Yesterday streaming music service Rdio announced that radio station streaming would be free on Android and iOS mobile devices, effective immediately. Up to now the service has been subscription only, with a free trial period available for new users. Like Spotify, Rdio’s emphasis has been on demand listening. The service’s stations were only just launched […]
Tag Archives | streaming
Slacker adds Weather Channel local forecasts
Weather reports and alerts are a mainstay of most live radio broadcasts, especially during drivetime, and there are plenty of apps that will deliver forecasts to your smartphone. However, updated local weather is more difficult to obtain on streaming services if you’re not just listening to a local station’s stream. Today Slacker Radio releases a […]
Slacker Radio adds 6 million users since February relaunch
On Thursday Slacker Radio announced that it added 6 million listeners since the service relaunched with a new design in February. That’s when Slacker upped the ante with unlimited free listening to its streaming, curated stations on PCs and mobile devices, in addition to an interface overhaul. These stations include news and sports from ABC […]
Radio revenue up in 2012, especially on digital platforms
The commercial radio business is looking stronger, especially on digital platforms. Terrestrial and digital radio revenue went up in 2012, with 4th quarter revenues surging even more. That’s according to a report from the Radio Advertising Bureau. Revenue from commercial spots inched up 1% for the year overall, but increased 4% in the 4th quarter, […]
Study says streaming audio reaches more Americans than video
It’s often treated as a fact that young adults don’t listen to radio and prefer pirate music, but a recent USA TouchPoints survey (via Radio and Internet Newsletter) says that a full 40% of Americans aged 18–24 listen to streaming audio online every week. Older demographics are also tuning in online, with 34% of 25–34 […]
What might be in store for radio at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show
The 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show kicks off on Tuesday and runs until Friday. As usual, I will be monitoring the announcements and news from the show for anything of import to radio, broadcast and online, podcasting and streaming. Announcements for the show are just getting started. Monday is “press day” at CES, when there’s […]
One year in, how I learned to like Spotify – a follow-up review.
I can barely believe that it’s been over a year since I wrote my first review of Spotify, which itself came a month after the service debuted in the US. At the time I was most critical of the relative rarity of free Spotify accounts, in addition to a monthly limit of 10 listening hours […]
Bill would legalize extra-long music sets online for public radio
Under the provisions of the Digital Milennium Copyright Act (DMCA) there are several restrictions on streaming radio that don’t exist for terrestrial broadcast. One of the most vexing for a lot of noncommerical stations is the limitation that an online station may not play more than three songs from the same artist, album or compilation […]
Slacker Radio's caching aims to bypass AT&T data caps
Hot on the heels of AT&T’s new data pricing plans, Slacker Radio released the new version 2.0 of their app which will permit listeners to cache their stations while on a wifi network. Then the stations can be listened to without using up precious data from the 3G network. On the surface this may sound […]
WOXY Abruptly Goes Offline; Streaming Ain't Cheap
I–along with many other online radio fans–was surprised to learn this morning that online indie rock station WOXY abruptly shut down its live stream this morning. The only explanation was a short blurb on their website blaming “current economic realities and the lack of ongoing funding” for the closure. The situation was all the more […]