Stratechery Plus

Subscribe

Learn More
Member Forum

Menu

Stratechery Plus

Subscribe

Learn More
Member Forum

Latest Podcast

Topics

Music Streaming

  • Disney to Buy Part of MLBAM; Netflix, Comcast, and Verizon; Spotify’s Fruitless Antitrust Griping

    Disney continues to invest in the future by buying part of MLBAM, while Comcast and Verizon settle into their roles as utilities. Plus, why Spotify’s antitrust complaints don’t make much sense, even if Apple isn’t being very fair.

  • Kanye West and Tidal, The Problem with Exclusivity, Pandora for Sale?

    Kanye West says his new album will be available exclusively on Tidal, which doesn’t make sense for consumers or for West as either a businessman or an artist. Then, Pandora is yet another advertising-based business to feel the heat, and it’s exacerbated by backwards-looking labels

  • Craig Federighi on Swift, Taylor Swift’s 1989 on Apple Music

    John Gruber’s interview with Craig Federighi is an excellent opportunity to explore exactly why Swift is such a big deal. Then, Taylor Swift has an exclusive with Apple Music for the video of her 1989 concert.

  • Adele Won’t Stream 25, Windowing Versus Piracy

    Adele won’t stream her new album, and I think that makes a ton of sense. Monetizing IP might be hard, but I don’t think it’s necessarily hostile to your fans. Plus, what really ended piracy and what will be the biggest conflict in IP-related industries in the future.

  • Amazon’s Transformation, The Apple Music Backlash

    Amazon turned a surprising profit: was it on purpose? More importantly, what does it say about the fundamental nature of Amazon as a company and as an investment? Plus, why the Apple Music backlash shouldn’t be a surprise, and a survey about meet-ups for this summer.

  • Apple Loses E-books Appeal; Apple Music and Antitrust; Producers, Consumers, and Apple

    Apple’s E-book case finally came to it’s likely end a few week’s ago; it’s worth reviewing what was at stake in light of recent news that Apple Music could face a similar investigation. Then, if Apple Music will do for musicians what the App Store did for developers, is that a good thing? Plus, why sites…

  • Curation and Algorithms

    More and more companies are announcing new products based on human curation, even as the most important content players — Google and Facebook — rely on algorithms. When does curation make sense, and when are algorithms better? And ultimately, who is responsible for both?

  • Taylor Swift v Apple

    Eddy Cue is dancing again, but this time it’s figuratively and the tune is provided by Taylor Swift. Seventeen hours after Swift decried Apple’s plan to not compensate artists for songs played during the Apple Music demo period Apple changed course. What can be learned, and what does this say about Apple Music — and about…

  • Apple Music and Apple’s Focus

    Apple Music was a muddled mess, which raised the question of why it exists in the first place. Is it important anymore? More importantly, is Apple having trouble remembering how to focus?

  • Carriers to Implement Ad-Blocking?, Mad Men and Optimism, Spotify and Starbucks

    Today’s update is a Media Monday on a Tuesday. First, a reported ad-blocking initiative from European carriers and a discussion on its moral, legal, and business aspects. Then, reasons to be both pessimistic and optimistic about the future of publishing. Finally, a discussion of Spotify’s deal with Starbucks, it’s symbolism, and the similarities and differences between…