Mediagazer: Fake AI albums added to artists' pages are flooding Spotify to profit from royalty fraud, abusing a distribution process effectively based on the honor system (Elizabeth Lopatto/The Verge)

7:45 AM ET, November 15, 2024

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Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

An interview with Telegraph Director of Technology Dylan Jacques on the goal of launching 12 significant uses of AI in the newsroom over 12 months — The Telegraph set out in March to launch 12 significant uses of AI in its newsroom over 12 months. — The tools include newsroom workflow aides …

Discussion: TVNewsCheck, Acast Podcasts and Editor and Publisher

Liam Scott / Voice of America:

Reporters Without Borders sues X in France for “complicity in disseminating false information”, after X failed to block a fake video with RSF's logo — The press freedom group Reporters Without Borders on Thursday announced that it is suing the social media company X, accusing it of spreading disinformation.

Discussion: Reporters Without Borders, @shayne.bsky.social, @digiphile.bsky.social and Al Jazeera

UnHerd:

Scientific American EIC Laura Helmuth is stepping down, following criticism for her social media posts suggesting Trump voters were racist, sexist, and fascist — The embattled Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American is leaving her role after her anti-Trump social media posts gained national attention.

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Peter Blumberg / Bloomberg:

X sues to block California's AB 2655, aimed at curbing AI-generated deceptive election content on social media, claiming it impinges on free speech — Elon Musk's social media platform X sued to block a California law aimed at curbing AI-generated deceptive election content on social media …

Discussion: Forbes

Matthew Keys / The Desk:

Disney said Disney+ Q4 ARPU in the US and Canada, down 1% QoQ to $7.70, was affected partly by new wholesale arrangements with some distributors — The Walt Disney Company's recent distribution agreements with Charter Communications and DirecTV impacted a key metric that analysts …

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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Disney plans to add an ESPN “tile” to Disney+ for US subscribers on December 4, giving users access to some free ESPN content

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Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Disney investor call: Bob Iger says 60% of all new Disney+ subscribers are for the ad tier, and in a hot-mic moment wonders if he should have said the detail

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Lachlan Cartwright / Columbia Journalism Review:

Just before the election, a Trump lawyer demanded $10B in damages from the NYT and Penguin Random House, part of a flurry of Trump's legal threats to media — Legal letter follows complaints aimed at CBS News, the Washington Post, and the Daily Beast. — The letter, addressed to lawyers …

Discussion: The Guardian, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, Yessenia Funes on LinkedIn, @lachcartwright and @catileptic@chaos.social

Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:

The Onion, backed by some Sandy Hook families and Everytown for Gun Safety, buys Infowars in a bankruptcy auction, and plans a January 2025 relaunch as a parody — The satirical news site planned to turn Infowars into a parody of itself, mocking “weird internet personalities” who peddle conspiracy theories and health supplements.

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Elizabeth Lopatto / The Verge:

Fake AI albums added to artists' pages are flooding Spotify to profit from royalty fraud, abusing a distribution process effectively based on the honor system — How fake music targets real artists. … I first noticed something weird when a HEALTH album dropped on my Spotify new release radar.

Discussion: @jzellis, @js@podcastindex.social, Spotify and @waxy@xoxo.zone, more at Techmeme »

Jesse Whittock / Deadline:

Small to mid-sized US unscripted producers like Lucky 8 are looking overseas to find new business and co-producers as the US market contraction hits budgets — Last month at MIPCOM, many regulars at the Cannes TV market noticed more American accents on the Croisette than usual.

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

YouTube: 45M+ people in the US watched election content on November 5; top livestreams were from Fox News, NBC News, LiveNOW, ABC News, and the PBD Podcast — The Google-owned video platform released data Thursday indicating that tens of millions of Americans decided to watch their election returns there.

Discussion: @youtubeinsider, @alexweprin, @youtubeinsider, TVNewsCheck, Fox News, Business Insider and Forbes

Emma Roth / The Verge:

TikTok adds Getty Images to its AI ad creation tool, Symphony Creative Studio, which lets advertisers use the images to make videos, create AI avatars, and more — TikTok will let advertisers pull in content from Getty Images when using the platform's AI ad creation tool.

Discussion: Hürriyet Daily News, Digiday, Reuters and TikTok For Business, more at Techmeme »

Dell Cameron / Wired:

The PRESS Act, shielding journalists from US government spying, stalls as Senate Democrats juggle legislative priorities before ceding control January 3 — The PRESS Act, which would protect journalists from government spying, enjoys broad bipartisan support and has passed the House …

Discussion: @freedomofpress, The Dispatch, @freedomofpress@newsie.social, @runwithskizzers.bsky.social, @petermiles.bsky.social, @wyden.senate.gov, @clarajeffery.bsky.social, @bubbaprog.ilovecitr.us, @wyden.senate.gov and @paul@oldfriends.live

Washington Post:

WaPo names Liz Seymour managing editor; she has held various roles over 25 years at the outlet, including deputy managing editor and executive features editor — A veteran Washington Post newsroom leader, Seymour marks her 25th year at the publication — The Washington Post today named …

Discussion: The Wrap, Kathy Baird on LinkedIn and MediaPost