Spotify has once again drawn the ire of the music industry. The National Music Publishers' Association has called on the Federal Trade Commission to examine the streaming service's addition of audiobook content into all of its paid subscription plans. According to the group's FTC complaint, Spotify's recent actions are part of "a scheme to increase profits by deceiving consumers and cheating the music royalty system." This requires some backstory. In November 2023, Spotify announced that it would include 15 hours of audiobook content as part of all its Premium subscription plans. A few months later, the company unveiled a new audiobook-only subscription, offering the same number of listening hours for $10 a month. The publishers' organization claims that Spotify's recent price increases are based on offering that extra audiobook content, and that paying customers are automatically being charged for a service they didn't choose and can't opt out of without switching to the free, ad-supported listening experience. And the additional revenue from the higher Premium subscription costs may not go to the music composers. According to the FTC complaint, Spotify will pay about $150 million less in music royalties over the first year of these new bundled Premium plans. The NMPA letter goes so far as to call the new audiobook-only plan "a sham" that "exists solely to allow Spotify to claim that audiobook content is a significantly and independently valuable aspect of its 'bundled'... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-06-12 23:52:55 UTC ]
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Earlier this year, Google announced it would shut down its standalone podcast app in 2024. Since then, the company has started moving podcasts into YouTube and its companion app YouTube Music. As a way to ease the transition, Google will be rolling out a migration tool for its current podcast... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-12-07 19:40:39 UTC ]
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The publisher’s new board of directors has expertise spanning the life cycle of a book. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-12-07 14:45:23 UTC ]
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The Mexican book chamber's commission on sustainability and issues in diversity has gained traction, according to officials at a session at the Guadalajara Book Fair. The post At Guadalajara: Mexico’s Publishers Promote Sustainability, Social Responsibility appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-12-04 14:25:42 UTC ]
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The former Sterling Publishing, Quarto Publishing, and Welbeck Publishing Group head has formed Gemini Books Group, which will focus on publishing nonfiction gift books and children’s books in both the U.K. and U.S. markets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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You can read countless ebooks, listen to audiobooks, and browse comics with one of these WIRED-tested digital reading subscriptions. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-12-02 14:00:00 UTC ]
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Seeing no follow-through on the Canadian government's promise to review the Copyright Modernization Act, a coalition asks for a meeting. The post Canadian Publishing Calls Out Ottawa’s Inaction appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-11-30 18:54:10 UTC ]
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The rollout of “Endgame” caused a scandal after a quickly withdrawn translation named family members said to have asked about the skin color of Prince Harry and Meghan’s future son. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-11-30 16:38:36 UTC ]
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Salem Media Group, parent company of Regnery Publishing, has been selling assets in an effort to cut its debt debt load, but a proposed sale of the publisher has been called off. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The campaign by Publishers for Palestine will offer more than 30 free ebooks of poetry, fiction and nonfiction as ‘an act of solidarity’A group of publishers has launched a week-long initiative encouraging people to read books by Palestinian authors and about Palestinian history by offering free... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-11-29 17:20:38 UTC ]
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In his memoir Speak, Memory, Vladimir Nabokov reflected: “Music, I regret to say, affects me merely as an arbitrary succession of more or less irritating sounds.” The furor over Lolita may have died down, but this confession still has the power to shock. Did the man just say he doesn’t like... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-29 09:55:49 UTC ]
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Publishers for Palestine, a coalition of more than 350 publishers from around the world, is offering more than 30 free ebooks by and about Palestinians as part #ReadPalestine week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The senior editor at Simon & Schuster, who acquired NBA finalist ‘Temple Folk’ after putting out a call for submissions on Instagram, wants to make the publishing industry more transparent and accessible. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-24 05:00:00 UTC ]
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After Mosab Abu Toha was detained by the Israeli Defense Forces on November 19, organizations including PEN International and his publisher, City Lights, called for his protection and release. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Our annual industry survey reveals a modest median pay increase and minor improvements in workforce diversity across trade book publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Our annual industry survey reveals a modest median pay increase and minor improvements in workforce diversity across trade book publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Editors at four children’s imprints that focus on promoting underrepresented authors tell 'PW' how they got their start and what they love about their work. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Broadcaster NDR launches investigation after Hubert Seipel admits receiving support for work on two books on Russian leaderA German publisher has announced a stop to the sale of books authored by a leading journalist and Russia expert after an investigation showed he had received at least... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-11-15 14:31:23 UTC ]
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Employees at D&Q, the Montreal-based literary graphic novel publisher, and its sister bookstore, Librairie Drawn & Quarterly, are unionizing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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After a series of delays, Hogwarts Legacy is now available for the Nintendo Switch console. The wizardly game was released in February for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions following in May. The Switch version was also expected during the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-14 19:21:59 UTC ]
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It’s the middle of November, which means that, for many of us, the days are a not-quite-enviable blend of colder and shorter (why we still use Daylight Savings Time is a mystery I’ll save for elsewhere). But never fear, there’s a bit of brightness ahead: a whole slew of exciting new books to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-14 10:00:13 UTC ]
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