Audio Ink

YouTube has announced a new partnership with Universal Music Group and other leading figures in the music industry to embrace AI technology and foster creativity while maintaining responsibility and protecting artists. The collaboration focuses on three principles.

After 2022's Spotify Wrapped event led to the highest-grossing week for artist merch sales in the company's history, the streamer is adding a dedicated Merch Hub to its app. The hub will feature personalized recommendations based on users' listening history.

SiriusXM is set to premiere will.i.am Presents the FYI Show, hosted by the producer/performer will.i.am in January 2024. Airing on The 10s Spot, the show will feature a blend of AI innovations, interactive projects, and cultural discussions.

The latest update to Apple's iOS operating system for iPhone users marks a significant shift in podcast metrics, carried by a reduction in automatic downloads. This change is a result of industry collaboration with Apple to align downloads more closely with actual listening.

After setting a date for the fourth annual event, the 2024 International Women's Podcast Awards is now accepting entries. The event is scheduled for June 19 at the Institution of Engineering and Technology London: Savoy Place.

Amid DoJ scrutiny over alleged power abuse in other areas, Apple could find itself in pay-for-play-type turmoil as the company tries to promote its podcast monetization program, which offers premium show subscriptions in exchange for a cut of the profits.

The exclusive ad sales agreement is to represent the podcast called Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine, which is a weekly celebrity interview podcast. The podcast can be heard on iTunes, Google Play, broadwayworld.com, and the show’s website at littleknownfactspodcast.com.

Naveen Chopra replaces Mike Herring, who had served as Pandora’s CFO since March 2013, and took on the role of president in March 2016. Herring will focus his attention on advertising and subscription growth. Chopra joined TiVo in 2003 and most recently served as the company’s interim CEO from January 2016 until its acquisition by Rovi in September 2016.

iHeartRadio has won a Shorty Award for Best In Live Events. Shorty Awards recognize "the most influential, popular, and culturally relevant brands and influencers across social media." For the second year in a row iHeartRadio is a winner for Best In Live Events for the iHeartRadio Music Festival. iHeartRadio also won the category’s fan-voted Audience Honor for the festival.

On Tuesday, the company launched a new lineup of original, on-demand audio content. audioBoom is debuting five new podcasts (one launched in February), including Very Bad Words, which premiers on June 14, 2017. The launch marks the company's first wave of original podcasts featuring a mix of shows in various categories.