Pandora Debuts New Playlist; Apple Music Gains Global Market Share, but Spotify Still Far Ahead

Pandora takes on Spotify’s Release Radar with its newest playlist, The Drop — techcrunch.com

Pandora is taking on Spotify with the launch of a new personalized playlist, The Drop, announced this morning. Similar to Spotify’s Release Radar, The Drop will also focus on new releases from artists its listeners care about. New tracks are added to the playlist on the day they’re released, the company says — that means Fridays, as with Release Radar.

How Streaming Is Erasing The History Of Mixtape Rap Producers Like DJ Drama — www.vinylmeplease.com 
 There are precious few people who knew what it was like to be in the room during Lil Wayne’s legendary mid-’00s opus years, and fewer still who had the privilege of personally offering up the beats for his consumption.

Apple Music Gains Global Market Share, but Spotify Is Still Far Ahead — variety.com 
 In the first half of 2018, music subscribers grew by 16% and Apple Music gained two points of market share while Spotify maintained its formidable global lead, according to mid-year data published Thursday by analysts Midia Research. According to the report, global subscribers climbed to 229.

iHeartMedia Acquires HowStuffWorks Podcast Parent for $55 Million — variety.com 
 iHeartMedia reached a deal to acquire Stuff Media, which includes the HowStuffWorks podcasting business and a slate of 25 podcast shows, for $55 million.

What Will Happen If the Music Modernization Act Doesn’t Pass Soon — www.billboard.com 
 After years of planning, more than a year of hardcore lobbying, and months of final compromises, the Music Modernization Act could go to a hotline vote in the Senate later today.

Spotify and Dentsu Aegis launch audio planning tool — www.warc.com

Spotify, the Swedish music-streaming service, has joined forces with Dentsu Aegis Network’s media investment arm, Amplifi, to launch a new audio planning tool that will be rolled out across Asia-Pacific.

Plex is killing off its Cloud streaming service this November — thenextweb.com 
 Plex is shuttering its Cloud offering — which lets you stream content stored in your Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive storage — at the end of November.

Donald Glover Fires Back at Glassnote in Childish Gambino Royalties Row — www.billboard.com 
 Donald Glover says the indie label he signed with early in his music career owes him streaming royalties and has been miscalculating costs in breach of their licensing agreement, according to a countersuit filed Friday.

Prince: 10 Essential Late-Period Prince Songs You Can Stream Now — www.rollingstone.com

From a Kate Bush collaboration to a praise song to a hippie and a lot of sticky funk, here are some classic moments from a slept on period of his incredible career.

Spotify set to launch in the Middle East and North Africa in November — www.musicbusinessworldwide.com

Spotify’s next major global move is coming soon.