Marketplace

Spotify Boycott Expands—More Than 30 Seattle Artists Leave

Carolyn Brotherton, a musician and former union organizer spearheads the coalition of artists called Seattle Artists Against Spotify. Over 30 local performers, DJs, and record label owners have signed the letter at the time of writing, voicing their concerns for what they dub is Spotify’s “anti-human, anti-art, and “anti-listener” direction. The open letter criticizes Spotify’s business practices, especially around the use of AI generated music.

Source: Spotify Boycott Expands—More Than 30 Seattle Artists Leave

‘Existential crisis’: how Google’s shift to AI has upended the online news model

Publishers – already under financial pressure from soaring costs, falling advertising revenues, the decline of print and the wider trend of readers turning away from news – argue that they are effectively being forced by Google to either accept deals, including on how content is used in AI Overview and AI Mode, or “drop out of all search results”, according to several sources.

Source: ‘Existential crisis’: how Google’s shift to AI has upended the online news model

ProRata.ai raises $40M and launches new search tool for publishers

Generative AI startup ProRata.ai has raised $40 million in Series B funding as it prepares to launch a new product for publishers. ProRata.ai’s product, Gist Answers, lets publishers embed custom AI search on their websites. Publishers can show AI-powered summaries and recommendations exclusively based off their own content or showcase content from ProRata.ai’s broader network of 750 publishers.

Source: ProRata.ai raises $40M and launches new search tool for publishers

Google Hires Filmmaker in Residence as It Seeks Wider Adoption of Flow AI Video Tool

Google wants to see its generative AI video tool Flow gain a foothold among creatives, and is bringing a filmmaker in-house to help it do so. The tech giant says that it has brought on filmmaker and creative director Henry Daubrez to work as a filmmaker in residence at Google Labs, where he will create new content using the company’s tools, help shape Flow as a product, and mentor other filmmakers through what the company is calling Flow Sessions.

Source: Google Hires Filmmaker in Residence as It Seeks Wider Adoption of Flow AI Video Tool

Music Industry Must Work With AI Companies Rather Than Fight Them in Court: Charles Goldstuck

AI music is forcing a “high-stakes inflexion point” and presenting the greatest disruption to the legal underpinnings of the music industry’s economic model since Napster — but a revenue-halving overhaul and protracted, unpopular legal battles can be avoided if major music companies get out ahead of judges and lawmakers and negotiate with Suno, Udio and Anthropic, says industry veteran and investor Charles Goldstuck.

Source: Music Industry Must Work With AI Companies Rather Than Fight Them in Court: Charles Goldstuck

Reese Witherspoon Says Women Need to Be Involved in AI: It’s the ‘Future of Filmmaking’

Speaking to Glamour magazine to promote the upcoming fourth season of her Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show,” the Oscar winner said she has made it a priority in her career as a producer to always be “looking forward to how media is evolving and how I can help be part of bringing women along in those emerging industries. And now we’re doing it with AI.”

Source: Reese Witherspoon Says Women Need to Be ‘Involved in AI’ Because It’s the ‘Future of Filmmaking’: ‘You Can Lament It All You Want, but the Change Is Here’

Nordic collecting societies shutter Polaris licensing hub over changing market demands

The organizations cited the need for bigger scale and international reach amid today’s “increasingly competitive, complex and scale-driven music ecosystem.” Koda, Teosto and Tono said: “[C]ooperation on a Nordic scale is no longer sufficient. The Board of Polaris Hub has accordingly decided to initiate a phased wind down of the venture in an orderly manner around the turn of 2025–2026.”

Source: Nordic collecting societies shutter Polaris licensing hub over changing market demands

Vinyl & CDs Remain Exempt from Tariffs — Merch Subject to Duties

Vinyl, CDs, and cassettes remain exempt from U.S. tariffs, but the likes of Bandcamp are addressing impacts on shipping, merch, and more. Notwithstanding the exception for vinyl and CDs, Discogs has warned that “customs and postal carriers may experience delays or mistakes as they adjust to the new requirements.” (Other national carriers are said to have paused U.S. deliveries altogether.)

Source: Vinyl & CDs Remain Exempt from Tariffs — Merch Subject to Duties

Trusted news sites may benefit in an internet full of AI-generated fakes, a new study finds

Fake books. Made-up sources. Bogus trampoline bunnies. We’re all getting a lot of AI-generated content in our feeds these days. But a new working paper suggests there’s a silver lining for trusted news organizations: they may be able to benefit from the broader degradation of the information ecosystem and win over subscribers concerned about sifting through the slop on their own.

Source: Trusted news sites may benefit in an internet full of AI-generated fakes, a new study finds

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