Spotify Launches Podcast Subscriptions to Challenge Apple, Promising No Creator Fees for Two Years

NBC’s venerable late-night laugh-fest: “Hi I’m Keegan-Michael Key and I’m hosting ‘SNL’ with [musical guest] Olivia Rodrigo,” announced Key, 50, who spent six years on FOX’s “MadTV” from 2004 to 2009.Cast member Kate McKinnon quickly jumps in to boast: “You gotta watch because Keegan promised the show’s gonna be the best in 46 years,” punctuated with some aggressive pokes to his broad shoulder.“Well, I didn’t promise — I said it’d be nice if it was,” he replies, with McKinnon, 37, doubling down:

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicIn the 24 hours since Wednesday’s real-time implosion of the Joe Budden Podcast, during which the host of the popular twice-weekly show fired his longtime cohosts Rory Farrell and Jamil ‘Mal’ Clay (or Rory and Mal, as they’re known colloquially) in the wake of a pay and “accounting” dispute, PTSD has subsided and it got me thinking: What would Howard Stern do?It feels an apt comparison.

Black-ish star Marsai Martin is leading a scripted podcast remake of YA novel Free to Fall – the first project for fledgling podcast company Scripty.

Brooke Smith, who played Merrilee Legarski on the ABC series Big Sky, has launched her own Emmy campaign and she says the network won’t include her in their official FYC campaign.

EXCLUSIVE: In response to the devastating Covid wave currently ravaging India, Aditya Chopra, Chairman and MD of leading Bollywood production house Yash Raj, is launching the Yash Chopra Saathi Initiative, which aims to provide financial support to thousands of film industry workers.

Model Devon Windsor has launched the Spring Summer 2021 collection of her Devon Windsor Swim line and you can see all of the campaign photos here!

*SPOILERS ALERT* While Sharon Carter's (Emily VanCamp) fanbase is growing exponentially after showing off her badass side in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, especially with the Power Broker reveal, there was a time when MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) fans were anti-Sharon.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has rounded out the cast for From Scratch with the addition of Terrell Carter (Empire), Medalion Rahimi (NCIS: Los Angeles), Jonathan Del Arco (Star Trek: Picard), Peter Mendoza (Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles), Lorenzo Pozzan (Catch-22) and Jonathan D. King (Kidding).

Are Joe Biden and Jill Biden giants? That’s what so many people are asking after seeing a new photo of the President and First Lady with former president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter. The image was taken when Joe and Jill visited the Carters in Georgia at the end of April, and it went viral after it was shared by the Carter Center on May 3.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorNow hear this: The 2021 Tribeca Festival announced its inaugural official podcast selections and special events, the first time a major fest is welcoming podcasts into its lineup.The first Tribeca Podcasts lineup features world premieres of 12 fiction and nonfiction podcasts from emerging creators (listed below), as well as panel discussions and other special events.The festival’s 20th anniversary celebration will take place June 9-20 across New York City — the

Another 90 Day Fiancé baby? Elizabeth Potthast and Andrei Castravet are “definitely” considering whether they should expand their family of three.

The Dallas Opera is starting an online subscription streaming service.Thedallasopera.tv launched Monday with a recital by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and “Vanished,” a three-part art film with tenor Russell Thomas, countertenor John Holiday and music by Gluck, Monteverdi and Janácek.

EXCLUSIVE: Jon Meacham, the Pultizer Prize-winning historian, is expanding his relationship with Cadence13 with the launch of his own podcast studio.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify wants to be the industry’s No. 1 distributor of podcasts — and it’s willing to forgo some revenue in order to counter Apple’s push into podcast subscriptions.Next week, Spotify will launch its podcast subscription option for partners.

Casey Wasserman today unveiled Wasserman Music, an amalgamation of his existing business that has been bolstered by the acquisition of Paradigm Talent Agency’s North American live music representation business. The deal has been in the works for a while.

Apple, which helped popularize the podcast format (including its name, which was in part derived from the iPod), is making another major play in the audio space, rolling out a podcast subscription service. The service, which will launch in May, will have prices set by creators, who will be able to offer perks to subscribers like ad-free episodes, early sneak peeks, and additional or exclusive content.

Apple has launched a podcast subscriptions service that will allow listeners to sign up to premium versions of audio series.