Архив метки: US

Apple approves Spotify update so US users can buy audiobooks within the app

Spotify announced on Monday that Apple has approved a new app update, allowing iPhone users in the U.S. to purchase individual audiobooks directly within the app. Users can also view audiobook prices and easily buy additional listening hours beyond the initial 15 hours. “This change lowers the barriers for more users to embrace their first […]
Apple approves Spotify update so US users can buy audiobooks within the app

Spotify launches a new Basic streaming plan in the US

Spotify is introducing a new “Basic” streaming plan in the United States, the company announced on Friday. The new plan costs $10.99 per month and includes all of the benefits of a Premium plan but without the monthly audiobook listening time. The launch of the new streaming plan comes a few weeks after Spotify increased […]
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Spotify launches a new Basic streaming plan in the US

YouTube Music officially rolls out podcasts for listeners in the US

YouTube Music is officially adding podcasts to its platform in the United States on Android, iOS and the web. The rollout comes a few months after YouTube podcasting head Kai Chuk revealed that podcasts would be added to YouTube Music soon.
The update allows users watching podcasts on the main app to continue listening to them on YouTube Music. The company notes that all users can listen to podcasts on-demand, offline, in the background, and while casting and can seamlessly switch between audio-video versions on YouTube Music.
“This podcast listening experience is different from our music listening experience where you need a Premium or Music Premium subscription to enjoy some of these features,” the company wrote in a blog post. “This new podcast listening experience complements the podcast video experience on YouTube.”
Podcasts in YouTube Music will be available regardless of whether you have a YouTube Premium subscription. YouTube even notes that paying customers may encounter host-read endorsements or sponsorship messages when listening to podcasts on YouTube Music.
Image Credits: YouTube
YouTube is rolling out the update to all of its listeners in the United States gradually, which means not everyone may see it yet. The company said it plans to bring podcasts to YouTube Music to users outside the United States soon but didn’t provide any specific launch details.
The YouTube Music Home tab now includes a new “Podcasts” tab that takes you to a dedicated feed, which will display your favorite podcasts and recommended episodes.
YouTube is advising creators that if their podcast is audio-only, they should consider uploading a video with a static image or use audiograms or other dynamic video formats. The company notes that it will soon offer creators the option to directly upload their audio podcasts via RSS feeds to both YouTube and YouTube Music.
According to previous reports, YouTube isn’t looking to sign exclusive deals with podcasters, which has been a key strategy at Spotify. YouTube instead seems to be focused on melding the experience of listening to podcasts on video and audio.

YouTube Music contractors win historic union vote

YouTube Music officially rolls out podcasts for listeners in the US by Aisha Malik originally published on TechCrunch
YouTube Music officially rolls out podcasts for listeners in the US

Netflix will crack down on password sharing this summer

Netflix’s long-awaited crackdown on password sharing is coming soon to the U.S., the streamer said on Tuesday.
Netflix originally planned to roll out “paid sharing” in the States during the first quarter of 2023. However, Netflix now says it’ll start rolling out the change — an update designed to convert account-sharers into paying users — a little later, on or before June 30.
This move is not limited to the U.S., either. “We are planning on a broad rollout, including in the US, in Q2,” the streamer said in its first-quarter 2023 earnings report. Alongside this announcement, Netflix also bid farewell to its 25-year-old mail-order DVD business. RIP.
Netflix’s quest to boost revenues by curbing password sharing kicked off earlier this year in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. In these countries, Netflix requires paying users to set a “primary location” for their account. Going forward, if someone they don’t live with uses their account, Netflix alerts them to “buy an extra member.” Netflix says it will allow up to two extra members per account, and its fee per extra user varies by country. For example, it’s an additional CAD $7.99 in Canada and €3.99 in Portugal.
Speaking of revenue, Netflix fell short of analysts’ expectations for its first quarter of the year. The company said it brought in $8.16 billion during Q1 2023, while Wall Street anticipated a slightly higher figure — $8.18 billion. However, the firm reported higher-than-expected earnings of $2.88 per share in Q1; analysts had anticipated $2.86 per share.
Earlier in 2023, Netflix breezily summarized its paid-sharing update as a chance to clarify “confusion about when and how you can share Netflix,” but make no mistake, this is a crackdown. On Tuesday, Netflix played a similar tune, telling investors that the change “will result in a better outcome for both our members and our business.”
“We see a cancel reaction in each market when we announce the news, which impacts near-term member growth,” Netflix said. “But as borrowers start to activate their own accounts and existing members add ‘extra member’ accounts, we see increased acquisition and revenue.”
Netflix ended regular trading with its stock price at $333.70 per share. After hours, the company’s individual share price slipped below $307, before rebounding to about $330 (as of 2:58 p.m. PT).

Netflix kisses mail-order DVDs goodbye

Netflix will crack down on password sharing this summer by Harri Weber originally published on TechCrunch
Netflix will crack down on password sharing this summer

Amid growing competition, Paramount+ and Showtime are combining in the US

Nearly a year after ViacomCBS announced its rebrand to become Paramount, the company is now making a major change to its portfolio with today’s news that it will be fully integrating Showtime into Paramount+ — the streamer known in previous years as CBS All Access. The integration will include both streaming and linear platforms, the company noted, meaning Paramount+ will now be renamed “Paramount+ with Showtime,” while the Showtime linear TV network will also be renamed the same in the U.S.
This sort of consolidation was bound to happen, given today’s competitive streaming environment where even Netflix has seen tougher quarters and has had to embrace advertising in order to further grow its business. There are many options for consumers to choose from in the streaming market, and a stand-alone service like Showtime simply doesn’t have the breadth and depth of content required to stand on its own.
Showtime first launched its over-the-top streaming service in 2015, six years before CBS All Access was rebranded to Paramount+. However, Showtime is not as popular as its younger sister, Paramount+, which makes up the bulk of the company’s direct-to-consumer subscriber base. The streaming service reported 46 million subscribers in Q3 2022. Paramount itself has almost 67 million global subscribers across Paramount +, Pluto TV, Showtime, Noggin and BET+.
The integration isn’t just aimed at boosting Paramount+’s profile on the market; it will also help the linear Showtime network. Paramount said select Paramount+ original programs will soon join the TV network, which provides incremental value for Showtime’s distributors and potentially, more linear customers as well.
The changes will roll out later this year and will involve only the premium tiers at Paramount+, the company clarified. This will allow Paramount+ to better compete agains other premium streamers, like HBO Max, while also differentiating its streaming service by offering a combination of original and premium content, linear channels, live news and sports and Paramount Pictures movies.
Similar to HBO, Showtime’s content tends to have more mature themes, which appeals more to a certain demographic beyond the general market Paramount+ targets. However, both services would benefit from a combined user base and the ability to cross-promote titles.
“This new combined offering demonstrates how we can leverage our entire collection of content to drive deeper connections with consumers and greater value for our distribution partners,” wrote Paramount CEO Bob Bakish in a memo to employees, announcing the news. “This change will also drive stronger alignment across our domestic and international Paramount+ offerings, as international Paramount+ already includes Showtime content. And, very importantly, this integration will unlock operational efficiencies and financial benefits across our broader portfolio,” he said.
Alongside the news, Paramount announced that Chris McCarthy will continue to lead the Showtime studio and oversee network operations for the linear channel. He will also work closely with Tom Ryan, who will oversee the “Paramount+ with Showtime” streaming business.
The company warned that other changes to programming may come about with this transition. For example, in order to focus on building franchises out of Showtime’s hit shows, it will divert investment from underperforming areas that “account for less than 10% of our views.” That means, likely, some cancellations or removals are in order. Paramount says it has begun those discussions with its production partners but didn’t announce which shows are being cut or are being elevated by way of these changes.
The newly merged Paramount+ with Showtime service will be in direct competition with Warner Bros. Discovery, which has 94.9 million global subscribers across HBO, HBO Max and Discovery+. In September, during Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia + Technology Conference, Bakish confirmed that a merger had been discussed internally.
“It shouldn’t surprise you that [we’re looking] to have optionality in the future…Quite frankly, if we weren’t having that conversation, you should fire all of us because we should have that conversation,” Bakish had said.
In August 2022, Paramount+ launched an in-app Showtime bundle for U.S. customers that wanted to upgrade to a plan that included both Paramount+ and Showtime. Paramount had already integrated Showtime content with its streaming product in international markets, as a precursor to the company’s domestic integration plans.
Amid growing competition, Paramount+ and Showtime are combining in the US by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch
Amid growing competition, Paramount+ and Showtime are combining in the US