to the Safe Harbor provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Jonathan Taplin is a music and film producer, inventor, entrepreneur, media executive, and scholar. He put an OpEd in the New York Times in which he said that Google’s YouTube resembles a protection racket. He also wants AM/FM to start paying artist/label royalties, and exemption he terms “the original sin.” Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Questioning the conglomerate approach; how voice controls are influencing music at home; album art endures. Continue Reading
Rhapsody notified us about a new app called Rhapsody VR. Not an update to the venerable music service app, but a supplementary one that uses 360 video technology to view concert clips. Rhapsody calls it “Music’s first virtual reality experience.” Continue Reading
WorldDAB announced the formation of a new group centered on cars. The Automotive User Experience Group will focus on improving the use of in-car DAB radios and understanding the effect of future trends with the technology. Continue Reading