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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In starting Bookish.com, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group USA and Hachette Book Group hope to provide one-stop shopping for books and information about authors. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paul Jowdy, formerly vice president and publisher at Conde Nasts Details and Details.com, is now vice president and publisher of Every Day with Rachael Ray. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three big publishers and AOL are set to launch Bookish, a "new digital platform for readers". Hachette Book Group, Penguin Group, and CBS' Simon & Schuster are backing the new site, which is supposed to launch this summer; AOL will promote the property and handle ad sales. A press release... Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 06/05/2011 - 16:25 William Heinemann is to publish a prequel to Mario Puzo's The Godfather series, written by author Ed Falco and based on an unproduced screenplay by Puzo. Publisher Jason Arthur bought UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Turkish newspaper publisher Turkuvaz Medya Group whose titles include the daily Sabah are now benefiting from an upgrade to their Harland Simon press control systems. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2011-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 05/05/2011 - 09:35 Culture minister Ed Vaizey has suggested the results of the Hargreaves intellectual property review should not be feared by publishers, giving the earliest indication that the review takes into account industry concerns.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a big win for Apple Inc., magazine publisher Hearst Corp. has agreed to sell subscriptions to the iPad editions of a range of its publications through iTunes, beginning with three of its popular magazines, the publisher said. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the wake of Time Inc.s announcement of the agreement with Apple that allows print subscribers to access iPad editions of magazines, Hearst has struck a deal with Apple to sell subscriptions through the iTunes store. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com Inc. is expanding its fast-growing publishing business with a new line of romance books, its latest quest for original content to distinguish its print and digital bookselling services. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 05/05/2011 - 15:22 New imprint Notting Hill Editions launches today (5th May), with the aim of revitalising essay publishing. Essays by George Perec, Roland Barthes, Lavinia Greenlaw and Jonathan Keates, accompanied by introductions by the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst will begin selling iPad subscriptions to Esquire, Popular Mechanics, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publication Date: Wed, 04/05/2011 - 09:00 Alison Starling is to join Octopus Publishing Group as publisher. Starling was publishing director at Ryland, Peters & Small for 12 years, commissioning titles such as The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. She joins OPG on 9th May and will commission... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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American Business Medias annual meeting this year took a single theme approach, focusing on the opportunity for b-to-b publishers to offer marketing services. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 03/05/2011 - 08:25 Educational publisher Evans Publishing has filed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) after saying the school and library market has faced an "extremely tough 18 months". The 103-year-old company, which trades under the name... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 04/05/2011 - 09:10 Lonely Planet is launching a range of children's books called Not-for-Parents, and says that it sees children's publishing as a "good route" to grow the business. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Variety was one of just four magazines kept by Reed Elsevier after it sold off more than 60 different properties over the last three years. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With the latest slew of magazine apps launched in the past few weeks comes promising news for publishers in the digital space: publications with an Apple app have seen enough success to try their luck in the Android market. Enter the Droid Apps Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 28/04/2011 - 08:00 Viking has been scanning the local papers and choosing the most eyebrow-raising headlinesoften for all the wrong reasonsin a tribute to the quirky world of slow news days. Whitstable Mum in Custard Shortage . . And... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Jenny Roper Publication Date: Thu, 28/04/2011 - 06:55 German publisher Gerhard Steidl has been awarded the inaugural outstanding contribution to publishing award at his year's Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards. Steidl received the prize last night (27th April). He still independently... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Justine Southall, previously the publisher of NatMag's Cosmopolitan magazine, has been made publisher of IPC's women's glossy, Marie Claire. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2011-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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