Streaming round-up – April 2023

by IDOL
News
24.04.23
Every month, this section offers a summary of the latest news about the main streaming platforms, in particular the latest features offered by Spotify, Twitter, Instagram, Qobuz…

The number of the month is the global publishing market share of independent artists: 27.1% according to a new report by the IMPF. More info on Complete Music Update.

Economy

Beatport
While music downloads are falling, Beatport, DJs’ preferred platform, is experiencing record sales. More info on Billboard.

Meta
Meta is facing a competition investigation in Italy after the repertoire of the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers was removed from the platforms. More info on Music Business Worldwide. Also, a new round of layoffs is expected at Meta, according to TechCrunch.

Roblox
Creators can now sell limited-edition digital items (but they are not NFTs). More info on Music Ally.

Snapchat
Snapchat signs new licensing deals to expand its music library. More info on TechCrunch.

Soundcloud
SoundCloud partners with Feature.fm to provide marketing tools for independent artists. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

Spotify
According to Billboard, India is driving Spotify’s global growth. In Washington, Daniel Ek is lobbying against Apple’s stranglehold on the App Stores. More info on Billboard. Meanwhile, in Sweden, unions are demanding collective bargaining with Spotify. More info on Music Ally.

TikTok
Montana bans TikTok in its territory. More info on Complete Music Update.

Tencent
Tencent Music presents Lucy, its first “hyper-realistic” virtual artist. More info on Music Ally.

Twitter
Twitter’s revenue is already falling due to advertisers’ concerns about Elon Musk. More info on Bloomberg. Elon Musk threatens to sue Microsoft over the company’s announcement that it will no longer advertise on the social network. More info on The Verge. Elon Musk and hundreds of science and technology leaders call for a six-month pause in the training of new and better AI systems. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

New Features

Apple Music
Apple’s new app Classic promotes music discovery. More info on Variety.

Facebook
Facebook retires its Code Generator authentication module. More info on Social Media Today.

Instagram
Instagram now allows up to five “links in bio”. More info on Music Ally. Instagram adds new features to its marketplace and opens access to brands agencies. More info on TechCrunch. The social network is testing a new process for more user interaction. More info on Social Media Today.

LinkedIn
To boost engagement, LinkedIn adds algorithmically suggested posts. More info on Social Media Today.

Meta
Meta launches new advertising options on Reels to adapt to changing consumption patterns. More info on Social Media Today.

Qobuz
Qobuz, the high-quality music streaming and download platform, launches in Canada. More info on That Eric Alper.

Reddit
Reddit will start charging for access to its API. More info on TechCrunch.

Spotify
Spotify is closing its ‘Live’ music app. More info on Complete Music Update. And Heardle, the music version of Wordle that appeared a year ago. More info on Complete Music Update. Spotify launches a widget on the iPhone lock screen for direct access to the app. More info on TechCrunch. Spotify for Artists adds a new “Active Audience” metric. More info on Music Ally. Spotify tests new user profiles, with a focus on discovery. More info on TechCrunch. Your BeReal posts can now include what you listen to on Spotify. More info on TechCrunch.

Tidal
Tidal’s new Live feature will let you host a live DJ session. More info on TechCrunch.

TikTok
TikTok unveils its #BehindTheSong campaign focused on songwriting. More info on Music Ally. In parallel, TikTokers are increasingly using CapCut, a third-party application also owned by ByteDance, for more editing functionality. More info on Music Ally.

Twitter
Following a backlash, Twitter will no longer promote paid accounts in the ‘For You’ timeline. More info on The Guardian. But Twitter says all advertisers will now have to pay the subscription fee for the blue verification badge. More info on Social Media Today. Meanwhile, Substack’s new “Notes” feed looks a lot like Twitter. More info on TechCrunch.

Winamp
Winamp announces a redesign of its music player, with a new direct-to-fan feature. More info on Complete Music Update.

YouTube
YouTube Music brings real-time lyrics to mobile. More info on Music Business Worldwide. YouTube’s new metric shows the artist’s reach across all formats, including Shorts. More info on TechCrunch.

Socially responsible initiatives

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