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.

Chinese limits on gaming are more about the long-term, rather than short-term impacts

Cover image for Chinese limits on gaming are more about the long-term, rather than short-term impacts
Karol Severin
China
regulation
Audience engagement
A new regulation announced by the National Press and Publication Administration issues new rules around games engagement of under 18s. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the new rules will allow no online video games to be played during the school week, and only permits one hour of play per day on Fridays, weekends and public holidays.
6 min read
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Fluid audio is here, and music is about to meet its next mp3 moment

Cover image for Fluid audio is here, and music is about to meet its next mp3 moment
Kriss Thakrar
creator tools
UGC
Gen Z
Kanye West has released the Donda Stem Player, a handheld remixing speaker that can interact with music, as a way to create a personalised experience with his new album. However, this is not just an interactive speaker for consuming Kanye’s new musical project - it is a creator tool to remix any recording, as shown by a video of the device splitting Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On into distinct parts.
4 min read
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Facebook just got into social music; the industry should take note

Cover image for Facebook just got into social music; the industry should take note
Hanna Kahlert
social music
social music app
Facebook
Facebook has just rolled out a new option to share clips of music videos to its Stories , which will be fully available to users by August 16th. The move has two main sets of implications. On the music side, we (should) have known that social music will be the next stage of innovation for the industry essentially since TikTok started rocketing users to stardom overnight, as meanwhile young people – digital natives who tend to be hyper-social – started to pick up instruments at unprecedented rates .
3 min read
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Fandom’s Icarus phenomenon: The hype cycle of the attention economy

Cover image for Fandom’s Icarus phenomenon: The hype cycle of the attention economy
Hanna Kahlert
Fandom
attention economy peak
Attention economy
Fandom is now entrenched as the success determinator of the saturated attention economy. With so much entertainment competing at all times, it is sentiment which draws audiences back for more. Rather than purely “I like this” – there is, after all, so much to like – fandom is more than the substantive quality of productions or storytelling.
5 min read
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Labels are going to become more like VCs than they probably want to be

Cover image for Labels are going to become more like VCs than they probably want to be
Mark Mulligan
Record labels
Labels
artist accelerators
When you are in the midst of change it can be hard to actually see it. Right now, the music business is undergoing a consumption paradigm shift that is changing the culture and business of music. Streaming may be well established and maturing in many markets but the market impact will continue to accelerate as behaviours continue to evolve and bed in.
5 min read
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Music is no longer about consumption, but participation (and women are leading the charge)

Cover image for Music is no longer about consumption, but participation (and women are leading the charge)
Hanna Kahlert
women in music
creator tools
Music
The mainstream shift to digital-first life in the last year and a half has affected video content production, games sales, and social media habits. It has also (notably) exacerbated the music industry shift to independent artists and music streaming revenue woes – both of which are now raising existential questions as to the future culture of music.
5 min read
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