Marketplace

Disney Fires The Entire Team Managing Its DVD & Blu-ray Sales

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Disney has eliminated its entire home entertainment division in a sweeping round of layoffs that intensified concerns over the long-term viability of physical media formats such as DVDs and Blu-ray discs according to a report from The Wrap.  Its complete dissolution marks a stark departure from an era when physical discs generated substantial supplemental revenue for studios, often through elaborate collector’s editions featuring bonus features, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and exclusive artwork that streaming services cannot replicate.

Source: Disney Fires The Entire Team Managing Its DVD & Blu-ray Sales 

Voice actors fight to save their livelihoods and local cultures from Hollywood’s AI push

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 As studios, production companies, and streaming platforms increasingly turn to AI for voice-overs and to dub English-language content into local languages, more than 2 million full-time and part-time voice actors worldwide stand to lose their livelihood and the rights to their voice. “With new AI-generated voices, I will be out of a job even though I am the one providing the input,” said Azevedo, who is president of the Brazilian Association of Dubbing Professionals.

Source: Voice actors fight to save their livelihoods and local cultures from Hollywood’s AI push

Musicians Respond to Calls For PRS to Reduce License Fees

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The U.K.’s main musician and songwriter trade associations have responded to calls for PRS to reduce its blanket license fees for grassroots music venues. On Tuesday (April 14), the Music Venue Trust launched a campaign titled Set The Record Straight: Fair Licensing Fees, aimed at examining how PRS For Music’s licensing charges are calculated, applied and enforced across the U.K.’s grassroots live music circuit.

Source: Musicians Respond to Calls For PRS to Reduce License Fees

New Study Explores the ‘Streaming Paradox’

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A new report is providing a closer look at the “streaming paradox,” or the idea that on-demand listening plays an important role in artists’ careers but leaves much to be desired in the royalties department.  Unsurprisingly, the analysis covers a variety of angles across its nearly 90 pages. But at the top level, the resource breaks down artist survey responses (more here in a moment) en route to providing a relatively balanced look at the streaming landscape.

Source: New Study Explores the ‘Streaming Paradox’

Publishers urged to embrace future where bot readers provide majority of revenue

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AI agents and bots will become the “primary” revenue source for the publisher websites they visit, the co-founders of AI monetization company Tollbit believe. “It’s not happening overnight,” Olivia Joslin said. “It’s not going to make their year this year in terms of the revenue that’s flowing through the pipes. But this is certainly going to be the primary mode of revenue. It’s going to have to come from AI visitors.”

Source: Publishers urged to embrace future where bot readers provide majority of revenue

MPA Boss Says AI Can ‘Bolster the Art of Storytelling’ and ‘Improve the Fan Experience’

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Motion Picture Association Chairman Charles Rivkin walked a fine line at CinemaCon on Tuesday morning, acknowledging concerns about artificial intelligence, while also stressing its creative and commercial potential. “We’ve entered the era of AI,” Rivkin told cinema operators at the exhibition industry conference taking place this week in Las Vegas. “None of us should ignore its potential dangers. Nor should we dismiss its possibilities. 

Source: MPA Boss Says AI Can ‘Bolster the Art of Storytelling’ and ‘Improve the Fan Experience’

Canada’s SOCAN warns AI is ‘placing mounting pressure’ on livelihoods

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A 2025 survey conducted by SOCAN and Pollara found that 81% of Canadians believe supporting local music creators is essential to the future of Canadian culture. SOCAN says it has mobilized a national campaign that generated 8,700 letters to government urging policymakers to block any exception that would allow unlicensed use of music for AI training purposes.

Source: Canada’s SOCAN warns AI is ‘placing mounting pressure’ on livelihoods

Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Platform’s Biggest Content Category

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On Patreon, podcasts have become the largest content category in terms of revenue and they’ve continued their upward trajectory, says chief operating officer Paige Fitzgerald. “Podcasts are a resonant medium,” she says. “They work well for multihyphenate creators who want to leverage several types of media formats to connect with their fans.”

Source: Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Platform’s Biggest Content Category

Hollywood Assistants Are Using AI Despite Their Better Judgment

And, as with previous introductions of new technology into Hollywood, from digital film to email, AI is percolating from the bottom up, starting with the assistant class — on track to become industry standard as today’s underlings (those that survive the continual layoffs, that is) rise to positions of power. Confronted with larger workloads and a shrinking headcount, AI — both the kind officially approved by companies and more surreptitious uses — has made its way via support staff into essential Hollywood workflows.

Source: Hollywood Assistants Are Using AI Despite Their Better Judgment 

IMPALA says WMG’s Revelator acquisition is ‘bad news for artists, fans, and Europe’s diversity’

The statement, published on Thursday (April 2), came one day after WMG announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the independent music platform, which specializes in digital music distribution, rights management, royalty accounting, and real-time analytics. IMPALA acknowledged that the deal reflects well on the independent sector’s capacity for innovation, but argued that it continues a pattern in which independent infrastructure is absorbed by major label groups

Source: IMPALA says WMG’s Revelator acquisition is ‘bad news for artists, fans, and Europe’s diversity’

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