When Amazon made a unilateral decision in early February to stop accepting documentaries and short films via Prime Video Direct (a policy that also covers “slide shows, vlogs, podcasts, tutorials, filmed conferences, monologues, toy play, music videos, and voiceover gameplay”), the announcement also served as a quiet purge. Amazon also has been dropping long-running documentary titles from the service, with stakeholders…
Tag: Podcasts
Resilient Teaching During Times of Change with Dr. Rebecca Quintana, University of Michigan
The pandemic has accelerated the global need for online learning. In the short term, educators mitigated disruption of campus closures by moving their courses, assessments, and even graduation ceremonies online. In many educational settings, the focus has shifted to adaptability—how can we design courses that withstand all kinds of changes, including a pandemic? It has […]
The post Resilient Teaching During Times…
There’s Still No Sign of Privacy Labels On Most Google iOS Apps
As of December 8, Apple has been requiring developers to provide privacy label information to their apps, outlining the data that each app collects from users when it is installed. Many app developers have included the labels, but there’s one notable outlier — Google. schwit1 shares a report from MacRumors: Google has not updated its major apps like Gmail, Google Maps,…
Spotify’s Big Bet On Podcasts Is Failing, Citi Says
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: Spotify’s multimillion-dollar bet on podcasting may not be working out, Citi analysts wrote in a note to clients Friday. “The cadence of Premium gross additions (through 3Q20) and app download data (through 4Q20) do not show any material benefit from recent podcast investments (that began in 2019),” the analysts wrote. The firm downgraded…
Spotify’s Podcasting Problem: Loophole Allows Remixes and Unreleased Songs To Hide in Plain Sight
Spotify has joined the ranks of streaming services like SoundCloud and YouTube as a hub for bootlegs of popular songs. From a report: With obscured titles like “Jocelyn Flores but you’re in the bathroom at a party” by eraylandin, a new take on XXXTentacion’s popular “Jocelyn Flores,” and “Dead To Me — Kali Uchis (slowed + bass boosted)” by user Unreal…
Amazon To Buy Podcast Maker Wondery
Amazon announced Wednesday that it’s acquiring podcasting company Wondery, expanding its catalog of original audio content. From a report: As part of the deal, Wondery will join Amazon Music, the e-commerce giant’s music streaming business. Amazon Music in September added podcasts to its platform, looking to carve out a share of the increasingly competitive podcasting market, in which Spotify, Apple and…
‘Code Switch’ From NPR Is Apple’s Podcast of the Year
Apple has picked “Code Switch” as the best audio show of the year, marking the first time the company has recognized a single podcast in this way. Engadget reports: Code Switch is NPR’s weekly discussion on race. While the series has been on the air for the better part of seven years, it became significantly more popular over the summer as…
YouTube Launches Audio Ads and Ad-Targetable Music Lineups, Taking Aim at Spotify
YouTube claims to be the world’s biggest jukebox — and now it wants to wring more ad dollars from the platform’s music fans. From a report: The video giant is launching 15-second audio ads, the first format designed to reach YouTube users who listen to music or podcasts ambiently (i.e., in the background). YouTube also is introducing the ability for advertisers…
Steve Bannon Caught Running a Network of Misinformation Pages On Facebook
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: Steve Bannon has been outed for his involvement in running a network of misinformation pages on Facebook. Who could have possibly seen this coming. Facebook has talked a big game about monitoring election misinformation, and yet the independent activist network Avaaz said it had to alert the company to the pages before it…
Spotify To Buy Podcast Ad Company Megaphone for $235 Million
Spotify’s making another big podcasting acquisition. The company said on Tuesday it has entered into an agreement to acquire ad tech company Megaphone in a $235 million deal. The companies declined to say whether the deal was in cash, stock or a mix of both. From a report: Megaphone offers technology for podcast publishers and advertisers seeking targeted slots on podcasts….