Netflix may dive into the ad-supported VOD space as soon as the fourth quarter of 2022 — and crack down on freeloaders who use paying customers’ passwords — sooner than it originally signaled. Netflix informed employees of a Q4 target date for the ad-supported tier in a recent memo, the New York Times reported, citing two anonymous sources.
Source: Netflix May Launch Cheaper Ad-Supported Plan in Q4 2022
While investors are rightfully fixated on increased SVOD competition for increasing churn and constraining growth, the macro trends of the attention and potential economic recession are also equally important when assessing the outcome of the subscriber economy in 2022 and beyond.
Even prior to the current inflation crisis, the pandemic exposed the underbelly of an industry that is severely flawed. “Live music doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” said Mark Mulligan, managing director and founder of MIDIA Research, a U.K.-based firm that analyzes entertainment and media trends. “The entertainment industry as a whole is about to go through a bit of a shock.”
Source: You’re Not Imagining It: Concerts Are More Expensive Than Ever
While NFT market activity has at times appeared to be uncoupled from crypto prices—particularly when NFTs have surged as the crypto market declined—that’s not the case right now. With crypto prices in the red nearly across the board this week, the prices for top NFT collections are likewise falling fast. Buying an entry-level Bored Ape today costs 55% less than a mere 10 days ago.
Source: Bored Ape Yacht Club, Other Ethereum NFT Prices Plummet as Crypto Market Crashes – Decrypt
The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) originally expected United States podcast revenue to reach $2 billion in 2023. Now, it says the industry will cross that figure this year. A new study from the IAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) predicts U.S.-based ad sales on podcasts will “exceed” $2 billion by the end of 2022, will hit $3 billion next year, and will cross $4 billion by 2024.
Source: U.S. podcasts will rake in $2 billion this year, and $4 billion by 2024 – Tubefilter
Facebook is done with audio content. The social network confirmed to TechCrunch that—as has been suspected since earlier this year—it is shuttering its Facebook is outright discontinuing the “Audio” hub it launched in October 2021, which let users find podcasts, Live Audio Rooms, and Soundbites all in one place.
There’s a new player in the burgeoning world of beats marketplaces. Beatopia is the latest competitor for established players including Splice and Beatstars, launched May 4th by the team behind sound-effects library Soundsnap.
Source: Beatopia launches a subscription-based beats marketplace – Music Ally
UnitedMasters has announced a new platform for buying and selling beats called Beat Exchange. Via this platform, UnitedMasters artists now have access to buy or license beats from both emerging and established producers like 3x Grammy Award-winning producer Hit-Boy (Nas, Drake, Beyonce)́ , Turbo (Gunna, Travis Scott, Lil Baby) and David Morse who is currently on Billboard Hot 100 for Lil Durk’s song Headtaps.
Source: UnitedMasters, valued at $550m, just launched its own beat marketplace
Fear and loathing are on the rise in Hollywood as top execs and rank-and-file employees grapple with growing uncertainty about their place in a rapidly changing entertainment industry. One pervasive concern: that the streaming-fueled content bubble has finally burst, with more consolidation on the way.
Source: Hollywood Nightmare: From Netflix’s Stock Swoon to Mass Layoffs, Anxiety Grips Industry
Spotify claims equal access to its playlists, but a new data analysis by industry consultancy Music Tomorrow shows just how dominate the major labels are of the larger official Spotify playlists. The uphill battle that indie music faces becomes particularly acute when you look at the most popular Spotify playlists.
Source: Major labels control 70% – 87% of tracks on major Spotify playlists – Hypebot