Media & Entertainment

Spotify says support for external payments on iOS has already boosted subscriptions

Spotify says its ability to direct its customers to external payment links in its iOS app has already had a positive impact on sales. In a newly filed amicus brief in support of Epic Games in its ongoing legal battle with Apple over external payments on the App Store, Spotify claims its internal data indicates […]

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Google brings a music-generating AI model to its API with Lyria RealTime

Google announced at Google I/O 2025 that it is making the AI model that powers its experimental music production app, MusicFX DJ, available via an API. The model, Lyria RealTime, is now in Google’s Gemini API and AI Studio platform. It can mix musical genres, change instruments, and alter the mood of AI-generated music, giving

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Imagen 4 is Google’s newest AI image generator

Google is rolling out a new image-generating AI model, Imagen 4, that the company claims delivers higher-quality results than its previous image generator, Imagen 3. Unveiled at Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday, Imagen 4 is capable of rendering “fine details” like fabrics, water droplets, and animal fur, Google says. The model can handle both photorealistic

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Veo 3 can generate videos — and soundtracks to go along with them

Google’s latest video-generating AI model, Veo 3, can create audio to go along with the clips that it generates. On Tuesday during the Google I/O 2025 developer conference, Google unveiled Veo 3, which the company claims can generate sound effects, background noises, and even dialogue to accompany the videos it creates. Veo 3 also improves

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Google AI Ultra: You’ll have to pay $249.99 per month for Google’s best AI

Google is launching a new subscription plan called Google AI Ultra to bring more of its AI products under one roof. The new plan, announced at Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday, delivers the “highest level of access” to Google’s AI-powered apps and services, the tech giant says. Priced at $249.99 per month, AI Ultra includes

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Google’s new SynthID Detector can help spot AI slop

Google is launching a way to quickly check whether an image, video, audio file, or snippet of text was created using one of its AI tools. SynthID Detector, announced Tuesday at Google I/O 2025, is a verification portal that uses Google’s SynthID watermarking technology to help identify AI-generated content. Users can upload a file, and

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Apple approves Spotify update so US users can buy audiobooks within the app

Spotify announced on Monday that Apple has approved a new app update, allowing iPhone users in the U.S. to purchase individual audiobooks directly within the app. Users can also view audiobook prices and easily buy additional listening hours beyond the initial 15 hours. “This change lowers the barriers for more users to embrace their first

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VUZ gets $12M for its immersive video experiences across emerging markets and the U.S.

VUZ, a startup known for offering immersive video experiences from red carpets and football stadiums, has raised $12 million as it doubles down on its presence in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as accelerates expansion into Africa, Asia, and the United States. The pre-Series C funding round, led by the International

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Spotify responds to creator backlash at public podcast play counts

Spotify announced last week that it would roll out public play counts on all podcasts as a way of “helping attract new fans.” But podcasters swiftly responded with criticism of the new feature — mainly, that it would further promote podcasts that already have large audiences while making smaller shows less appealing to new listeners.

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YouTube viewers will start seeing ads after ‘peak’ moments in videos

Imagine you’re watching a highly anticipated video from your favorite YouTube creator — perhaps the moment a famous couple finally gets engaged — when an ad pops up immediately after the clip. This is part of YouTube’s new ad format called “Peak Points.” The company revealed the new ad format during its Upfront presentation on

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