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While the use of various digital technologies has drained away many readers, the survey found that 60% of U.S. consumers would like to read more books, and a similar percentage reported that they devote their full attention to reading when they open a book. In both instances, book reading was the only media activity that garnered such a favorable response from the majority of consumers.

Source: New Report Urges Publishers to Capitalize on Hidden Strengths

Social platforms and the creator economy have been re-writing the rules of audience engagement for some time now. Together, they have accelerated the fragmentation of entertainment and made niche the new mainstream. However, the ability to tell stories is only one component of success. In fact, the most adept creators marry storytelling and data science together. This dual role has emerged as much out of necessity as it has because of the features social platforms offer.

Source: Why digital natives and data science are key to embracing the creator economy

U.S. consumers vehemently oppose AI music and strongly prefer media made by humans, according to a new survey. And despite (or perhaps because of) the ongoing AI-content avalanche, these respondents were rather united in their opposition to artificial intelligence. At the top level, 82% expressed concerns “about AI’s societal impact,” and roughly 66% confirmed believing “that AI could one day go to war with humans.”

Source: U.S. Consumers Vehemently Oppose AI Music, Survey Finds

As machine-made books flood online marketplaces, a new UK initiative is introducing an Organic Literature stamp to help readers identify books created by real authors. The scheme will involve Organic Literature stamps being placed on books written by humans, with only limited AI use permitted for tasks such as formatting or idea generation.

Source: Certified organic and AI-free: New stamp for human-written books launches

Spotify is partnering with Netflix to bring select video podcasts to the streaming platform starting in early 2026. The deal will feature curated shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, expanding later to include more genres. The move reflects Spotify’s growing focus on video as a key driver for engagement and ad revenue, with video podcast consumption now growing 20 times faster than audio-only content.

Source: Spotify partners with Netflix for video podcast distribution deal | TechCrunch

For years, the narrative has been that movies, in contrast to TV series, were in decline. But there’s new data that paints a different picture. Streaming services are, in fact, relying more than ever on films to keep their growth engines humming. A Parrot Analytics analysis of thousands of titles across Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, and Max finds that movies deliver disproportionately high engagement relative to the volume of content hours they represent.

Source: How Movies Increasingly Drive Streaming Revenue