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AI video startup Moonvalley lands $53M, according to filing
<p>Roughly a month after Moonvalley, a Los Angeles-based startup developing AI tools for video creation, said it secured $43 million in new funding, the company has raised more, according to a filing with the SEC. The filing, submitted Thursday, reveals that Moonvalley actually landed (so far) around $53 million total from a group of 14 unnamed […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 163 min read
Spotify responds to backlash over public podcast play counts
<p>Spotify announced last week that it would roll out public play counts on all podcasts as a way of “helping attract new fans.” But podcasters swiftly responded with criticism of the new feature — mainly, that it would further promote podcasts that already have large audiences while making smaller shows less appealing to new listeners. […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 162 min read


YouTube viewers will start seeing ads after ‘peak’ moments in videos
<p>Imagine you’re watching a highly anticipated video from your favorite YouTube creator — perhaps the moment a famous couple finally gets engaged — when an ad pops up immediately after the clip. This is part of YouTube’s new ad format called “Peak Points.” The company revealed the new ad format during its Upfront presentation on […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 141 min read


YouTube introduces an interactive product feed for shoppable TV ads
<p>YouTube made its pitch to advertisers on Wednesday, accompanied by a flashy performance from Lady Gaga and special appearances from popular YouTubers like Brittany Broski and MrBeast. During its Upfront presentation, YouTube executives introduced new ad formats coming to the platform, including an enhanced shoppable connected TV (CTV) offering that includes a new interactive product […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 142 min read
YouTube targets TV dollars with NFL deal, bingeable ‘shows’ from creators
<p>YouTube announced a range of initiatives designed to attract more TV ad dollars to its platform at Brandcast, its annual Upfront event for advertisers. Notably, the Google-owned video service is expanding its relationship with the NFL and plans to exclusively stream the NFL’s first Friday game of the 2025-2026 season. It’s also preparing to pilot […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 142 min read
Netflix adds more live TV to its lineup
<p>Netflix is adding more livestreaming content, the company announced at its Upfront presentation on Wednesday. The service, which now reaches over 94 million global monthly active users, has been steadily introducing live TV to its audience with sports content from WWE wrestling, comedy, and awards shows, and other special events (some of which definitely didn’t […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 141 min read
SoundCloud backtracks on AI-related terms-of-use updates
<p>SoundCloud says it’s revising its terms after widespread backlash over a clause related to AI model training. Earlier this year, SoundCloud quietly updated its usage policies, adding wording that many users interpreted as legal cover to allow the company to train AI on audio uploaded to its platform. SoundCloud was quick to assert that it wasn’t […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 141 min read
Stability AI releases an audio-generating model that can run on smartphones
<p>AI startup Stability AI has released Stable Audio Open Small, a “stereo” audio-generating AI model that the company claims is the fastest on the market — and efficient enough to run on smartphones. Stable Audio Open Small is the fruit of a collaboration between Stability AI and Arm, the chipmaker that produces many of the […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 142 min read
Max to be renamed HBO Max, fixing the name change nobody wanted
<p>Two years after Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) rebranded its streaming service to Max, the company is reverting to its old name. On Wednesday, the company announced the good news at its Upfront presentation, with the name change becoming official this summer. When Max launched in 2023, the revamped platform was positioned as a win for […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 142 min read


Apple Music introduces Sound Therapy, songs for focusing, relaxing, and sleeping
<p>Apple Music is introducing a new “audio wellness” collection of songs called Sound Therapy. Designed in partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), the feature combines songs that subscribers already know with other sound waves that promote focusing, relaxing, and sleeping. Songs may include auditory beats or colored noise, sound waves where the intensity varies at […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 131 min read
Amazon Prime Video in India to get ads starting in June
<p>Amazon will bring ads to movies and shows on Prime Video in India starting June 17, over a year after introducing ads in markets including the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada. On Tuesday, Amazon emailed Prime members in India to announce the rollout of “limited advertisements” on content streaming on Prime Video. Amazon originally announced […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 132 min read
Remember Moviefone? Well, it’s back.
<p>For millions of moviegoers in the ’90s, Moviefone’s 777-FILM number was the go-to source for learning about showtimes. Now, under new ownership, Moviefone is trying to make a comeback. On Friday, as part of its 35th anniversary celebration, Moviefone announced the relaunch of its mobile app and a new nationally syndicated broadcast TV series. Set […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 92 min read
SoundCloud changes policies to allow AI training on user content
<p>SoundCloud appears to have quietly changed its terms of use to allow the company to train AI on audio that users upload to its platform. As spotted by tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex, the latest version of SoundCloud’s terms include a provision giving the platform permission to use uploaded content to “inform, train, [or] develop” AI. […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 93 min read
The Papal ‘conclave cam’ is slow TV
<p>On YouTube, hundreds of thousands of viewers around the world are staring at an unmoving broadcast of the Sistine Chapel chimney. Occasionally, a seagull will swoop in and perch atop the roof for a few minutes. But for the most part, nothing happens. On Wednesday, the College of Cardinals started the process of picking the […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 73 min read
The web series is back — only this time, they’re TikToks
<p>“Day 25 of starting over my whole entire life,” Raegan Lynch narrates over a short video. “Right now, I’m wandering around the city I just moved to, in a country I’d never seen, all by myself after my relationship ended, and I had to leave my old life behind.” It’s a pretty enticing hook, which […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 74 min read
Spotify’s latest update gives users more control over their listening experience
<p>Spotify on Wednesday announced an update to its app designed to give users more control over their listening experience and recommendations. The refreshed experience introduces a handful of new features that will roll out gradually to Spotify users and Premium subscribers, including features to help you manage your Queue, your current listening experience, playlist creation, […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 72 min read
Netflix debuts its generative AI-powered search tool
<p>After hinting at a new AI-powered search experience during its recent earnings call, Netflix officially unveiled the feature at its tech and product event on Wednesday. This new search experience will utilize OpenAI’s ChatGPT to provide users with a conversational discovery experience. Users can enter their preferences using natural phrases like “I want something funny […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 72 min read


Netflix is getting into short videos with a new vertical feed for mobile
<p>Netflix announced on Wednesday that it’s testing a short-form video feature, signaling that even a streaming giant with over 300 million subscribers is concerned about losing viewers’ time spent on mobile to apps like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. The company debuted the feature at its first-ever product and tech event, where it also […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 73 min read


Particle brings its AI-powered news reader to the web
<p>Particle, the startup behind an AI-powered newsreader that aims to help publishers, not just steal their work, is bringing its product to the web. On Tuesday, the company announced the launch of the new Particle.news website that connects news consumers with headlines and AI summaries from a variety of sources, plus the ability to delve […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 63 min read
Google is making TV and movies to convince you that tech is not evil
<p>Google is reportedly spinning up a film and TV project called 100 Zeroes. According to a report from Business Insider, this initiative is intended to make young audiences feel more positively about Google’s products, as well as tech at large. The report also states that Google is not intending to share these projects via YouTube, […]</p>
Rahul Patil
May 51 min read
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