Spotify’s earnings show that their strategy is working exactly as predicted; then, Universal is responding to Taylor Swift’s leveraging of Internet power.
Clubhouse Enables Creator Payments, Artists and Cultists, An Interview with Nathan Hubbard
More on the power of creators, and then an interview with Nathan Hubbard about Taylor Swift and the future of music.
Non-Fungible Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift, like Dave Chappelle, is leveraging the power of the Internet to take control of their art.
Five Lessons From Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle has a new special about his old show that includes fundamental lessons about how the Internet has changed the content business.
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.
Softbank Buys ARM; Taylor, Kanye, Kim, and Twitter
Softbank is buying ARM, which is interesting in its implications for both companies, but probably not that big of a deal for the industry. Then, what the latest Taylor Swift-Kanye West episode says about Twitter.
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.
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 Taylor Swift?
Daily Update: Taylor Swift v Daniel Ek, What Swift Gets Right, The Problem with Spotify
Good morning, As you will see in your inboxes momentarily, I wrote a new post on Stratechery called Two Microsofts about Microsoft’s decision to make Office free on mobile for consumers. The big takeaway is that, if you look at Microsoft through the lens of business models, they are already two different companies: one consumer,Subscribe […]
Daily Update: Uber v Lyft in NYC, Defending Surge Pricing, Taylor Swift on Music
Good morning, I wrote a piece on Stratechery called Smartphone Truths and Samsung’s Inevitable Decline. While it is mostly about why Samsung’s disappointing results shouldn’t be a surprise, there are also several points that cover why Apple is not doomed, but Microsoft and Amazon are. Today’s theme is supply-and-demand, and we unsurprisingly start with UberSubscribe […]