Spotify Adds Audiobooks, Calls U.S. Launch “The Next Frontier For Us As A Company”

The Who have surprised fans in Long Island with a song that’s only been played a handful of times by the band in the last 40 years.During the gig, which took place on October 7, Roger Daltrey and co played ‘Young Man’s Blues’ as an extra encore.The band haven’t played the song since a one-off in 2014, and it’s only been played six times in the last 40 years of the band’s touring history (via Rolling Stone).The song, which was written by jazz pianist Mose Allison in 1957, added a R&B version of the song into their live set in 1964. It later appeared on the band’s ‘Live At Leeds’.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Spotify terminated at least 38 employees across the Gimlet and Parcast studios as the company canceled 11 original shows, according to the unions representing employees of the divisions. In a joint statement Friday, the two unions said the layoffs represented about 30% of their members. “These aren’t small cuts, they are massive restructurings,” the Gimlet and Parcast unions said. Some Spotify employees were given as little as an hour to close out their work, according to the unions. The statement does not allege that the company violated the terms of its agreements with the unions. “Yesterday, Spotify chose to create chaos instead of treating employees with the dignity and respect they deserve,” said the Gimlet and Parcast unions, both of which are affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East. “The fact that Spotify chose to handle these cuts in this way shows their disregard for both their employees and their audiences.”

Production is underway on filmmaker Richard Linklater’s next film “Hitman” in New Orleans, and Retta (“Good Girls”), Molly Bernard (“Younger”) and Austin Amelio (“The Walking Dead”) have been added to the ensemble opposite Glen Powell and Adria Arjona (“Morbius”).Based on an article in Texas Monthly, the screenplay hails from Linklater and “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star Powell and tells the true story of “the most sought-after hitman in New Orleans, but if you pay him to rub out a cheating spouse or a sadistic boss, you’d better watch out: he works for the cops.”The official synopsis continues, “When he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman (Arjona) trying to get away from an abusive boyfriend, he finds himself living the life of one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with becoming a criminal himself.”The production announcement and additional casting were announced by AGC Studios Chariman and CEO Stuart Ford, whose company will co-finance “Hitman” with leading indie financiers Shivani Rawat’s ShivHans Pictures and Monarch Media.The action comedy is produced by Linklater and Michael Blizzard for Detour Pictures, Michael Costigan and Jason Bateman for Aggregate Films, and Powell for BarnStorm Productions in association with Cinetic Media.Powell and Linklater – both Texas natives – first worked together on “Everybody Wants Some!!” (in which Amelio also starred), and this marks yet another genre shift for a filmmaker who’s made a career out of being a chameleon.

Kim Kardashian is finally getting ready to launch her true-crime podcast The System: The Case of Kevin Keith.

Meghan Markle’s popular podcast Archetypes will return to Spotify on Tuesday, Oct. 4, following its pause during the mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II, Spotify has confirmed.

EXCLUSIVE: Yellowjackets has added Malaysian actress Nuha Jes Izman for a recurring guest star role.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor In a sign of big moves to come for Roku, veteran TV executive Charlie Collier is exiting his post as chairman of Fox Entertainment to join the digital distribution platform as president of Roku Media. Collier will oversee advertising sales and content for Roku’s owned-and-operated channels featured on the streaming platform that hosts the fast-growing number of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels as well as serving as a key funnel for Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+ and other subscription streamers. Collier is set to shift to his new post at Roku in late October and will be based in New York.

EXCLUSIVE:  Laura Chinn’s teenage movie Suncoast starring Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson and Nico Parker has added Ella Anderson, Daniella Perkins, Amarr and Ariel Martin.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Spotify wants to give Audible, Amazon’s market-leading audiobook marketplace, a run for its money. Starting Tuesday, Spotify users in the U.S. are able to purchase and listen to more than 300,000 audiobook titles. The streamer is introducing a new user interface designed specifically for audiobook listening, alongside Spotify’s features for music and podcasts. At launch, Spotify is selling audiobooks à la carte, without any ads. But the company is exploring new business models that could include subscriptions or ad-supported formats, according to Nir Zicherman, Spotify’s VP and global head of audiobooks and gated content. Spotify plans to roll out audiobook sales in additional markets following the initial U.S. debut.

Mourners wanting to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth's coffin are now being directed away from Windsor's Long Walk. The monarch's body is currently being transported by hearse from London to Windsor ahead of a committal service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle at 4pm on Monday (19. 09.

will not be returning to “SNL.” Newcomer Aristotle Athiras, who debuted as a featured player last season, will also not be back.They are now among seven cast members who have announced exits from the long-running NBC series, joining Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney, all of whom won’t be back this year.“Saturday Night Live” Season 48 will premiere on Oct. 1.

EXCLUSIVE: Tanner Stine (Impulse) and Kaylee Bryant (Legacies) will lead the supernatural horror Spin the Bottle from director Gavin Wiesen (The Art of Getting By), with Justin Long (Barbarian) and Ali Larter (The Rookie) to play supporting roles.

A suspect wanted in the stabbing death at a California gay bar, has been arrested.On September 9, Christopher Finley, 28, and Jacob Touchstone went out for a date night and nightcap at Mineshaft bar in Long Beach.An altercation happened between the couple and an unnamed man with a taser and, soon after, an altercation with Smalls, resulting in the couple being stabbed. Finely would pass away eight hours later at the hospital.Smalls is being charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted murder.In a statement, police said there is “no evidence this is a hate or bias-motivated incident.”The couple’s GoFund Me page reveals that the couple has been together since 2016.“From then on, there was never a Jake without a Chris,” the page states. “They had ups and they had downs and they even tried the whole time apart thing, without ever really leaving each others’ lives.

Ghost crashed the Spotify Live servers as they waited for a special Q&A session with the masked rock band, forcing the event to be cancelled.A special appearance and Q&A session with Ghost was due to take place on September 13. Due to overwhelming demand, however, fans crashed the Spotify Live servers, forcing the platform to cancel the event.Both Spotify Live and Ghost confirmed in tweets that fans were indeed responsible for the widespread outage.Spotify Live said “overwhelming demand” had caused “technical difficulties”.

The Chernin Group and Night, Inc. are launching Night Capital, a new investment company with commitments of $100 million, to acquire established consumer-facing companies in partnership with leading talent.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Peter Chernin’s Chernin Group has formed a new investment company, Night Capital, with digital talent-management and media firm Night Inc., whose biggest client is major YouTube creator MrBeast. Night Capital, which has funding commitments of $100 million from TCG, is focused on acquiring majority interests in “consumer-facing companies in partnership with leading talent,” the companies announced. The firm said it will team up with creators who “will be key partners in driving the strategic vision and future business growth,” they said — modeled on the business ventures of MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, who has launched a national burger chain and a games company.

Elle Fanning looks regal as she hits the red carpet at the 2022 Emmy Awards on Monday night (September 12) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

“Disenchanted” picks up 15 years after “Enchanted” left off, when “Giselle has grown disillusioned with life in the city, so they move their growing family to the sleepy suburban community of Monroeville in search of a more fairy tale life. Unfortunately, it isn’t the quick fix she had hoped for.