Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

Spotify will take a harder stance on ad blockers in its updated terms of service. In an email to users today, the streaming music and podcast platform said its new user guidelines “mak[e] it clear that all types of ad blockers, bots and fraudulent streaming activities are not permitted.” Accounts that use ad blockers face […]

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Musiio raises $1M to let digital music services use AI for curation

Musiio, a Singapore-based startup that uses AI to help digital music companies with discovery and creation, has pulled in a $1 million seed round. The capital comes from Singapore’s Wavemaker Partners, U.S. investor Exponential Creativity Ventures and undisclosed angels. The deal represents the first outside round for Musiio, which was founded at the Entrepreneur First program […]

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Why Spotify is betting big on podcasting

Podcasting revenues hit $314 million in 2017, according to a third-party survey released last summer. It’s a large number for what’s been historically regarded as a niche and difficult to monetize medium, but still pales in comparison to the additional $400-$500 million Spotify says it’s willing to spend on the space this year alone. Two […]

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Spotify bets big on podcasts with acquisition of Gimlet and Anchor

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Music-streaming king Spotify sees a future in podcasts.

The company announced on Wednesday that it has made two huge acquisitions that firmly plant Spotify in the podcasting business. The music-streaming giant has bought Gimlet Media Inc., a popular podcast producer, and Anchor, a platform that helps creators produce and publish their podcasts.

According to Recode, Spotify is paying around $230 million for Gimlet. Recode first reported that Spotify and Gimlet were in talks last week. It’s currently unknown how much Spotify spent on Anchor.

Recode points out that the acquisition puts Spotify in the content creation business for the first time — something the company hasn’t done in its almost 11 years in the music industry.  Read more…

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Profits at The New York Times show media dinosaurs are ruling the internet

Today’s news that the (failing?) New York Times reported net income of $55.2 million, after losses a year earlier — and that its digital business raked in $709 million — is just one indicator that some of the nation’s oldest media properties are finally crossing the bridge into the 21st century. The Times managed to turn […]

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Spotify buys Gimlet and Anchor in podcast push, earmarks $500M for more deals

Spotify is going after podcasts in a major way in 2019. The music streaming service today confirmed that it has snapped up two podcast networks — Gimlet and Anchor — in undisclosed deals. But that’s not all, the firm said it has plans to spend a further $400-$500 million “on multiple acquisitions in 2019” to get […]

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Slack has confidentially filed to go public

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Bust out your favorite party parrot: Slack has completed its first official step in the road to going public.

Slack published a blog post Monday stating that it had “confidentially submitted a draft registration statement” with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This is a form that essentially lets the SEC begin reviewing the company’s financials in advance of a stock listing. Slack has chosen to do so confidentially, which means it’s not giving just anyone a peek under its financial hood.

Slack has raised over $1 billion since its founding in 2013, according to the Wall Street Journal, and some estimate that the valuation could go for up to $7 billion. Read more…

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Startups Weekly: Is Munchery the Fyre Festival of startups?

Munchery goes under, a new podcast documents the Theranos saga, experts explain direct listings and more.

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