Down Under, Streaming Is Up, Downloads Are Down

In an extension of a music industry consumer trend seen in the United States, it seems our neighbors to the south are embracing the streaming age, as Australians increasingly eschew CDs and downloads in exchange for streaming. _____________________________ Guest post by Glenn Peoples of Pandora OK, not a big surprise…

UPDATE: Spotify Responds To Malware Infested Ad Complaints

[UPDATE] Multiple Spotify users are reporting that the Spotify Free app is delivering malware infested ads that launch an uncontrollable series of malware and virus infested sites. Now, Spotify has responded. _______________________________________ Spotify Free is delivering ads that automatically launch kinds of malware infested sites, according to multiple users. "If…

Deezer Partners With Feature.fm As First On-Demand Music Streamer To Offer Affordable Marketing To Artists

Native music ad platrom Feature.fm has expanded its reach signifigantly with a new Deezer partnership. Feature.fm, which some dismiss as ‘pay-to-play’, has scored wins offering indie artists affordable guaranteed in-stream song placement on streaming music services. ________________________________ Feature.fm and global music streamer Deezer have formed a partnership that enables artists…

Apple’s Billion Stream Posturing With Biggest Pawn In Streaming War

Apple was thrilled to announce that the latest album from so-called streaming pawn Drake, ‘Views From The 6’ had surpassed a billion streams. Good news for Apple surely, but is the new streaming economy allowing artists like Drake to coast with little effort, while lesser-known talent struggles for exposure? _________________________…

Spotify Potentially Buying Soundcloud, But Who Benefits?

As Spotify heads toward and IPO, and Soundcloud continues to try and sell itself, an acquisition seems imminent, although the question remains as to who exactly would benefit from such a union. ____________________________ Guest Post by Mark Mulligan on his Music Industry Blog The Financial Times has reported that Spotify…

Pandora Predictions Chart: Finding The Next One Direction

In this round of the Pandora Predictions Chart, they’re taking a look at the jazz funk boy band group Forever In Your Mind, set to potentially fill the void left by the currently defunct One Direction. _____________________________ Guest post by Emily Blake of Next Big Sound The Pandora Predictions Chart…

Spotify Adds "6 Animated Layers" Of Lyrics In Japan, Global Roll Out Still Pending

Ever since Spotify removed one of its core features – song lyrics – earlier this year, users have been clamouring for their return. So there was cause for excitement when it was announced that lyrics were included in Spotify’s Japan launch yesterday. While I have not been able to see…

Rock And Roll Magic In The Cloud [Jack Isquith, SVP Of Slacker Radio]

Here Jack Isquith reflects on how the transition of music from it’s cumbersome physical form onto the significantly more accessible cloud has made it enjoyable in way that seems miraculous. ___________________________ Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment….

What Whore Houses, Meth Labs And YouTube Have In Common [Op-ed by Maria Schneider]

In this op-ed from Maria Schneider, the five-time Grammy-winning composer/bandleader explores the alarming similarities between the operations of YouTube and more conventional criminal organizations. ____________________________ Op-Ed by Maria Schneider on Music Technology Policy [Editor Charlie sez: We’re pleased to publish this guest post on YouTube written by Maria Schneider, a…

The Truth Behind SoundCloud Reposts And Paid Promotion

This piece takes an in-depth look into the world of paid promotion and reposting on SoundCloud, including an examination of just how much a repost is worth, whether we’re in a reposting bubble and how to better gauge if a repost will actually help to boost exposure. ______________________ Guest post…