Apple’s Audio Ambition; John Malone’s Radio Empire; Spotify Warns App Hackers

Apple Turns Up Audio Ambition With High-End Headphones — www.bloomberg.com 
 Apple Inc.’s AirPods earphones have been a surprise hit. Now, the company is planning a push into the high end of the market.

Without Tuma Basa, What Role Will Spotify’s Flagship Playlists Play In Its Public Future? — www.billboard.com 
 For a service like Spotify that has unrivaled data and algorithmic sophistication, leaning heavily on flagship, top-down properties and quasi-celebrity figures like Tuma Basa might be sending a mixed message about the service’s growth narrative, and perhaps even treading too far into Apple Music’s turf.

John Malone Is Assembling the Pieces to Build a Radio Empire — www.bloomberg.com 
 John Malone’s vision for a radio empire is coming into focus.

Spotify cracks down on free users that steal Premium service — www.engadget.com

Spotify may have 159 million active users, but only 71 million of those are paid subscribers.

Apple’s HomePod is a pricey predicament for Spotify users — www.theverge.com 
 The HomePod, Apple’s new smart speaker that works best with Apple Music, only helps the iPhone maker build its case for living in the walled garden, by making it hard for Spotify users to enjoy the product at its fullest.

Music Modernization Act Takes Royalties From DIY Songwriters, Gives Them to Major Publishers — www.billboard.com 
 Unclaimed mechanical royalties should be maintained on deposit indefinitely for as long as it takes to be distributed to their rightful copyright owners.

Why Diddy And Justin Bieber Are Set To Cash In On Spotify’s IPO — www.forbes.com 
 Spotify’s founders and the major labels will reap billions from the IPO of the streaming service, but it’s unclear how much of the record companies’ windfall will trickle down. Diddy and Bieber are among a select few set to cash in regardless.

Spotify is relying Google’s cloud, according to IPO filing — www.cnbc.com 
 Spotify said that it’s going to increase use of Google’s public cloud computing and storage resources.

How can blockchain make a real impact on music? — musically.com 
 Today’s by:Larm conference in Oslo included a panel on blockchain technology and the music industry. No wait, stop! Don’t click away! Come back!

Spotify Goes Public: 7 Revelations From the SEC Filing — pitchfork.com 
 Here’s what we learned about the streaming giant as it prepares to debut on the New York Stock Exchange

Video Game Music: An Art And Business In Its Own Right — www.hypebot.com 
 While musicians have been cozy with the video game industry for some time as another supplementary source of revenue, but some indicators suggest that game music could be growing into an entire business all its own.

Duomi music shuts down after 10 years — technode.com 
 Duomi music, once ranked among China’s top 5 music apps, has shut down after 10 years. The company apparently has been having trouble turning profits for the past couple of years.