“With its roots firmly planted in high-tech and entertainment sectors, ArtistEcard provides unparalleled technological solutions in the field of music marketing to the independent and well-established artists, focusing on such aspects of E-marketing as the visual presence, uniquely crafted video services, web applications, electronic press kits, video online advertising and syndicated services to users, artists, merchants and commercial partners alike,” the company tells us.

The state-of-the-art platform includes a broad set of creative tools, tailored for website development, online music stream, production and global digital distribution of music videos, photographs, analytics, electronic press kits, a Facebook app, email marketing, a mobile handset optimized website, and promotional video materials.

ArtistEcard aims to be a leader as a One-Stop Shop by combining all the tools that music professional needs in one place at the very low cost.

“We have a great team of skilled and knowledgeable professionals, always eager and always hungry for conquering new heights,” says Ivan Buryadnyk, founder of ArtistEcard. “Most importantly, they, too, are as dedicated to what they do as I am. ThatAnd To that extent, we are currently looking for a new a key team member. It is critical for us to constantly grow and expand the horizons. We are looking into entering the European market, where such platform and such advertising model simply does not yet exist. With the focus on the visual marketing component, consisting of promotional videos, presentations, advertising campaigns, video blogging and the like – all of which we’ve seen as a key element in E-marketing, we are looking to add new faces to our team, and to find these unique individuals, who can help us to gain popularity and reputation in that part of the world.”

The post Digital Music Marketing Reaches the Next Level Through ArtistEcard appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The changes affect both Pandora’s subscription-based and ad-supported platforms.

“The company announced it’s rebranding the classic Pandora One subscription model as Pandora Plus, an improved $4.99 option that will allow listeners to have as many as four music channels available offline, when users might want to listen without having internet access,” reports AdWeek’s Marty Swant.

This announcement follows news from Pandora that the music streaming service has inked direct licensing deals with several major music labels, including Merlin Network, Sony Music, and Universal Music Group.

“You’ll be able to go on a run, or a cross-country commute on a plane or a train commute in a tunnel and never lose Pandora,” said Lizzie Widhelm, Pandora’s SVP of ad product strategy.

It’s a pretty cool set-up.

“The “predictive offline mode” notices when internet connection is cut and automatically caches three of the stations a user listens to the most,” explained Swant. “The offline mode will also cache a user’s Thumbprint station, which is based on songs they’ve given a thumbs up.”

As for the free, ad-supported version of Pandora, the company will now allow brands to sponsor playbacks and additional skips: in exchange for watching a 15-second ad, users will be able to listen to a song again or skip more of those they don’t like.

The ultimate benefit to advertisers? More happy customers of the platform — and ultimately more of the kind of flexibility that takes the sting out of advertising breaks.

“The updates to allow for offline could also be a big boost for gaining ground in the mobile space,” notes Swant. “More than 85 percent of users’ total listening hours come from mobile devices.”

Pandora now boasts 78 million total active monthly listeners in the U.S. About 3.9 million are paying subscribers.

The post Pandora Changes Its Tune: Music Platform Makes Some Major Changes appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Pandora wants to help its client base of marketers (those who know that “back-to-school” is second only in importance “to the shopping extravaganza that is the holiday season”) drive greater results and profits from their advertising spend.

“It will be a couple months before we know the exact dollar amount consumers spent this year on pencils, notebooks and the perfect first-day outfit, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait to start gleaning insights into how they shopped and what influenced those decisions,” notes Pandora.

Pandora encouraged listeners to divulge how they shop. The big takeaway? Mobile is major.

“(Our) survey of Pandora listeners surfaced what we think is the most important takeaway from this year’s back-to-school season: That mobile plays a highly influential role in preparing for the new school year–even greater evidence of why it’s critical for marketers to understand and utilize mobile advertising for any major shopping occasion.”

Want to know what else Pandora discovered? Take a gander at their insightful infographic shared below:

The post Pandora Survey: From Back-to-School to Holidays, Mobile Driving More Decisions appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

A match made in music heaven, Pandora will be integrated directly within the Uber driver app, giving drivers a “simple and seamless way to discover, enjoy and share their favorite stations.”

According to a media statement provided to MMW, now drivers can create stations, thumb songs, and discover new artists all in one place.

The music streaming giant says it will be an integral part of every Uber driver’s day.

“Pandora is delivering the perfect music experience for both Uber drivers and riders,” said Nick Marcantonio, senior product manager at Pandora. “Effortless, personalized and elegantly integrated into the app, the Pandora-Uber solution will transform the in-car listening experience.”

“Many drivers already use music to get their day started on the right note, but it can be challenging to find high quality music that both drivers and riders love—without radio ads and interruptions to the music,” adds Bob Cowherd, senior product manager for music and media at Uber. “This integration, which will allow drivers to play music on Pandora from directly within the Uber app, will make it easier for drivers and riders to listen to the music they love.”

The post Uber Drivers Ready to Test Drive Pandora’s Five-Star Listening Experience appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The offering will be rolled out to the company’s 80 million monthly active users.

“It gives listeners more control over the ads they see and delivers stronger results for brands,” Pandora tells us. “The ads launch in beta this summer with Express and the Lexus Dealer Association, and will be available to all advertisers later this year.”

According to Mobile Advertising Watch, which previewed the ads, the new ads in question seek to harness the natural behavior of mobile users, as well as provide a creative opening for advertisers.

“The ad experience lives within the square space that houses album art, fitting seamlessly into the core visual element of Pandora, and includes the ability for listeners to swipe vs. tap to dismiss,” the company tells us. “It also allows advertisers to measure key signs of listener engagement including time spent and viewability, and supports IAB standard ads as well as programmatic needs.”

“At Pandora, we believe what is good for the listener is good for the advertiser,” said John Trimble, the chief revenue officer at Pandora. “We saw an industry-wide problem with visual mobile ads and focused on what ‘the impression’ initially set out to achieve: viewability, time spent, attention, and engagement. We’re changing the game by helping advertisers think less about traditional impressions and more about the quality of each interaction.”

To learn more about Pandora’s innovative efforts in mobile advertising, click here.

The post Pandora Pushes Forward with Innovative Native Mobile Ad Effort appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The offering, we’re told, promises to “reinvent the way music artists are discovered and promoted” using social media.

“Being discovered is the traditional problem facing music artists,” said Roger Hector, founder of TopTrack LLC.

Hector is an established Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former President of Universal Studios Digital Arts.

“You had to play small gigs and tour for years just to try and get noticed,” he says. “Today artists upload their music to many on-line websites, but they still struggle to have fans discover them there. This is the problem that TopTrack solves.”

So how does it work?

With this app, one tap is all it takes to share a music track throughout Facebook, Twitter, Google+,  Linkedin, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Messenger, and more. When artists share them, and fans re-share them, tracks can spread quickly to a massive global social media audience.

“You are more likely to listen to a track when it comes to you directly recommended by a friend,” said Hector. “Our special 1 minute sample format can unleash your music to go viral!”

Want to know more? Check it out here.

The post TopTrack Aiming to ‘Disrupt’ Music Industry Via Social Media appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

There’s only one person we know of and she’s Taylor Swift, who recently took Apple to task — and won.

The kerfuffle was about Apple Music’s plan to bail out on royalties to musicians and bands during a 90-day period when it will “test drive” its new music streaming service, slated to start June 30.

Just a few days ago, Swift — perhaps the only mega-star that can make Apple cower — wrote a “diplomatic but stern Tumblr post” that (subtly) ripped Apple a new core.

“We don’t ask you for free iPhones,” Swift wrote. “Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation,” reported the New York Times (NYT).

Apple’s reaction? It peeled back — big time.

“By midnight Sunday, Apple — one of the most powerful companies in the world– had capitulated to the 25-year-old pop star, saying it would pay royalties on all music for the three-month trials. One of its senior executives, Eddy Cue, even said he called Ms. Swift personally to give her the news.”

Swift’s throwing of the gauntlet came after more than a week’s grousing by artists, especially those with independent labels, who complained that the drop in revenue for them would be traumatic.

According to the NYT, “Dorian Cundick of CEB, a business advisory firm, said that Apple’s response to the situation was remarkable for the language of Mr. Cue’s public statements, which matched Ms. Swift’s informal but sincere tone. “We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists,” he wrote on Twitter. “Love, Apple.”

In the meantime, Swift has indicated she will quarantine her latest album (Titled “1989) from Apple’s streaming service.

“The company’s new music app, Apple Music — which includes a subscription streaming service, a free Internet radio station and a media platform on which artists can upload songs and videos — has been highly anticipated,” noted the NYT. “But its announcement this month was also met with some grumbles from commentators that its many parts failed to add up to a cohesive whole.”

Swift has been praised for her measured, but insistent, social media strategy. It also helps that she has about 60 million followers on Twitter.

Which just goes to prove: the Apple doesn’t fall far from the Tweet.

The post Taylor Swift Continues to Draw Praise for Taking a Bite Out of Apple appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Confirmed this week, Pandora says its new programmatic solution supplements its desktop offering to deliver viewable inventory, qualified data and a robust, engaged audience at scale across devices.

“The power of Pandora’s data fuels our digital advertising leadership and helps brands reach the right listener, with the right message at the right time,” said John Trimble, chief revenue officer at Pandora.

“The launch of our desktop programmatic solution was an important step, and this latest offering on smartphones and tablets further positions our company for growth by meeting the needs of our current buying partners and unlocking new market opportunities,” Trimble added.

Pandora says advertisers interested in these new opportunities can find out more on their advertising page here.

The post Music Streaming Giant Goes Programmatic appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

We’re told that the WWDC 2015 keynote will bring with it an announcement from Apple that it will challenge the likes of Spotify and Pandora head-on in the streaming music market.

The service will reportedly cost $10 per month.

“Unlike Spotify, Apple won’t let listeners stream its entire music catalog on demand free of charge,” the WSJ reports. “But it plans to augment its free, ad-supported Internet radio service with channels programmed and hosted by human DJs.”

Apple can aggressively push its hundreds of millions of iTunes customers—most with credit cards already registered with the company—to embrace a subscription model on the same devices where they listen to downloaded songs and albums.

WWDC 2015 kicks off June 8th.

The post Apple’s Next Venture Won’t Be Music to the Ears of Spotify, Pandora appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Late last week, MTV, VH1 and Palladia announced that they will unite to “take fans to the Gulf Shores of Alabama” for the “2015 Hangout Music Festival.”

The effort is being touted as an unmatched and curated experience on any device or platform of choice.

Over the weekend, fans were able to check in with MTV, VH1 and Palladia online, on their phones, on television and on social platforms to watch performances, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage with an array of top recording artists.

The Hangout Music Festival has been recognized as one of the premier live music events in the United States. And now, it’s officially gone mobile.

The post Multiple Screens Treated to The 2015 Hangout Music Festival appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.