Wendy Schlesinger

Surprised? CONCERNED?? Although no surprises, as production is down everywhere (although it seems to be rebounding more outside of the U.S., e.g., Canada, the UK and Australia. Acknowledging Governor Newsom is doing all he can (given the political climate, and budgetary issues & concerns) Los Angeles and California will face further competition from Illinois (as announced last week, Illinois now allows National Talk Shows, (‘Jimmy Kimmel’ Live – note, ‘The Tonight Show’, ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ and “The Kelly Clarkson Show” – have already moved to NY because of incentives), Game Shows (e.g., ‘Jeopardy’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’) and Contest Shows (e.g., “American Idol” and ‘America’s Got Talent’). Talk Shows, Game Shows and Contest Shows do not qualify for the California incentive. Also, NJ Governor just signed a new bill, further enhancing the NJ incentive – reviewing the Bill now and will summarize and share ASAP.  Also noting, there was pending legislation in other states (e.g., Oklahoma - while it didn’t pass in Oklahoma this year, Oklahoma will try again to incentivize live tv/episodic television (still LA/CA’s bread & butter!!! Entertainment Partners https://lnkd.in/gwfW572T https://lnkd.in/gB7_AjPq

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It's NOT. But what this really is about is a call-to-action and reaction to the industry earthquakes of the past year or so. One thing's clear: It's never going to be same again. And to be honest, things will probably be worse for a while longer before they get better - if they even do get better. But we have to change. We have to adapt. That's just the way it is, folks. #animation #cartoons #cartoonnetwork https://lnkd.in/gn3T-9fP

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“Warner Music Group (WMG) CEO Robert Kyncl has come out in favor of a US Senate bill that would crack down on unauthorized deepfakes, arguing that the technology could ruin lives, reputations and businesses if left unchecked. Although many in the music business are embracing AI, it’s also the case that “generative AI is appropriating artists’ identities and producing deepfakes that depict people doing, saying, or singing things that never happened,” Kyncl will tell a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Commitee on Tuesday (April 30). “Through AI, it is very easy for someone to impersonate me and cause all manner of havoc,” Kyncl said, according to his pre-prepared remarks shared with MBW. “They could speak to an artist in a way that could destroy our relationship. They could say untrue things about our publicly traded company to the media that would damage our business.” #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Legal #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musicians #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicLicensing #WMG #MusicVideos #Artists #MusicBiz #Streaming #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #WarnerMusicGroup #USCongress #USA

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Music Business Association Music Biz 2024 coming up in May. Find out more about Reactional Music and what we are delivering across interactive music, music personalisation, in-game economies, generative composable music and the possibilities for creators, composers, artists and developers

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Deepna Devkar, Ph.D. what a treat having you on the podcast! If you’ve ever wondered what goes into building your personalised experience on Max, this is the episode for you. Tune in to hear from one of the minds leading the build of the platform experience!

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Our second episode of WE CALL IT IMAGINEERING debuts on YouTube tomorrow, check out the teaser below!

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"Bundling, even with would-be competitors, is not a new idea and is a tactic multiple streamers have explored as they look, in part, to grow subscriber value and reduce churn and marketing expenses." "Who is best served to deliver streaming bundles is still somewhat a point of debate in the ecosystem, where WBD sees benefits in cutting out the middleman in some cases." "Zaslav acknowledged positive results from the Verizon-offered Max-Netflix bundle, saying it’s “doing much better than expected” and provides another example of “more strength together,” with the strategy behind bundles driven by the need for change in consumer experience in a very crowded streaming space. With Disney and WBD working together, he noted the companies get all of the data, can work directly with consumers and enhance that experience, as it’s already doing for Max." "A key theme emphasized throughout the call, is WBD’s belief that amid a crowded and fragmented streaming and TV viewing ecosystem where viewers are burdened by numerous options and rising prices, consumers will follow great content." #svod #ott #video #streaming #tv #bundle #content

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The UPROXX newco is a smart media M&A rollup. Music and culture focus + a strong leadership team. I'm bullish on them doing well by *brands and fans*, and getting immediate revenue traction based on their WMG YouTube media sales partnership. In my newsletter tomorrow, I explain my insights on the deal, key questions I'm asking, why I think UPROXX STUDIOS is setup for success. For now, let's review the key deal details... UPROXX STUDIOS OVERVIEW • A new “brand solutions studio” that “connects brands with talent, cultural arenas, and audiences”  • Founded by media veterans Jarret Myer (CEO), Rich Antoniello (Exec Chairman), and will.i.am (Chief Visionary Officer) • Result of acquisitions of Uproxx, HipHopDX, Dime Magazine, and other Warner Music Group media assets • Reaches 170M+ monthly US visitors and generates 12B+ monthly US video views POST DEAL OPS • “Expect significant investments in our brands, team, and the experiences we offer” • Includes the excl license to represent WMG’s YouTube inventory for all US media sales  • Will integrate will.i.am’s FYI AI tech and FYI radio into ops UPROXX DIVISIONS • Uproxx – Millennial-focused culture media brand and production co (acquired by WMG in 2018) • HipHopDX – Digital mag of hip hop music criticism and news (acquired by WMG in 2020) • Dime Magazine – Digital mag of American basketball lifestyle (acquired by Uproxx in 2015) • FYI – productivity tool designed to serve Creatives. Combines messaging and collab tools with file mgmt and content pub features NEWCO VALUE PROP  • Access to A-list stars via WMG YouTube inventory + UPROXX superfan communities gives brands and advertisers new ways to participate in music culture • FYI AI tech will enable creation of AI StoryLabs, a new branded content and social media mgmt unit within UPROXX Studios  • "Merging the agility and freedom of an independent entity with the reach and resources of a major music label.” UPROXX HISTORY • f/k/a as Uproxx • Founded 2008 by Jarrett Meyer and Brian Bater (also co-founded Rawkus Records in 1996) • Acquired by male-focused media ad network Woven Digital in 2015 • Rebranded to Uproxx Media, Jarrett became GM • Bought by WMG in 2018 • Price undisclosed, but previous Uproxx Media investment was ~$43M • Value prop of acquisition was to “create engaging new experiences for young consumers, global promotional possibilities for brands, and innovative marketing opportunities for artists” • WMG exec Max Lousada and Uproxx co-founder Jarrett Myer used to work together at Rawkus Records WMG RELATED HISTORY • Announced 600 layoffs in Feb 2024, incl potential sale of Uproxx and HipHopDX • Also wound down its podcasting brand Interval Presents and social media publisher IMGN • Overall faced challenges in its O&O and digital brand sales biz -- I'm the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for media, agencies, and creator economy. My DMs are open.

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WHO KNEW!!! 🤣 B M I - From a great PRO to the worst in a small amount of time. Raising the rate from 10% to 15%!! That´s PROFIT on 1,400.000 members! It´s FLEEING TIME! I foresee a MASS EVASION of the society. Simply outrageous! #bmi #profit #members #percentage #corporation #investors #shareholders

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Paramount - WTAF is going on? "I have tremendous confidence in George, Chris and Brian... I am extremely excited for what their combined leadership means for Paramount Global and for the opportunities that lie ahead..." writes Shari Redstone to all Paramount Employees. Yet she knows, and they know, and she knows that they know, that she sees no future for their combined leadership. You're looking at three of the greatest leaders in the business being played as the Three Stooges. Despite tanking the Paramount share price from $55 to $12 a share, Bob Bakish did a tremendous job following Redstone's bidding to go headlong into the world of streaming with Paramount+. It's a great brand, brilliantly executed with world class content, and sits well alongside flanker FAST brand Pluto TV. It's all a bit 2021, when the Wall Street Ponzi Scheme opportunists were pushing all the Studios to do, to hell with sustainable profit models and theatrical, when there's easy money to be made through blowing their own bubbles. Turned out the only people to boost the Paramount Global share price were the Reddit activists, who propelled the share price to almost $100, making holding (and divesting) Paramount shares quite interesting for a few weeks. Since then it's been downhill all the way, but Redstone is still holding out like Captain Ahab with the promises of a pot of gold at the end of the streaming rainbow. It's hard to the value in the Skydance deal for anyone but Redstone's pride and her own shareholding, given she'll get a huge premium on her shareholding which will be mostly denied to the commoners holding non-voting stock. David Ellison is an insanely smart guy, so there's clear value for Skydance here, although given Skydance are a major supplier to Paramount it'd be challenging to make savings there. Maybe there's a plan to feed the whole Paramount library into an Oracle AI and make trillions, or maybe it's simply a ruse to try and heat up a bidding war? Sony and Apollo offering $26bn make the most sense, given the clear duplications and synergies to be made, with Paramount being a great production label with world class IP. Removing the Office of the CEO alone would save tens of millions right away, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I can't see why Sony would want to go near streaming, but they'd be well placed to offload P+ onto the highest bidder, and those 71m customers would add scale to WB's Max or Comcast's Peacock or maybe even Apple+. Worth a couple of billion dollars to someone else, rather than being a share price drag as it currently stands. Or maybe Comcast would come all-in, and outbid Sony to get their hands on the bigger prize? I can't speak for the TV business, but given the standout performer on the last earning call was CBS' Superbowl, it goes to show there's huge potential for TV - maybe without, rather than with, the trappings of the broader group? Or is it simply a case of "The Centre cannot hold, things fall apart..."

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“Music recording companies have been urging streaming services to raise their subscription prices for some time now, and over the past 18 months, they’ve succeeded, with most of the major DSPs hiking prices. Some in the music industry have hinted these price hikes – typically an increase of $1 per month for individual subscriptions – isn’t quite enough to keep up with inflation. But Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer is setting his sights on another monetization goal: Getting the music streaming services to start charging for their ad-supported subscription tiers.” “The value of the paid music product remains incredible. And we appreciate that our partners recognized that with price increases over the past year. However, it also highlights that the price gap between free and paid has gotten wider in mature markets. We hope that our partners close that gap by asking consumers using ad-supported services to additionally pay a modest fee.” “Besides Sony’s take on ad-supported streaming services, here are five other things we learned from Rob Stringer’s presentation at Sony’s business segment meeting:” #Sony #SonyMusic #Spotify #AppleMusic #YouTubeMusic #Deezer #Streaming #Songwriters #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #MusicTracks #MusicStreams #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #DSPs #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia

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“…music copyright valuation continues to grow at an accelerated pace. The global valuation ascribed to music copyright reached $41.5bn, according to industry economist Will Page. This is 14.5% more than 2022. More folks are streaming music than ever before. Vinyl sales are up. Concert ticket sales surpassed 2019’s figures, according to Live Nation. And beneath all of this are the songs, or copyrighted works. Without them, there would be no tours, no vinyl records and no streaming services. Funds that invest in this intellectual property are expected to continue to see a return. But across the industry, this is not the case.” “There are reasons for this - based both on data and perception. Qualitatively, the way the music industry - as a monolith - is perceived continues to be challenged. For example, in BBC’s daily news podcast, Global Story, a report on Taylor Swift referred to the music industry as ‘in crisis’ despite the macroeconomic data arguing otherwise. This is supported by the evidence of burgeoning inequality. While arenas and stadiums celebrate a bumper year, small music venues in the UK suffered their “worst year in a decade” according to the Music Venue Trust. Music education hubs - often the places where music is first created - are being cut by two-thirds in 2024-2025. However, quantitatively, the data reveals a different story. Music listenership is up, according to the IFPI. Revenue collections from CISAC, the international trade body representing collective management organizations was up 28% in 2022. Simply, more music would mean more return, especially for firms that own much of the music that is consumed, such as funds like Hipgnosis, Round Hill or Primary Wave or the three multinationals, Universal Music Group, Warner Music and Sony Music. However, debt is now more expensive, and liabilities are outstripping return. Listening to more music is not enough.” #CMOs #CISAC #IFPI #Artists #UK #RecordingRights #Performers #Royalties #MusicRoyalties #Music #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #Copyright #Copyrights #Songs #Songwriters #Recordings #MusicPublishing #Streams #Streaming #MusicStreaming #LiveMusic #Global #RecordedMusic #RecordLabels #IndieMusic

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Exclusive content is at the heart of the SiriusXM product

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Great article from Rob Wile at NBC News on why FAST services like Pluto TV or Tubi are already incredibly successful and why we are still scratching the surface of something way bigger🚀 💵 .Ross Compton, CFA provides a spot-on analysis that resonates with our vision a decade ago when we spearheaded the FAST market with Pluto TV. "It’s a repackaged version of the old method of distribution, noting that the original broadcast networks were all supported by advertising and the only investment a viewer had to make was in a TV set and an antenna. Now, it’s the same thing, just over the internet. The demand for FAST channels is sustainable — for one simple reason. You really can’t beat free." (Ross Compton, CFA) Free and easy access combined with high-quality content shaped the golden age of TV. The same ingredients are needed for FAST, even if we needed to rethink channel programming and curation in the new era of internet, social networks and the overabundance of video content. Same is true for advertising, it has funded so much of the best TV content over the decades. FAST advertising is like TV advertising but with more data, targeting and measurement! So YES, there is such a brillant future in front of the FAST business! 📺 #FAST #PlutoTV #Tubi #NBCnews #fastchannel #Avod #streaming

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‼️I'm thrilled to announce that I will be joining Level Up Music Productions, Corp for their first-ever Virtual Sync Conference on August 3rd, 2024! 🎉 Get your tickets now at: https://lnkd.in/eH827tZx I'll be sharing insights into trailer music production, and I can't wait to connect with fellow music creators. Attending conferences like this can be a game-changer for your career in sync licensing. Here are 7 reasons why you should join us: 1. Expand Your Network: Meet industry professionals, music supervisors, and fellow creators who can open doors to new opportunities. 2. Gain Insights: Learn from experts about the latest trends and techniques in sync licensing. 3. Improve Your Craft: Attend workshops and panels that provide valuable knowledge to enhance your music production skills. 4. Stay Updated: Keep up with the evolving landscape of sync in today’s market. 5. Legal Knowledge: Understand the essentials of entertainment law to protect your work. 6. Mental Health & Music: Learn how to balance creativity with mental well-being. 7. Monetize Your Music: Discover strategies to effectively monetize your compositions in ads, TV, and film. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your brand and make impactful connections. Get your tickets now at: https://lnkd.in/eH827tZx #musicbusiness #musicproduction #synclicensing #musicconference

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📺 Apple will introduce a new version of its streaming television operating system, tvOS 18, later this year, featuring character-driven data and a dialogue enhancer. 🎬 The new feature, InSight, allows streamers to see timely updates about actors, characters, and music offered through Apple TV Plus content, integrating directly with other Apple services like Apple Music. 🗣️ Enhanced Dialogue will utilize machine learning and computational audio to deliver greater vocal clarity over music, action, and background noise on various devices including Apple TV 4K, HomePod, iPhones, and iPads. 🌍 Other features in tvOS 18 include smarter subtitles, updated screen savers, a revamped Apple Fitness Plus app, better integration with smart home devices, support for 21:9 aspect ratio videos on projectors, and improvements to FaceTime and Continuity Camera for video conferencing. #svod #ai #apple #tv https://lnkd.in/eAgubRGC

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The industrywide spending slowdown has led to major streamers improving their returns on content investments. This shift is part of a broader transformation from aggressive content spending for subscriber growth to more cautious spending with a focus on profitability. This change has significantly impacted the content landscape and the financial outcomes of streaming services.

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