Behind-the-scenes crew members in Hollywood have yet to reach a resolution with the industry’s major film and television production companies over working conditions and pay — but many workers say the conditions they face have only got worse with the rise of streaming services and the pandemic.
Source: Hollywood’s shift to streaming is making some workers regret getting into the industry
Ahead of next month’s Virginia gubernatorial election, Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe is targeting the state’s Taylor Swift fans for support. McAuliffe has launched a series of negative Facebook, Instagram and Google search ads tying the Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin to Scooter Braun’s 2019 purchase of the pop star’s master recordings, asking her fans to #StandWithTaylor — and vote for McAuliffe instead.
Source: Why Taylor Swift’s Masters Are Playing a Role in Virginia Race for Governor
A trove of leaked documents, published by The Wall Street Journal, hints at a company whose best days are behind it. Its younger users are flocking to Snapchat and TikTok, and its older users are posting anti-vaccine memes and arguing about politics. Some Facebook products are actively shrinking, while others are merely making their users angry or self-conscious.
Source: Facebook Is Weaker Than We Knew
The return to movie theaters is a slow and ongoing process, as not all viewers are ready to go back to a crowded theater. A recent survey by Engine Insights shows that just under half (48%) of US Adults say they would be willing to go to the movies in the next week.
The partnership will see select Warner Music artists given the power to “personally text with fans” via a 10-digit Community number – about exclusive releases, ticket sales, merch, and more, “free”, according to a statement “of social algorithm interference, spam, and ads”.
Source: Warner Music strikes partnership with $90m-backed influencer text-messaging platform Community
Kino Lorber, the New York-based independent film distributor, is launching a free streaming channel dedicated to all things horror. The platform, titled Kino Cult, will be ad-supported and will featured hundreds of hours of curated films, with new titles added monthly. It bows in the U.S. and Canada on Oct. 1, right in time for spooky season.
Source: Kino Lorber Launches Free Streaming Channel for Cult Films (EXCLUSIVE)
A billion people are now using TikTok around the world every month – around three times the global audience Spotify pulls in. And for the music industry, TikTok is expanding far beyond its core function as a repository for frivolous viral videos.
Source: TikTok is evolving into a very different kind of music streaming giant.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) sent letters to the publishers, Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan, on Thursday asking for detailed responses about the contracts and any restrictions on deals made with libraries for e-book licensing.
Source: Wyden, Eshoo press publishers over library e-book contracts
In light of the ongoing legal battle between Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson and Disney, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the standards for talent deals are undergoing a “reset,” and future agreements will need to take into account the changes to movie release windows accelerated by the pandemic.
Source: Disney CEO: Talent Deals Undergoing “Reset” After Scarlett Johansson Lawsuit
Stockholm-based Tracklib, a platform providing music producers and artists with pre-cleared original music for sampling, has secured $12.2 million in investment in its latest funding round. The funds come from both existing and several new investors, including former NBA player, actor and music producer Baron Davis.
Source: Music Sampling platform Tracklib raises $12.2m, led by Sony Innovation Fund