Year: 2021

Analysis and updates from the world of high‑resolution and digital audio.

News

Global music revenues reach $23.1 Bn in 2020

17/03/2021
Global music revenues reach $23.1 Bn in 2020 with a 7% annual growth despite pandemic according to media and technology analysts, MIDiA Research. The global pandemic caused widespread disruption to the music business, in particular decimating the live business and impacting publisher public performance royalties. Although the recorded music business experienced a dip in the earlier months of the pandemic, the remainder of the year saw industry revenue rebound, making it the sixth successive year of […]
News

Qobuz unveils Dark Mode for its desktop apps

17/03/2021
Qobuz unveils Dark Mode for its desktop apps and is available on MacOS and Windows according to a recent blog post by the HiRes music streaming and download service. Dark Mode is already available on Qobuz’s Android and iOS apps for smartphones and tablets. Users can now activate Dark Mode in the Qobuz desktop app’s settings, and can toggle the theme between Dark Mode and Light Mode at any time. Dark Mode is a popular […]
HiRes balance control add-on
News

HiRes balance control add-on

14/03/2021
HiRes balance control add-on, MAATgo, is aimed at the playback of HiRes streams and files enhancing the audiophile user experience. The app is a cross platform plug-in and native application for routing, matrixing and visualisation of digital audio. Available for all major plug-in formats, including VST 2, VST 3 and AAX for macOS and Windows plus Audio Units for macOS, MAATgo delivers complete ‘preamp’ channel routing, plus a software goniometer that replicates an analogue oscilloscope experience. […]
80 million Americans listen to podcasts weekly
News

80 million Americans listen to podcasts weekly

13/03/2021
80 million Americans listen to podcasts weekly, a 17% increase over 2020 reaching 28% of the US 12+ population according to the Infinite Dial 2021. The Infinite Dial is produced by Edison Research and is America’s longest-running survey of digital media consumer behaviour in the US, published annually since 1998. It provides survey data on a number of important media channels, including streaming audio, podcasting, and social media from a representative sample of the US population aged 12 and over. The overall […]
BTS’ MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 tops IFPI’s 2020 Global Album Sales Chart
News

BTS’ MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 tops IFPI’s 2020 Global Album Sales Chart

13/03/2021
BTS’ MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 tops IFPI’s 2020 Global Album Sales Chart which combines global sales of physical and digital album downloads to rank the top albums of the year. This marks the third Global Chart Award given to the band by IFPI, following their success as Global Recording Artists of 2020, and MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 topping the newly introduced IFPI Global Album All Format Chart. The fourth studio album from global superstars BTS, MAP […]
Spotify takes you behind the scenes
News

Spotify takes you behind the scenes

13/03/2021
Spotify takes you behind the scenes with a new miniseries of podcasts showing how its product strategy has been developed over the past decade. In the podcasts Spotify’s Chief R&D Officer, Gustav Söderström, will bring listeners these insider stories of product strategy and development at Spotify as told by the people who built it. Spotify: A Product Story will contain previously untold stories filled with colourful characters, product challenges and successes, and many lessons learned. “In this […]
Deezer launches audiobook channel in Austria
News

Deezer launches audiobook channel in Austria

13/03/2021
Deezer launches audiobook channel in Austria with an editorially maintained service of audiobooks and radio plays. Last year, the streaming service started in Germany with Audiobooks by Deezer, a standalone app for audiobooks, as well as a curated audiobook offering in the Netherlands. From bestsellers to novelties to non-fiction books, crime novels and radio plays, audiobook fans can now browse through more than 15 different genres and categories in the new channel. Among them are editorial recommendations […]