Apple’s response to their European Commission fine and their (re)suspension of Epic’s developer account suggest that the company truly believes they own nothing to developers.
Xbox’s Announcement; Microsoft’s Messy Middle; Apple in Europe, Continued
The specifics of Microsoft’s Xbox announcements don’t portend big changes, and economic factors explain why. Then, more Apple news from the EU.
The Apple Vision Pro’s Missing Apps
The Apple Vision Pro is missing some important apps, and it seems likely that Apple’s App Store policies played a part. Might the company respond by doubling down with Disney?
Spotify Layoffs, Lessons From Spotify, Ek’s Letter and Spotify’s Debt
Spotify is conducting big layoffs, thanks in part to debt it took out in a zero-interest rate environment. What is more problematic is that the company has little to show for its spending.
An Interview with Spike Eskin About Radio, Podcasts, and Internet Stars
An interview with WFAN’s Spike Eskin about the radio business, how it is different than podcasts, and how stars are made on the Internet.
Spotify Subscription Audiobooks, Casual Fans and Bundles, Spotify’s Goals
Audiobooks on Spotify will not be available for “free” to Spotify Premium subscribers. It’s a move that makes sense for Spotify, and is one that authors should embrace.
An Interview with Eugene Wei About Twitter, Threads, and Taylor Swift
An interview with Eugene Wei about Elon Musk’s critical mistake with Twitter, the questionable prospects for Threads, and what Taylor Swift and other communal experiences say about the commoditization wrought by technology.
Disney’s Taylor Swift Era
Not even Taylor Swift can fight the devaluation of recorded music, but she makes it up in physical experiences; Disney isn’t much different, but it looks much worse given the company’s old business model.
Streaming Residuals and Spotify, Llama 2 Open-Sourced, Llama’s License
Streaming residuals might end up looking like Spotify. Then, Meta makes Llama 2 open source — mostly.
Podcast Grifting; Aggregator Lessons; Ostroff, Simmons, and Harry
Bill Simmons calls Harry and Meghan grifters; he seems to have a case, but the larger issue is why Spotify mistakenly thought they would be valuable in the first place.