Spotify Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Spotify has increased its subscription prices for the first time, affecting users in the UK and the US.The change in price marks the first time that the cost of subscription has increased in the 10 years since the streaming service launched.For the UK, the Premium plan now costs £10.99 per month, up from the previous price of £9.99 monthly. Various plans for multiple users have also gone up by £1 per month, with a Duo subscription now priced at £14.99 and a Family plan – covering six people – now faring at £17.99.

Netflix’s “Harry and Meghan” docuseries. But YouTuber Shallon Lester was not one of them.That is, until friends started telling her that she was featured in the fifth episode of the six-part series which chronicled the couple’s relationship and highly publicized departure from royal life.“At first I thought they were hallucinating because why on earth would I be in it,” Lester told The Post. “Especially since I wasn’t called for comment.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s failed Spotify deal, a royal expert claimed.Speaking on Palace Confidential, Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English talked about the criticism over how the ending of the royal couple’s Spotify deal affected many jobs and people.“Part of this problem with Harry and Meghan is a problem with the entire podcast industry,” English said.

LA Times report. “I do think these deals are going to be fewer and farther apart because there’s a lot of belt-tightening right now,” Susanne Daniels, formerly YouTube’s global head of original content, told the outlet. This comes directly after Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, had their $20 million deal with Spotify end. The couple produced only one show with a measly 12 episodes, causing Spotify executive Bill Simmons to call them “f–king grifters.” A source told The Post that the couple’s Archewell Productions didn’t release enough content to get the full payout from that deal.

lost their $20 million Spotify deal, however, they can still fall back on their Netflix cash.The royal pair are reportedly not parting ways with the streamer — as long as they keep on producing relevant content.Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, had signed an estimated $100 million contract with Netflix back in 2021.A Netflix spokesperson recently told Entertainment Tonight — via The Mirror — that “the bond with Archewell Productions is one we deeply value. ‘Harry & Meghan’ launched as Netflix’s most spectacular documentary debut to date.”“Our exciting journey with them isn’t ending anytime soon,” they said.

Spotify’s breakup with Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan Markle, 41.“Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent,” Zimmer told Semafor during the Cannes Lions advertising festival.“And, you know, just because you’re famous doesn’t make you great at something.”The Duke and Duchess of Sussex inked an agreement with the audio giant back in December 2020, estimated to be worth a whopping $20 million.They told The Post in a joint statement that they have “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”Spotify and Harry and Markle’s Archewell production company spectacularly ended their partnership last month after the couple released just one podcast series, titled “Archetypes.”A source previously told The Post that the Archewell media company launched by Harry and Meghan didn’t produce enough content to receive the full payout of the $20 million deal they agreed to in 2020.These remarks from Zimmer, whose business focuses a lot on audio platforms, show the shift in the podcasting industry, with A-list celebrity hosts and big-budget podcast on the ousts while personalities similar to those on the radio or talk shows are on the rise.The comments come shortly after a royal expert said Spotify executives were likely “horrified” by comments Prince Harry made to Oprah Winfrey after he signed a multimillion dollar deal with the company.Speaking about Spotify and a separate arrangement with Netflix during the sit-down with Winfrey, Harry downplayed their significance, saying they were “never part of the plan.”“That was suggested by somebody else by the point of where my family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us,” he added, implying

estimated to be worth a whopping $20 million. But just four months later, the royal raised eyebrows with flip remarks about the deal during his sensational sit-down with Winfrey.

“Archetypes,” under her and Prince Harry’s failed $20 million Spotify deal — but that doesn’t mean the redheaded royal didn’t have podcast ideas of his own. Bloomberg reported Thursday that unidentified insiders claim Harry, 38, met with several producers and production houses to brainstorm show concepts.He was reportedly the biggest fan of his own ideas — including a podcast about childhood trauma with a slew of controversial, big-shot guests.Per Bloomberg, Harry wanted to speak with Vladimir Putin, Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump about their early years and how their experiences shaped their adulthoods.

“Anti-Social.”In a resurfaced clip from the independent crime flick shared on Reddit, the former actress, 41, swayed her hips for a perfume ad.The film snippet featured Markle rocking a red dress as she danced around a set and posed for photos.She gave a pout to the camera in the video as she held onto a lightbulb-shaped perfume bottle.The post came about amid her possible new Dior partnership — that is now null and void — and was spotted on a Reddit channel called “Saint Meghan Markle.”The indie-budget film also starred Disney star Gregg Sulkin as a graffiti artist that Markle’s character, Kirsten, falls in love with.“Anti-Social” was released in Hungary and the United Kingdom and has a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Many people on the social media thread couldn’t help but criticize the “Suits” alum, commenting on her acting skills as well as her makeup look in the thriller.“This is REALLY bad makeup and acting,” someone slammed. “Everyone who says she is a good actor needs to see this,” another person noted.One watcher chimed in: “This is soooo bad! When she looks down at the bottle, yikes!”“Oh wow, I’ve never seen that little morsel of cringe,” a user added.It was reported on June 18 that Markle could be entering the luxury fashion world, and it was rumored she could be signing a deal with Dior in an attempt to “re-invent” herself.The Mail on Sunday reported that an anonymous Beverly Hills source said that the Duchess of Sussex is “all anyone is talking about.”“There have been rumors for weeks that she’s about to sign a deal with Dior which has put the gossip mill into overdrive,” the insider claimed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the wake of the recent news that they've stepped away from their Spotify deal.After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex backed out of their $20 million deal with the music and podcast streaming service, Bill Simmons, who sold his podcast to Spotify in 2020 and is also Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization at the company, called Harry and Meghan «f**king grifters» on his eponymous podcast on Friday.«The f**king grifters. That’s the podcast we shoulda launched with them,» he said.

Spotify’s breakup with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a new report alleges that Markle’s interviews for her “Archetypes” podcast were not conducted by her.Podnews reported that some of the show’s interviews were done by members of the duchess’ staff — and audio of her voice asking the questions was clipped in later.The Post has reached out to representatives for Markle and Archewell Audio for comment.The revelations come shortly after Spotify and Archewell said in a joint statement to The Post that they have “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”A source previously told The Post that the Archewell media company launched by Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, didn’t produce enough content to receive the full payout of the $20 million deal they agreed to in 2020.However, “Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the ‘Archetypes’ audience on another platform,” an Archewell Productions spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal.Sportswriter and podcaster Bill Simmons slammed the couple in the wake of the fractured deal, saying he once met with Harry about podcast ideas and calling the pair “f–king grifters” in Friday’s episode of his namesake podcast.Speculation that Markle doesn’t directly interview her guests started circulating when writer Allison Yarrow shared on Instagram in August that she was “excited to be included in the visionary series.”Yet the post showed Yarrow posing in front of a sign for the audio production house Gimlet Media — and included thanks to an “Archetypes” producer for being “an excellent interviewer.”Yarrow — author of “90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality” — appeared on the podcast in an episode titled “To ‘B’ or Not To ‘B,’ ” in

not be renewed for Season 2.The royal pair signed a $20 million-plus deal between their Archewell Audio and the streaming giant in 2020. However, with the cancellation of the one thing they’ve produced under the deal, the duo is possibly missing out on a big payout.Levin told the Sun recently that Harry, 38, and Markle’s “value isn’t as high as it once was,” and their radio deal tanking is proof that their media kingdom is “crumbling.”“People are fed up with them now,” the “Harry: A Biography of a Prince” author said, adding that their forthcoming content plans will be “disastrous.” Fitzwilliams also shaded the former actress, 41, and the Invictus Games founder, saying the conclusion of their Spotify contract is a “shocking failure.”“The idea was that several series would be produced.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's podcast and Spotify will end their partnership, ET has confirmed.  A source close to the situation tells ET it's expected that the two will officially part ways in the coming days.The podcast — which premiered last August amid much fanfare after the couple inked a reported $20 million deal in December 2020 — will not see a second season on the giant streaming platform. was first to break the news. ET has reached out to Spotify for comment. was the first podcast series made in collaboration with Archewell Audio — the audio-first production company founded by Harry and Meghan -- as a part of the couple's multi-year partnership with Spotify. Launched last August, sought to «investigate the labels that try to hold women back.»Season 1 of  produced 12 episodes and included high-profile guests like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Mindy Kaling, among others.«This is how we talk about women: the words that raise our girls, and how the media reflects women back to us,» Markle said in a teaser released in 2022, addressing the common stereotypes that have historically generalized women through the lens of popular culture and media. «But where do these stereotypes come from? And how do they keep showing up and defining our lives?»The podcast was also billed as an outlet where fans could get to know an «unfiltered» Meghan.«People should expect the real me in this, and probably the me that they've never gotten to know,» she said.

Archewell media company launched by Prince Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, didn’t produce enough content to receive the full payout of the roughly $20 million deal the couple signed in 2020.The news comes after struggling Spotify announced this month it will cut 200 jobs as it reimagines its approach to podcasting.“The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify,” an Archewell Productions spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal.“Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform.”The Post has contacted reps for Harry, Markle, and Spotify for comment. “Archetypes,” which explored the labels that hold women back, was the only project the couple produced for Spotify during their two-and-a-half-year partnership.There were only 12 episodes of “Archetypes,” which featured guests such as Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling, and Paris Hilton, and typically ran for about an hour.

Grimes has discussed AI and streaming services, saying she thinks Spotify and others should have a section dedicated to it.The singer recently revealed that she is currently beta testing her own AI voice mimicking software that will allow users to record vocals in Grimes’ voice, with a hit single from Kito featuring ‘AI Grimes’ released soon after.Now, in a conversation with Jaguar on the UTOPIA Talks podcast, Grimes has discussed consent with regards to AI and the voice of artists being used by others.“I think it’s good to have consent,” she responded. “It wouldn’t personally bother me, but I just still think it’s good to respect people, like if they don’t want that… It is a lot, you are like foregoing creative control. And so you sort of have to be like open to that.“I think there’s systems that can make it a bit easier.

Spotify laid off some 6% of its 6,600-strong workforce.As the streaming platform gears up to scale down its internal operations, redundancies are now officially reaching 2% of its entire workforce — a staggering number considering how recent the investment took place.In a blog post on the streaming platform, Spotify’s head of podcast business Sahar Elhabashi wrote, “We are expanding our partnership efforts with leading podcasters from across the globe with a tailored approach optimized for each show and creator.”“This fundamental pivot from a more uniform proposition will allow us to support the creator community better,” Elhabashi continued.“However, doing so requires adapting … As a result, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to make a strategic realignment of our group and reduce our global podcast vertical and other functions by approximately 200 people, or 2% of Spotify’s workforce.”The cuts prove that the company is failing to see the results it had hoped for in the podcast arena — despite pumping billions of dollars into having Markle and Joe Rogan’s podcasts on its platform.However, Markle’s “Archetypes” podcast has struggled to remain at the top since its debut in August 2022 as by November, the podcast slid down to number 22 in the charts.For his part, Rogan’s podcast suffered a series of controversies ranging from Covid-19 vaccine misinformation to being accused of using racial slurs and making antisemitic comments.In 2021, it was reported that Meghan and Harry received a cool $25 million from Spotify for singing on the dotted line for a lucrative audio deal.More recently, Markle was honored at the 48th annual Gracie Awards where she picked up a gong for her podcast — though she was not

Spotify has launched its AI DJ across the UK and Ireland this week, which recognises your listening habits and suggests new songs for you using artificial intelligence.The concept was first announced by Spotify back in February, when it unveiled its DJ feature, and described it as a “personalised AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you”.Now, in an update shared yesterday (May 16), developers at the streaming platform have confirmed more details on the AI DJ feature and confirmed that it has been launched in the UK and Ireland.According to a blog update, the feature is all about “connection and discovery”, and runs through a combination of Spotify’s personalisation technology and OpenAI technology in the hands of its onboard music experts. It also features a dynamic voice for the host/DJ, also created using artificial intelligence.The blog also describes how users will be served songs and context geared towards their individual preferences.

Universal Music Group has been in correspondence with the major music streaming platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify, to demand that the companies help block the AI programs that are creating new songs based on the music of UMG artists. A report published last week by the Financial Times contains emails and interviews with sources close to UMG.

Spotify has announced that it is to shut down music trivia game Heardle, less than a year after it purchased it.In July of 2022, the streaming service announced that they had bought the game, which arrived as a Wordle spin-off that played fans the intro to well-known songs and asked them to identify the track as quickly as possible.At the time, Spotify’s global head of music Jeremy Erlich said: “Heardle has proven to be a really fun way to connect millions of fans with songs they know and love and with new songs… and a way to compete with their friends as to who has the best musical knowledge.”Now, the company have confirmed that they are shutting down the service, saying in a statement: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Heardle as we focus our efforts on other features for music discovery.”As Billboard report, the game is set to disappear on May 5, with fans being sent a push notification this week that read: “Thanks for playing Heardle, but unfortunately we have to say goodbye.

Spotify has shut down its live audio app Spotify Live, with the company saying it “no longer makes sense as a standalone app”.Spotify Live, which was previously called Spotify Greenroom and purchased (under the name Locker Room) by Spotify in 2021, allowed fans to stream and interact with live audio and podcasts.Speaking to Music Ally this week, Spotify confirmed that they were shuttering the app, saying: “After a period of experimentation and learnings around how Spotify users interact with live audio, we’ve made the decision to sunset the Spotify Live app.“We believe there is a future for live fan-creator interactions in the Spotify ecosystem; however, based on our learnings, it no longer makes sense as a standalone app,” they continued.“We have seen promising results in the artist-focused use case of ‘listening parties’, which we will continue to explore moving forward to facilitate live interactions between artists and fans.”Elsewhere at Spotify, it was recently revealed that company executives have only spent 10 per cent of their $100million (£81.75million) budget on a new fund to promote music and audio content by members of “historically marginalised groups”.The Creator Equity Fund was launched last year in the wake of controversy surrounding Joe Rogan’s Spotify-exclusive podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, due to uses of the N-word and COVID vaccine misinformation.A host of popular Bollywood songs have also been removed from Spotify after a licensing dispute with a top label.

Official Charts Company.The list featured artists including Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Arctic Monkeys, Sam Fender and Dua Lipa.Sophie Jones, BPI Chief Strategy Officer and Interim Chief Executive said of the data: “Streaming has changed the face of music – enabling artists to connect with fans at home and around the world in ways never possible before, and with consumers also able to enjoy unprecedented choice and affordability.“It is heartening to see this new research showing so many artists achieving such huge success in streaming, encompassing many less well-known names as well as global superstars.“With record labels delivering improvements in areas such as transparency and deal terms, as the market continues to adapt and evolve, their biggest contribution remains essential investment to develop and support artists.”You can see the top 20 artists below:1. Ed Sheeran2. Harry Styles3. D-Block Europe4. Arctic Monkeys5. Dave6. Adele7. Coldplay8. Elton John 9. Dua Lipa10. Queen 11. The Beatles12. George Ezra13. Oasis 14. Sam Fender 15. Fleetwood Mac16. Little Mix17. Central Cee18. Calvin Harris 19. Sam Smith 20. Becky Hill Last year, the UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) formally launched a new study to examine the music streaming market.The announcement followed on from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s ‘Economics Of Music Streaming’ report, which was published in 2021 and led to the government calling on the CMA to start an investigation into the matter.They announced that the CMA “will examine the music streaming market, from creator to consumer, paying particular attention to the roles played by record labels and music streaming services”.The CMA’s assessment will consider

Spotify after a licensing dispute with a top label.As The Independent report, fans have been sharing their anger after hundreds of songs from the Indian label Zee Music Company have been disappearing from playlists.The label, which purports to be India’s second most popular, claims it is home to more than 50 per cent of new Bollywood music.Now, hugely popular soundtracks to films including Bajirao Mastani, Ram-Leela and Gully Boy have all been removed from the service, while the song ‘Apna Bana Le’, from new film Bhediya, has also been removed despite being the most-streamed song in India on Spotify in recent weeks.In a statement toBillboard, Spotify said: “Spotify and Zee Music have been unable to reach a licensing agreement.“Throughout these negotiations, Spotify has tried to find creative ways to strike a deal with Zee Music and will continue our good faith negotiations in hopes of finding a mutually agreeable solution soon.”Elsewhere, it was recently revealed that Spotify executives have only spent 10 per cent of their $100million (£81.75million) budget on a new fund to promote music and audio content by members of “historically marginalised groups”.The Creator Equity Fund was launched last year in the wake of controversy surrounding Joe Rogan’s Spotify-exclusive podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, due to uses of the N-word and COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.Just over a year on, however, Bloomberg has found that the initiative has got off to a slow start.

Spotify executives have only spent 10 per cent of their $100million (£81.75million) budget on a new fund to promote music and audio content by members of “historically marginalised groups”.The Creator Equity Fund was launched last year in the wake of controversy surrounding Joe Rogan’s Spotify-exclusive podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, due to uses of the N-word and COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.Just over a year on, however, Bloomberg has found that the initiative has got off to a slow start. Spotify was found to have taken months to hire staff and deal with “shifting priorities”, and Bloomberg also obtained a memo which said that at the beginning of the year, they were still finalising the fund’s budget and were still sorting out their priority projects.A project manager was appointed and teams assembled to pitch and create shows and assist with marketing, the initiative lacked enough of a structure in terms of fielding projects and funding.“The Spotify Creator Equity Fund is dedicated to a variety of initiatives that help elevate and support an inclusive and diverse portfolio of artists and creators on the platform,” a spokesperson for Spotify said in a statement.

“the world’s most popular artist.”The 33-year-old “Starboy” singer currently holds the Guinness title for the most monthly listeners on Spotify (male) at 111.6 million, which also makes him the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on the platform, Guinness confirmed to The Post on Tuesday. His Spotify numbers even soar above other high-ranking acts, including Miley Cyrus, who has 82.3) million monthly listeners, Shakira (81.7 million), Taylor Swift (80.3 million) and Rihanna (78.2 million).The Weeknd’s closest male competitor, Ed Sheeran, has 77.5 million monthly Spotify listeners.

Hulu limited series of using exclusive reporting from her Spotify podcast without citation or payment.In an interview with The New York Times published Friday, Petrzela explained that she believes that content from her podcast, “Welcome to your Fantasy,” was used for Kumail Nanjiani’s “Welcome to Chippendales.”Petrzela further told The Post on Saturday that she is “troubled by the close similarities” between the two projects.“From story structure to certain characters and plot details to the almost identical title, which understandably led many to believe, mistakenly, that I was involved in the creation of the television adaptation,” Petrzela emailed The Post.“I am glad this case is being reported because it raises important questions about attribution and creative ethics, especially when reporting nonfiction.”The Post reached out to Spotify, Hulu, and Nanjiani’s reps for comment.Petrzela’s 2021 podcast, which was co-produced by Gimlet Media and Pineapple Street Studios, told the story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the late founder of the all-male revue Chippendales.The nine-episode series explored Banerjee’s rise and fall before his 1994 suicide ahead of sentencing for pleading guilty to arson, racketeering and murder-for-hire charges.Banerjee had hired Nick De Noia to help him manage the business, but after a bad deal, Banerjee became angry with De Noia and wanted to have him killed.“It was forbidden for dancers to take money for sex but some did,” Petrzela told The Post in a 2021 interview about Chippendales. “I heard of guys making $300 to $1,500 for encounters.”Petrzela worked on the Spotify series with Dr.

Linkin Park‘s Mike Shinoda has released a new single ‘In My Head’ – check out the official music video below.The song features Kailee Morgue on vocals as the Nu Metal icon lends this brand new effort to the official Scream VI soundtrack. The song officially dropped on Friday (March 10), with Shinoda saying he was “excited to share” the track with fans – having teased it heavily.With a lo-fi intro that gives way to heavy beats pulsing as Shinoda showcases his rapping skills, the track moves into an electro-flavoured pop banger that follows in the vein of (and builds on) 2018’s ‘Promises I Can’t Keep’ and last year’s ‘Happy Endings’ which featured Iann Dior and UPSAHL.Watch the video for Mike Shinoda and Kailee Morgue’s ‘In My Head’ below:‘In My Head’ is available to stream on a number of platforms including: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, plus many more.In the run-up to the single’s release Shinoda and Morgue released a number of skit promo videos for the track.

Snoop Dogg has brought the Death Row Records catalog back to streaming services.The ‘Gin And Juice’ rapper had promised to bring the iconic rap catalog back to traditional streaming services and apps last month. And on Thursday (March 9), Snoop stuck to his word, announcing the release of the catalog on his Twitter.“Yessir.

Spotify has announced the rollout of a new vertical feed that will give users the ability to preview podcasts and music through scrolling, similar to TikTok.The feed – which is available now – was announced through the streaming platform’s official newsroom on Wednesday (March 8). The new interface makes previewing content on the platform easier for users and is split into two sections: music and podcasts & shows.Ready, set, discover new audio easier than ever before! Take a look at our greatest app evolution yet.

Frank Ocean has been uploading some of his old music on to Spotify under an aliasThe user blondead has so far uploaded three Ocean fan favourites from his 2010, 70-track compilation ‘The Lonny Breaux Collection’.Three tracks ‘miss you so’, ‘bedtime story’ and ‘sucka for love’ have so far been uploaded to stream from the artist page.The songs match the tracks ‘Miss You So’, ‘Bedtime Story’ and ‘Sucka for Love (Alternate Version)’.Ocean’s official Spotify account currently only has a select portion of his discography on the platform featuring major studio albums ‘Blonde’ and ‘channel ORANGE’ but older records such as ‘The Lonny Breaux Collection’ and ‘nostalgia, ULTRA’ are not officially available to stream.“how did i not clock frank ocean been uploading old music on spotify under a different moniker,” wrote one fan on Twitter, upon spotting the tracks.Another added: “Oh my GOD sucka for for love is finally on Sportify – Frank is hilarious for n this – not Blondead.”how did i not clock frank ocean been uploading old music on spotify under a different moniker— s ☆ (@certishaz) March 7, 2023Oh my GOD sucka for love is finally on Spotify – Frank is hilarious for this – not Blondead

Spotify has introduced an AI-powered DJ function, which learns your listening habits and plays your favourite songs.A new blog from the streaming service describes the new tool as “a personalised AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you”.It adds: “This feature, first rolling out in beta, will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists we think you’ll like in a stunningly realistic voice.“It will sort through the latest music and look back at some of your old favorites—maybe even resurfacing that song you haven’t listened to for years. It will then review what you might enjoy and deliver a stream of songs picked just for you.