Technology

Jay Z’s Weird Populist Pitch for Tidal: Pay These Pop Stars More Money

Published

9 years ago

March 31, 2015

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2013 file photo, U.S singer Jay Z performs on stage at the o2 arena in east London, as part of his Magna Carta World Tour. The rapper says hell continue his collaboration with Barneys despite allegations that black shoppers were racially profiled at the high-end retailer. Jay Z said in a statement Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, that hes agreed to move forward with next weeks launch of his BNY SCC collection under the condition he helps lead the stores review of its policies. He says hes in a unique position to effect change. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)

In this Oct. 10, 2013 file photo, U.S singer Jay Z performs on stage at the o2 arena in east London, as part of his Magna Carta World Tour. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)

(Bloomberg) – The star-studded unveiling of Jay Z’s new streaming music service, Tidal, had the unlikely overtones of a lefty political rally. Beyoncé Knowles, Kanye West, Daft Punk, Jack White, and Madonna took the stage to listen to Alicia Keys give a vague, stirring speech about the power of music, with quotes from both Jimi Hendrix and Friedrich Nietzsche. Music’s biggest stars appeared in a product-launch video that bemoaned the power of Silicon Valley, which stands accused of eclipsing the pop icons of the music industry. “Right now they’re writing the story for us,” said Jay Z in the video. “We need to write the story ourselves.”

Musicians of the world, unite!

Jay Z is following through on his rhetoric in one significant way. Over half of Tidal, which the rap star bought in January for $56 million, will be owned by the artists whose music it features. Many artists have felt cheated by the financial arrangements offered by dominant streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora, so an alternative that lines their pockets directly will be welcomed. But if populism is Tidal’s main differentiating feature, the newcomer faces challenges. No one on stage on Monday seemed the starving artist type—and there was no shortage of cynicism on Twitter as artists used the platform to hype the launch in the hours before the press conference.

As it stands, the economics of the music industry work well for consumers, even if things prove unsustainable in the long run. In exchange for enduring ads or ponying up a monthly price on par with a few lattes, listeners can access vast catalogs of albums from past and present that would have cost a small fortune to amass in the compact disc era. The record labels and pop stars have understandably resisted any additional downward pressure on prices. Apple was unsuccessful in its attempts to offer a Spotify-like service for $8 a month, and there is increasing hostility among artists to free versions of streaming subscription services. Taylor Swift’s decision last year to pull her catalog from Spotify helped turn the spotlight on this backlash. Tidal doesn’t offer a free, ad-supported tier of service.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Things To Avoid For Google’s Mobile-Friendly Update

Don't Miss

Anti-Censorship Group: China Behind Cyberattacks on US Sites

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Community

Attorney General Rob Bonta, Oakland Lawmakers, Introduce Legislation to Protect Youth Online

At a press conference in downtown Oakland on Jan. 29, Attorney General Rob Bonta joined Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) to announce two pieces of legislation designed to protect children online. The bills are Senate Bill (SB) 976, the Protecting Youth from Social Media Addiction Act and Assembly Bill (AB) 1949, the California Children’s Data Privacy Act.

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) at a press conference introducing legislation to protect young people online.

By Magaly Muñoz

The bills are Senate Bill (SB) 976, the Protecting Youth from Social Media Addiction Act and Assembly Bill (AB) 1949, the California Children’s Data Privacy Act.

Skinner authored SB 976, which addresses online addiction affecting teenage users, while Wicks’s bill, AB 1949, takes on big tech by proposing data privacy and children rights protections.

“Social media companies unfortunately show us time and time again that they are all too willing to ignore the detriment to our children, the pain to our children, the mental health and physical challenges they face, in order to pursue profits,” Bonta said.

SB 976 would allow parents to control the nature and frequency of the content their under-18-year-old children see on social media. Notifications from social media platforms would also be paused from midnight to 6 am and controls would allow parents to set time limits on their children’s usage based on their discretion.

Skinner stated that the longer that kids are on their phones during the day, the higher the risk for depression, anxiety and other related issues.

The bill would also push to get rid of addictive media that is harmful for young women and girls, specifically image filters that mimic cosmetic plastic surgery.

Bonta and 33 other attorney generals had previously filed a lawsuit against Meta, owner of the popular social media applications Instagram and Facebook. The filing claims that the company purposefully uses algorithmized content that harms younger audiences.

“Social media companies have the ability to protect our kids, they could act, but they do not,” Skinner said.

The Child Data Privacy Act would strengthen existing protections for data privacy under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The lawmakers argue that the law does not have effective protection for those under 18 years old.

Wicks stated that the bill would forbid businesses from collecting, using, sharing, or selling personal data of anyone underage unless they receive informed consent, or it becomes necessary for the purpose of the business.

Wicks added that the acts would make it so that a search on the internet like “How do I lose weight?” would not result in dieting pill advertisements targeting youth, which, some experts report, could be harmful to their mental and physical health.

“In a digital age where the vulnerabilities of young users are continually exploited, we cannot afford to let our laws lag behind, our children deserve complete assurance that their online experience will be safeguarded from invasive practices,” Wicks said.

Supporters of the two acts say they have gained bipartisan support issue, but the authors and Bonta expect them to be met with pushback from the affected companies.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Unleashing the Power_ Discover the The Thrills…F-TYPE Convertible

Published

4 months ago

December 18, 2023

Oakland Post

Performance & Handling
Powered by a robust 5.0 Liter Supercharged 8 Cylinder Gas Engine, the F-Type R75 doesn’t just purr; it roars with a mighty 575 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Coupled with an 8-speed Automatic Transmission, the car offers an exhilarating drive that is both fast and smooth. The All-Wheel Drive system ensures excellent traction and stability, making it a joy to handle in various driving conditions. The Electric Power Assisted Steering and JaguarDrive Control with Selectable Driving Modes add to the car’s agility, providing a driving experience that is as intuitive as it is thrilling. Additionally, the Adaptive Dynamics and Electronic Active Differential with Torque Vectoring by Braking enhance the car’s responsiveness, making every turn a testament to its engineering prowess. Unique to AutoNetwork.com.

Like us on and share https://www.facebook.com/autonetwork
#AutoNetwork
#AutoNetworkReports
Subscribe to our channel now for more videos.
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/liveautos
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/autonetwork
Coupons Offers and Deals https://www.couponsoffersanddeals.com/

The post Unleashing the Power_ Discover the The Thrills…F-TYPE Convertible first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Elevate Your Ride…

Join us for a virtual car’s best-detailed walkaround of the sleek and stylish 2024 Jaguar F-TYPE AWD convertible. Get an up-close look at the exterior design, interior features, and performance capabilities of this luxury sports car. From its powerful engine to its advanced technology, this video will give you a comprehensive overview of what makes […]
The post Elevate Your Ride… first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 months ago

December 18, 2023

Oakland Post

Join us for a virtual car’s best-detailed walkaround of the sleek and stylish 2024 Jaguar F-TYPE AWD convertible. Get an up-close look at the exterior design, interior features, and performance capabilities of this luxury sports car. From its powerful engine to its advanced technology, this video will give you a comprehensive overview of what makes the F-TYPE AWD convertible stand out on the road. Unique to AutoNetwork.com.