The smartphone is one of the most influential consumer electronics categories of the last 20 years. It certainly influences how Americans listen to radio and internet-delivered audio. At RAIN Summit West, Edison Research President Larry Rosin brought new metrics about smartphone listening from Edison’s ongoing Share of Ear and Infinite Dial consumer surveys. A shift is underway, too dramatic to disregard. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Sonos gets Prime Music in EU; Spotify denies hack, despite weirdness. Continue Reading
Pandora has partnered with the This American Life podcast. The audio program, produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago and hosted by nerd hero Ira Glass, now has its own channel on Pandora where listeners can tune in to hear compelling or unusual stories about whatever that week’s theme is. New episodes will air on Mondays. Continue Reading
Rhapsody International’s brand new CEO Mike Davis has been on the job for less than a week, and grabbed some public attention with a blog post announcing positive numbers for the streaming service. Continue Reading
Apple Music and Drake have been very cozy of late. Now, Apple Music is a sponsor for Drake’s upcoming Summer Sixteen tour with fellow rapper Future. Continue Reading
Triton Digital and Dentsu, the world’s largest advertising agency, announced today the extension of Triton’s a2x programmatic audio advertising platform to Japan via Dentsu’s Cyber Communications Inc. (CCI) division. CCI will manage Japanese streaming audio inventory in that market in a new Dentsu division called “Premium Audio Series.” Continue Reading
On the Move tracks hires, promotions, and other notable personnel changes within the online audio industry. Today’s moves include a new member of the C-suite for 7digital and a promotion for Universal Music Group. Continue Reading
Two more musicians are joining the calls for a change to YouTube’s payment systems. The New York Post reported that Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry and Mötley Crüe cofounder Nikki Sixx are getting involved in pushes to change safe harbor rules. Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: A look at podcasts in Google Play, coverage from RAIN Summit West, the BBC’s British programming, and DAB+ rolls out in Indonesia. Continue Reading
One of the big story arcs in the music world today centers on distribution. Several of the day’s hottest acts have been exploring new ways of using digital platforms to get their new work out to listeners. Over the weekend, another powerhouse joined their ranks. Continue Reading
“I sleep pretty well at night,” Ginny Morris said to Paul Jacobs at RAIN Summit West in Las Vegas. Ginny Morris (CEO and Chair of Hubbard Radio) delivered a keynote presentation that included a chat with the Jacobs Media VP. But one thing does give pause to Morris’ optimism, and that is self-driving cars. Listen to her discuss the future. Continue Reading
Hubbard Radio has announced the promotion of Jeremy Sinon to Director of Digital Strategy. Sinon previously divided his time between the corporate DD role and managing digital initiatives for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Hubbard stations. At his new desk, Sinon will oversee the entire group’s digital strategy. Continue Reading