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Death to Autoplay

Jason Tate

Adam Engst, writing at TidBits:

The auto-play offense that has pushed me over the edge is Netflix’s Apple TV app, which auto-plays previews for movies and TV shows as you browse through Netflix’s library. Within 3 seconds of when you navigate to a show’s icon, it starts playing a preview for the show, complete with audio. It’s difficult even to read the show’s description in that amount of time, much less reflect on whether you might want to watch the show. As soon as the audio starts, it interrupts whatever thoughts might be going through your head (Josh Centers made this example video; it shows what he hears as his 5-year-old browses).

Is there anyone that likes this “feature?” Anyone?

Gerard Way Talks With the Guardian

My Chemical Romance
Jason Tate

Leonie Cooper, writing at The Guardian:

“That’s stuff I thought about when the world started to get super fucked-up again,” he reveals. “It definitely came into my head, but I’d changed so much as a person. I didn’t know how I’d fit into it any more, I didn’t know how the band would fit into it any more. But you’re right, the world is definitely in need of something positive.”

I am evidently not the only one inquiring about the possibility of a comeback for a band that meant so much to so many. “We definitely get offers regularly to reunite – it’s a constant thing,” he says. “It’s flattering, it’s really nice of people …” But no chance? “I miss playing with the guys, but I don’t think so …”

Jeff Bezos Reveals Extortion Attempt from National Enquirer

Jeff Bezos
Jason Tate

Jeff Bezos:

Well, that got my attention. But not in the way they likely hoped. Any personal embarrassment AMI could cause me takes a back seat because there’s a much more important matter involved here. If in my position I can’t stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can? (On that point, numerous people have contacted our investigation team about their similar experiences with AMI, and how they needed to capitulate because, for example, their livelihoods were at stake.)

Holy shit. After reading this piece, my first thought was this scene from The Dark Knight.

Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play

Jason Tate

Ben Thompson, writing at Stratechery:

Basically, the wall that Spotify can put up around podcasts is much stronger than the one it can put up around music, and podcasters have fewer alternatives. Or, to put it another way, podcasts are a market where Spotify — to the extent they are willing to pay — actually has power over supply. […]

To put it another way, Anchor is a means of generating supply, and it is supply that has always stood in the way of Spotify’s ambitions to be an Aggregator. Aggregators bring suppliers onto the platform on their terms; Spotify, on the other hand, has had to scratch and claw to get labels to give them the music they needed to be viable. And again, the acquisition of Gimlet Media, while better from a long-term leverage perspective, is not a big improvement: Spotify almost certainly overpaid if the only goal was to obtain supply.

This is, as always, a very smart take.

8 Things You Need to Set Up Your Home Recording Studio

Rolling Stone
Jason Tate

Rolling Stone:

For Bryce Avary, lead singer of The Rocket Summer, having a home studio is all about flexibility, and having the freedom to create on your own schedule. “I’m constantly writing and making music and I like to see where the music leads me as it’s happening, follow it, and then capture it right in the moment,” he says, citing his last album, “Zoetic,” which he recorded in a tiny room of a house at the bottom of Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles.

PledgeMusic Suspends Active Campaigns

Money
Jason Tate

PledgeMusic has stopped running active campaigns:

We are in discussions with several interested parties about a potential partnership with or acquisition of PledgeMusic. These conversations, if successful, would lead to a transaction which would allow us to meet all of our outstanding obligations. As a result, we are hopeful that, as long as the company is given some breathing space to operate, a solution to these current problems will be found.

Yikes.

Ariana Grande Not Attending Grammys After Disagreements With Producers

Ariana Grande
Jason Tate

Variety:

An insider tells Variety that Grande felt “insulted” after producers initially refused to allow her to perform “7 Rings,” the latest single from her forthcoming album “Thank U, Next” (which arrives Friday, two days before the Grammys). A compromise was reached whereby “7 Rings” would be part of a medley, but Grande pulled out after producers insisted that the second song be of their choosing.

Spotify Purchases Gimlet and Anchor

Jason Tate

Spotify has purchased Gilmet, the podcast company, and Anchor, a podcast producing platform:

Based on radio industry data, we believe it is a safe assumption that, over time, more than 20% of all Spotify listening will be non-music content. This means the potential to grow much faster with more original programming — and to differentiate Spotify by playing to what makes us unique — all with the goal of becoming the world’s number one audio platform.

Spotify wants to be the YouTube of audio.

FuckJerry’s Success Is Instagram’s Failure

Instagram
Jason Tate

Brian Feldman, writing for New York Magazine:

The past few weeks have been rough for Elliot Tebele. Tebele is the morally compromised founder of Jerry Media, a media firm founded in 2015 that is the outgrowth of an Instagram account called @fuckjerry. @fuckjerry is a “meme account,” shorthand for a social media account that screenshots funny tweets and freeboots (rips and reuploads) viral videos. To put it another way, @fuckjerry is an account that steals jokes and other content from other users and monetizes it. Instagram, the billion-dollar Facebook subsidiary, has been aware of the account for years and has done nothing to curb its theft of intellectual property.

Ozuna Tops Justin Bieber to Become the Artist With the Most 1 Billion-View Videos on YouTube

YouTube
Jason Tate

Ozuna now holds the record for being the artist with the most YouTube videos with more than one billion views:

“Thanks to all the colleagues who believe in me and always count on me, we continue here I love them and blessings to all, they are part of my success,” Ozuna wrote on Instagram when “Taki Taki” reached the figure. “I love my fans a lot and thank you for never abandoning me.”

We’ve reached the spot where I am laughably out of touch with things that are popular. I’d never heard one of these songs until this morning. I just missed one of the largest artists online.

The Real Story Behind the Viral ‘Poo Flip’

Monkey
Jason Tate

Brian Feldman, writing at NY Mag:

There are viral things that anyone — everyone — can love. Grumpy Cat, the Dress, “Damn, Daniel!” — the sort of stuff that, at the very least, you can bring up at the dinner table. Then there’s the other stuff — memes couched in so many layers of irony that they become unintelligible and inexplicable, niche drama that sounds stupid when you explain it to anyone not glued to obsessive corners of the internet all day. And of course, the stuff too disgusting to mention in polite conversation.

That last category — the gross one — is where the poo-flip video belongs. As of Thursday night, the Poo Flip has amassed more than 7.5 million views on Twitter. I am going to describe it now. If you are the sort of person who knows that you have zero interest in anything that might be called “the Poo Flip,” close your web browser now.

This is the content we crave.

Mark Hoppus on His Kids TV Cartoon With Pete Wentz That You Never Got to See

Mark Hoppus
Jason Tate

Michael Schneider, writing at Variety:

“Bronze Blue” would have starred Hoppus, Wentz, Ashlee Simpson, and others (potentially including Williams, who had been approached) as various characters in an underwater punk/pop band singing catchy, eco-friendly tunes. The band toured the beaches of the world to share their message; however, they would have to stay one step ahead of their ultimate villain: The Sushi Chef.

PUP Turn Life’s Miseries Into Blisteringly Honest Punk

PUP
Jason Tate

Graham Isador, writing at CBC:

“I’m very conscious about speaking in universal terms because I don’t know anything. I only know about what this stuff means to me. One of the things that has definitely exasperated that battle with depression is this idea, both internally and externally from other people, saying, ‘What are you so bummed about? Look around you. Things are good for you. Your band’s having success. You have a really incredible partner.’ All of these external factors point to something that should make a happy individual. That’s not really how mental health — for me — works. Having success with the band doesn’t mean I’m happy.”

I highly recommend this interview if you’re a fan of the band. It really does add a lot of context to the lyrics on the upcoming album.