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RAIN 9/2: Apple makes iTunes experience more social, more "radio-like"
·4 hours ago PING MIMICS LOCAL RADIO SERVICES WITH CONCERT INFO, MUSIC DISCOVERYAt yesterday’s music-centered press event, Steve Jobs unveiled a new music-friendly social network called Ping. It has the potential to compete on yet another level with radio by replicating more services of a local FM. Ping — which is built in to the latest version of iTunes — displays local concert listings, connects users based on their musical tastes, helps users discover new music and just makes iTunes an overall more social experience. Plus, Ping will also be available in iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
That means users can get local music info from Apple, as well as cool playlists built from their own music using Genius (which also suggests new music the user might like in the iTunes Store). In other words, it mimics many of the services radio provides listeners. Other updates revealed by Apple yesterday include iOS 4.2, which will arrive in November and will (finally) enable multitasking on iPads. It will also allow users to stream music and videos to iOS devices through Wi-Fi and stream music from their device to special third-party speaker systems. Apple TV received a major refresh. It now streams all its content (from sources like Netflix) rather than storing it locally — including access to over 4,000 Internet radio stations. The price has been cut to $99. New iPods were also unveiled, the iPod Nano getting the biggest refresh. It sports a touchscreen now (though no apps) and continues to include an FM radio. Personally, I tried Ping for a few minutes last night after downloading iTunes 10, but soon felt a degree of “social fatigue.” That is, between Facebook, Last.fm and other services, I see little need for Ping in my life. While I feel many people will follow my example and try Ping to see what all the fuss is about, I doubt many will then take the time to deactivate the service. Even if Ping is a less robust service than other social networks, it’s instantly available to millions of people — as iTunes is a ubiquitous desktop application. — MS WESTERGREN: PANDORA ACTIVATING 100K MOBILE USERS PER DAY According to founder Tim Westergren, Pandora is activating 100,000 new users through mobile devices every day. He announced the stat during a press event surrounding Samsung’s new Internet-connected TVs. “This is all happening in a hurry for the devices that are going into the home,” said Westergren. “You could make an app that is part of this massive sea change, across tens of millions of TVs at some point.” Read more from Music Ally here.
TEXTING MAY BE ONE ROUTE TO MOBILE MONETIZATIONListenership on mobile devices may
be growing quickly, but some broadcasters are struggling to monetize their mobile audience. Texting may be one way to do so, according to Citadel’s director of interactive sales Craig Hahn. Inside Radio relates Hahn’s experience of coupling on-air promotion of a local restaurant with a text message to the station’s mobile audience.
“We were able to bring 789 people to this one location by using our on-air and mobile combined,” said Hahn. “It works very powerfully.” You can subscribe to Inside Radio here. RAIN SUMMIT EAST IS IN 26 DAYSJust over 3 weeks remain before RAIN Summit East on September 28. The Summit will feature a long list of panels, speakers and presentations, including the exclusive unveiling of findings from Coleman Insights’ “Secrets of Streaming Success” study. Warren Kurtzman presented a preview of the study at RAIN Summit Midwest (RAIN coverage here) and it promises to be a very eye-opening presentation. Don’t miss it!
RAIN Summit East is an official co-located event of the RAB/NAB Radio Show. It takes place Tuesday, September 28 in Washington D.C. The Summit will feature a long list of radio experts, from Bonneville president/CEO Bruce Reese to AccuRadio COO John Gehron. More details, and information on how to register, can be found here. We hope to see you there! Full story (and reader comments):  RAIN 9/2: Apple makes iTunes experience more social, more "radio-like"More RAIN
RAIN 9/1: FilterMusic.net excels at helping you discover new streams
·1 day ago RAIN REVIEWS MINIMALIST NET RADIO BROWSERSome Internet radio sites go for the razzle and dazzle, but as we saw with Shuffler (RAIN coverage here), sometimes simple and to-the-point is most effective. That’s again the case with FilterMusic.net, an aggregator of Shoutcast Net radio streams.
The interface is simple: 18 genres are listed along the left side of the screen in a sleek white-on-black style. Selecting a genre pulls up a list of stations within that genre. You can also search for stations based on keyword (though this stops the playback of any stream you were already listening to). As far as selection, FilterMusic.net features everything from SomaFM to Radio Paradise and hundreds (if not thousands) of streams in between. No Flash-based or customizable streams are included (like Pandora or AccuRadio). The site lets you tune in via its embedded player — which keeps playing while you browse other stations — listen in your favorite media player, access the stream’s URL, bookmark it or express your opinion through like and dislike buttons. There’s even an iPhone- and mobile-friendly version of the site. Despite a few hiccups, FilterMusic.net is great for discovering new stations — though once you find a new favorite stream, there are probably better ways to tune in on a daily basis. (Hat tip to KillerStartups for cluing us in to FilterMusic.net). — MS APPLE MUSIC EVENT TODAY AT NOON CTApple is holding a press event today at noon Central Time, with an apparent emphasis on music. Apple’s invitations to the event featured a guitar, and many analysts expect the company to announce some sort of cloud-based music streaming service. Other rumors include updated iPods (possibly including video chat-capable iPod Touches) and/or a major overhaul of Apple TV.
More big updates to look out for include upgrading iPads to iOS4, which would (finally) enable multitasking — a much-needed improvement from an Internet radio perspective. We’ll have full coverage of all Apple’s announcements tomorrow. To see updates live from the event, we’d recommend Engadget’s live feed here. RADIOTIME ACQUIRES TUNEIN APP AND ITS DEVELOPER RadioTime has purchased TuneIn, an Internet radio aggregator app for iOS devices. The company has also hired the app’s developer to manage the app and build future RadioTime apps for devices like the iPad.
TuneIn, (previously dubbed RadioIn and covered by RAIN here) costs $1.99 and features RadioTime’s Internet radio directory. It has been downloaded over 700,000 times, according to RadioTime. The app also serves as a “radio DVR,” letting users pause and rewind live radio. You can also find stations based on artist or song searches and find local stations using your device’s GPS. Find RadioTime’s press release here. 27 DAYS UNTIL RAIN SUMMIT EASTOnly 27 days remain before RAIN Summit East, so be sureto register soon! The Summit will feature a jam-packed line-up of industry leaders. That includes Bonneville president/CEO Bruce Reese, who will deliver the Summit’s keynote address. It’s sure to be an unmissable presentation!
RAIN Summit East is an official co-located event of the RAB/NAB Radio Show. It takes place Tuesday, September 28 in Washington D.C. The Summit will feature a long list of radio experts, from Bonneville president/CEO Bruce Reese to AccuRadio COO John Gehron. More details, and information on how to register, can be found here. We hope to see you there! RAIN 9/1: FilterMusic.net excels at helping you discover new streams
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RAIN 8/31: Pandora's Les Hollander to speak at RAIN Summit East
·2 days ago HOLLANDER WILL DISCUSS PANDORA’S SALES SUCCESS ON MONETIZATION PANELPandora’s Les Hollander will join us at RAIN Summit East as part of the “Monetizing Internet Radio: From the Webcaster’s Perspective” panel. As Director of Audio Sales, Hollander has a unique perspective into Pandora’s success. He joins TargetSpot’s Andy Lipset, with other panelists to be announced very soon (find the Summit’s full agenda here).
Hollander spoke at last year’s packed RAIN Summit East in Philadelphia (RAIN coverage here) and is a veteran of the sales departments of CBS Radio and Clear Channel Radio. Pandora’s ad sales team is growing by leaps and bounds, making up 80-90% of the company’s new hires (RAIN coverage here). The sales staff is located around the United States: New York, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, not to mention Pandora’s “home base” in Oakland, CA. Last year, Pandora achieved profitability with $50 million in revenue (RAIN coverage here) and a New York Times analyst predicts they’ll double that this year, generating $100 million (here). Pandora’s robust sales staff is no doubt a core pillar of the company’s success. You can learn some of the secrets of that success only at RAIN Summit East, which takes place on Tuesday, September 28 in Washington D.C. Find more information about the Summit — and register to attend — right here. TODAY IS THE DEADLINE FOR RAIN AWARD ENTRIESToday is the last day to enter your station or webcast service in the first-ever RAIN Internet Radio Awards. That means it’s your last chance to be recognized among the finest Internet radio services in the U.S. Please help us spotlight your achievements by nominating your service here.
Nominations will be accepted until midnight Central Time tonight. We’ll even waive your entry fee if you register to attend RAIN Summit East, where we’ll announce the winners! Find out more about the RAIN Internet Radio Awards, and submit your application (remember, you only have until midnight Central Time tonight!) right here. Good luck! RAMSEY: FM IN CELLPHONES WOULD NOT MARK END OF STREAMING OR MOBILE APPS“With FM on mobile phones I will no longer need to stream my content, right?” That’s the question Mark Ramsey leads his latest blog post off with, promptly answering: “Wrong. The purpose of streaming existing and new content via the Internet is not just to be present on mobile devices but to provide the heart of a broader brand experience attractive to consumers and advertisers alike.”
Well, what about mobile apps though? Are they still important? Ramsey answers with a strong yes. “The purpose of a mobile app is not only to act as a stage for your online radio stream(s) but also to create a monetizable and engaging experience that surrounds your brands.” You can find much more of Ramsey’s FM-in-cellphones blog post here. LISTENER DRIVEN RADIO MAKES NEW HIRES, PROMOTES STAFFInteractive “crowdsourced” radio service Listener Driven Radio has made a few personnel moves, promoting Gale Parmelee to VP of programming support and brining some new talent on board. Brian Seeders is Listener Driven Radio’s new chief engineer, while Blake Weber and Craig Bowman join as support engineers.
“This has been a year of tremendous growth for LDR,” said president Daniel Anstandig. Radio Ink has more coverage here. RAIN 8/31: Pandora's Les Hollander to speak at RAIN Summit East
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RAIN 8/30: Former Forrester analyst to deliver second keynote of RAIN Summit East
Blogroll
·3 days ago SONAL GANDHI JOINS PACKED AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER 28 D.C. GATHERINGToday we’re happy to announce that Sonal Gandhi will deliver the second keynote at RAIN Summit East in Washington D.C. Her presentation is entitled “Reinvigorating Traditional Radio: What radio strategists can do right now to regain momentum.” The keynote will encourage broadcasters to build on their unique strengths while thinking like a media company first and radio station second.
Sonal Gandhi, a former Forrester analyst, is a leading expert in media specializing in radio, music and audio devices. She helps both media and non-media companies profit from digital content and build audiences online through advisory and consulting services. She is regularly quoted in major media outlets and blogs including The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Paidcontent and others. Sonal served as an industry analyst with Jupiter/Forrester Research for 5 Bonneville president/CEO Bruce Reese will deliver the first keynote of RAIN Summit East (RAIN coverage here). The second-annual RAIN Summit East will take place on Tuesday, September 28 in Washington D.C. and is an official co-located event of the RAB/NAB Radio Show. The Summit features a packed agenda (which you can find here) including the presentation of the first-ever RAIN Internet Radio Awards. There’s still time to enter your service for the Internet Radio Awards — but just barely. The deadline for nominations is tomorrow, so get those entries in ASAP right here. RAIN Summit East is sure to be even bigger and better than last year’s standing-room-only gathering in Philadelphia — so be sure to register soon! We hope to see you there. SURVEY: 15% “EXTREMELY INTERESTED” IN UPGRADING TO NET RADIO-READY CAR STEREOAccording to a recent MarketSource survey, 15% of U.S. adults are “extremely interested” in replacing their car stereo with a new model that includes Internet radio connectivity. Additionally, 4% said they already stream Internet radio programming to their car stereo in some way (through smartphones, for example).
Meanwhile, 29% said they listen to their iPod or mp3 player through their car stereo and 27% are “extremely likely to add that capability in the coming year.” Twice has more coverage of the survey here. BURNING MAN RADIO, NOW WITH A NET RADIO STREAM, STARTS TODAYThe low-power radio station that accompanies the massive Burning Man festival in Nevada has evolved from a public-information service to an entertainment source. And this year, it even features a Net radio simulcast, which you can listen to here. Broadcasting begins today, August 30 and runs through September 6. This year Burning Man Radio will also broadcast live 24 hours a day.
The team behind Burning Man Radio even plans to turn the station into a year-round, nonprofit webcast. The New York Times has much more coverage here. VW WORKING ON NET-CONNECTED “HYBRID RADIO” SYSTEMLike Ford, Smart, Mini and other automakers, Volkswagen is reportedly now working on an Internet-connected dashboard system. Though details are hard to come by at this point, VW’s “Hybrid Radio” would allow drivers to build playlists online — “from local news through to diverse musical specials” — and stream that playlist to their car radios.
Jennifer Lane of Audio4Cast reports that VW will begin testing the program in 2011. Find out more from Lane here. RAIN 8/30: Former Forrester analyst to deliver second keynote of RAIN Summit East
RAIN 9/2: Apple makes iTunes experience more social, more "radio-like" RAIN 9/1: FilterMusic.net excels at helping you discover new streams RAIN 8/31: Pandora's Les Hollander to speak at RAIN Summit East RAIN 8/30: Former Forrester analyst to deliver second keynote of RAIN Summit East RAIN 8/27: Radio vet Bill Gamble to consult AccuRadio's country stations RAIN 8/26: Clear Channel's digital chief Evan Harrison to leave at end of year  |
Kurt Hanson's blog
Book your TUESDAY travel to Washington, DC!·43 days ago As we announced in RAIN a few days ago, this year’s RAIN Summit East will be, for the first time ever, an officially co-located event with the RAB/NAB Radio Show… and it’s scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, September 28th, in Washington, DC. That means, of course, that if you’re making your travel plans to attend the RAB/NAB Radio Show now, you should be sure to come in Tuesday morning so you can join us for the full event!
We expect the RAIN Summit East to begin at 12:30pm on Tuesday afternoon, at or near the Grand Hyatt, and continue through a 6-8pm cocktail party. Enter the RAIN Internet Radio Awards todayOne exciting new feature of RAIN Summit East will be the awards ceremony for our first-ever “RAIN Internet Radio Awards,” with awards in three key categories — Best Overall Online Radio Service, Best Streaming Broadcast Station, and Best Overall Digital Strategy.
To nominate your station, website, or company, visit http://kurthanson.com/awards/. See you there! Full story (and reader comments):Book your TUESDAY travel to Washington, DC!
Latest CRB royalty news
NAB releases proposed broadcast royalty terms
·17 days ago Following a meeting with its board in response to music industry efforts to gain a royalty for on-air play of copyright recordings, the NAB has publicly released “proposed terms NAB releases proposed broadcast royalty terms
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We’ll be announcing more details in the next few days — event location, preliminary agenda, etc. But we thought you’d appreciate the heads-up so you can make your travel plans now.
under consideration” for a settlement — several of which have implications for online radio…
