Top News:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify expands real-time lyrics to all users globally in partnership with Musixmatch, after initially launching in 26 markets — After years of ignoring consumer demand for in-app lyrics, particularly in the U.S., Spotify announced today it will make a new Lyrics feature available to all global users …
Discussion:
Spotify, CNET, Variety, @eldsjal, The Verge, Gizmodo, Engadget, @spotifynews and @richlightshed, more at Techmeme »
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
As well-written obituaries of prominent figures attract large online readership, outlets are bolstering their pre-written obituaries, including 1,850 at NYT — When Rush Limbaugh died this year, the mainstream media he had so long railed against gave him the kind of immaculately choreographed send-off …
Discussion:
@katierosman, @oknox, @dlippman, @john_p_carvalho, @richardjustice, @ironicsans, @davidmaraniss, @ashkan, @ktumulty, @dlippman, @alexvadukul, @paulschwartzman, @raju and @amyargetsinger
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify expands Podcast Subscriptions globally with 20 price points from $0.50 to $150 and will let creators download subscribers' contact info — Just a few months after launching support for podcast subscriptions to U.S. creators, Spotify today is making the service available to creators in global markets.
Discussion:
Fast Company, Variety, Music Ally, What's New in Publishing, XDA Developers and Waivly, more at Techmeme »
Reuters:
Rupert Murdoch accuses Google and Facebook of trying to silence conservative voices and cites a lawsuit claiming they colluded on digital ad market manipulation — Rupert Murdoch renewed his attacks on Google and Facebook during News Corp's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Press Gazette, Newser, Vanity Fair, Axios, @martysilkhack, @thetowncrier, @jonkudelka, The Hill, New York Post, @mrkrudd, Bloomberg, Mumbrella, Mediaite and The Wrap
Peter White / Deadline:
Bad Robot launches a podcast division, to be led by former Audible and Spotify exec Christina Choi, and strikes a multiyear first-look deal with Spotify — JJ Abrams' Bad Robot is moving into the audio space. — The production company is launching its own podcast division …
Discussion:
@baekdal, Tubefilter, Spotify, Engadget and Los Angeles Times
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix expands its Top 10 lists to display the most-viewed shows and movies, for English and non-English titles, ranked by aggregate viewing hours — Netflix says it's heard the complaints about how it “cherry picks” the self-reported data it releases about content viewed on its platform.
Discussion:
@netflix, About Netflix, Pink's Bottom Line on Media …, Junghoon's Direct Media …, @thebeaconsea, SlashFilm, nexttv.com, Cord Cutters News, @david_j_roth, @mikeisaac, @nickcicero, @joshspero, CNET, Variety, @richlightshed, The Bamboo Splinter, Hollywood Reporter, C21Media, @deggans, @annelaumen, New York Times, Waivly, Digital Trends, Mumbrella, The Wrap, New York Post, The Streamable, MediaPost, Ad Age, Axios and The Verge
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Daily Mail editor Geordie Greig steps down; Ted Verity will become Mail Newspapers editor overseeing Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, and You magazine — Daily Mail editor Geordie Greig is leaving his role this week, with the Mail on Sunday's Ted Verity stepping up to take charge of a new seven-day operation.
The Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: Disney held talks with betting operators about an ESPN partnership, with BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings seen as frontrunners — Now that major leagues are getting on board with gambling, the family-friendly Hollywood giant is eyeing that revenue and may start with a splashy ESPN licensing deal.
Discussion:
@erik_hayden, @news_maker, @stearnsseattle, @brianroemmele and @mediaevan
Agence France-Presse:
Google will begin paying Agence France-Presse for content in Europe as part of a five-year partnership, the first with a news agency under a 2019 EU directive — Under the agreement with Google, AFP will also offer fact-checking training on several continents (AFP/Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD)
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Russian tech exec Aleksej Gubarev drops his defamation lawsuit against BuzzFeed over its publication of Steele dossier — Aleksej Gubarev and BuzzFeed issued a joint statement on the status of the lawsuit. — A BuzzFeed News logo adorns a wall inside BuzzFeed headquarters in New York City.
Discussion:
@joshgerstein and TK News
Antoinette Siu / The Wrap:
Substack expands its health insurance program to all US writers making over $5,000 in gross annualized revenue on the service — Substack on Tuesday expanded its health insurance program to all writers making $5,000 a year on its newsletter platform. — The health insurance program …
Discussion:
Substack and @caseymlewis
Chrissy Towle / The Keyword:
Google selects 25 projects from local news outlets to receive a share of $3.2M+ in the North America Innovation Challenge to build ties to their communities — We can't write about our communities without understanding them and being part of them. We don't want to just parachute ourselves …
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