Virtual influencers
The opportunity for brands and creative agencies

Ben Woods

March 2024

Business Strategy

Brands and creative agencies can claim a larger slice of the creative economy as adoption of virtual influencer content accelerates. Cheaper to run, with higher productivity rates and more monetisation...

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Why Prime Video's Mr Beast gamble can fuel Amazon's advertising business

Ben Woods

25 Mar 2024

mr beast

YouTube

Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video has embarked on a big bet that could reshape the relationship between streaming TV and content creators. Long rumoured, the deal between YouTube superstar Mr Beast and Prime Video was...

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As Spotify corners audiobooks, Audible eyes functional audio

Rutger Rosenborg

22 Mar 2024

audiobooks

Podcasts

Spotify

Over the course of 30 years, Audible’s catalogue has grown to include more than 470,000 audiobooks, at least according to their own ads . In less than a year, Spotify’s catalogue has grown to include...

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Recorded music market 2023
Back to life

Mark Mulligan

March 2024

Business Strategy

After a slower 2022, the global recorded music market returned to strong growth in 2023. It was, however, also the first year that the artists direct segment lost market share, with changes to the streaming...

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Global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023

Mark Mulligan

18 Mar 2024

recorded music 2023

recorded music revenues

music revenues

Growth is back! After a slower 2022, global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023 to reach $35.1 billion, compared to 7.1% in 2022, which means that the market is now more than double (124.5%) the...

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MIDiA independent label and distributor survey

Mark Mulligan

14 Mar 2024

independent labels

market shares

record labels

MIDiA is fielding its annual independent label and distributor survey . This is the chance for the independent sector to have its voice heard. Given all of the changes that are taking place in the streaming...

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BarbenHeimer needs to usher in media fusion to fully revitalise cinema

Tim Mulligan

13 Mar 2024

BarbenHeimer

oppenheimer

barbie

In many ways the 96th Academy Awards was positioned as the critical confirmation of last year’s double blockbuster performances of Oppenheimer and Barbie . Collectively, these titles generated $2.4 billion...

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New audiobook pricing gives Spotify the best of both worlds

Rutger Rosenborg

6 Mar 2024

audiobooks

Spotify

Audible

In late 2023, Spotify slowly started rolling out audiobooks to Premium subscribers in select markets . In contrast with Spotify’s unlimited supply of music, Premium subscribers were allotted 15 hours...

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Is BritBox International the missing commercial streaming catalyst for the BBC?

Tim Mulligan

4 Mar 2024

BritBox

Video

Business Strategy

Last Friday, ITV announced the sale of its entire 50% interest subscription video on demand (SVOD) service to its partner and fellow shareholder, BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC). BritBox was...

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TikTok highlights the importance of publishing — and lack of songwriter services

Tatiana Cirisano

29 Feb 2024

social media

TikTok

songwriters

It is no news flash that the music business has a reputation for undervaluing songwriters. Despite being arguably the most important part of the song, the shift to streaming has been even more disastrous...

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Paramount is on the right track but does it have enough time?

Tim Mulligan

29 Feb 2024

Parammount+

Pluto TV

Yesterday, Paramount announced its full year 2023 financial results. The numbers were stark, with revenues down 2% to $29.7 billion and an operating loss of $451 million. The stock price declined at the...

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Quick take: The games industry health check

Karol Severin

27 Feb 2024

games forecast

games revenue

games industry

In recent weeks and months, a growing number of people have been asking: “What is going on with the games industry?”, “Is the games industry doomed now?”, “Is it done growing?”, “If neither...

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What indie book publishers can gain from audiobooks

Rutger Rosenborg

22 Feb 2024

audiobooks

Music Streaming

music industry

In the music industry, three major labels generate the lion’s share of revenue: Universal, Sony, and Warner. In the book publishing industry, the “big five” publishers dominate: Penguin Random House,...

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Audio substitute threat
Measuring consumer time allocation

Rutger Rosenborg

February 2024

Streaming

cannibalization

Radio

All forms of entertainment compete not only for the same time, but increasingly for the same digital real estate. As audio streaming platforms move towards all-in-one access to multiple formats, both platforms...

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Social is the new streaming… but the cracks are already showing

Hanna Kahlert

22 Feb 2024

Streaming

social

Music

When streaming first overtook music, it did so by force. Audiences quickly latched on to the freedoms of digital life and the accessibility of music on the internet. Piracy was on the rise and downloading...

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Expect Warner Bros. Discovery’s forthcoming full year 2023 results to open up vital strategic choices

Tim Mulligan

20 Feb 2024

Warner Bros. Discovery

d2c

DTC

On Friday, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will announce its full year 2023 financial results to investors in its fourth quarter 2023 earnings call . It is going to make for hard reading by both investors...

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Are Prime Gaming subscriptions the drug that Twitch cannot live without?

Ben Woods

19 Feb 2024

Twitch

Prime Gaming

Prime Video

Twitch chief executive Dan Clancy has been quick to reshape the livestreaming platform since taking charge just shy of a year ago. Clancy has cooled competition with YouTube and Kick and taken the wind...

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Why the Xbox announcement is an important and strategically smart nod to developers

Karol Severin

16 Feb 2024

Xbox announcement

cross-platform

Games console

Xbox announced on its podcast with Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty, that it is bringing four of its titles to other consoles. While no specific titles were named, it ruled out Starfield and Indiana...

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The context behind Disney’s investment into Epic Games

Karol Severin

15 Feb 2024

Investment

Epic Games

Disney

Disney announced it is investing $1.5 billion into Epic Games. The same announcement talks about a creation of an “ expansive and open games and entertainment universe connected to Fortnite ”. This...

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Was this the year of peak ad revenues for Paramount and the Super Bowl?

Tim Mulligan

13 Feb 2024

Sports

Super Bowl

NFL

Sunday saw the Super Bowl LVIII broadcast on CBS, Paramount+, and Nickelodeon, providing a bumper advertising windfall estimated at between $650-$700 million for parent company Paramount. The media majors’...

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