February 17, 2016
pat-higbie-media-post-broadcast-ad-revenue

Pat Higbie’s MediaPost Column: Digital Mobile is Key for Broadcasters

In a MediaPost column published today, XAPPmedia CEO Pat Higbie comments on the projected broadcast radio advertising spend for 2016. The forecast? Flat. Even in anticipation of lucrative election ad spend.
February 11, 2016
Edison Research Ear Wars

Ear Wars Offers Insight for Radio Broadcasters

Larry Rosin of Edison Research presented new data about broadcast radio and other audio listeners in Nashville last week at the Country Music Seminar. The conclusions include recommended strategies and line up around a core set of differentiators that offer broadcasters a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded audio landscape.
February 3, 2016
Soundexchange Annual Royalty Rates (in millions)

Streaming Royalties Rise, but What Story Does Soundexchange Data Tell?

Royalty payments are the single biggest cost for Internet radio and audio streaming services. The question for observers of industry data is whether Soundexchange royalty collections are a good barometer of industry health and the revenue that Internet radio delivers to artists.
January 27, 2016
South Park Ad Blocking Episode

Streaming Audio Has an Advantage in an Ad-Blocker World

The number one digital advertising topic of 2016 is shaping up to be ad-blocking. It should be noted that most music streaming services rely primarily on audio ads which avoid the viewability problem of ad-blocking altogether. So if the audio is streamed, impressions are delivered. As a result, audio ads are less likely to be victims of ad-blocking technology.
January 21, 2016
Podcasts: Getting Beyond Niche - XAPPmedia 2016

6 Podcast Strategies to Grow Audience and Revenue – White Paper

The simultaneous release of Serial's second season on Pandora and iTunes gave consumers a choice between downloading or streaming. This choice has existed on a number of platforms previously, but most podcasters seem to default to iTunes even though its technology constrains long-term success. Today we published a white paper that explores why the download model that gave podcasts their initial success now hinders their growth.
January 19, 2016
Ad-Supported Apple Music Goodbye Letter

Apple Music Shuttering Ad-supported Service, An Opportunity Emerges

Apple announced Friday that it would be shuttering the ad-supported listening service within Apple Music. Is this a matter of Apple learning what business works best for music or a foreshadowing of what Apple Music subscribers will face if that service doesn’t meet expectations?
January 13, 2016
Customer Behavior Marketing 2016 eBook

DMN Asks What Customer Behavior Will Impact Marketing Most in 2016

Direct Marketing News (DMN) provides marketers with a comprehensive view of the marketing landscape — complete with the latest news, data and success strategies from the industry. DMN recently released an eBook where they asked industry insiders to predict the most significant changes for marketing in 2016.
January 11, 2016
Streaming Music Subscribers (millions) Chart

Apple Music at Six Months: 10 Million Subscribers and a Free Tier

The Financial Times reported over the weekend that Apple Music has reached 10 million subscribers. This trails what The Verge estimates is over 25 million Spotify subscribers, but represents impressive growth just six months after launch. It is interesting to consider the different user acquisition strategies used by the leading music streaming services.
January 7, 2016
broadcast-radio-ad-stopsets

Long Stopsets Drive Listeners to Internet Radio

Radio broadcasters have long considered the experience of live and local to be their greatest asset in attracting and maintaining audience. That experience is too often undermined by long stopsets of advertisements that motivate listeners to choose another station or another audio channel altogether.