Audible Inc. has pacted with its sibling Amazon MGM Studios unit to develop TV series based on a slew of podcasts and other original audio-only content. The deal brings together two high-profile content operations under the Amazon umbrella in the hopes of hitting a few home runs by by developing series from podcasts and other Audible-produced originals that have been successful with listeners in the U.S. and elsewhere.
March, 2024
Publishers Secure Widespread Support in Landmark Battle With Internet Archive
Major book publishers continue their legal crusade against Internet Archive’s scan-and-lend library, hoping to shut it down for good. IA’s appeal previously received support from authors and copyright scholars. The publishers, however, have some heavyweight backers too. New amicus briefs are signed by former U.S. politicians, former judges, and legal scholars. Industry groups such as the MPA and RIAA also rally behind the publishers.
U.S Recorded Music Revenue Grew by 8% in 2023, Per RIAA Annual Report
The U.S. recorded music industry grew its revenue by 8% in 2023, reaching an all-time high of $17.1 billion and marking eight consecutive years of growth. However, there’s no question that the streaming boom of the past decade, which produced years of double-digit growth, is leveling off and the industry is reacting with layoffs and talk of a “transformational moment” in the months and years to come.
Can journalism survive AI?
Can journalism survive artificial intelligence (AI)? The answer will depend on whether journalism can adapt its business models to the AI era. If policymakers intervene to correct market imbalances, they must enforce intellectual property rights and ensure that journalism has a fighting chance in the era of generative AI. Last year alone, the U.S. journalism industry slashed 2,700 jobs, and 2.5 newspapers closed each week on average.
As Spotify corners audiobooks, Audible eyes functional audio
Over the course of 30 years, Audible’s catalogue has grown to include more than 470,000 audiobooks. In less than a year, Spotify’s catalogue has grown to include more than 200,000 audiobooks, which is already 42.6% of Audible’s offering. As the catalogues of each audiobook platform become less differentiated, Spotify and Audible will increasingly turn to other means of differentiation, from different formats to different pricing.
Source: As Spotify corners audiobooks, Audible eyes functional audio
Amicus Briefs Filed in Internet Archive Copyright Case
The briefs are the latest development in the long-running copyright infringement case, following the publishers’ opening appeal brief filed earlier this month, and comes nearly one year after judge John G. Koeltl unequivocally found the scanning and lending of print library books to be copyright infringement. The Internet Archive’s reply brief is now due on April 19.
Source: Amicus Briefs Filed in Internet Archive Copyright Case
Why watermarking won’t work
Can detection be universal without empowering those with access to exploit it? If not, how can we prevent misuse of the system itself by those who control it? Once again, we find ourselves back to square one and asking who gets to decide what is real? Without standards and public education, AI watermarking will serve as little more than a plaster, failing to address issues of misinformation.
Source: Why watermarking won’t work
OpenAI wants to use video generation model Sora to break into Hollywood
The first people who have gained access to Sora are “red teamers” who are looking for vulnerabilities in the software, but OpenAI is giving Hollywood notables advanced access so that they can explore the ways the generative AI technology could assist their work. According to Bloomberg, “a few big-name actors and directors” have been invited to take Sora for a test drive.
Source: OpenAI wants to use video generation model Sora to break into Hollywood – Tubefilter
AI Spending to Surpass $13 Billion by 2028, Media Analysts Predict
AI spending is expected to crest above $13 billion by 2028, with the spread falling fairly evenly across analytics, development/delivery and customer experiences like personalization and discovery, media analysts announced at a Series Mania presentation on Thursday. However, the analysts do not anticipate the content creation apocalypse that has underscored much AI coverage of late.
Source: AI Spending to Surpass $13 Billion by 2028, Media Analysts Predict
ELVIS Act signed into law in Tennessee to protect artists’ voice and likeness from AI
The bipartisan ELVIS Act was signed into law on Thursday (March 21) by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee at a honky-tonk in Nashville. The ELVIS Act will officially go into effect on July 1 and will update the state’s existing right of publicity. The bill was introduced in January to update Tennessee’s Protection of Personal Rights law, to include protections for songwriters, performers, and music industry professionals’ voices from the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI).
Source: ELVIS Act signed into law in Tennessee to protect artists’ voice and likeness from the misuse of AI