Mediagazer: Sources: TikTok is testing an AI feature that generates a virtual influencer and a script for a video ad based on prompts submitted by advertisers (The Information)

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's letter to shareholders: Prime Video now reaches 200M monthly viewers, and streaming TV advertising is growing quickly — Prime Video has a big audience, and now Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has put a new number on it: The premium video service has more than 200 million monthly viewers.

Discussion: Observer, The Wrap, The Streamable, MarketWatch, Washington Post, Amazon, Deadline, Media Play News and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »

Anne Steele / Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Spotify is developing tools to let subscribers speed up, mash up, or edit songs as a type of playback feature; rights holders would still get paid — Streamer is developing tools that would make it easier for fans to create custom versions of their favorite music

Discussion: Tubefilter, Music Business Worldwide and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »

Variety:

Taylor Swift's music returns to TikTok, ahead of her next album due out on April 19, after UMG pulled her songs as part of an ongoing dispute with TikTok — As of Thursday morning, multiple Swift songs — including “You Belong With Me,” “Lover,” “Cardigan,” “Mirrorball,” “Fearless …

Discussion: TechCrunch, CNN, Billboard, The Verge, Music Business Worldwide, The Hollywood Reporter, Digital Music News, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Music Ally and Mashable, more at Techmeme »

The Information:

Sources: TikTok is testing an AI feature that generates a virtual influencer and a script for a video ad based on prompts submitted by advertisers — TikTok touts itself as a platform where creators can stand out and build a following. But the company has begun discussing with advertisers …

Discussion: The Verge

Brian Bonilla / Ad Age:

A look at The Way Upfronts, a quarterly event debuting in May and led by Sugar23, where producers and celebrities will pitch their projects to brands to invest — Host committee includes Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Tom Brady, Elizabeth Banks and Steven Soderbergh

Discussion: @adage and Brian Bonilla on LinkedIn

Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:

The MPA announces plans to work with US Congress to enact a SOPA-like anti-piracy law; SOPA was fiercely opposed by the tech industry and failed to pass in 2012 — The Motion Picture Association said it will work with Congress to enact an anti-piracy law similar to legislation that failed …

Discussion: The Verge, CMU, @artsjournalnews, MediaNama, Ars Technica, @eff@mastodon.social, MediaPost, SlashFilm, Engadget, 9to5Mac, Techdirt, Plagiarism Today and Slashdot, more at Techmeme »

Jessica Jerreat / Voice of America:

Reporters Without Borders says Hong Kong authorities detained and deported a Taiwan-based RSF advocacy officer who had planned to cover the Jimmy Lai trial — A media watchdog said Wednesday that Hong Kong authorities expelled one of its officials who had arrived to cover the trial of pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai.

Discussion: Reporters Without Borders, @melissakchan, @krislc, @rebecca_vincent, @indexcensorship, @simjhenderson, @rsf_inter, @kevinkfyam, @tmclaughlin3, @ericwishart, @jojjeols, @jessicajerreat, Al Jazeera, Reuters and Bloomberg

Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:

Substack now lets podcasters distribute their shows on Spotify, and says Substack podcasters on collectively earn $100M+ per year, up 100%+ over the past year — Substack announced on Thursday it's introducing a few new features for podcasters on its platform.

Discussion: On Substack, Spotify, RAIN News, MSPoweruser, Engadget and Branded Podcast Agency, more at Techmeme »

Max Goldbart / Deadline:

The BBC names Alex Kay-Jelski, currently The Athletic's UK and Europe EIC, as Director of BBC Sport, starting in June 2024 — The Athletic's Editor-in-Chief for UK and Europe is joining the BBC to run its sports coverage. — Reporting into content boss Charlotte Moore …

Discussion: BBC

Katie Robertson / New York Times:

Axios changes strategy in response to AI: more events, a $1K/year membership program, and more subscription newsletters; Aja Whitaker-Moore will be the new EIC — “The premium for people who can tell you things you do not know will only grow in importance, and no machine will do that,” says Jim VandeHei, C.E.O. of Axios.

Discussion: Sara Fischer on LinkedIn, @djtweets and @danprimack

Emilia David / The Verge:

The Weather Company launches ReelSphere, an AI-powered video creation tool that provides captions, hyperlocal weather overlays, and an AI “meteorologist” — Generative AI could be coming to your local TV station as The Weather Company, aka the people that run The Weather Channel …

Discussion: The Weather Company, Next TV and The Weather Company

Jeff Jarvis / Nieman Lab:

Excerpts from an analysis of the California Journalism Preservation Act, which has yet to pass the state Senate, including its many weaknesses and alternatives — “If there are resources to be put to work, we must ask where those resources should come from, who should receive them, and on what basis they should be distributed."

Discussion: @jeffjarvis, @localmediarocks, @deansusanking, @ckrewson, Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn, @niemanlab@mastodon.social, Whither news? and @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social