Today brings an announcement from ad-tech purveyor XAPPmedia, describing a partnership with Slacker Radio that brings XAPP’s voice-interactive technology to Slacker listeners for navigating the music library. Slacker users are served promotions for playlists, artists, or songs, and can switch to the promoted music by saying a word or phrase without touching the screen. Continue Reading
For those people who miss the days of the iPod Shuffle, a new Kickstarter project aims to give fresh life to portable listening. Mighty Audio promises to be a mobile listening device free from a smartphone. Once you sync up the device with your phone, it can locally store up to 48 hours of offline Spotify music. Continue Reading
Another Kickstarter project called Music Wrap has hit the airwaves with a new approach to music technology. This one is a new take on headphones that attempts to offer safer listening, both in terms of ear protection and in remaining aware of one’s surroundings. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it is switching the operation of its streaming music service to Google’s cloud computing platform. Its old system relied on a network of data centers, as well as some assistance from Amazon Web Services. Continue Reading
SoundCloud has made its uploader-focused Pulse app available for iOS three months after launching on Android. The app, which focuses on the creators using the audio platform, is designed to help Soundcloud uploaders share their work, engage with listeners, and view analytics for their tracks. Continue Reading
Google Play Music is getting an update that will add the option to search YouTube videos from within the app, further bringing together Google’s music and video empires. It is another example of video becoming established in music services, and a natural evolution in Google’s case. Continue Reading
The arrival of The Beatles on streaming services felt like Christmas come early, but none of the platforms that got the release are available in South Korea. Beginning Feb. 29, though, Universal Music Korea will release The Beatles’ music to ten streaming services in the country. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Spotify not that into exclusives; Pandora as disruptor; MMF seeks streaming equity stance from Universal; a look at musical crowdfunding success. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it will revive the Spotify House at SXSW in Austin with the support of several business partners. Expect to see tie-ins with Chromecast, PlayStation, SoulCycle, and more at this year’s Spotify House. Continue Reading
MusicWatch has released new research on the various forms of music piracy, how music consumers obtain music without generating revenue, and to what extent they do. A complicated profile of tech-savvy, copyright-confused consumer emerges, and a new descriptor: “badquisition.” Continue Reading
James Cridland’s Future of Radio is a column by the Australia-based radio futurologist. THIS WEEK: An innovative radio app out of Finland; other radio news from Vatican City, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and everywhere in between. Continue Reading
A husband-and-wife broadcasting and station ownership team has seen fast growth of their home-grown cloud-based syndication system that is being used by dozens of station affiliates, and might be unique. Continue Reading