streaming music Archives

January 27, 2016

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 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 5, 2016

The Future is Now: Radio World Interviews Pat Higbie on Industry Changes in 2016

With a new year upon us, Radio World interviewed CEO Pat Higbie on the future of Internet radio in 2016. As the Internet radio audience continues to grow, so will the interest of national advertisers. With a large amount of consumer attention and advertising revenue at stake, Higbie predicts competition will be fierce for both.

December 29, 2015

Labels don't understand real value of music

The Top 10 Internet Radio Articles of 2015

2015 was a big year for Internet radio and streaming services. Today’s focus is the 10 best articles on the industry over the past 12 months. See the full list below with entries from Music Industry Blog, Billboard, RAIN, Mark Ramsey Media, and more.

December 22, 2015

Royalty Rates Rise 21%, Quest for Higher Ad Rates Begins

Yesterday, the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) raised royalty rates for Internet radio streams from 0.14 cents to 0.17 cents per song played. The 21% royalty increase takes effect in 2016. Future rates will rise annually between 2017-2020 based on the Consumer Price Index. Who is impacted by the rate change?

December 15, 2015

4 Quarters of Internet Radio Advertisers by Industry

Media, Entertainment and Gaming Group Had Top Number of Internet Radio Advertisers in Q3

The Internet Radio Ad Load Report for Q3 2015 showed a small growth in advertisers, but a reduction in the frequency of the top advertisers. The spots are getting spread around among more advertisers. In Q3, Retail and the combined Media, Entertainment & Gaming (MEG) group were again the top two industries represented in Internet radio ads.

December 9, 2015

MediaPost features Pat Higbie on Streaming Music Rivalry

MediaPost: Pat Higbie on Streaming Rivalry

Yesterday, Media Post ran an article interviewing XAPPmedia CEO Pat Higbie on the ongoing battle for consumers between music streaming services. His predictions? It’s all about the mobile in 2016.

November 19, 2015

Part 2: Spotify and Other Streaming Services are Saving the Music Industry

Music industry revenue has fallen consistently since peaking in 1999. Some would like to claim that streaming music services are a cause of the decline even though they arrived well after the downward trend was established. However, there is ample evidence to suggest the industry revenue would have declined in the absence of streaming music services.