Streaming round-up – December 2023

by IDOL
News
18.12.23
Stay up to date on the latest in streaming news with our monthly streaming round-up. This month, Meta is authorized to launch Threads in Europe, Spotify makes cutbacks, and France introduces a new tax on DSPs. Don’t miss a beat!

The figure of the month: according to the IFPI’s Engaging with Music 2023 study, 73% of people around the world use an audio streaming service – TikTok topping the charts for younger audiences. More info on Music Week.

Economy

Apple Music
Apple Music might pay more for tracks remixed in Dolby Atmos. More info on The Verge.

Google
Google’s AI tool Gemini will not be deployed in Europe for now. More info on The Next Web. Epic Games, Fortnite’s creator, has won its antitrust battle against Google. More info on TechCrunch.

Meta
The Meta group faces new questions in Europe about child safety risks on Instagram. More info on TechCrunch.

Soundcloud
Sixteen years after its creation, Soundcloud announces that it has achieved annual profitability, with a 7.5% increase in benefits. More info on Music Ally.

Spotify
Like Meta and other tech companies, Spotify is making cutbacks to deal with rising costs. More info on The Guardian. Regarding the new remuneration model, IMPALA asks for more time to study the modalities. More info on Music Ally. In the meantime, Spotify has provided more details on his new model. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

The European Commission will force Apple to change its App Store rules following a complaint filed nearly five years ago by Spotify. More info on Complete Music Update. In a turn of events, Spotify is not withdrawing its service from Uruguay after all. More info on Music Business Worldwide. Spotify and Deezer push back against France’s new music streaming tax. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

Tidal
Faced with austerity measures imposed by parent company Block, TIDAL is forced to diminish its workforce. More info on Music Business Worldwide..

TikTok
TikTok extends its partnership with Ticketmaster to 20 new markets. More info on The Verge. TikTok’s Add To Music function expands to 19 new countries. More info on Music Week. U.S. federal judge blocks TikTok’s Montana ban, judging it unconstitutional. More info on The Guardian.

Tuned Global
Tuned Global has partnered with Sona, a new streaming platform co-founded by artist and producer TOKiMONSTA, with a hybrid artist-centric model. More info on Music Week.

YouTube
YouTube Premium and Music launch in 10 new countries. More info on 9to5Google. The European Music Managers Alliance extends its partnership with YouTube Music. More info on Music Week. YouTube remains the number one streaming platform for teenagers in the USA. More info on Music Ally. YouTube publishes a major rule change for copyright disputes – with a possible win for music publishers. More info on Digital Music News.

X / Twitter
Elon Musk insults advertisers who flee his platform. More info on The Guardian. Swiss organization SUISA Digital sues Elon Musk’s company X for refusal to pay for music licenses. More info on Music Business Worldwide. A case that echoes that of last summer.

New features

Meta
Meta AI now supports Reels and launches “reimagine”, a function for generating AI images in group conversations. More info on TechCrunch. After regulatory hurdles, Meta’s Threads app launch in Europe is the app’s biggest expansion since its inception. More info on le Wall Street Journal.

Snapchat
Snapchat+ subscribers can now create and send AI-generated images. More info on TechCrunch.

Spotify
Spotify will soon open its Discovery mode to mixes. More info on Music Ally. Spotify gathers all its tools for artists in a new “Campaign Kit”. More info on Music Ally. Spotify confirms a feature test to allow users to create playlists using AI. More info on TechCrunch.

Tiktok
TikTok launches artist accounts for musicians. More info on Music Business Worldwide. TikTok partners with publishers for its new premium advertising space, ‘Pulse Premiere’. More info on TechCrunch. TikTok offers longer videos, which worries some creators. More info on CNN Business.

Tumblr
Tumblr tests “Communities”, semi-private groups with a dedicated feed. More info on TechCrunch.

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