Spotify, YouTube and others are experimenting with changing their one-size-fits-all digital subscriptions. And there are potential risks when companies shift away from the all-you-can-eat model. People who already pay for Prime or Disney+ might feel ripped off when they’re asked to pay even more. Lower-cost subscription options might entice users who had been paying full price.
Marketplace
Is Scarlett Johansson the Face of a New Showbiz Revolution? Not Quite
The ugly truth is the way Disney is conducting itself here is indicative of a studio that has made the calculation that it doesn’t need to be in business with her anymore. And why should it? The Black Widow character is not central to the Marvel mythology, and regardless of whether the character is important or not, Disney has no interest in doing more with the “Black Widow” IP.
Source: Is Scarlett Johansson the Face of a New Showbiz Revolution? Not Quite
There’s now a subscription service for college textbooks
Pearson, the largest publisher of college textbooks in the US, has announced Pearson Plus, a new subscription service for digital textbooks. The Pearson Plus app, available in both mobile and desktop form, will be available on US college campuses this fall and is expected to roll out globally in the future.
Source: There’s now a subscription service for college textbooks
Get ready for an explosion in music distributors, as DistroDirect launches white label B2B platform
DistroDirect’s SaaS (software as a service) offering provides a fully customizable and automated distribution platform, delivering music to over 100 DSPs globally including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Deezer, TikTok and more. In addition, DistroDirect’s in-house team can handle all artist customer support to go alongside its data delivery capabilities.
Source: Get ready for an explosion in music distributors, as DistroDirect launches white label B2B platform
NFT Market Comes Roaring Back as Ethereum Rises
The market for crypto collectibles sold as NFTs cooled down in recent months following the spring boom, but a recent flurry of high-dollar sales and staggering levels of trading volume suggest that NFTs are gaining momentum again.
Source: NFT Market Comes Roaring Back as Ethereum Rises – Decrypt
Dolphin Entertainment, FTX Launching NFT Marketplace for Sports and Entertainment Brands
The marketplace is described as “large-scale” and “consumer-facing” and comes as the trading of NFTs or non-fungible tokens is booming. The market for these digital assets hit $2 billion in sales during the first quarter of 2021 with the likes of Beeple selling NFT artwork for $69.3 million and Jack Dorsey auctioning off his first tweet for $2.9 million.
Source: Dolphin Entertainment, FTX Launching NFT Marketplace for Sports and Entertainment Brands (EXCLUSIVE)
Hollywood Productions Halted as Covid-19 Emerges on Sets Again
Source: Hollywood Productions Halted as Covid-19 Emerges on Sets Again
Live Music Is Back, but the Musicians Are Out of Practice
Source: Live Music Is Back, but the Musicians Are Out of Practice
“Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli’s Wu-Tang Clan album sold by US government
The sole copy of a Wu-Tang Clan record, forfeited by the infamous “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli, has been sold by the US government, according to a Justice Department press release published Tuesday. Shkreli is currently serving out a seven-year prison sentence issued in August 2017 for securities fraud by a Brooklyn, New York, federal court.
Source: “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli’s Wu-Tang Clan album sold by US government
A simple guide to disrupting the music industry
People who’ve spent a decade in music have likely seen a dozen of companies promising to disrupt come and go. Disruption doesn’t sell. Solving problems does. The most common misunderstanding seems to stem from a fallacy around intermediaries and that disintermediation always improves things. The oversimplified view is that everything besides the artist & fan is ‘extra’ and both would profit if it can be successfully disrupted.