Media & Entertainment

Tubi calls on indie filmmakers and their fans to help beef up original content library

Media & Entertainment /

Tubi, the ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox, launched a new beta program on Tuesday called “Stubios,” inviting aspiring filmmakers to submit their original content. Notably, applicants will receive feedback directly from fans as well as one-on-one guidance from actress Issa Rae, the creator of “Insecure.” The streamer has previously bet on upcoming filmmakers, accepting […]

Tubi calls on indie filmmakers and their fans to help beef up original content library Read More »

The Kendrick-Drake feud shows how technology is changing rap battles

Media & Entertainment /

It seems we’re all in agreement: Kendrick Lamar defeated Drake in one of the most engrossing rap battles of the decade. To add insult to injury, Drake also threw himself into legal hot water when he deepfaked the late rapper Tupac. The tension between Lamar and Drake goes back decades, but this latest flare-up began

The Kendrick-Drake feud shows how technology is changing rap battles Read More »

TechCrunch Minute: Spotify’s move to paywall lyrics is putting pressure on free users

Media & Entertainment /

Spotify’s slow movement to put lyrics behind its paid service wall in its music service are about as popular as you would expect. Precise details of the update are evolving but what we can say at this point is that it seems that Spotify has a new feature up its sleeve to try and get

TechCrunch Minute: Spotify’s move to paywall lyrics is putting pressure on free users Read More »

Spotify is quietly moves lyrics behind a paywall

Media & Entertainment /

Spotify has apparently found a new way to push its free users to a paid subscription: it’s putting lyrics behind a paywall. Following various reports citing frustrated posts from users on Reddit, the company is quietly confirming the change — but without a direct statement. Instead, the company told TechCrunch simply that Spotify’s features can

Spotify is quietly moves lyrics behind a paywall Read More »

Online course platform Kajabi allows creators to build their own branded apps

Media & Entertainment /

Kajabi, the video and web hosting platform for content creators to sell online courses, announced Thursday the official launch of its no-code branded mobile app offering, letting users host their own customized native app through the App Store and Google Play. Kajabi already has a mobile app for hosting online courses, but this new product

Online course platform Kajabi allows creators to build their own branded apps Read More »

Audible to test using Prime Video data for audiobook recommendations as Spotify competition heats up

Media & Entertainment /

Amazon has historically operated audiobook marketplace Audible as a separate entity, unconnected to the retailer’s broader goals and ambitions. Today, that’s changing a bit with the launch of a test that will allow Audible users to receive recommendations about what to listen to next based on their Prime Video viewing behavior. The company says this

Audible to test using Prime Video data for audiobook recommendations as Spotify competition heats up Read More »

beehiiv attracts $33M to make its newsletter publishing platform more sticky

Media & Entertainment /

With the number of people using e-mail globally approaching 5 billion, newsletters delivered regularly into people’s inboxes continue to look like a sticky way of getting attention for whatever it is that you’re writing. Now, in a signal of the popularity of the medium, one of the startups building a platform for creating and distributing

beehiiv attracts $33M to make its newsletter publishing platform more sticky Read More »

OpenAI inks strategic tie-up with UK’s Financial Times, including content use

Media & Entertainment /

OpenAI, maker of the viral AI chatbot ChatGPT, has netted another news licensing deal in Europe, adding London’s Financial Times to a growing list of publishers it’s paying for content access. As with OpenAI’s earlier publisher licensing deals, financial terms of the arrangement are not being made public. The latest deal looks a touch cozier

OpenAI inks strategic tie-up with UK’s Financial Times, including content use Read More »

Curio raises funds for Rio, an ‘AI news anchor’ in an app

Media & Entertainment /

AI may be inching its way into the newsroom, as outlets like Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Gizmodo, VentureBeat, CNET and others have experimented with articles written by AI. But while most respectable journalists will condemn this use case, there are a number of startups that think AI can enhance the news experience — at least on

Curio raises funds for Rio, an ‘AI news anchor’ in an app Read More »

Area man, Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson, buys The Onion

Media & Entertainment /

Jeff Lawson, the co-founder and recently departed CEO of enterprise infrastructure software company Twilio, is the proud new owner of satirical online newspaper The Onion. “Alright, the news is out — yes, I bought The Onion,” Lawson wrote in a LinkedIn post late Thursday, after it was first reported in The New York Times. Terms

Area man, Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson, buys The Onion Read More »