Last month, SoundCloud​ kicked Next Big Sound​ out of its API community as a result of Pandora​’s acquisition of NBS, which means NBS loses nearly 30 billion streams from which its data analytic tools relies. This is one of the many reasons why music app developers must understand the complexities behind API terms & conditions, the competitive nature of big data and asset ownership, and the caveat to “gaining traction” when they depend on third-party solutions to power (and monetize) their own platform. Part of my work as a consultant is to help music app founders legitimize their platform with appropriately licensed APIs, digital media suppliers, and metadata services. Read the full story on Billboard.