Streaming Archives

Spotify extends lead over Apple Music

25/02/2019

Spotify extends lead over Apple Music with paid subscriptions now reaching 96 million against Apple’s estimated 50 million, according to Statista. When Apple Music was launched in June 2015, industry experts thought that Apple’s enormous installed base of iOS devices together with the company’s legendary flair for marketing and branding would see it come out top in the competition with Spotify. However, Spotify has proved to be the more innovative moving quickly into new markets, […]

Spotify ends 2018 in the black

20/02/2019

Spotify ends 2018 in the black with Q4 2018 outperforming expectations and delivering operating income, net income and free cash flow numbers which were all positive. The number of monthly active users (MAU) grew 29% year on year to 207 million which was above expectations mainly due to improved subscriber retention and strong growth in Latin America and emerging regions. Despite improved performance in every area and strong forecast growth in 2019 the company is […]

Young people in Spain are adopting streaming over physical formats

70% of Spanish music sales are now digital

19/02/2019

70% of Spanish music sales are now digital with streaming growing by 50% to reach 2.3 million users according to figures released by Promusicae, the Spanish record industry association. Streaming now accounts for 90% of the sector’s digital revenues ending the year with a small increase in sales. The growth in streaming is being driven by younger consumers taking up streaming subscriptions rather than buying physical formats. Provisional sales figures for 2018 show that revenues […]

Francesca Lombardo - 200 millionth upload on SoundCloud

SoundCloud reaches its 200 millionth upload

17/02/2019

SoundCloud reaches its 200 millionth upload with Francesca Lombardo’s ‘Eye Ring’. Francesca Lombardo is a London-based DJ and classically-trained vocalist has performed at IMS Dalt Vila, Burning Man and Tomorrowland and is releasing her debut album, Life of Leaf on 15th February. Francesca has built up 50,000 followers on SoundCloud and in an interview posted on the SoundCloud blog she describes how she built up her following, “I’ve worked hard to keep a steady release […]

Qobuz on tablet, desktop and mobile platforms

Qobuz finally launches in US

16/02/2019

Qobuz finally launches in US after several false starts during the second half of 2018. Streaming subscriptions and downloads are available in MP3, CD and HiRes at varying price points to suit most budgets and audio aspirations. The HiRes Studio subscription at $24.99/month represents excellent value for audiophiles and for those who still prefer some of their music as downloads, then the streamer’s Sublime+ combined streaming and download package at $299.99/year is certainly worth a […]

Spotify acquires podcasting companies

15/02/2019

Spotify acquires podcasting companies Gimlet Media and Anchor to accelerate its growth in podcasting. Gimlet is an independent producer of podcast content, and Anchor is a market leading tool for podcast creation, publishing, and monetization services. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. With these acquisitions, Spotify is positioned to become both the premier producer of podcasts and the leading platform for podcast creators. Gimlet will bring to Spotify its best-in-class podcast studio with dedicated […]

Welsh Language Music Day playlists hosted on Spotify

Welsh Language Music Day gets streaming site

14/02/2019

Welsh Language Music Day gets streaming site with bilingual playlists hosted on Spotify. All kinds of Welsh language music is featured including indie, rock, punk, funk, folk, electronica, hip hop and more. The playlists were sponsored by Carmarthenshire County Council and curated in association with Stiwdio Box to celebrate the event on 8th February 2019. The initiative was launched following a pilot held last year when Welsh music was played at certain times during the […]