Streaming Services

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Revenue From Streaming Music Totaled $4.6 Billion in First Half of 2021

Andrew Orr ·

A mid-year report from the RIAA showed streaming music services have bounced back in 2021.

Within the overall streaming landscape, paid streaming subscription revenue totaled $4.6 billion — growing at the same 26% clip — and accounted for 78% of overall revenues in the first half of the year. Limited tier subscription revenue jumped to $452 million, accounting for 10% of streaming dollars, while ad-supported revenues — which took a large pandemic-related hit last year — grew 54% to $741 million. Digital and customized radio, including SoundExchange distributions, increased 3% to $585 million.

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Disney+ Price Will Increase to $7.99 This Friday

Andrew Orr ·

Streaming service Disney+ is increasing its price to US$7.99 this Friday, March 26.

As previously announced back in September, Disney+ subscriptions and its bundle package with ESPN+ and ad-supported Hulu are getting a price hike. Beginning March 26, subscriptions for the service will jump from $7 to $8 per month, while the annual subscription option will jump from $70 to $80 per year. The Disney+ bundle will increase from $13 to $14 a month.

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HBO Max to Launch Ad-Supported Streaming Plan in June

Andrew Orr ·

HBO executives revealed a new HBO Max plan that will launch in June. It will be ad-supported and more affordable than its current plan.

The primary difference between the two will center on WarnerMedia’s 2021 films, which are releasing through a hybrid model on HBO Max the same day that they debut in theaters. After the ad-supported plan launches, the films will be limited to the more expensive of the two subscriptions.

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Netflix Moves to Crack Down on Password Sharing

Andrew Orr ·

Jason Gurwin reports that some Netflix users recently began seeing warnings if the company detects you’re using someone else’s password.

We’ve heard the test right now is only on TV devices. A Netflix spokesperson told The Streamable, “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.” It isn’t clear if users in the test all need to be on the same IP address to be considered in the same household.

To quote Jahil Nelson: “The only thing worse than a bunch of people pirating your software is …nobody pirating your software.”

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New Paramount+ Service Will be $5 a Month With Ads

Andrew Orr ·

Paramount+ is a rebranded and expanded version of CBS All Access. In a virtual investor event on Thursday executives revealed pricing. It launches March 4.

And they said that Paramount+ will cost $4.99 per month with ads in the U. S. (less than the $5.99 charged for CBS All Access), or $9.99 without ads and with additional sports, news and live TV content. There are also plans to bundle this with the company’s premium subscriptions, such as Showtime.

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Changing its Tune, Spotify Lets You Transfer Songs Again

Andrew Orr ·

Two weeks ago SongShift wrote that Spotify wouldn’t let the app’s users transfer music out of Spotify anymore; they could only bring music into Spotify from other platforms. But now Spotify has changed its mind and it’s good to see.

With the release of SongShift v5.1.3, you will again be able to transfer playlists from Spotify to another service. The only caveat is, you have to have created the playlist yourself, or the playlist must be collaborative and followed by you.