Get ready to pay a bit more to stream your favorite songs. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek revealed on Tuesday (Apr. 25) his desire to raise prices for American subscriptions for the first time.
“I think we are ready to raise prices, I think we have the ability to do that, but it really comes down to those negotiations,” Ek said.
“We did raise prices in 46 different locations and markets last year, and even in those markets we were still outperforming,” said Ek. “I feel really good about our ability to raise prices over time and we have lots of data now that backs that up. We may have been marginally helped by being a lower-cost provider, but it isn’t a primary part of our strategy and it’s not something that we’re thinking about.”
According to TechCrunch, Spotify currently boasts over 515 million monthly active users, an increase of 5% from the previous quarter. The number is also a 22% increase from the last year. Of that number, 210 million are premium subscribers.
Khalid is among many artists and creatives with mixed feelings about A.I.-generated songs. There has been a slew of tracks surfacing on the internet of big-name artists covering other artists’ songs. You’ve probably heard Ye or Drake over an IceSpice song once or twice on your TL. Khalid shared some of his concerns regarding the viral A.I. generated tracks.
In a recent interview with TMZ paparazzi, Khalid was asked about the recent waves of A.I. generated Drake tracks and more. Additionally, he was later asked if he would be okay with someone doing the same thing to his voice. “I have mixed feelings about it,” he told the paps. “I feel like A.I. is definitely going to be a helpful tool and it’s one of those things you can’t escape.” “Hopefully, you know, I still get to have my job for a really long time.” It’s fair to say we all hope to keep our jobs now that A.I. has crash landed on the scene. However, the American Teen songwriter was definitive in his criticism when asked about someone using his voice.
Khalid Sounds Off On A.I. Generated Music
Khalid performs during the Hot 99.5’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at Capital One Arena on December 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Furthermore, Khalid was asked if he would work with any dead artists with the use of A.I., it was a hard pass for the Texas native. As detailed in the interview, Khalid mentions authenticity being taken away as these A.I.-generated tracks begin to take shape. Evidently, the authenticity in the art is lost when the actual humans whose voices are being emulated, are not involved in the creative process.
Khalid is one artist that prides himself on the authenticity and quality of his work. We wouldn’t have songs like “Location” or “Reasons” without authenticity. The human element is what makes music, music. While the A.I. voice emulators are cool and a great tool, it doesn’t beat the real thing, and Khalid agrees. What are your thoughts on A.I.-generated music? Will this be the new wave for music now? Let HNHH know what’s up in the comments section below!
Elon Musk has decided to drop Twitter’s media labels “State Affiliated” and “Government Funded” after receiving heavy backlash. Media entities such as NPR and PBS vehemently objected to the descriptions. Both networks halted the use of the social network owned by Musk in protest. However, this change has caused much controversy. The labels were designed to limit the spread of state-sponsored propaganda on the Elon Musk-owned social media site. Reportedly, by NPR reporter Bobby Allyn, Musk claimed that the decision to drop the media label was made by Walter Isaacson. Isaacson is working on a book about the Twitter owner.
Furthermore, NPR and PBS have not resumed the use of Twitter since suspending their activity earlier this month. Not only that, Twitter has since removed all “state-affiliated” and “government funded” labels from the site. Not to mention including accounts operated by huge news organizations like BBC, CBC, ABC, and a slew of others. Additionally, Elon Musk has been making more significant changes to the once popular bird app. Twitter recently removed “visibility filtering” restrictions on government accounts. According to NPR, from an ex-Twitter employee, at the direction of Elon Musk, Russia, Iran, and China were the three accounts to have visibility filtering removed.
Elon Musk Faces Backlash For New Changes To Twitter
Elon Musk changed his Twitter profile to “Chief Twit” and posted video of himself walking into the social network’s California headquarters carrying a sink, days before his contentious takeover of the company must be finalized. (Photo by various sources / AFP) (Photo by -/Twitter account of Elon Musk/AFP via Getty Images)
The restriction was designed to thwart the spread of state-sponsored propaganda from those regimes. Nonetheless, the controversy comes just after Elon Musk greenlit the addition of the new labels to several organizations that previously didn’t have such titles. After labeling NPR with such labels NPR said it was suspending Twitter activity. The media sited noted that the label “undermine[s] our credibility by falsely implying that we are not editorially independent.” Reportedly, less than 1% of NPR’s average annual operating budget comes from federal grants.
The label eradication came Friday the day after Musk revoked thousands of blue checks from a myriad of accounts of celebrities, influencers, and athletes. The move was designed to boost subscription rates and revenue. However, the Tesla tycoon conveniently framed it as democratizing the user-verification process (make it make sense). How do you feel about Twitter in the Elon Musk era? Are you buying a blue check? Let HNHH know in the comments below!
At a private celebration at Mel’s Drive-In in West Hollywood, Nick Cannon and Amp, the live radio app from Amazon, toasted the impending premiere of The Daily Cannon, a new morning program hosted by Nick Cannon, live on Amp every Monday through Friday starting April 24, at 9 a.m. EDT.
Along with brunch-inspired cocktails and shared breakfast fare, the event also featured a performance by DJ Skratchy, an update from Nick about his plans for his new daily program, and brunch-style beverages.
Rapper NLE Choppa will be Nick’s first guest visiting him live from The Daily Cannon studio on the launch program on April 24th, he said before getting into the DJ booth.
“I’m excited to be joining the next generation of live audio entertainment on Amp. Having a place where I can directly connect with listeners five days a week to spotlight the hottest emerging artists, chat about the latest and greatest in music and entertainment, and share real-time announcements in my world and beyond will make The Daily Cannon a show you don’t want to miss,” said host Nick Cannon. “There’s a magical thing that happens when entertainment is unedited and live, and I am excited for our journey ahead.”
Courtney Bee_Mason Moussette_Abby De La Rosa_ Amp The Daily Cannon Launch Party
Courtney Bee Mason Moussette Abby De La Rosa Amp The Daily Cannon Launch Party
The Daily Cannon, a new morning program presented by Nick Cannon, will debut on Amp on Monday, April 24, at 9 a.m. EDT, according to an announcement made by the live radio app from Amazon. The multidimensional talent will serve as a cultural ambassador as he headlines each raw and uncensored show with personally selected new R&B, hip-hop, and pop songs; the inside scoop on celebrity and culture news; and conversations with today’s best musicians, newsmakers, and Amp innovators.
The Daily Cannon on Amp is a cutting-edge radio show that has been redesigned for a live audience that is primarily social. With Amp, listeners can ring in and have live chats with Cannon on the app, allowing him to interact with them in real-time.
Programs on Amp feature a diverse range of emerging and established hosts across the talent spectrum, including artists Nicki Minaj, Halsey, NBA YoungBoy, Joe Budden, NBA star Draymond Green, and artist, producer, and TV personality Kandi Burruss. Anyone can create their own live shows using just their phone.
Ncredible and Justin “Freeze” Fostar are responsible for producing The Daily Cannon. Ben Sumpter and Nick Cannon are the executive producers. The Weiss Agency’s Heather Cohen, Michael Goldman’s management, Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein’s legal counsel, and Michael Goldman are members of Cannon’s team. Bobb & Lezcano Lezcano.
The Amp app can be downloaded in the U.S. iOS App Store here.
A.I. technology is either the best or worst thing to happen to music since Napster, depending on who you ask. Moreover, its supporters see it as a new avenue for creativity, reference tracks, and new ways to put your work out there. On the other hand, its detractors see the dangers of copyright, false songs taking money away from artist, and laziness that A.I.-generated or assisted tracks pose. Regardless of which side you’re on, the last few weeks have seen an onslaught of A.I.-related material. The latest is a new track “from” Drake following his fake track with The Weeknd that set the industry ablaze.
Furthermore, this cut is called “Winter’s Cold,” and it’s unclear how much A.I. was involved in its creation. This technology can either turn an existing voice recording into an artist’s voice, or recreate lyrics and production based on the artist’s existing material. No matter how you slice it, fans seem to really enjoy these tracks. “Firstly, let me just say that that AI shit is evil & immoral,” a fan tweeted. “What’s already happened, and what could potentially happen to artists and the industry with this tech is despicable. HOWEVER, with all that said, THAT AI DRAKE WINTER’S COLD SONG IS THE HARDEST S**T TO DROP THIS YEAR!!”
Drake A.I. Drops Another Banger, “Winter’s Cold”
In fact, that sentiment seems to be a common one on social media. Of course, the argument also exists that it’s easier to replicate some artists than others, and Drake is perhaps the best example of that. His voice is just too recognizable, and he worked with so many styles that any lane of his could reemerge with relative ease. However, major labels aren’t having it. “UMG’s success has been, in part, due to embracing new technology and putting it to work for our artists- as we have been doing with our own innovation around AI for some time already,” Universal Music Group’s statement began. Moreover, they issued it after the Weeknd collab went insanely viral and they started taking it down from many platforms. It’s also worth noting that the 6 God isn’t a fan of this tech.
“With that said, however, the training of generative AI using our artists’ music (which represents both a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law) as well as the availability of infringing content created with generative AI on DSPs, begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation,” they concluded. Wherever you may fall on that debate, stick around on HNHH for the latest on Drake and A.I. tech in music.
Spotify is one of the biggest streaming platforms in the entire world. Overall, it is responsible for hundreds of billions of music streams. The biggest artists in the world are all found on the platform, and they largely rely on Spotify for discovery. Although some feel like the revenue splits are too low, the streaming era persists. Of course, the company has various competitors, such as Apple Music and Tidal. However, it remains the biggest platform in the world, which speaks to the name recognition.
That said, a lot of Spotify users got a pretty bad wake-up call this morning. It was immediately made clear that the platform just was not working as intended. Users were unable to play songs, and it led to mass confusion and sadness. Consequently, Spotify had no choice but to act quickly and respond. With numerous reports of an outage, the company took to Twitter. “Something’s not quite right, and we’re looking into it. Thanks for your reports!” they wrote. Subsequently, they followed this up by saying “Everything’s looking much better now! Give @SpotifyCares a shout if you still need help.”
Spotify Speaks Out
Something’s not quite right, and we’re looking into it. Thanks for your reports!
As it turns out, Spotify may have jumped the gun by saying that everything was back up and running again. In the comments underneath the above post, many made it clear that the platform still is not working. “I can’t play any songs… it just skips through everything on a playlist or just straight up doesn’t play as a single. It shows up as playing on Discord for some reason even though it isn’t,” one person wrote. “Still not working, says Spotify can’t access the song currently (happens with every song),” another stated.
Overall, this is a huge problem. On our end, Spotify is still not working, which means the same is happening to a large percentage of their userbase. Hopefully, the platform is able to rectify this issue, sooner rather than later. Let us know if you are having issues with Spotify, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world.
Fans Aren’t So Sure
i cant download any songs i just get a red arrow
— JAYLEN (IS SEEING TAYLOR ON 5/14) (@jaylenlovests) April 19, 2023
Still not working…wont play on the phone or connect to alexa or any other Bluetooth device…currently using @amazonmusic as that seems more reliable today
I can’t play any songs… it just skips through everything on a playlist or just straight up doesn’t play as a single. It shows up as playing on Discord for some reason even though it isn’t.
Trying different versions of the app, right now on my computer… it is playing to my echo, but the app says it’s connecting but is also playing from my phone! I’m not sure whats going on but can’t pick a song, podcast, can’t change a song, can’t pause, nothing is working.
The final hours of Coachella weekend one are winding down. Patrons are certainly eager to catch the most highly anticipated headliner of the weekend, Frank Ocean. The Blond artist’s set is due to begin at 10 PM PT. Many have been counting down the hours until showtime all weekend long. Thankfully for those who couldn’t make it to this year’s event, the festival has been streaming several performances live via YouTube. While fans of Ocean have been looking forward to watching his first concert in years from the comfort of their own homes, speculation began circulating online on Sunday (April 16) evening that Coachella won’t be giving us a glimpse into the final show of the night.
It’s worth noting that Friday and Saturday’s main events, Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK, both made their sets available to audiences at home. Today, however, acts like Bjork and Ocean were notably missing from the streaming schedule, causing major concern to fly. “When is Frank Ocean gonna stop the anonymous game?” one Twitter user openly pondered upon hearing the news. “You’re not [an] underground artist. We all know what you look and smell like and know your favourite colour.”
Frank Ocean Headlines Coachella 2023
A crowd is steadily gathering at the #Coachella main stage 45 minutes before Frank Ocean’s set is scheduled to begin. pic.twitter.com/Vh3WKMrGad
Several others chimed in with memes and videos depicting their reaction to the potential cancellation. Though undeniably dramatic, the outrage is understandable considering tonight marks Ocean’s first performance since 2017. He previously trended online last week as music lovers realized he likely wouldn’t be dropping a new album ahead of his Coachella set as many anticipated. Rather, the 35-year-old has kept quiet as of late, with his last official release coming in the form of 2020’s “Cayendo” and “Dear April.”
Prior to that, 2019 gave us singles such as “DHL” and “In My Room,” while 2018 saw the arrival of “Moon River.” He hasn’t delivered a full-length project since 2016, though we’ve got our fingers crossed that will change soon. Scroll on to read more reactions to Coachella reportedly cancelling Frank Ocean’s live stream, and check back later for more music news updates.
When is frank ocean gonna stop the anonymous game, you’re not underground artist. we all know what you look and smell like and know your favorite color
Usually, rappers only have their contemporaries to worry about as competition. Now, they’re facing the threat of artificial intelligence more fiercely than ever before. In recent weeks, a slew of videos have surfaced online, unveiling what our favourite artists would sound like singing songs from other people’s discographies thanks to the power of computer technology. Some programs are even penning new lyrics and putting vocals from artists like Drake and The Weeknd behind them to generate authentic-sounding fake singles that have been generating plenty of buzz online.
As HipHopDX notes, Friday (April 14), saw a YouTube account called ghostwriter upload a track called “heart on my sleeve.” They described it as a “Drake AI song featuring The Weeknd.” Over the beat, we hear a voice eerily similar to Drizzy’s name-dropping a fellow Canadian and his beauty guru ex-girlfriend. “I came in with my ex like Selena to flex / Bumping Justin Bieber the fever ain’t left / She know all she need, I need her she blessed, giving her my best,” the lyrics begin. “I got my heart on my sleeve with a knife in my back what’s with that? / (Aye) 21, I love him that my brother that’s my slatt,” Drake’s verse continues.
The Weeknd and Drake Come Together via AI
For The Weeknd’s part, he also sings about Selena Gomez, who he previously dated. “Got these pearls on my neck, got these girls on my check like Selena baby / Oh my genie maybe yeah, she taking the Lambo for a drive using the fancy door,” The Idol star’s AI voice rings out. “When she went out the store, I throw my heart on my sleeve.” For many artists, hearing their source of revenue recreated so effortlessly online is certainly jarring, to say the least.
The Scorpion hitmaker experienced it earlier this week as well. At the time, he heard himself rapping Ice Spice’s “Munch (Feelin’ U)” thanks to modern technology. Champagne Papi shared it on his Instagram Story, giving many of his millions of followers a laugh. If hearing The Weeknd and Drake on a song together has you feeling nostalgic for their past collaborations, revisit fan favourites like “The Zone” or “Crew Love” below.
Revisit the Canadian Artists’ Real Collaborative Efforts Below
Dr. Pratik Desai, a Silicon Valley computer scientist, says that you may be able to upload your dead loved ones onto your computer by the end of the year. In a post on Twitter, Friday, Desai predicted that a human being’s “consciousness” could be uploaded onto digital devices using videos, voice recordings, documents, and photos of the person. They could then create an A.I. system to recreate that person.
“Start regularly recording your parents, elders and loved ones,” Desai advised in his post, as noted by the New York Post. “With enough transcript data, new voice synthesis and video models, there is a 100% chance that they will live with you forever after leaving physical body. This should be even possible by end of the year.”
The 2022 World Robot Conference In Beijing
BEIJING, CHINA – AUGUST 18: A boy points to the AI robot Poster during the 2022 World Robot Conference at Beijing Etrong International Exhibition on August 18, 2022 in Beijing, China. The 2022 World Robot Conference kicked off on Thursday in Beijing. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Desai wasn’t the only voice to echo this theory. A company called Somnium Space is offering an AI-based “live forever” mode that will require massive amounts of personal data. “Literally, if I die — and I have this data collected — people can come or my kids, they can come in, and they can have a conversation with my avatar, with my movements, with my voice,” founder and CEO Artur Sychov told Vice. “You will meet the person. And you would maybe for the first 10 minutes while talking to that person, you would not know that it’s actually A.I. That’s the goal.”
One A.I. platform called Deepcake has also created a “digital twin” of Bruce Willis. They hope that the actor’s likeness will be able to appear on-screen despite his retirement from acting. Willis retired after being diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that affects his ability to communicate. Earlier this year, he was also diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. In Willis’ case, his estate will have final say on the projects the artificial version will appear in.
Pratik Desai’s Prediction On Twitter
Start regularly recording your parents, elders and loved ones. With enough transcript data, new voice synthesis and video models, there is a 100% chance that they will live with you forever after leaving physical body. This should be even possible by end of the year.
Elon Musk is someone who has been on a crusade to be liked by the masses. However, it hasn’t exactly worked out for him. The average person is tired of his extremely “Reddit” personality that still thinks Doge memes are the pinnacle of humor. Regardless, people like “Catturd” on Twitter find him to be funny, and in the eyes of Elon, that is really all that matters. Although purchasing the social media company has lost him a lot of money, he has been able to do as he pleases with the site.
One of his biggest changes has been in regard to verification. The verification badge has always been about differentiating real people from fakes. Now, however, anybody can buy their way into being verified, which defeats the purpose. Additionally, Elon Musk has made it clear that if you don’t pay up, you will lose your verification, even if you are a notable person with numerous imitators. These people are called “legacy blue checks” and they are on the verge of losing their privileges.
Elon Musk Speaks
Final date for removing legacy Blue checks is 4/20
Elon Musk had originally stated that blue checks would be removed on April 1st. However, he has subsequently moved up the date. In a tweet, he said, “Final date for removing legacy Blue checks is 4/20.” If you know anything about Elon, you understand that this is extremely predictable and downright eye-roll-worthy. The man is still enjoying 4/20 blaze it MLG montage parodies in 2023, so this is not a shock. Why focus on Twitter stock prices, when you can simply regurgitate memes that were already outdated back in 2013? Truly a pioneer of the tech world and certainly the man who will get us back to outer space.
If you are a famous person and you want to keep that blue check, well you better dig deep for that $8 per month. Otherwise, you will be seen as lesser than accounts called “Canadians Taking Ls” and “Elon’s Biggest Simp.” Let us know what you think about the latest direction of Twitter, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from around the tech world.
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