US Archives

YouTube Music tests AI Hosts

30/09/2025

What is YouTube Labs & the AI Hosts experiment? In September 2025, YouTube announced YouTube Labs, a new initiative to test AI-powered features on its platform. Its first public experiment inside YouTube Music is AI music hosts, which deliver commentary, trivia, and stories between tracks — a kind of smart audio ‘radio host for your playlist.’ As of now, the test is limited to users in the US via opt‑in; not everyone will see it […]

Amazon Music launches Weekly Vibe

24/09/2025

What is Weekly Vibe? Weekly Vibe is Amazon Music’s latest AI-driven playlist tool. Rolled out in the US across all subscription tiers (including Free, Prime, and Unlimited), it delivers a personalised playlist every Monday. The playlist uses your recent listening history — moods, genres, and favourites — to create something that feels both familiar and fresh. Currently only available in the US, it is unclear if—or when—the feature will roll out internationally, or what form […]

Video Podcasts Are Taking Off in the US

23/09/2025

The Rise of Video Podcasts Podcasting used to be synonymous with audio. People listened while commuting, exercising, or cooking — the appeal was hands-free, voice-only storytelling. But that’s changing fast. According to Edison Research’s Podcast Consumer 2025, more than half of Americans aged 12+ have now watched a video podcast, and over a third have done so in just the last month. Younger audiences in particular are blurring the line between “podcast” and “show,” expecting […]

CarPlay & Android Auto listening grows in the US

23/09/2025

Connected Dashboards Growing As of Q2 2025, just over one-third of Americans (13+) have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in their primary vehicle, according to Edison Research’s Share of Ear survey. Among those who have that tech and have driven in the past month, 83% use it regularly. What Drivers Are Listening To Even with CarPlay or Android Auto, AM/FM radio leads Among US drivers with CarPlay or Android Auto, 47% of in-car listening still […]

US music hits $5.6Bn in H1 2025

22/09/2025

According to the RIAA Mid-Year 2025 Report, US recorded music revenue across all formats hit $5.6Bn in the first half of 2025. That’s up just 0.9% year-on-year, showing growth — but a much smaller increase than in recent years. Key Trends & Figures Streaming dominates: Total streaming revenue was $4.68Bn, about 84% of all music revenue. Paid subscriptions up: Premium accounts rose 6.4% to 105.3 million. Subscription revenue grew 5.7%. Physical formats slipping: Physical music […]

Top 50 US podcasts for Q2 2025

06/08/2025

The Top 50 US podcasts for Q2 2025 chart according to Edison Podcast Metrics has been published by Edison Research. Edison Podcast Metrics is the only podcast measurement service that measures the relative audience size and demographics of all podcast networks in the US. The Edison Podcast Metrics Top 50 Podcasts of Q2 2025 list is derived from data collected continuously during the second quarter of 2025, and interviewing 5,086 weekly podcast consumers ages 13 and older in the US. […]

Chesky Records full HiRes catalogue now on Qobuz

29/07/2025

Chesky Records full HiRes catalogue is now on Qobuz and will be available in 24-bit/192kHz Lossless FLAC. The US audiophile label will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year and to commemorate this milestone Qobuz and Chesky are offering a giveaway of an exclusive signed vinyl copy of ‘The Raven’ by Rebecca Pidgeon, one of their most iconic releases in a free prize draw. This collector’s prize consists of a newly reissued 180-gram vinyl personally autographed […]