Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

Is the rising popularity of the BeReal app proof that raw authenticity is the social media trend of 2022?

Cover image for Is the rising popularity of the BeReal app proof that raw authenticity is the social media trend of 2022?
Ashleigh Millar
‘Genuineness’ is trending on TikTok at the moment. Influencer celebrities have risen to fame because of their transparency and relatability, from the likes of Brittany Broski sharing candid, unfiltered content , to Eden Harvey sharing intimate and private moments with her followers to keep them included in every step of her life , both of whom boast millions of followers (6.
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The pandemic catalysed a streaming business model reckoning. Is the live sector next?

Cover image for The pandemic catalysed a streaming business model reckoning. Is the live sector next?
Tatiana Cirisano
The news is everywhere: concerts are back. Coachella heralded the return of a roaring festival season, hundreds of acts are back on the road, and Live Nation says it is expecting a record year. But other headlines paint a different picture: Little Simz canceled her tour because it was not financially viable for her as an independent artist, reporters are calling out many venues for taking a 25% cut of merch sales, artists everywhere are struggling with the financial — not just health — risk of contracting coronavirus on tour, live music revenue has not yet bounced back , and tweets like these are going viral.
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The Covid entertainment boom is over

Cover image for The Covid entertainment boom is over
Hanna Kahlert
Two years of pandemic-driven lockdown restrictions turned out to be a golden era for digital entertainment. With 12% of extra available free time allocated to various entertainment propositions, and additional spend freed up due to the lull in expenditures on the likes of transport and ‘in real life’ (IRL) activities, entertainment prospered in 2020: video consumption grew by 7%, non-music audio by 24%, music streaming by 19%, and games by 30% (source: MIDiA Research Consumer Survey Q4 2020).
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Why the remix challenge is primed for a revival

Cover image for Why the remix challenge is primed for a revival
Tatiana Cirisano
Remix challenges have been part of the record label toolbox for more than a decade. Artists let contestants purchase or earn song stems; then the artist and fans vote on the best remixes. The idea is simple: contestants get a shot at recognition from their favourite artists (as well as their 15 seconds of fame), plus prizes; and artists get to increase their profiles and deepen fan engagement.
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Meta’s 2024 vision for AR glasses demonstrates the tech barrier to the metaverse

Cover image for Meta’s 2024 vision for AR glasses demonstrates the tech barrier to the metaverse
Hanna Kahlert
Mark Zuckerberg is pushing for an ‘iPhone moment’ with his company’s Project Nazare, announcing AR glasses due to come in 2024, with hints at upgrades already in the works for 2026 and 2028. Not only would this cast his company in a new light, embattled as it is by regulatory attempts and negative PR, which the rebrand from Facebook to Meta has failed to shake entirely, but it would also place Meta at the ideal position to facilitate the interaction between consumers and the proposed metaverse – an underpinning for the predicted Web 3.
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