Spotify’s entry into India is filled with opportunities and challenges. YouTube is the country’s most popular music service, with Spottily the eighth player to launch there. But the biggest challenge that Spotify faces in India is one that is shared by all seven of its competitors. Of the more than…
Category archives: streaming
Spotify Condemns Apple’s New "App Tax," But Could It Be A Cover For A Price Hike?
Spotify is up in arms over the 30% cut Apple is charging developers for the privilege of being part of its app store, going so far as to lodge an anti-trust complaint, as well as threatening to raise its price in order to cover the cost. Such actions, however, could…
Facebook Could Be the Future of Social Music, But Isn’t Yet [Mark Mulligan]
In an ere where almost everything is billed as "social," streaming music is a surprisingly outlier. Given music’s power to bring people together, streaming would seem ripe as a social hub. Facebook could fill that void – without ever launching its own streaming service. But, as MIDiA’s Mark Mulligan points…
The Awkward Truth Behind Skip Rates
With the ubiquity of music access and a lack of any need for patience, the term "skip-rate" has crept into the modern music industry lexicon, and some new data behind why and when consumers are skipping songs (and thereby not generating revenue for the artist) has many in the industry…
Spotify Songwriter Town Hall Charm Offensive: Go Ahead, Make My Day [Op-Ed]
In an effort to combat some of the negative press it’s been receiving over its efforts to keep down songwriter royalty rates, Spotify is planning to hold a series of "town halls" where songwriters can air their concerns, a tactic the streaming company tried in 2014, with less than ideal…
Tencent Music [NYSE: TME] Stock Fell 11% Wednesday
UPDATE 2: Tencent Music [TME] stock took a hit Wednesday after the streamer’s first post-IPO report to investors included a $127 million quarterly loss. Tencent stock closed Wednesday at $16.66 USD, down $1.91 or 10.29% and fell another 1% in after hours trading. Investors were not happy, even though the…
Streaming Music Forecast 2018 – 2026 [MIDiA]
Respected music and entertainment industry analysts MIDiA have just published its latest global music forecasts, with revenue and user numbers projected through 2026. __________________________ From MIDiA’s Mark Mulligan from the Music Industry blog 2017 was the last year of strong streaming revenue growth. From 2018 onwards streaming growth will lessen…
Pandora Adds ‘Modes’ For Custom Lean Back Listening
Pandora has added Modes, a new feature for both free and premium users to customize the listening experience on Pandora stations. New are selectable modes within stations including “Crowd Faves” (most thumbed-up tracks by other listeners), “Discovery” (hear more songs by other similar artists) and “Artist Only” (songs only by…
Tencent Music Posts $127M Loss, 664M Monthly Active Users
Tencent Music posted a $127 million loss in its first quarterly report its a December 2018 IPO. The loss, which the streamer forecast in its IPO prospectus stems from a one time $221 million stock issuance to Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Tencent Music reported 664 million monthly…
NMPA, Downtown, Ole, Peer, Others Sue Peloton For $150M In Song Infringement
The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has filed a lawsuit against exercise equipment and streaming giant Peloton on behalf of members Downtown Music Publishing, Pulse Music Publishing, ole, peermusic, Ultra Music and others. The lawsuit alleges infringement of more than a thousand musical works and seeks damages of more than…