Facebook Chatbot Creation Platform Octane AI Raises $1.5M, Partners With 50 Cent, Aerosmith, KISS, SPiN

Chatbot boosters are fond of saying that just as no musician or business would think of not having a web site, very soon they’ll all also need chatbots. Making that vision accessible is the goal of Facebook Messenger chatbot creation platform Octane AI and some key investors have signed on….

For-Wards: Brings Music And Place Together

Here the Artistic Director of for-wards, Bobbie-Jane Gardner, discusses how the organization is working to bring together music and place in an innovative and unique way, and how it’s working towards achieving this goal. _____________________________ Guest post by Bobbie-Jane Gardner of PledgeMusic PledgeMusic is not only home to numerous straightforward…

Deadline For SXSW Accelerator Startup Pitch Event Nears

Calling all startups! Enter the 9th annual SXSW Accelerator Live Pitch competition. An incredible 71% of SXSW Accelerator alumni have gone on to secure a collective $3.1 Billion in funding. I’ve been proud to be a part of the SXSW Accelerator Advisory Board for several years now and here are…

"P Is For Pathetic" – Pandora Stock Falls Along With Monthly Listeners As Losses Continue

"P is for pathetic" was the often retweeted commentary on Tuesday evening after Pandora reported its third straight quarterly loss and a second straight quarter of falling active listenership. ________________________________ Pandora stock was down almost 8% at one point on Wednesday morning after the company reported that active listeners fell…

Grooveshark’s Sam Tarantino: How One Music-Tech Shark Got His "Groove" Back

After the death of his co-founder and a company ending lawsuit, things were looking bleak for Grooveshark originator Sam Tarantino. Here he discusses how he came back from the lowest point in his life to work at Chromatic FM. _____________________________ Guest post by Britanny Hodak on Forbes When a five-year-long,…

Event App Yplan Sold To Time Out For $2M After Raising $38M

Last minute event app Yplan has been sold at a deep discount to the UK based Time Out media group for $2 million USD. Yplan had raised $37.7 million in funding in three rounds since launching in 2012. Yplan lost $7.5 USD million in 2015, although Time Out says that…