Capitol Hill Soundtrack Newsletter

SiriusXM and Pandora are celebrating the return of live events with the Small Stage Series, a series of performances with premier artists spanning music genres and styles, and comedy, held in small iconic venues. Featuring artists including Brandi Carlile, Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Glass Animals, H.E.R., J Balvin, John Mulaney, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Shaggy and Twenty One Pilots, SiriusXM subscribers and Pandora listeners in cities across the country will get the chance to see their favorite artists live in intimate settings, along with an exclusive keepsake to commemorate what might be some subscribers’ first live event in a very long time. To maintain the highest public health standards and/or requirements, SiriusXM will adhere to health and safety protocols for each venue, and all state and local health mandates to protect attendees, staff, and artists. Learn more about the Small Stage Series here.

SiriusXM’s newest satellite, SXM-8, has completed in-orbit testing and is now ready for service. Launched on June 6 from Cape Canaveral, SXM-8 will provide continuous, reliable delivery of SiriusXM’s audio entertainment and information services to consumers in the United States and will expand SiriusXM’s coverage area in Canada and the Caribbean. SXM-8 will also extend the health of SiriusXM’s satellite fleet and its satellite-delivered services through at least 2036. SXM-8 is the ninth high-powered, digital, audio radio satellite built by Maxar Technologies for SiriusXM.

Stitcher announced the signing of Eric Eddings and Brittany Luse for the relaunch of their beloved Black culture show For Colored Nerds, which is expected to premiere later this year. Each week on For Colored Nerds, Luse and Eddings will use smart conversation, celebrity guests, and archival media to take a deep-dive into an aspect of Black culture that’s ripe for dissection. Stitcher will produce the series with Luse and Eddings; SXM Media will be the exclusive advertising and sales representative for the podcast. Read more about the hosts and show.

TikTok Radio just launched exclusively on SiriusXM! Sonically synched to the TikTok experience, the groundbreaking, full-time SiriusXM music channel will sound like a radio version of the platform’s “For You” feed. A talented and diverse group of TikTok creators including Billy (@8illy), Cat Haley (@itscathaley),HINDZ (@hindzsight), Lamar Dawson (@dirrtykingofpop), and Taylor Cassidy (@taylorcassidy) will present music and share the stories behind the trends throughout each hour. We’re celebrating launch week with guest hosting sessions from TikTok’s top creators and trending artists such as Alex Warren, Bella Poarch, Dixie D’Amelio, Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, Spencer X and more. Start listening today!

Check out our latest Policy Blog on Connecting Artists and Fans in a Socially Distance World. Finding new and innovative ways to connect creators, artists, and fans has always been a part of SiriusXM and Pandora’s DNA. But as the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered live events across the globe, that effort took on new importance. Find out how we reoriented our platforms and created new opportunities for creators to continue to develop their art and build their fan base. And hear from indie musician Drew Young on how he navigated the unprecedented experience. Read more here.

We’re very proud of our Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players! The list features professionals from across the music business that excel in the R&B and hip-hop music space! A big congratulations goes out to:

– Dion Summers, VP of Music Programming, SiriusXM

– Ronnie Triana, Director of Music Programming, SiriusXM

– Sway Calloway, host of Sway in the Morning on SiriusXM

– Josh “J1” Raiford, Director of Hip-Hop for Pandora and Program Director for SXM Pandora Now

Stitcher recently released its second annual Stitcher Podcasting Report finding that podcast listenership is skyrocketing, with 57% of Americans having listened to a podcast. The pandemic may have brought much of the world to a screeching halt, but did not slow podcasting down. Compiled using more than two years of data collected directly from the Stitcher App – and user-reported data and demographics from a Stitcher listener survey – the report offers a comprehensive look at who and where these listeners are, behavioral patterns, trends shaping the medium and the factors contributing to its growth. More people are listening, more shows are being launched, and we’re seeing a rise in listening hours, too. Learn more about what we found and read the report here.

Pandora is expanding its ‘Billionaires’ artist milestone program with the launch of eight new stations highlighting the top artists who have achieved one Billion streams on Pandora in Pop, Country, Hip Hop, Alternative, Dance, Classic Rock, R&B, and Hard Rock. In 2018, Pandora kicked off its ‘Billionaires’ program by presenting artists with a commemorative plaque. Now, Pandora is rolling out complementary stations composed of top tracks from all of the artists who have one Billion or more streams in that genre. When an artist hits that threshold, they will be added, and their music will be featured at the beginning of the station to mark the occasion. Start listening today!

SiriusXM Connected Vehicle was named 2020 Company of the Year in the Telematics Industry by Frost & Sullivan, recognizing our connected vehicle platform and groundbreaking new safety solution, ACN+. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year award to the organization that demonstrates excellence in terms of growth strategy and implementation in its field. The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and market penetration. Visit SiriusXM’s Connected Vehicle Services website to learn more about the award and our products.

Pandora’s Artist Marketing Platform (AMP) introduced Track Reporting, providing even deeper insights into tracks’ performance on Pandora, the ways that listeners are discovering and engaging with artists, and how Pandora can not only help increase streams, but create new fans. Launched in 2014, AMP pioneered self-serve artist marketing for the streaming era, offering creators a free suite of online marketing tools that help artists increase their spins, reach new audiences, and grow their fan base. Artist Audio Messages, which enable artists to communicate directly with their fans on Pandora via personalized audio messages, has now driven over 12 billion listener impressions! Check out the new features here.

Congratulations to Marissa Rives, Program Director for SiriusXM’s Fight Nation, and Claire B. Lang host of SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio for being named to Cynopsis Media’s Top Women in Media for 2021! Marissa has been honored in the “Directors Who Do It All” category, while Claire is recognized in the “Game Changing On-Air Talent” category! You can check out the entire list of honorees here.

Join us for a virtual event on equity and diversity in the talent pipeline. Representative Yvette Clarke and the Multicultural Media Caucus, in conjunction with SiriusXM, will present a discussion on ways to promote diversity and equity in the audio entertainment industry, as well as effective means of progress for the future of the industry. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Tuesday, June 29 from 3-4pm Eastern. More details available here.

In honor of Black Music Month, SiriusXM, Pandora, and Stitcher launched three exclusive limited-engagement channels, a groundbreaking original podcast, and specialty music programming across genres. SiriusXM launched two channels saluting groundbreaking Black artists with The 2PAC Channel and The Prince Channel. Pandora’s popular Black Music Forever Station extended to its own SiriusXM channel, Black Music Forever Radio. SiriusXM, Pandora and Stitcher also launched a new original podcast, All Music Is Black Music. Hosted by Selema Masekela, with narration by Dr. Dwandalyn Reece of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, explores how African American music and culture have shaped the wider contemporary music landscape. Additionally, Pandora launched a Black Music Month microsite to give listeners an opportunity to discover, experience, and participate in the celebration Black music. And Pandora hosted a virtual Pandora Playback event  with Memphis rapper Moneybagg Yo. The special HBCU edition of the series also featured a celebration of the music and culture of HBCU’s. Click here to learn more about all our Black Music Month programming.

SiriusXM encourages everyone to lead, love, learn, live, and listen with pride this June. Celebrate with special programming from music, talk, entertainment, and comedy channels. You’ll hear celebrity Guest DJ takeovers, deep dives into topics like health disparities and advocating for change, exclusive comedy blocks, and so much more. We’re also passing the mic to SiriusXM’s LGBTQIA+ hosts who bring their unique perspectives, talents, and personalities to our airwaves. Celebrate the trailblazers who are cracking jokes, dishing on the latest news, playing your favorite songs, and speaking up for what they believe in. Read more about them and tune in to hear what they have to say!

Check out our latest policy blog, “You Make the Song, We’ll Match It.” With tens of millions of songs available instantly at the press of a button, the scale of today’s digital music catalog can feel overwhelming. Many assume that getting your music on a modern streaming platform is as easy as simply uploading any recording. But to do it well, for rightholders and listeners alike, the reality is more complex. That reality is one of the most critical facets of the modern music industry – ensuring that artists and songwriters are properly matched with their songs and compensated efficiently. Learn more about our approach here.

A big congratulations to all our Billboard Country Power Players! The list features professionals from across the music business that excel in the country music space. Our honorees selected this year are:

– Beville Dunkerley, Head of Country, industry and artist relations, Pandora/SiriusXM

– Jen Danielson, Head of country programming, Pandora

– JR Schumann, Senior Director of Music Programming

– Storme Warren, on-air host of The Highway and Exit 209