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Programmatic ad buying in streaming audio is increasingly important

Posted on by Brad Hill

Programmatic ad buying is established in web display, but still a fairly new alternative for online radio and streaming audio. “It is a very important that we offer it as part of the mix,” Alexis van der Wyer, CEO of ad-tech company AdsWizz told RAIN. “I strongly believe that although it’s small in volume today, it will continue to grow. It will be an important component.” We spoke with the AdsWizz CEO before he takes the stage at RAIN Summit Europe. Continue Reading →

Millicom partners with Deezer for streaming music service in Africa

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Telecom company Millicom announced that it is expanding its partnership with Deezer into five new markets across Africa. The firm’s Tigo brand will be working with Deezer to launch its Tigo Music streaming service in Ghana, Chad, DR Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania over the coming months. Tigo will market and distribute the music service by bundling it with mobile data packs for its growing smartphone population. Continue Reading →

Pandora launches free audience tracking for musicians

Posted on by RAIN News Staff

Pandora has launched a new online service that delivers audience analytics to musicians and their managers. Called Pandora AMP, the “Artist Marketing Program” includes data pulled from the many billions of hours people spend listening to the online radio platform. Any artists currently playing on Pandora can sign up for the free service at the AMP website. This initiative marks the first time pandora has turned its data firehose toward musicians. Continue Reading →

Songza acquisition shines through in new Google Play Music All Access update

Posted on by Anna Washenko

The latest update to Google Play Music All Access reflect some of the features that entered Google’s hands when it purchased Songza. The streaming platform has adopted music stations to its Listen Now page that cater to particular moods or activities. This riff on Songza’s Concierge service considers the time of day, device used for listening, and other signals to assess what your state of mind or current actions might be, then supplies the appropriate music. Continue Reading →

TuneCore launches YouTube Money as its latest Artist Service

Posted on by RAIN News Staff

TuneCore has added a new feature to its Artist Services program focused on incorporating YouTube into its monetization avenues. YouTube Money collects revenue for use of its customers’ music on the video channel for a one-time fee of $25. The FAQ for the service noted that display ads, overlay in-video ads, TrueView in-stream ads and non-skippable in-stream ads are all available for monetizing videos. Continue Reading →

New Microsoft app offers discounted album sales via Xbox Music

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Microsoft launched a new app for Windows and Windows Phones that offers shoppers full albums for steep discounts. Microsoft Music Deals promises to have 101 top albums on sale for less than $2 each every Tuesday. It will also sell debut albums for 99 cents and “timeless classics” for $1.99. According to VentureBeat, the app is mostly an intro to the Xbox Music app. Continue Reading →

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Webcast Rate Proposals Now Public for 2016-2020; What Will the Copyright Royalty Board Consider?

Posted on by Brad Hill

by David Oxenford

As webcasters have submitted their royalty-rate arguments to the Copyright Royalty Board, the fight for favorable music licensing rates shifts into high gear. Broadcast law attorney Davide Oxenford takes stock of key points in the submitted briefs, clearly summarizing complex considerations. Continue Reading →