Spotify’s new hate policy and Twitter’s behavior policy seem like good things at first glance, but what they suggest about the companies’s power is worrisome. Plus, YouTube’s subscription plans are as confusing as ever.
Spotify Earnings, Spotify’s Free Plan and Hulu Partnership, Snap Earnings
Spotify’s earnings were not what the market expected, but the company gained credibility. Snap, meanwhile, doesn’t have any credibility at all.
Spotify Debuts; Trump, Amazon, and the USPS; The Politics of Amazon
Spotify debuts, and I really want to be bullish, but it’s hard. Then, Trump might have a point about Amazon, but it’s moot: the company should be defended.
More Spotify; Spotify, Uber, and Airbnb; Uber, Waymo, and SoftBank
A bit more on Spotify, and then the lessons to be learned by Uber and Spotify. Plus, a potential Uber-Waymo partnership, and why they company will likely sell-out in Southeast Asia.
Could Spotify Be Netflix?, Calculating Spotify’s LTV and CAC
Spotify is in a much weaker position that Netflix was, because it could not build up a user base before negotiating with its suppliers. However, the company does seem to be acquiring customers efficiently.
Lessons From Spotify
Spotify has a marginal cost problem, but while the cause is unique to Spotify, the challenges are more applicable than it seems.
Apple’s Middle Age
For Apple, hitting middle age means a strategy primarily focused on monetizing its existing customers. It makes sense, but one wonders what happens next.
More on the Switch, Apple Music and the HomePod, Songwriter Royalties Increase
More on the Nintendo Switch, and how Apple Music is more strategic than I appreciated. Then, Spotify hits another obstacle — is the streaming service an acquisition target?
Snapchat’s Redesign, Spiegel’s New (Old) Vision, Tencent and Spotify
Snap has a more cogent vision than the one it presented in its S-1; the problem is it might be too late. Tencent, meanwhile, fresh off its Snap investment has picked up a piece of Spotify.
Alexa and Operating Systems, Privacy, and Integration; Spotify Follow-up
Three Alexa stories point towards Amazon’s drive — and challenges — in building the operating system of the home. Then, Spotify doesn’t create fake music, it just gives consumers what they want.