If all your favorite audio content is all over the place in a variety of different channels, why can’t you aggregate it all in one place? Well, now you can! J.D. Heilprin is founder of AGOGO, a stealthy mobile-first startup that was recently featured in the iTunes store as “best new app” and “top news app.” Much more than aggregating podcasts, AGOGO is a platform bringing together a world of audio (and the audio form of TV and textual media content made audio) in one place, a

What do VC’s look for when they invest in the startups which threaten mega-industries like radio? Marc Andreessen, VC and cofounder of Netscape, spelled out the formula in an HBR Ideacast episode with his former partner Jim Barksdale. Here’s what Andreessen and investors like him look for: A large incumbent… In an established industry… With a bundled product or service offering… In the presence of underlying technology change… Where there’s an idea for an unbundled version of

Is NPR’s performance on the digital front a sign that radio’s digital evolution has stalled? Or, worse, that it’s just a big hairy mistake? So says would-be town crier Richard Harker. Harker’s basic point is right on: Broadcasters should direct some of their innovative attention towards content on traditional radio channels and not only experiment with all things digital. I agree! But saying innovative effort should be spread around is different from saying initiatives on the

I wanted to create an event that attracted a bevy of thoughtful future-oriented doers in the audio space, one that offered new ideas, inspiration, and compelling Q&A for radio, online radio, digital audio, and podcasting (I’m only pretending those are separate categories, of course). I also wanted to create an event that folks would be proud to attend not only because of the information and the networking, but also because it was just plain fun. Here are some images from hivi

It’s shaping up to be perhaps the most diverse gathering of professionals in the audio information and entertainment space ever. Just take a look at this word cloud version of all the company names present in the room: From broadcasters to podcasters, from commercial radio to public radio, from startups to established players, from digital innovators to traditional radio stalwarts, from U.S. to International. It’s a full house for hivio 2014, the audio future festival, set fo

Wouldn’t it be great if the audio space had its own little version of SXSW? A place for the cool kids in and around the radio world to meet and play together? No matter if they were US or international, broadcasters, podcasters, commercial or public media, online radio, agencies, technologists in the audio space, storytellers, talent, or artists? The wait is over. Today I’m proud to announce the kickoff of the utterly unique hivio 2014 – the second annual audio future festiva

[A longer version of this post appeared in NetNewsCheck] “Podcasting” is the term describing the creation and consumption of on-demand video and especially audio. It was the “next big thing” – about six or seven years ago. And today? Not so much. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of podcasting going on out there. It doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of people making and listening to them. It doesn’t mean podcasting lacks a place in our media portfolio. But podcasting is most

Well, for starters, your content is in it. But not just yours. Podcast content too. But more than that: Content that is not audio is made audio. And your music (through Rdio or Spotify) is integrated with content that relates to your music to create a seamless and frictionless listening experience here, there, and on the go. Quality content from all over is curated according to your interests, irrespective of the channels or “silos” they are traditionally presented in or on.