Federico Viticci, writing for MacStories, with a fantastic look at the crossroads facing podcasting:

If you’re a Leading Content Professional and you think that’s what you want, more power (and money) to you. I understand and respect what you’re doing. But the great thing about the free and decentralized web is that the aforementioned web platforms are optional and they’re alternatives to an existing open field where independent makers can do whatever they want. I can own my content, offer my RSS feed to anyone, and resist the temptation of slowing down my website with 10 different JavaScript plugins to monitor what my users do. No one is forcing me to agree to the terms of a platform. My readers are free to link to my articles, copy them, print them, subscribe to my feeds, and view them in any browser or feed reader they like.

A highly recommended read.

Andrew Whitehurst, writing for The Guardian:

The anti-CGI backlash, which is really a reaction against poorly conceived CGI, rather than the form itself, stems from such overuse and misapplication. No one complains about the mountain of well-planned and well-executed CGI, because no one’s attention was drawn to the fact that it was CGI in the first place. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the studios’ publicists are now frequently keen to emphasise how much of a film was shot “for real”, and play down the use of CGI on a production. A cursory glance through the credits of the film will tell you how true those claims are.

Peter Kafka, writing for Recode, on how streaming music has now become Warner Music’s biggest business:

The company announced that money from services like Spotify and Apple Music was the single biggest source of recorded music revenue in the first quarter of the year, surpassing both physical sales and sales of digital downloads. That’s the first time any of the big music labels has hit that inflection point.

Warner’s streaming music revenue increased $72 million for the quarter — more than half of which came from sales outside the U.S. — while downloads declined by $17 million and physical revenue dropped by $6 million. Warner’s recorded music sales increased by 10 percent overall, and the company’s total revenue also increased 10 percent.

John Voorhees, writing for MacStories, looks at new social network built just for music fans:

SoundShare is an iPhone-only app designed to break down the walls between competing streaming services so that it’s easier to share music with your friends. Integration with Apple Music, Spotify, and Deezer allows music sharing with others and collaboration on playlists regardless of which service your friends use.