Streaming
Spotify Shares Jump 16% to All-Time High
On a related note, information about podcasts could have reinforced some investors’ belief that non-music content can improve both growth and margins. Spotify’s run-down of most popular music and podcasts revealed The Joe Rogan Experience, exclusive to Spotify as of Tuesday, is its top podcast. Its popularity suggests the controversial podcast is going to be worth the $100 million Spotify is spending to license the show from Rogan. Owned and licensed podcasts give Spotify a chance to differentiate itself from its competitors. In the last two years, Spotify has purchased podcast producers The Ringer, Gimlet and Parcast and has landed exclusives with Michele Obama and Kim Kardashian West, among many others. It has also launched proprietary, music-focused franchises such as Sound Stories: Wom...
Hip-Hop Streaming Platform Spinrilla Found Liable for Users’ Copyright Infringement
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg granted summary judgment in favor of the RIAA on the issue of liability and rejected Spinrilla’s DMCA Safe Harbor defense. Totenberg notes that the 11th Circuit hasn’t yet considered whether direct copyright infringement must be willful, but finds “even if volitional conduct is required to prove direct infringement, the cases on which Plaintiffs rely have all held that the affirmative act of streaming constitutes direct infringement of the copyright holder’s exclusive right of performance regardless of the fact that the streaming occurs at the request of the user.” She continues, “Defendants have created an interactive internet player that streams copyrighted content directly from its website and mobile app. In doin...
Bad Religion Announce Four-Part “Decades” Streaming Performance Series
Bad Religion were hoping to tour in celebration of their 40th anniversary this year. Instead, the punk-rock veterans will mark the milestone with a four-part streaming performance series dubbed “Decades”. “Decades” will be divided into four episodes, one for each decade of the band’s existence: “The ’80s”, “The ’90s, “The ’00s”, “The ’10s”. Each episode will feature footage from a new set filmed at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. In addition to the new performances of songs from each era, the episodes will include exclusive interviews, archival footage from each decade, and more. The band will also participate in a live chat as each episode premieres. “I can speak for the whole band when I say that we were so disappointed to not be able to tour this year,” said singer Greg Graffin in a pr...
What’s Streaming on Hulu in December 2020
Hulu is heading to Mordor in December. Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien who don’t already own The Lord of the Rings trilogy will find solace in revisiting The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Hell, it wasn’t too long ago their theatrical releases were a holiday tradition. Beyond the Eye of Sauron are a handful of Hulu originals: The Hardy Boys are back for modern times, Amy Seimetz’s She Dies Tomorrow is now free to stream, and You Cannot Kill David Arquette is bringing the meta humor. It’s not much, but there’s a silver lining to the lean offerings. By the end of the month, the streaming service is losing a ton of films — from its Bond collection to The Bourne Identity films to all the Star Treks — which means you better get your binge on. Check out the full list ...
What’s Streaming on Disney+ in December 2020
Disney+ is bringing some much-needed Soul to Christmas. Yes, on December 25th, the Mouse House is rolling out its would-be Pixar blockbuster on their streaming service. Unlike this past September’s release of Mulan, however, Soul will be completely free to subscribers. Consider it a gift from Mickey. Of course, that’s not the only present to unwrap this month. There’s also Jillian Bell’s new comedy Godmothered, the exhaustively titled High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special, and the remaining episodes of The Mandalorian Season 2. Editors’ Picks Elsewhere, nostalgics can enjoy watching Tom Hanks play Josh Baskin in Big, head to the clouds with Kurt Russell in Sky High, and pretend like they’re watching Max Keeble’s Big Move for the first time. Into the Woods is somewhere...
Many Billions: Bad Bunny Is Spotify’s Most-Streamed Artist of 2020
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Bad Bunny’s achievement. Latin music is increasingly visible worldwide, high-profile collaborations between Latin and non-Latin acts have popped up throughout the year, and Latin names regularly top YouTube’s global charts. On Spotify, J Balvin has placed among the top 5 most-streamed artists on the service since 2018. But Bad Bunny’s accomplishment marks the first time an artist that has never sung in English tops the year-end list. On the global top albums list, Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG is followed by The Weeknd’s After Hours, Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, Harry Styles’ Fine Line and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia. As far as songs go, The Weeknd got some vindication after his Grammy shutout; his “Blinding Lights” is the most-streamed song of 2...
What’s Streaming on HBO Max in December 2020
HBO Max is bringing home a blockbuster for the holidays. Unless you’ve been floating among the wreckage of Krypton, you probably already know that the streaming service is premiering the highly anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas. So, be sure to clear your schedule during the holiday. Right behind the great goddess is a real-life one in Meryl Streep, whose latest feature Let Them All Talk arrives on December 10th. Veteran filmmaker Steven Soderbergh helms the picture that also stars Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest, and Lucas Hedges. Other exclusive originals this month include Christmas specials involving Euphoria and Carrie Underwood. The latter sees the country star performing traditional favorites and new original material from her first Christmas album. Editors’ Picks In...
Pete Tong’s “O Come All Ye Ravers” Holiday Show to Be Livestreamed Around the World
Pete Tong‘s annual Ibiza Classics holiday performance will look a bit different this year due to the global COVID-19 crisis. Tong, Jules Buckley, the Heritage Orchestra, and thousands of fans usually convene in London’s O2 Arena for a live orchestral performance of dance music classics, but this year’s event will be livestreamed around the world due to the impact of the virus. The virtual concert will mark the first live event in the venue since it was shut down back in March. The Christmas show will be called “O Come All Ye Ravers” and will still take place in the same arena, albeit without a crowd. On YouTube, Tong shared a trailer announcing the event and highlighted the importance of music during uncertain times like these. “...
BMG Acquires Catalog of Cheyenne Records, Including Songs by Germany’s No Angels
“The catalogue of Cheyenne Records is among the crown jewels of German pop music of the 2000s, and we are delighted to bring them back to the public,” Maximilian Kolb, BMG managing director GSA, said in a statement. “The acquisition shows BMG’s commitment to delivering the best service to artists and songwriters in the digital world.” BMG says the deal will bring back streaming availability to No Angels, which has been absent from digital streaming platforms for five years. The company notes the group had sales of more than five million, making it the biggest-selling German girl band of all time. No Angels’ 2002 debut single, “Daylight In Your Eyes,” sold more than 500,000 copies within a week after its release, according to BMG. Other hits that will now be available on digital platf...
Radiohead, Elbow Members Call for Better Streaming Royalties at Opening of UK Parliament Probe
Garvey and Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien were among a group of four artists and two industry analysts that provided evidence on the first day of the inquiry, which is anticipated to stretch for several months and will call upon executives at major labels and streaming platforms to answer questions. The Parliament probe — which so far is being done with witnesses testifying virtually, as the U.K. is in lockdown — is also addressing a lack of transparency in record contracts and opaque accounting practices, safe harbor provisions and the European Copyright Directive, which will hold online user-generated services like YouTube liable for unlicensed content. The inquiry comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has decimated income from touring, focusing artists’ attenti...
What’s Streaming on Netflix in December 2020
Netflix is unwrapping some big gifts in December 2020. The shiniest box under the proverbial tree is David Fincher’s Mank. The filmmaker’s first feature in six years stars Oscar winner Gary Oldman as legendary Hollywood screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and the drama that surrounded his work on Citizen Kane. Another star-studded feature is Ryan Murphy’s The Prom, a fish-out-of-water comedy that finds Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, and Keegan-Michael Key putting on a Broadway production in a small town. That should keep the family business. Elsewhere, there’s the highly anticipated Selena: The Series, the fourth season of Big Mouth, the fourth and final season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and the de facto seasonal docuseries The Holiday Movies That Made Us. EditorsR...
Metallica’s Streaming Benefit Concert and Auction Raises Over $1.3 Million
Metallica raised over $1.3 million and counting with their recent streaming benefit show and auction. The event was so successful, the streaming window has been extended through 11:00 p.m. PT on December 1st. Proceeds go toward the band’s charitable All Within My Hands Foundation. This year, the annual “Helping Hands” concert saw Metallica in both acoustic and electric form, performing to a virtual audience of thousands. Audience members appeared on screens behind the band, providing an extra level of entertainment for fans watching from home. We caught the streaming show and came away impressed, as it mixed in some nice surprises among the band’s classic hits. Metallica are certainly more than comfortable performing in front of the camera and staying active during the pandemic. ...
