Amazon-owned audiobook service Audible, which was acquired by the retail and tech giant for $300m in 2008, is aiming to challenge Spotify’s growing dominance in the podcast business by preparing to spend millions of dollars on original podcast content.
Source: Amazon is investing in podcasts to challenge Spotify (report)
Björn Ulvaeus and ABBA’s Benny Andersson are one of the most successful songwriting duos of all time, and according to CISAC, Ulvaeus “brings a deep understanding of the creative industries and the systems that help authors get fair payment for their works”.
Source: ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus named President of CISAC, taking over from Jean-Michel Jarre
The 10-day “We Are One: A Global Film Festival,” starting Friday on YouTube, will feature new and classic movies, talks with directors, and music and comedy curated by 21 festivals including those in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto and New York. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of multiple cultural events where independent movies are first launched.
Source: Global film festival aims to bridge coronavirus distances
At a time when Hollywood studios have delayed, amended, or scrapped plans to debut major movies, IFC Films has decided to keep release dates and continue rolling out films as scheduled. It’s allowed the company to carve out a prime position at the few moviegoing venues — most of which are drive-in theaters — that have been able to safely remain open during the coronavirus outbreak.
Source: Here’s How Low-Budget Horror Film ‘The Wretched’ Is Breaking Box Office Records
Yetee Records has released more than 50 records and cassettes, including a seven-inch of music from Octodad sequel Dadliest Catch, a 12-inch of the score from 80s Konami arcade classic Gradius, and the soundtrack for TumbleSeed, a two-dimensional game in which a tottering seedling ascends a mountain pockmarked with holes and traps.
Musicians have explored different ways to use online games to interact with their fans, from playing them at FIFA (Boy Pablo) to having their own Fortnite island (Weezer). But the success of Scott’s Fortnite takeover stands as a stark reminder – especially for artists struggling to lure in 50 people to a live Instagram stream – of how difficult the crossover between gaming and music can be.
Source: What is the future of virtual concerts on Fortnite and other online games?
To ensure the Frankfurt community can still engage in business-to-business activity, the fair is developing several online programs. These, said Boos, include a one-day professional conference, as well as numerous seminars and activities. In addition, Boos said the fair will use IPR License, the online rights trading platform it acquired several years ago, to help facilitate rights activity.
The acquisition represents a major milestone in Netflix’s effort to become part of the Hollywood filmmaking community. Major cinema chains like AMC and Regal had been reluctant to play films from the streaming service, since Netflix wouldn’t adhere to the same exclusive windows, usually consisting of 90 days, that other studios abide by. Now, Netflix has a venue to showcase its own content.
Source: Netflix Closes Deal to Buy Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre
Last week the US Copyright Office released its long-awaited review on the DMCA’s safe harbor section. While far-reaching proposals such as pirate site blocking and upload filters were not recommended, some proposals have triggered criticism from digital rights groups, who fear that the interests of users are being ignored.
Source: US Copyright Office’s DMCA Tweaks Trigger ‘Internet Disconnection’ Concerns * TorrentFreak
Instagram creators who have used the platform to launch full-time careers have, to date, relied on indirect sources of revenue like branded content and merchandise sales to support their livelihood. Now, the Facebook-owned social platform is rolling out new ways for creators to make money directly from their content on Instagram Live and IGTV.
Source: Instagram Finally Launches Content-Monetization Features for Creators