Pandora to Buy Music Insights Firm Next Big Sound

US-based Internet radio service provider Pandora is to acquire online music analytics and insights firm Next Big Sound (NBS) for an undisclosed sum.

Launched in 2009, Boulder, Colorado-based NBS pulls data from web sites to track the number of plays, views, fans, comments, mentions, and other key metrics for musical artists, measuring the growth and popularity of bands across major web properties and selling the info to band managers and other industry professionals. Through its services, users can quantify the relationship between social media and revenue, understand the impact of marketing and promotional events, and deploy prediction algorithms to help identify high-potential artists.

Pandora says the acquisition will provide it with a powerful analytics tool used by tens of thousands of music makers, labels and marketers looking for data and insights about artists and their fans. In addition, NBS will expand Pandora's suite of data-driven products, including its Artist Marketing Platform (AMP) which offers both artist insights and artist audio messaging.

Brian McAndrews (pictured), Pandora CEO, comments: 'The combination of Pandora's listening data and Next Big Sound's analytical capabilities will create a vital source of data. Next Big Sound shares our passion for music and respect for those who make it and I'm incredibly excited to unleash the combined potential of our two companies'.

Web site: www.pandora.com and www.thenextbigsound.com .