"Spotify has a responsibility for what it’s amplifying. Does that mean that it has the only responsibility? Does that let the producer, the content creator off the hook? No. Does it let the audience off the hook for their need to engage in critical thinking, critical listening?" - Slate
Vice Media, Audible, iHeartMedia, and the children's podcast producer Tinkercast are all working to expand offerings in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, French, and other languages — both by translating popular English-language properties and by creating original programming. - Digiday
"During the months when the pandemic kept Broadway shuttered, a hypothesis took hold: Once theaters reopened, the audience would include more New Yorkers and fewer tourists, and the result could be a more receptive marketplace for ambitious new plays. It did not turn out that way." - The New York Times
First, of course, you could just buy music. But if you're a streaming fan, there are a lot of other options, some of which even seem to pay musicians in a half-decent way. - Los Angeles Times
"The world’s three biggest music companies: Universal Music, Sony Music and Warner Music, control about three-quarters of the UK recording market, allowing them to strike increasingly advantageous deals with streaming companies." That's not good for smaller artists - or maybe consumers. - The Guardian (UK)
Anne Archer shooting Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Julia Roberts dancing with Rupert Everett to end My Best Friend's Wedding. The freeway dance that opens La La Land. All there thanks to test audiences. And that Kevin Costner baseball movie nearly went out under the title Shoeless Joe. - BBC
It was only from the 1970s that American commercial theater settled on the rule: start at 8:00 for evening shows and 2:00 for matinees (maybe 3:00 on Sundays). COVID has loosened that rule — and though ticketholders have to pay attention, they now have more choice and flexibility. - The Stage
Between April and the end of the 2021, the VAB says, Nielsen did not count “one and a half billion impressions” in 20 top events. The group believes the true total of advertising dollars lost during the period could be more than $350 million. - Variety
"Has one of the great theater cities on the planet just suffered the kind of blow that may require a recovery time of years?" asks Chris Jones. "Certain truths seem to have revealed themselves" — and not only that one can't predict the course of a virus. - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
A digital drug for anyone with a phone, and especially young people, the TikTok app uses random reinforcement — similar to a slot machine on the Las Vegas strip — to keep users scrolling. It has changed the way Americans tell and view stories. - Salon
You know, hologram theatre in your kitchen or living room or ... wherever. "Theater makers are naturally fascinated: They’re used to working in 3-D. ... As soon as you bring a director or stage designer or choreographer into V.R., you see their brains whirring." - The New York Times
Recently, Broadway shows haven't needed to cancel because of COVID cases in cast or crew, but there are a lot of empty seats - and three shows are closing in hopes of reopening in the spring. - NPR
Some detainees at Rikers Island watched a livestream of Clyde's. "Theater artists often speak of their aspirations for social relevance, especially in work focused squarely on contemporary issues. That aim has long been close to Nottage’s heart." - Washington Post
As Sundance's virtual festival gets underway, the question hanging in the air is whether any indie film can succeed in traditional theatres. Older audiences are wary of the virus; thus, "the chances of success at the multiplex are now slimmer than ever." - Los Angeles Times
Following a full lockdown over Christmas, salons, gyms, and brothels were allowed to reopen this week while arts venues had to remain shuttered. So the Van Gogh Museum offered manicures, the Mauritshuis held fitness classes, and the Concertgebouw gave haircuts as Susanna Mälkki conducted Ives's Second Symphony. - France 24
