During Disrupt, Lady Gaga’s manager and Atom Factory founder, Troy Carter, suggested that the area ripe for disruption in the music industry by technology is terrestrial radio. For those who still get in their car to listen to music, Carter feels like there are openings for startups to build on top of the platform to bring people what they really want to hear. He shared: “I think the… → Read More
Jelli, the radio startup offering local stations tools that allow their listener base to control the music selection and playlists, has just been awarded a patent on the concept of user-controlled broadcasting. The patent (U.S. Patent No. 8,392,206) is dubbed “Social Broadcasting User Experience,” and refers to a range of methods related to audience participation with a one-to-many transmission… → Read More
Senzari, the Miami-based Pandora competitor backed by $3 million in funding from 500 Startups and other angels, is making good on its recent acquisition of the Berlin-based streaming music app Wahwah.fm. The company is now spinning off its music efforts as a mobile-first streaming radio application, rebranded as just Wahwah. In the meantime, the Senzari web-based streaming service is being… → Read More
New files possibly pointing to a forthcoming, Apple streaming radio service – or at least new functionality – have been discovered in the iPad’s file system. The files include a button icon with a picture that resembles a radio tower, similar to one which used to be found in iTunes. This doesn’t definitively prove that a streaming music service is in the works, of course, but it has led to more… → Read More
Today, the streaming music startup Serendip is bringing its “lean back,” serendipitous music discovery service to mobile with the debut of the Serendip iOS application. Like the web version which launched last fall, the new app offers a continuous stream of the music popular among friends, or others you’ve dubbed your “music soulmates.” → Read More
Today, a Cox Media-owned radio station in Tampa Bay is shifting its entire format to listener-controlled radio, now putting its audience in control of the songs that play 24 hours a day. It’s the first station among Cox Media’s 86 U.S.-based properties to do so on both web and mobile, if not the first in the U.S. to experiment with the format. Is this what the future of terrestrial radio looks… → Read More
Senzari, the Miami-based streaming music startup offering an alternative to Pandora in both stateside and international markets, is today announcing it has acquired Berlin-based wahwah.fm. Founded in 2010 by Philipp Eibach, wahwah.fm is a location-based music app for iPhone that previously allowed users to broadcast their own personalized radio stations, which nearby folks using the app could pick… → Read More
Streaming music startup 8tracks is officially relaunching its iPhone application today, which offers a much-needed (and really well done) user interface revamp. For those who remember the earlier version of the app out last year, it will be as if you’re getting a brand-new application altogether. 8tracks 2.0, as the update is being called, introduces a number of new components, including… → Read More
Another digital step forward for the UK’s BBC today, this time involving the corporation’s radio assets: the state-owned broadcaster today is launching iPlayer Radio a new, integrated mobile web and desktop app, along with a new standalone iPlayer Radio iOS app, significantly ramping up the functionality of its radio business on digital platforms with more video, better navigation and improved… → Read More
Jelli, the crowdsourced social radio platform, is today announcing $9 million in additional funding, in a round led by new investors Intel Capital and Relay Ventures. The round also saw participation from existing investor First Round Capital, as well as individuals including Roger Ames, former Chairman of EMI Music.
Related to the funding news, Jelli also detailed its growth over the past… → Read More
As the Web is stuffed with more and more content, we’re increasingly in need of good curators to help us discover the things we’ll love amidst the noise. Flipboard, for one, rose to popularity by transforming your favorite digital news sources into a socially-curated mobile magazine. Shuffler.fm is on a mission to do the same for music discovery, combining Flipboard’s successful formula with a… → Read More
TuneIn, the popular guide to online radio stations, today announced that it has seen a 267% increase in the number of its mobile listeners over the last year. The company also announced that its listeners now use the service for significantly longer. Total listening hours on mobile, the company said, increased 348% over the last 12 months.
The service, which is available on over 150 platforms… → Read More
Music streaming service Spotify is rolling out a new feature for U.S. users today, which looks like a direct swipe at Pandora: it’s introducing a free mobile radio service. The update is only available in the iOS versions of the app at present (iPhone and iPad), but gives free users access to unlimited music from Spotify’s catalog of 16 million songs. → Read More
Jelli, the user-controlled music streaming service, is releasing a specially curated SXSW-themed station today, which will feature the indie bands playing at the festival. The playlist for the station will be crowdsourced in real-time and made available on both web and mobile.
And speaking of mobile, Jelli has good news on that front, too – it’s finally available on Android. → Read More
Miami-based streaming music startup Senzari, backed by $2 million in angel funding, is continuing its international rollout today with an entrance into its third market since its U.S. launch into private beta last December. Today, the company is announcing that it’s dropping the invite-only status as it moves into Spain, where it has signed a strategic partnership deal with MTV Spain.
The… → Read More
There are two main complaints that always crop up whenever you mention Pandora: its music catalog is too small and it’s not available outside the U.S. That’s room enough for another startup to move into the streaming radio space, at least according to the folks at the new Miami-based streaming music startup Senzari. The service recently launched into private beta in the U.S. and Brazil, with plans… → Read More
You, too, can be just like Hard Harry, dropping the truth on your neatly manicured suburban hellhole from the privacy of your sweat-stinking bedroom. Tell the man off. Rail against the principals. Get the FCC on your tail (not really.) Because FlipZu is here to help you build your own pirate radio station.
The browser based app (Android and iPhone versions are also available) lets you broadcast… → Read More
The Internet, wireless technology, evolving consumer trends and other factors have merged into a perfect storm putting significant stress on the relationship between record labels and their artists, and the radio industry that plays their music. The symbiosis that kept these two mega industries functioning effectively together for decades is now gone as each is confronted with a future dependent… → Read More
I just read that Spotify is coming to the U.S! Oh, wait. That was an article from 2009. I hope they really mean it this time. I love the product. To grease the skids for them a bit, I’ve put together a little travel guide for what they can expect in advertising and media circles when they do arrive.
Lots of love in digital circles.
Being Swedish I’m guessing they’re fantastic dressers and… → Read More
When Bill Wilson was in charge of content at AOL, he launched dozens of niche sites under their own sub-brands—everything from Daily Finance to country-music site The Boot. Last February, Wilson left AOL and landed at Townsquare Media, a radio company which owns 171 local stations. As the chief digital officer at Townsquare, he is bringing some of the niche media strategy he developed at AOL… → Read More
Sirius XM appears to be at a bit of a crossroads. Howard Stern, arguably the company’s most recognizable on-air talent, has all but decided to negotiate his new contract in public, recently stating that “I do get a little charge out of thinking that in December we might be done. I get a little turned on by that.” Mere negotiating tactics, or a genuine feeling of wanting out? Who’s to say? I’m… → Read More
It’s not a joke: Today, Sony in Japan did announce [JP] a portable cassette tape/radio/CD-player. Technically, the CFD-A110 is based on a model Sony introduced exactly seven years ago. The company updated the hardware because Japan plans to stop analogue radio transmission next year (the updated model can’t receive these signals). → Read More
Kenwood Japan has announced [JP] the AS-iP70 today, a swiss army knife of sorts for various media. The device serves as a dock for your iPhone or iPod but can also be used as an AM/FM radio, music player, alarm clock, and a digital picture frame – thanks to its 7-inch LCD screen. → Read More
There’s one week per year that there’s reason to listen to Sirius XM beyond XM Channel 202 The Virus. That’s right, it’s Winter Music Conference time, a time when the world’s top DJs and producers descend upon Miami and have themselves a good ol’ Dionysian time. House music, trance, progressive, Dutch tourists trying to find food that won’t kill them, etc. It’s a good example of what satellite… → Read More
Panasonic in Japan has announced [JP] a new stereo system today, the D-Dock SC-HC40. The device is just 69mm thick at the thinnest part but integrates a speaker plus digital amplifier (20W×2ch(6Ω)), a CD player, an AM/FM tuner, an SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot, and a “sliding door” (Panasonic). → Read More
Thanko, everyone’s favorite crapvendor, is offering a short wave/AM/FM radio that plugs right into your PC for maximum shortwaving experience. I’m not quite sure who’s on short wave anymore but I’m sure there’s someone out there endlessly repeating numbers and calling for help from a desert island. → Read More
Get ready, 2010 might just end up being the year of HD radio. Rumor is that we’re going to see something like eight new portable HD radio devices at CES this January. → Read More
This fun little DIY device is labeled as a “crystal radio circuit in a jam-jar.” But that description doesn’t even to begin to do it justice. According to Tesla, this electronic wonder allows you to hear the disembodied, ethereal voices, of the, well, ether, I guess. → Read More
‘Twas more than two years ago when some dopey radio show in California held a “hold your wee for a Wii” contest. Not the kind of publicity Nintendo wanted, no. A woman died, you’ll recall. Well, now a California jury has awarded $16.5 million to the woman’s family. That’s it, don’t click Read More because there’s nothing else. And there’s no pic because, come on, not necessary. → Read More
If you’re like me and love Car Talk, but don’t actually have a radio, you probably listen to NPR over the internet. If you love it so much you want to listen to it even when you’re away from your computer, you’re in luck. Livio, makers of the Pandora radio, have introduced a stand-alone, internet radio module, with NPR-exclusive capability. → Read More
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