Digital Audio Advertising Surged 39% In 2017 — a $500 Million Increase

For years, digital audio advertising has been an underperforming mess.  Looks like that’s changing fast. Digital audio advertising has been a bastard stepchild for years.  Except now the sector is actually exploding.  Last year, th…

Ultimate Ears: Continuing To Refine And Improve Their Offerings

I recently had the opportunity to hop on a call with the team behind Ultimate Ears’s Pro line and get filled in on what they have been working on. This is one of my favorite brands to work with because I really appreciate their focuses on quality…

Fair Warning: Amazon Music Will Delete All of Your MP3s on April 30th

A friendly reminder: unless you download and save all of your Amazon-stored MP3s, you can bid them farewell – for good. Underscoring the death of MP3 downloads, Amazon Music quietly scrapped MP3 imports several months ago.  The e-commerce gi…

Google’s Ban on Gun Sales Also Blocks ‘Guns n Roses,’ ‘Sex Pistols,’ ‘Gundam,’ and ‘Burgundy Wine’

Looking to purchase Guns n Roses or Sex Pistols merchandise?  Or, anything with ‘gun’ in it?  That’s been a challenge of late. Following the tragic Parkland shooting two weeks ago, multiple organizations have lambasted the g…

Moby Says He Invented Both the iPod & iPhone: ‘Apple Laughed at Me…’

Move over, Steve Jobs.  According to Moby, he invented Apple’s iconic products:  the iPod and the iPhone. Do musicians have the right filters installed? In an interview with New York Magazine several weeks ago, veteran record producer Q…

Startup Says It Can Predict Whether a Song Will Become a Hit — With 84% Accuracy

Finnish startup Hyperlive claims its algorithm can predict which songs will become hits — with astounding accuracy. After just seven months on the platform, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s single, ‘Despacito,’ became the most-watched video on YouTube.  L…

YouTube Is Forcing Promoted Artists to Sign ‘Non Disparagement Clauses’

How does YouTube intend to mend its historically rocky relationship with the music industry?  Simple.  Give selected artists buckets of cash and force them to sign an agreement where they promise not to criticize the platform. Are you ready to become a…

Warning: You Have 34 Days to Boost Your YouTube Views — Or Lose All Advertising

Do you have a handful of YouTube channels?  Then you might be losing all of your ad revenue. Last March, The Times of London published a damning report that sent major advertisers fleeing from YouTube.  According to the British newspaper, the popular v…

Apple Faces 30 Class Action Lawsuits + Investigations In US & France Over iPhone Throttling

Apple now has to answer serious questions about whether they throttled older iPhone models. Does Apple deliberately slow down older iPhones in an attempt to force users to upgrade?  That’s the question federal courts may soon decide. Last month, iPhone…

Yes, YouTube Has Clearly Peaked for Stars Like PewDiePie, Zoella & DanTDM

Multiple scandals have rocked YouTube.  Yet, why are only content creators feeling the pain? Last March, Google shared some pretty good news. YouTube had over 1 billion monthly active users.  According to the search giant, 1 out of every 2 people onlin…