Spotify confirms Family Plan crackdown, but calls it a ‘routine improvement’
Spotify told investors its roll out of QR code verification to ensure Family Plan members live in the same household is not a “crackdown,” just a routine improvement.
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Spotify’s current AI bet is about being the music service that agents choose
Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström explains why the rise of AI agents could be good news for the music service.
YouTube says it isn’t testing hiding the dislike button
On Tuesday, I published a story about how YouTube appeared to be testing hiding the dislike button on videos, with at least two users on X sharing screenshots of the dislike button moved into the three-dot menu. But a YouTube spokesperson, in a Wednesday statement to The Verge, confirmed that YouTube is “not testing hiding […]
New York’s first microdrama film festival searches for its audience
It remains to be seen if people really want to watch vertical content on horizontal TV screens, but many filmmakers and creators were confident that their latest projects would play well at Alza – New York City’s first microdrama film festival. Founded by former Tribeca Festival chief operating officer Pete Torres, Alza, which took place […]
YouTube might be testing hiding the dislike button
YouTube appears to be testing hiding the dislike button on videos, as reported by 9to5Google. At least two users on X have recently shared screenshots of the dislike button now being placed in the three-dots submenu, and a user on Reddit also shared an image of the dislike button being absent for them. Right now, […]
Netflix is telling investors not to worry, even though you’re watching less and less
Netflix is making monetization a top priority amid reports of falling viewing time. As part of its third-quarter earnings report on Tuesday, Netflix lists improvements to monetization as one of its main focuses going forward, alongside efforts to boost entertainment value and leverage new technology. The streaming giant doesn’t say exactly how it plans to […]
JustWatch now streams TV shows and movies, too
After announcing plans to introduce its own streaming service last month, JustWatch, a popular guide and search engine for finding things to watch on existing platforms like Disney Plus and Netflix, launched JustWatch TV today. The new streaming service offers an ad-supported free subscription, an ad-free paid subscription, and movie rentals with content from 30 […]
Streaming guide JustWatch becomes a streamer itself
JustWatch, the popular streaming search guide used by 50 million people, is launching its own streaming service, offering free, ad-supported movies and shows alongside a $3.99-per-month ad-free tier and movie rentals.
It’s a dream week for tech docs
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 148, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, hope you’re enjoying all your pumpkin-flavored everything, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about Marc Andreessen and the future of […]
YouTube sticks new labels on AI-generated songs
YouTube is adding a “Made with AI” label to tracks that were “altered or fully generated” using AI, with a similar approach to its existing process for applying AI labels to videos. It doesn’t sound like this will apply to any and all use of AI tools in making music, but according to YouTube, it […]