Joe Rogan, the popular U.S. podcaster, issued an apology for the second time in a week, this time for using racial slurs after a montage video surfaced showing him repeatedly saying the N-word.

In an apology video posted on Instagram on Saturday, Rogan said it was the "most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly." During the video, Rogan said footage that emerged of him using the epithet had been taken out of context, but looked "horrible, even to me."

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-spotify-boss-defends-joe-rogan-deal-as-stock-plunges-450331" hreflang="en">Spotify boss defends Joe Rogan deal as stock plunges</a>

Rogan's apology came after Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter India Arie pulled her music from the&nbsp;Spotify&nbsp;streaming service, which hosts Rogan's podcast, after posting clips on her Instagram feed of him using the N-word.

In his apology, Rogan said the montage showed him using the epithet in conversations on shows over the last 12 years, and included examples of him discussing its use by Black and white comedians and others. He said he had not spoken it in years.

"It's not my word to use. I am well aware of that now, but for years I used it in that manner," he said. "I never used it to be racist because I'm not racist."

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-graham-nash-india-arie-withdraw-music-from-spotify-in-protest-of-joe-rogan-450250" hreflang="en">Graham Nash, India Arie withdraw music from Spotify in protest of Joe Rogan</a>

Media reports on Saturday said more than 70 episodes of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast had been removed from the&nbsp;Spotify&nbsp;Technology SA service.

Spotify&nbsp;did not return a request for comment.

On Monday, Rogan had apologized amid a backlash against COVID-19 misinformation in his program, and&nbsp;Spotify&nbsp;said it would add a content advisory to any episode with a discussion of the virus.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/lifestyle/news-prince-harry-and-meghan-voice-concern-to-spotify-over-covid-19-misinformation-449303" hreflang="en">Prince Harry and Meghan voice concern to Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation</a>

Rogan, a mixed martial arts commentator and prominent vaccine skeptic, has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic and on vaccines and government mandates to control the spread of the virus.

Singer-songwriters Neil Young and Joni Mitchell announced last week that they were removing their music from&nbsp;Spotify&nbsp;in protest at coronavirus misinformation broadcast on the platform.

Joe Rogan, the popular U.S. podcaster, issued an apology for the second time in a week, this time for using racial slurs after a montage video surfaced showing him repeatedly saying the N-word.

Joe Rogan, the popular U.S. podcaster, issued an apology for the second time in a week, this time for using racial slurs after a montage video surfaced showing him repeatedly saying the N-word. In an apology video posted on Instagram on Saturday, Rogan said it was the "most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly." During the video, Rogan said footage that emerged of him using the epithet had been taken out of context, but looked "horrible, even to me." Spotify boss defends Joe Rogan deal as stock plunges Rogan's apology came after Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter India Arie pulled her music from the Spotify streaming service, which hosts Rogan's podcast, after posting clips on her Instagram feed of him using the N-word. In his apology, Rogan said the montage showed him using the epithet in conversations on shows over the last 12 years, and included examples of him discussing its use by Black and white comedians and others. He said he had not spoken it in years. "It's not my word to use. I am well aware of that now, but for years I used it in that manner," he said. "I never used it to be racist because I'm not racist." Graham Nash, India Arie withdraw music from Spotify in protest of Joe Rogan Media reports on Saturday said more than 70 episodes of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast had been removed from the Spotify Technology SA service. Spotify did not return a request for comment. On Monday, Rogan had apologized amid a backlash against COVID-19 misinformation in his program, and Spotify said it would add a content advisory to any episode with a discussion of the virus. Prince Harry and Meghan voice concern to Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation Rogan, a mixed martial arts commentator and prominent vaccine skeptic, has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic and on vaccines and government mandates to control the spread of the virus. Singer-songwriters Neil Young and Joni Mitchell announced last week that they were removing their music from Spotify in protest at coronavirus misinformation broadcast on the platform.

Joe Rogan apologises for using racial slurs on his podcast, says, 'I'm not racist'

The head of embattled streaming service Spotify has told staff that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/neil-young-demands-spotify-remove-his-music-over-joe-rogan-disinformation-447959">Joe Rogan</a> is vital to the company, but that he doesn't agree with the controversial podcaster.

The comments were published Thursday as the firm's stock went into freefall. Spotify has found itself stuck between its $100 million flagship talent and a popular backlash over Covid-19 misinformation on his shows.

Chief executive Daniel Ek told up-in-arms employees they did not have editorial control over 'The Joe Rogan Experience', which garners up to 11 million listeners per episode.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-graham-nash-india-arie-withdraw-music-from-spotify-in-protest-of-joe-rogan-450250">Graham Nash, India Arie withdraw music from Spotify in protest of Joe Rogan</a>

"There are many things that Joe Rogan says that I strongly disagree with and find very offensive," he said, according to a transcript of the company town hall published by The Verge.

But "if we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with.&nbsp;

"Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas, and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad."

- Stock rout -

Shares in the company were down 17 percent Thursday in New York, as tech stocks dropped across the board. These shares have been on the slide since November, but have been badly hit by news that its subscriber growth is slowing.

The drop also comes as controversy swirls over the mega deal with Rogan, who has been accused of spouting misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccination, either directly or through the guests he has on his show.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/dwayne-johnson-shows-support-for-joe-rogan-amid-spotify-misinformation-controversy-449731" hreflang="en">Dwayne Johnson shows support for Joe Rogan amid Spotify misinformation controversy</a>

That led last week to a burgeoning boycott spearheaded by folk-rock star Neil Young and Canadian songstress Joni Mitchell, who asked for their songs to be removed from the platform.

In response Ek announced this week that they would add a content advisory to podcasts about Covid-19, directing listeners to scientific and medical sources.

The Verge reported that staff had been eagerly awaiting the company meeting, with some feeling increasingly frustrated that Spotify was being driven by its deal with Rogan.

Ek told employees that podcasts such as Rogan's were vital if Spotify were to get its head above the competition in a crowded streaming field.

"We needed to find leverage, and one way we could do this was in the form of exclusives," he said, according to the transcript. "To be frank, had we not made some of the choices we did, I am confident that our business wouldn’t be where it is today."

But that is not to say the company agrees with everything its big-name podcast host utters, Ek said, framing Spotify not as a publisher, but as a platform.

"It is important to note that we do not have creative control over Joe Rogan’s content," he said.

"We don’t approve his guests in advance, and just like any other creator, we get his content when he publishes, and then we review it, and if it violates our policies, we take the appropriate enforcement actions."

Spotify is the latest tech company to find itself on the horns of a dilemma that pits a controversial -- and moneymaking -- anti-establishmentarian against advertisers, employees and public outrage.

Last year Netflix was forced to walk the line between defending comedian Dave Chappelle and placating critics who accused the company of giving air to anti-trans sentiment.

The head of embattled streaming service Spotify has told staff that Joe Rogan is vital to the company, but that he doesn't agree with the controversial podcaster.

The head of embattled streaming service Spotify has told staff that Joe Rogan is vital to the company, but that he doesn't agree with the controversial podcaster. The comments were published Thursday as the firm's stock went into freefall. Spotify has found itself stuck between its $100 million flagship talent and a popular backlash over Covid-19 misinformation on his shows. Chief executive Daniel Ek told up-in-arms employees they did not have editorial control over 'The Joe Rogan Experience', which garners up to 11 million listeners per episode. Graham Nash, India Arie withdraw music from Spotify in protest of Joe Rogan "There are many things that Joe Rogan says that I strongly disagree with and find very offensive," he said, according to a transcript of the company town hall published by The Verge. But "if we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with. "Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas, and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad." - Stock rout - Shares in the company were down 17 percent Thursday in New York, as tech stocks dropped across the board. These shares have been on the slide since November, but have been badly hit by news that its subscriber growth is slowing. The drop also comes as controversy swirls over the mega deal with Rogan, who has been accused of spouting misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccination, either directly or through the guests he has on his show. Dwayne Johnson shows support for Joe Rogan amid Spotify misinformation controversy That led last week to a burgeoning boycott spearheaded by folk-rock star Neil Young and Canadian songstress Joni Mitchell, who asked for their songs to be removed from the platform. In response Ek announced this week that they would add a content advisory to podcasts about Covid-19, directing listeners to scientific and medical sources. The Verge reported that staff had been eagerly awaiting the company meeting, with some feeling increasingly frustrated that Spotify was being driven by its deal with Rogan. Ek told employees that podcasts such as Rogan's were vital if Spotify were to get its head above the competition in a crowded streaming field. "We needed to find leverage, and one way we could do this was in the form of exclusives," he said, according to the transcript. "To be frank, had we not made some of the choices we did, I am confident that our business wouldn’t be where it is today." But that is not to say the company agrees with everything its big-name podcast host utters, Ek said, framing Spotify not as a publisher, but as a platform. "It is important to note that we do not have creative control over Joe Rogan’s content," he said. "We don’t approve his guests in advance, and just like any other creator, we get his content when he publishes, and then we review it, and if it violates our policies, we take the appropriate enforcement actions." Spotify is the latest tech company to find itself on the horns of a dilemma that pits a controversial -- and moneymaking -- anti-establishmentarian against advertisers, employees and public outrage. Last year Netflix was forced to walk the line between defending comedian Dave Chappelle and placating critics who accused the company of giving air to anti-trans sentiment.

Spotify boss defends Joe Rogan deal as stock plunges

More musicians are withdrawing their music from<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/neil-young-demands-spotify-remove-his-music-over-joe-rogan-disinformation-447959"> Spotify</a> despite the audio platform's efforts to assure audiences that the streamer would add content advisories to its podcasts about COVID-19. 
 
Graham Nash and India Arie are the latest celebrities to announce that they are following in the footsteps of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell by removing their music from the platform, reported Variety. 
 
Nash said in a statement that he "completely agrees" with his Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; Young bandmate Neil Young after "having heard the COVID disinformation spread by Joe Rogan on Spotify."Nash added, "I am requesting that my solo recordings be removed from the service."While Young, Mitchell and Nash exited Spotify because of Joe Rogan`s podcast spreading COVID misinformation, India Arie noted on Instagram that she is leaving Spotify because of Rogan`s "language about race"."Neil Young opened a door that I must walk through," Arie wrote on Instagram.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/dwayne-johnson-shows-support-for-joe-rogan-amid-spotify-misinformation-controversy-449731" hreflang="en">Dwayne Johnson shows support for Joe Rogan amid Spotify misinformation controversy</a> 
 
She added, "I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons other than his Covid interviews. For me, it`s also his language around race." 
 
Arie continued, "What I am talking about is respect -- who gets it and who doesn`t. Paying musicians a fraction of a penny? And him USD 100 [million]? This shows the type of company they are and the company that they keep. I`m tired."Rogan received backlash last month after engaging in a debate about what it means to be Black with podcast guest Jordan Peterson.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-joe-rogan-responds-to-spotify-podcast-controversy-says-hes-a-big-fan-of-neil-young-449131" hreflang="en">Joe Rogan responds to Spotify podcast controversy, says 'he's a big fan of Neil Young'</a> 
 
Rogan said it`s "very strange" that anyone would call themselves Black unless they`re from the "darkest place" of Africa, adding, "There`s such a spectrum of shades of people. Unless you`re talking to someone who is, like, 100 per cent African, from the darkest place, where they are not wearing any clothes all day and they`ve developed all that melanin to protect themselves from the sun. You know, even the term Black is weird. When you use it for people who are literally my color, it becomes very strange."

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/lifestyle/news-prince-harry-and-meghan-voice-concern-to-spotify-over-covid-19-misinformation-449303" hreflang="en">Prince Harry and Meghan voice concern to Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation</a> 
 
Following Young and Mitchell`s departures, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced a plan to add warning labels on its global platform to content that skirts the line between "what is acceptable and what is not."In his statement, Ek vowed that Spotify would affix warnings on podcast episodes that include conversations about COVID-19. Notably, Ek did not specify any content creators by name in the statement. 
 
Rogan then came forward with a 10-minute video posted on his Instagram in which he said, "I`m not trying to promote misinformation."Rogan admitted that it`s important he "makes sure that I`ve researched these topics -- the controversial ones in particular -- and have all the pertinent facts at hand before I discuss them," adding, "I`m not trying to be controversial. I`ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than just talk to people and have interesting conversations."

More musicians are withdrawing their music from Spotify despite the audio platform's efforts to assure audiences that the streamer would add content advisories to its podcasts about COVID-19.

More musicians are withdrawing their music from Spotify despite the audio platform's efforts to assure audiences that the streamer would add content advisories to its podcasts about COVID-19. Graham Nash and India Arie are the latest celebrities to announce that they are following in the footsteps of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell by removing their music from the platform, reported Variety. Nash said in a statement that he "completely agrees" with his Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmate Neil Young after "having heard the COVID disinformation spread by Joe Rogan on Spotify."Nash added, "I am requesting that my solo recordings be removed from the service."While Young, Mitchell and Nash exited Spotify because of Joe Rogan`s podcast spreading COVID misinformation, India Arie noted on Instagram that she is leaving Spotify because of Rogan`s "language about race"."Neil Young opened a door that I must walk through," Arie wrote on Instagram. Dwayne Johnson shows support for Joe Rogan amid Spotify misinformation controversy She added, "I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons other than his Covid interviews. For me, it`s also his language around race." Arie continued, "What I am talking about is respect -- who gets it and who doesn`t. Paying musicians a fraction of a penny? And him USD 100 [million]? This shows the type of company they are and the company that they keep. I`m tired."Rogan received backlash last month after engaging in a debate about what it means to be Black with podcast guest Jordan Peterson. Joe Rogan responds to Spotify podcast controversy, says 'he's a big fan of Neil Young' Rogan said it`s "very strange" that anyone would call themselves Black unless they`re from the "darkest place" of Africa, adding, "There`s such a spectrum of shades of people. Unless you`re talking to someone who is, like, 100 per cent African, from the darkest place, where they are not wearing any clothes all day and they`ve developed all that melanin to protect themselves from the sun. You know, even the term Black is weird. When you use it for people who are literally my color, it becomes very strange." Prince Harry and Meghan voice concern to Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation Following Young and Mitchell`s departures, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced a plan to add warning labels on its global platform to content that skirts the line between "what is acceptable and what is not."In his statement, Ek vowed that Spotify would affix warnings on podcast episodes that include conversations about COVID-19. Notably, Ek did not specify any content creators by name in the statement. Rogan then came forward with a 10-minute video posted on his Instagram in which he said, "I`m not trying to promote misinformation."Rogan admitted that it`s important he "makes sure that I`ve researched these topics -- the controversial ones in particular -- and have all the pertinent facts at hand before I discuss them," adding, "I`m not trying to be controversial. I`ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than just talk to people and have interesting conversations."

Graham Nash, India Arie withdraw music from Spotify in protest of Joe Rogan

Streaming platform Spotify has reportedly lost USD4 billion. Artists have pulled down their albums, subscribers have hit unsubscribe. Why? Because one podcast host decided to spread Wuhan virus lies. Palki Sharma has a report.

Gravitas: Spotify reportedly loses USD 4 billion in market value

Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has shown his support for Joe Rogan after the podcast host responded to the handful of artists protesting his presence on Spotify. 
 
According to Fox News, on Monday, Rogan had released a nearly ten-minute video response to critics calling for the platform to remove 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast, arguing that he often spreads misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic on the show. 
 
Last week, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and guitarist Nils Lofgren announced that they were pulling their music off the platform until it addresses the issue of misinformation on Rogan's show. Meanwhile, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also issued a statement noting they had some concerns about misinformation on the platform, where they have an exclusive deal, without mentioning Rogan directly. 
 
However, in the comments of Rogan's lengthy video, in which he defended the content of his show as well as the qualifications of the guests he had on, Johnson complimented the UFC commentator and said that he hopes to come on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' soon. 
 
The actor wrote, "Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you." 
 
Although Johnson has never been on Rogan's popular podcast, the duo has had a few friendly exchanges on social media and the former 'Fear Factor' host previously backed Johnson in 2020 amid speculation that the former WWE star was planning to run for political office, according to Fox News. 
 
Rogan's video post lasted about 10 minutes. He spoke about the challenges of preparing for his shows that are unscripted and free-flowing. He defended his interviews with Dr. Peter McCullough, a cardiologist, and Dr. Robert Malone, an infectious disease specialist, that resulted in some criticism and apparently led to Young`s decision to call on his songs being removed from the platform. 
 
He challenged the word "misinformation" given that so much is still being learned about COVID-19. He said Spotify will begin to put a disclaimer at the beginning of these sorts of interviews, and he will also consider following them up with an expert with a different opinion.&nbsp;

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Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has shown his support for Joe Rogan after the podcast host responded to the handful of artists protesting his presence on Spotify. According to Fox News, on Monday, Rogan had released a nearly ten-minute video response to critics calling for the platform to remove 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast, arguing that he often spreads misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic on the show.

Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has shown his support for Joe Rogan after the podcast host responded to the handful of artists protesting his presence on Spotify. According to Fox News, on Monday, Rogan had released a nearly ten-minute video response to critics calling for the platform to remove 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast, arguing that he often spreads misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic on the show. Last week, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and guitarist Nils Lofgren announced that they were pulling their music off the platform until it addresses the issue of misinformation on Rogan's show. Meanwhile, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also issued a statement noting they had some concerns about misinformation on the platform, where they have an exclusive deal, without mentioning Rogan directly. However, in the comments of Rogan's lengthy video, in which he defended the content of his show as well as the qualifications of the guests he had on, Johnson complimented the UFC commentator and said that he hopes to come on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' soon. The actor wrote, "Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you." Although Johnson has never been on Rogan's popular podcast, the duo has had a few friendly exchanges on social media and the former 'Fear Factor' host previously backed Johnson in 2020 amid speculation that the former WWE star was planning to run for political office, according to Fox News. Rogan's video post lasted about 10 minutes. He spoke about the challenges of preparing for his shows that are unscripted and free-flowing. He defended his interviews with Dr. Peter McCullough, a cardiologist, and Dr. Robert Malone, an infectious disease specialist, that resulted in some criticism and apparently led to Young`s decision to call on his songs being removed from the platform. He challenged the word "misinformation" given that so much is still being learned about COVID-19. He said Spotify will begin to put a disclaimer at the beginning of these sorts of interviews, and he will also consider following them up with an expert with a different opinion. ×

Dwayne Johnson shows support for Joe Rogan amid Spotify misinformation controversy

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have expressed their concern to Spotify about COVID-19 misinformation on its platform and are committed to continuing to work with the company, a spokesperson for their Archewell foundation said on Sunday. 
 
Singer-songwriters Neil Young and Joni Mitchell are removing their music from Spotify in protest that the popular streaming service has allowed the airing of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. 
 
Harry and Meghan signed a series of corporate deals, including producing and hosting podcasts for Spotify, as part of their efforts to make a living following their split with Britain`s royal family announced in 2020. 
 
"Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of rampant mis- and disinformation every day. Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform," the spokesperson said. 
 
"We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis. We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does." 
 
Contacted by Reuters on Sunday through its website, Spotify had no immediate comment. 
 
The Swedish company has previously said it worked to balance "both safety for listeners and freedom for creators" and had removed more than 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 in accordance with its "detailed content policies." 
 
Young objected to his music being played on the same platform as Joe Rogan`s top-rated podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience". Rogan has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic, government mandates and vaccines to control the spread of the coronavirus. 
 
Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals signed a letter urging Spotify to take action against Rogan, accusing him of spreading falsehoods on the podcast.

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have expressed their concern to Spotify about COVID-19 misinformation on its platform and are committed to continuing to work with the company, a spokesperson for their Archewell foundation said on Sunday.

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have expressed their concern to Spotify about COVID-19 misinformation on its platform and are committed to continuing to work with the company, a spokesperson for their Archewell foundation said on Sunday. Singer-songwriters Neil Young and Joni Mitchell are removing their music from Spotify in protest that the popular streaming service has allowed the airing of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Harry and Meghan signed a series of corporate deals, including producing and hosting podcasts for Spotify, as part of their efforts to make a living following their split with Britain`s royal family announced in 2020. "Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of rampant mis- and disinformation every day. Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform," the spokesperson said. "We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis. We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does." Contacted by Reuters on Sunday through its website, Spotify had no immediate comment. The Swedish company has previously said it worked to balance "both safety for listeners and freedom for creators" and had removed more than 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 in accordance with its "detailed content policies." Young objected to his music being played on the same platform as Joe Rogan`s top-rated podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience". Rogan has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic, government mandates and vaccines to control the spread of the coronavirus. Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals signed a letter urging Spotify to take action against Rogan, accusing him of spreading falsehoods on the podcast.

Prince Harry and Meghan voice concern to Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation

Spotify Technology SA will add a "content advisory" to any podcast episode that includes discussion about COVID-19, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said, after coming under fire from rock and folk legends for giving voice to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. 
 
"This new effort to combat misinformation will roll out to countries around the world in the coming days," Ek wrote in a blog post published Sunday. "To our knowledge, this content advisory is the first of its kind by a major podcast platform." 
 
Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan also expressed their concern to Spotify about COVID-19 misinformation on its platform and are committed to continuing to work with the company, a spokesperson for their Archewell foundation said on Sunday. 
 
The advisory will direct listeners to a COVID-19 hub that contains facts and information from medical and health experts, as well as links to trusted sources. 
 
The move comes after singer-songwriters Neil Young and Joni Mitchell announced they are removing their music from Spotify in protest that the popular streaming service has allowed the airing of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. 
 
Young objected to his music being played on the same platform as Joe Rogan`s top-rated podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience." A prominent vaccine skeptic, Rogan has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic, government mandates and vaccines to control the spread of the coronavirus. 
 
Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals signed a letter urging Spotify to take action against Rogan, accusing him of spreading falsehoods on the podcast. 
 
In a tweet on Saturday best-selling author Brene Brown -- host of the Spotify-exclusive podcasts "Unlocking Us" and "Dare to Lead" -- said she would "not be releasing any podcasts until further notice." 
 
Brown could not immediately be reached for comment. 
 
Spotify is also publishing platform rules for its creators, according to Ek's post. 
 
"We know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users," he wrote. "In that role, it is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them." 
 
 
 
(Reporting by Helen Coster in New York; editing by Diane Craft) 
&nbsp;

Spotify Technology SA will add a "content advisory" to any podcast episode that includes discussion about COVID-19, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said, after coming under fire from rock and folk legends for giving voice to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

Spotify Technology SA will add a "content advisory" to any podcast episode that includes discussion about COVID-19, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said, after coming under fire from rock and folk legends for giving voice to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. "This new effort to combat misinformation will roll out to countries around the world in the coming days," Ek wrote in a blog post published Sunday. "To our knowledge, this content advisory is the first of its kind by a major podcast platform." Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan also expressed their concern to Spotify about COVID-19 misinformation on its platform and are committed to continuing to work with the company, a spokesperson for their Archewell foundation said on Sunday. The advisory will direct listeners to a COVID-19 hub that contains facts and information from medical and health experts, as well as links to trusted sources. The move comes after singer-songwriters Neil Young and Joni Mitchell announced they are removing their music from Spotify in protest that the popular streaming service has allowed the airing of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Young objected to his music being played on the same platform as Joe Rogan`s top-rated podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience." A prominent vaccine skeptic, Rogan has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic, government mandates and vaccines to control the spread of the coronavirus. Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals signed a letter urging Spotify to take action against Rogan, accusing him of spreading falsehoods on the podcast. In a tweet on Saturday best-selling author Brene Brown -- host of the Spotify-exclusive podcasts "Unlocking Us" and "Dare to Lead" -- said she would "not be releasing any podcasts until further notice." Brown could not immediately be reached for comment. Spotify is also publishing platform rules for its creators, according to Ek's post. "We know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users," he wrote. "In that role, it is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them." (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York; editing by Diane Craft)

Spotify says it will add content advisory to podcasts that discuss COVID

Joe Rogan has finally reacted to the controversy surrounding his Spotify podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience'. 
 
On Sunday, Rogan posted a nearly 10-minute video on his Instagram account, in which he responded to the ongoing criticism surrounding his podcast content and to the claims that he is spreading &nbsp;'misinformation' about Covid-19.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/musicians-and-their-feuds-5-infamous-music-industry-spats-448792" hreflang="en">Musicians and their feuds! 5 infamous music industry spats</a> 
 
Rogan's video comes after the legendary singer Neil Young <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/neil-young-demands-spotify-remove-his-music-over-joe-rogan-disinformation-447959">removed </a>his entire music catalog from the streaming service and following him, another high profile singer Joni Mitchell <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-joni-mitchell-is-removing-her-music-from-spotify-i-stand-with-neil-young-448805">demanded </a>to remove her music from the streaming service.&nbsp; 
 
In the new video, Joe promised to do his best in the future to ''balance things out.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-neil-young-moves-to-amazon-music-after-spotify-exit-over-joe-rogan-vaccine-disinformation-448672">Neil Young moves to Amazon Music after Spotify exit over Joe Rogan vaccine 'disinformation'</a> 
 
"My pledge to you is that I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people's perspectives, so that we can maybe find a better point of view," he said. "I don't want to just show the contrary opinion to what the narrative is. I want to show all kinds of opinions so that we can all figure what's going on..."

Further, Rogan apologized to&nbsp;Young and Mitchell,&nbsp;adding that he’s a big fan of Young,&nbsp;"Now, because of this controversy …&nbsp;Neil Young&nbsp;has removed his music from the platform of Spotify and&nbsp;Joni Mitchell&nbsp;and apparently some other people want to as well," he said. "I'm very sorry that they feel that way. I most certainly don't want that. I'm a Neil Young fan, I've always been a Neil Young fan."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-singer-james-blunt-joins-joe-rogans-podcast-protest-threatens-to-release-new-music-on-spotify-448937">Singer James Blunt joins Joe Rogan's podcast protest, threatens to release new music on Spotify</a>

"If I pissed you off, I'm sorry. And if you enjoyed the podcast, thank you. … Thank you all the supporters and even thank you to the haters because it's good to have some haters. It makes you reassess what you're doing and put things into perspective and I think that's good too,'' he added.&nbsp; 
 
He also thanked Spotify for “being supportive” amid the controversy.&nbsp; 
 
Watch the full video below:

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Many of Rogan's fans, friends and supporters, including Dwayne Johnson, responded to his video. "Great stuff here brother," Johnson wrote. ''Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you,'' he added.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Spotify also reacted to the controversy, saying that they will add a "content advisory" to any podcast episode that includes discussion about COVID-19, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said, after coming under fire from rock and folk legends for giving voice to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/spotify-says-it-will-add-content-advisory-to-podcasts-that-discuss-covid-449074">Read more here.</a>

Joe Rogan has finally reacted to the controversy surrounding his Spotify podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience'. On Sunday, Rogan posted a nearly 10-minute video on his Instagram account, in which he responded to the ongoing criticism surrounding his podcast content and to the claims that he is spreading 'misinformation' about Covid-19.

Joe Rogan has finally reacted to the controversy surrounding his Spotify podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience'. On Sunday, Rogan posted a nearly 10-minute video on his Instagram account, in which he responded to the ongoing criticism surrounding his podcast content and to the claims that he is spreading 'misinformation' about Covid-19. Musicians and their feuds! 5 infamous music industry spats Rogan's video comes after the legendary singer Neil Young removed his entire music catalog from the streaming service and following him, another high profile singer Joni Mitchell demanded to remove her music from the streaming service. In the new video, Joe promised to do his best in the future to ''balance things out.'' Neil Young moves to Amazon Music after Spotify exit over Joe Rogan vaccine 'disinformation' "My pledge to you is that I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people's perspectives, so that we can maybe find a better point of view," he said. "I don't want to just show the contrary opinion to what the narrative is. I want to show all kinds of opinions so that we can all figure what's going on..." Further, Rogan apologized to Young and Mitchell, adding that he’s a big fan of Young, "Now, because of this controversy … Neil Young has removed his music from the platform of Spotify and Joni Mitchell and apparently some other people want to as well," he said. "I'm very sorry that they feel that way. I most certainly don't want that. I'm a Neil Young fan, I've always been a Neil Young fan." Singer James Blunt joins Joe Rogan's podcast protest, threatens to release new music on Spotify "If I pissed you off, I'm sorry. And if you enjoyed the podcast, thank you. … Thank you all the supporters and even thank you to the haters because it's good to have some haters. It makes you reassess what you're doing and put things into perspective and I think that's good too,'' he added. He also thanked Spotify for “being supportive” amid the controversy. Watch the full video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joe Rogan (@joerogan) × Many of Rogan's fans, friends and supporters, including Dwayne Johnson, responded to his video. "Great stuff here brother," Johnson wrote. ''Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you,'' he added. Meanwhile, Spotify also reacted to the controversy, saying that they will add a "content advisory" to any podcast episode that includes discussion about COVID-19, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said, after coming under fire from rock and folk legends for giving voice to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Read more here.

Joe Rogan responds to Spotify podcast controversy, says 'he's a big fan of Neil Young'

James Blunt is speaking out against the Joe Rogan podcast&nbsp;and Spotify, but he's doing it with a new twist.&nbsp; 
 
Joining the list of musicians, who are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/neil-young-demands-spotify-remove-his-music-over-joe-rogan-disinformation-447959">speaking out</a> against Joe Rogan podcast over vaccine 'disinformation'. On Saturday, Blunt threatened to release new music on Spotify if the streamer does not immediately remove the podcast by the popular host Joe Rogan, which has been criticised for promoting anti-vax sentiments. 
 
The 'You’re Beautiful' singer took to Twitter and wrote, ''If @spotify doesn’t immediately remove @joerogan, I will release new music onto the platform. #youwerebeautiful.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/musicians-and-their-feuds-5-infamous-music-industry-spats-448792" hreflang="en">Musicians and their feuds! 5 infamous music industry spats</a> 
 
Blunt’s comment&nbsp;come after the legendary singer Neil Young removed his entire catalog&nbsp;from the streaming service and following him, another high profile singer Joni Mitchell demanded to remove her music from the streaming service.&nbsp;

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If <a href="https://twitter.com/Spotify?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spotify</a> doesn’t immediately remove <a href="https://twitter.com/joerogan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joerogan</a>, I will release new music onto the platform. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/youwerebeautiful?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#youwerebeautiful</a>
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Mitchell announced on her official website with a statement reading, ''Irresponsible people are spreading lies'', and she stands in solidarity with Neil Young.&nbsp; 
 
''I've decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue,'' the full statement reads.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier this week, Young demanded in an open letter to Spotify to remove his music from the platform. He said they are spreading vaccine disinformation via the popular podcaster Joe Rogan.&nbsp; 
 
''I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform, '' the singer wrote.&nbsp; 
 
"I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines -- potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," he added. 
 
"They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." 
 
Rogan hosts 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast on Spotify, which is the platform’s most-listened-to podcast and racks up millions of listens. Rogan signed a reported $100 million deal with Spotify last year. &nbsp;

As per variety, earlier this month, a group of public health officials urged Spotify to take action against Rogan in an open letter, writing that he has a “concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.”

James Blunt is speaking out against the Joe Rogan podcast and Spotify, but he's doing it with a new twist. Joining the list of musicians, who are speaking out against Joe Rogan podcast over vaccine 'disinformation'.

James Blunt is speaking out against the Joe Rogan podcast and Spotify, but he's doing it with a new twist. Joining the list of musicians, who are speaking out against Joe Rogan podcast over vaccine 'disinformation'. On Saturday, Blunt threatened to release new music on Spotify if the streamer does not immediately remove the podcast by the popular host Joe Rogan, which has been criticised for promoting anti-vax sentiments. The 'You’re Beautiful' singer took to Twitter and wrote, ''If @spotify doesn’t immediately remove @joerogan, I will release new music onto the platform. #youwerebeautiful.'' Musicians and their feuds! 5 infamous music industry spats Blunt’s comment come after the legendary singer Neil Young removed his entire catalog from the streaming service and following him, another high profile singer Joni Mitchell demanded to remove her music from the streaming service. If @spotify doesn’t immediately remove @joerogan, I will release new music onto the platform. #youwerebeautiful — James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) January 29, 2022 × Mitchell announced on her official website with a statement reading, ''Irresponsible people are spreading lies'', and she stands in solidarity with Neil Young. ''I've decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue,'' the full statement reads. Earlier this week, Young demanded in an open letter to Spotify to remove his music from the platform. He said they are spreading vaccine disinformation via the popular podcaster Joe Rogan. ''I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform, '' the singer wrote. "I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines -- potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," he added. "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." Rogan hosts 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast on Spotify, which is the platform’s most-listened-to podcast and racks up millions of listens. Rogan signed a reported $100 million deal with Spotify last year. As per variety, earlier this month, a group of public health officials urged Spotify to take action against Rogan in an open letter, writing that he has a “concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Singer James Blunt joins Joe Rogan's podcast protest, threatens to release new music on Spotify

Neil Young demanded in an open letter to Spotify to remove his music from the platform he said is spreading vaccine disinformation via the popular podcaster Joe Rogan.

"I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines -- potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," wrote the legendary singer behind "Heart of Gold" and "Harvest Moon."

"I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform," Young, 76, continued.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/fir-against-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-five-others-over-film-piracy-on-youtube-447926" hreflang="en">FIR against Google CEO Sundar Pichai, five others over film piracy on YouTube</a>

"They can have Rogan or Young. Not both."

The letter, which has since been removed from Young's website, was first reported by Rolling Stone late Monday.

Spotify has not replied to an AFP query regarding the musician's request. As of Tuesday Young's music is still on the platform.

Rogan's podcast racks up millions of listens -- he signed a reported $100 million deal with Spotify last year -- but critics say it is a platform for peddling conspiracy theories and disinformation, particularly over Covid-19.

Rogan has discouraged vaccination in younger people and promoted the off-label use of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat the virus.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kanye-west-claims-he-stopped-a-second-sex-tape-of-kim-kardashian-and-ray-j-from-leaking-online-447924" hreflang="en">Kanye West claims he stopped a second sex tape of Kim Kardashian and Ray J from leaking online</a>

In December 270 doctors, physicians and professors signed an open letter to Spotify asking the service to "moderate misinformation on its platform."

"It is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform," read the letter.

Young, citing sound quality issues, removed much of his music from Spotify in 2015 but later relented, saying "that's where people get music."

He has his own online archive of all of his music that fans can subscribe to.

Neil Young demanded in an open letter to Spotify to remove his music from the platform he said is spreading vaccine disinformation via the popular podcaster Joe Rogan.

Neil Young demanded in an open letter to Spotify to remove his music from the platform he said is spreading vaccine disinformation via the popular podcaster Joe Rogan. "I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines -- potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," wrote the legendary singer behind "Heart of Gold" and "Harvest Moon." "I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform," Young, 76, continued. FIR against Google CEO Sundar Pichai, five others over film piracy on YouTube "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." The letter, which has since been removed from Young's website, was first reported by Rolling Stone late Monday. Spotify has not replied to an AFP query regarding the musician's request. As of Tuesday Young's music is still on the platform. Rogan's podcast racks up millions of listens -- he signed a reported $100 million deal with Spotify last year -- but critics say it is a platform for peddling conspiracy theories and disinformation, particularly over Covid-19. Rogan has discouraged vaccination in younger people and promoted the off-label use of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat the virus. Kanye West claims he stopped a second sex tape of Kim Kardashian and Ray J from leaking online In December 270 doctors, physicians and professors signed an open letter to Spotify asking the service to "moderate misinformation on its platform." "It is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform," read the letter. Young, citing sound quality issues, removed much of his music from Spotify in 2015 but later relented, saying "that's where people get music." He has his own online archive of all of his music that fans can subscribe to.

Neil Young demands Spotify remove his music over Joe Rogan 'disinformation'

Swedish&nbsp;capital Stockholm has become the Silicon Valley of Europe&nbsp;birthing and incubating the likes of Spotify, Skype, and Klarna, even though it has some of the highest tax rates in the world.

Both established companies and startups are flocking to the city due to its home computer drive, and concurrent early investment in internet connectivity.

Some executives and campaigners say the Scandinavian nation demonstrates that a deep social safety net, often viewed as counter to entrepreneurial spirit, can foster innovation.

It's an outcome that might not have been envisaged by the architects of Sweden's welfare state in the 1950s.

Childcare is, for the most part, free. A range of income insurance funds can protect you if your business fails or you lose your job, guaranteeing up to 80 per cent&nbsp;of your previous salary for the first 300 days of unemployment.

Feast of capitalism

As Klarna's billionaire founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski prepares to stage one of the biggest-ever European fintech company listings, a feast of capitalism, he credits an unlikely backer for his runaway success: the Swedish welfare state.

In particular, the 39-year-old pinpoints a late-1990s government policy to put a computer in every home.

"Computers were inaccessible for low-income families such as mine, but when the reform came into play, my mother bought us a computer the very next day," he said.

Startup rate vs Silicon Valley

Although overall investments are larger in the bigger European economies of Britain and France and their longstanding finance hubs, Sweden punches above its weight in some regards.

It has the third-highest startup rate in the world, behind Turkey and Spain, with 20 startups per 1000 employees and the highest three-year survival rate for startups anywhere, at 74 per cent, according to a 2018 study by OECD economists.

Stockholm is second only to Silicon Valley in terms of unicorns - startups valued at above $1 billion - per capita, at around 0.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to Sarah Guemouri at venture capital firm Atomico.

Silicon Valley, San Francisco and the Bay Area,&nbsp;&nbsp;boasts 1.4 unicorns per 100,000, said Guemouri, co-author of a 2020 report on European tech companies.

No one can say for sure if the boom will last, though, in a country where capital gains are taxed at 30 percent and income tax can be as high as 60 percent.

In 2016, Spotify said it was considering moving its headquarters out of the country, arguing high taxes made it difficult to attract overseas talent, though it hasn't done so.

Sweden's digital minister Anders Ygeman said that social regulation could make it "possible to fail" and then "be up and running again" for innovators.

Peter Carlsson, CEO of startup Northvolt, which makes Lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and is valued at $11.75 billion, said that ultimately success bred success.

"You're really creating ripple effects when you're seeing the success of somebody else and I think that's perhaps the most important thing in order to create local ecosystems."

(With inputs from agencies)

Swedish capital Stockholm has become the Silicon Valley of Europe birthing and incubating the likes of Spotify, Skype, and Klarna, even though it has some of the highest tax rates in the world.

Swedish capital Stockholm has become the Silicon Valley of Europe birthing and incubating the likes of Spotify, Skype, and Klarna, even though it has some of the highest tax rates in the world. Both established companies and startups are flocking to the city due to its home computer drive, and concurrent early investment in internet connectivity. Some executives and campaigners say the Scandinavian nation demonstrates that a deep social safety net, often viewed as counter to entrepreneurial spirit, can foster innovation. It's an outcome that might not have been envisaged by the architects of Sweden's welfare state in the 1950s. Childcare is, for the most part, free. A range of income insurance funds can protect you if your business fails or you lose your job, guaranteeing up to 80 per cent of your previous salary for the first 300 days of unemployment. Feast of capitalism As Klarna's billionaire founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski prepares to stage one of the biggest-ever European fintech company listings, a feast of capitalism, he credits an unlikely backer for his runaway success: the Swedish welfare state. In particular, the 39-year-old pinpoints a late-1990s government policy to put a computer in every home. "Computers were inaccessible for low-income families such as mine, but when the reform came into play, my mother bought us a computer the very next day," he said. Startup rate vs Silicon Valley Although overall investments are larger in the bigger European economies of Britain and France and their longstanding finance hubs, Sweden punches above its weight in some regards. It has the third-highest startup rate in the world, behind Turkey and Spain, with 20 startups per 1000 employees and the highest three-year survival rate for startups anywhere, at 74 per cent, according to a 2018 study by OECD economists. Stockholm is second only to Silicon Valley in terms of unicorns - startups valued at above $1 billion - per capita, at around 0.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to Sarah Guemouri at venture capital firm Atomico. Silicon Valley, San Francisco and the Bay Area, boasts 1.4 unicorns per 100,000, said Guemouri, co-author of a 2020 report on European tech companies. No one can say for sure if the boom will last, though, in a country where capital gains are taxed at 30 percent and income tax can be as high as 60 percent. In 2016, Spotify said it was considering moving its headquarters out of the country, arguing high taxes made it difficult to attract overseas talent, though it hasn't done so. Sweden's digital minister Anders Ygeman said that social regulation could make it "possible to fail" and then "be up and running again" for innovators. Peter Carlsson, CEO of startup Northvolt, which makes Lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and is valued at $11.75 billion, said that ultimately success bred success. "You're really creating ripple effects when you're seeing the success of somebody else and I think that's perhaps the most important thing in order to create local ecosystems." (With inputs from agencies)

How has Sweden become the Silicon Valley of Europe despite having one of the highest tax rates in the world?

Apple&nbsp;was&nbsp;charged by&nbsp;EU&nbsp;antitrust&nbsp;regulators on Friday of abusing its dominance in the music streaming market via restrictive rules, the first case out of four that could lead to a hefty fine and changes in its lucrative business model.

iPhone maker&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;found itself in the&nbsp;European Commission's crosshairs following a complaint by Swedish music streaming service Spotify two years ago, which said that&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;unfairly restricts rivals to its own music streaming service&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;Music on iPhones.

The&nbsp;EU&nbsp;competition enforcer in its so-called statement of objections setting out the&nbsp;charge&nbsp;said the issue related to&nbsp;Apple's restrictive rules for its&nbsp;App&nbsp;Store&nbsp;that force developers to use its own in-app&nbsp;payment system and prevent them from informing users of other purchasing options.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/us-senators-question-apple-and-google-on-app-store-dominance-379186">US senators question Apple and Google on app store dominance</a>

"By setting strict rules on the&nbsp;App&nbsp;store&nbsp;that disadvantage competing music streaming services,&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;deprives users of cheaper music streaming choices and distorts competition,"&nbsp;European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

"This is done by charging high commission fees on each transaction in the&nbsp;App&nbsp;store&nbsp;for rivals and by forbidding them from informing their customers of alternative subscription options," she said.

This is the first&nbsp;EU&nbsp;antitrust&nbsp;charge&nbsp;against&nbsp;Apple, a move that could lead to fines of as much as 10 per cent of its global turnover. Reuters was the first to report about the imminent&nbsp;EU&nbsp;antitrust&nbsp;charge&nbsp;in March.

Apple&nbsp;will have the opportunity to respond to the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;charges before the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;competition enforcer makes a final ruling. It can offer concessions to stave off the fine without any finding of wrongdoing.

The&nbsp;EU&nbsp;charge&nbsp;comes a week before&nbsp;Apple's face-off with Epic Games in a US&nbsp;antitrust&nbsp;trial following a lawsuit by the "Fortnite" creator alleging that&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;has abused its dominance in the market for mobile&nbsp;apps.

Epic has complained to the Commission on the same issues.

Last month, the UK Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;after complaints the iPhone maker's terms and conditions for&nbsp;app&nbsp;developers were unfair.

Apple was charged by EU antitrust regulators on Friday of abusing its dominance in the music streaming market via restrictive rules, the first case out of four that could lead to a hefty fine and changes in its lucrative business model.

Apple was charged by EU antitrust regulators on Friday of abusing its dominance in the music streaming market via restrictive rules, the first case out of four that could lead to a hefty fine and changes in its lucrative business model. iPhone maker Apple found itself in the European Commission's crosshairs following a complaint by Swedish music streaming service Spotify two years ago, which said that Apple unfairly restricts rivals to its own music streaming service Apple Music on iPhones. The EU competition enforcer in its so-called statement of objections setting out the charge said the issue related to Apple's restrictive rules for its App Store that force developers to use its own in-app payment system and prevent them from informing users of other purchasing options. Also read | US senators question Apple and Google on app store dominance "By setting strict rules on the App store that disadvantage competing music streaming services, Apple deprives users of cheaper music streaming choices and distorts competition," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. "This is done by charging high commission fees on each transaction in the App store for rivals and by forbidding them from informing their customers of alternative subscription options," she said. This is the first EU antitrust charge against Apple, a move that could lead to fines of as much as 10 per cent of its global turnover. Reuters was the first to report about the imminent EU antitrust charge in March. Apple will have the opportunity to respond to the EU charges before the EU competition enforcer makes a final ruling. It can offer concessions to stave off the fine without any finding of wrongdoing. The EU charge comes a week before Apple's face-off with Epic Games in a US antitrust trial following a lawsuit by the "Fortnite" creator alleging that Apple has abused its dominance in the market for mobile apps. Epic has complained to the Commission on the same issues. Last month, the UK Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into Apple after complaints the iPhone maker's terms and conditions for app developers were unfair.

Apple hit with EU antitrust charge over App Store practices

Spotify launched a new website Thursday addressing questions on how it pays out royalties, but failed to dampen mounting anger from musicians struggling to survive in the streaming era.&nbsp;

"Artists deserve clarity about the economics of music streaming," Spotify said on its new Loud &amp; Clear site, adding that it aims to "increase transparency by sharing new data on the global streaming economy and breaking down the royalty system, the players, and the process".

It said 13,400 artists had generated revenues of $50,000 or more from its app last year, and 7,800 generated more than $100,000.

But it added: "Spotify does not pay artists or songwriters directly. Instead, Spotify pays the rights-holders... Once that revenue leaves Spotify's hands, how much an artist or songwriter gets paid depends on their agreements with rights-holders."

Indeed, artists signed to major labels will typically take only 20 percent of these revenues and may have to split the remainder between band members and managers.&nbsp;

That means many of those 13,400 artists may only be earning around $10,000 a year -- and then only if they have paid off their initial debts to labels.&nbsp;

A study by France's Centre National de la Musique recently found that 10 percent of all revenues from Spotify and Deezer were being generated by just 10 megastars at the very top.&nbsp;

- 'Failed' - 
Musicians around the world have been increasingly vocal about their finances in recent months as labels announce record profits from streaming, while all but the top artists struggle to make a living.&nbsp;

There were protests outside Spotify offices in several cities around the world on Monday as part of the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers's Justice at Spotify campaign.&nbsp;

"Spotify has failed to meet any of our demands. The company consistently deflects blame onto others for systems it has itself built, and from which it has created its nearly $70 billion valuation," the union said in a statement to US music magazine Pitchfork.&nbsp;

Campaigners have demanded information on Spotify's contracts with major labels, and whether it takes money for other aspects such as playlisting certain songs.

The company's new site pushed back against demands for per-stream payments, pointing out that there are now more than 550,000 tracks with over a million streams. Instead, it bases payments on an artist's share of the total.&nbsp;

Spotify also said they were sceptical of adopting the "user-centric" model, in which each subscriber's monthly fee -- typically around $10 -- goes only to the artists they stream, rather than into one big pot that is shared based on global plays.

"We are willing to make the switch to a user-centric model if that's what artists, songwriters, and rights holders want to do," it said. "However, Spotify cannot make this decision on its own –- it requires broad industry alignment to implement this change."

Studies have shown the user-centric model may only make a small difference to lower level musicians, but campaigners say this is better than nothing, will encourage greater investment in niche genres, and is inherently fairer. They accuse major labels of blocking the move.&nbsp;

Soundcloud became the first streaming service to introduce "user-centric" payments this month, but only for the 100,000 independent artists that monetise directly through its site.

Spotify launched a new website Thursday addressing questions on how it pays out royalties, but failed to dampen mounting anger from musicians struggling to survive in the streaming era.

Spotify launched a new website Thursday addressing questions on how it pays out royalties, but failed to dampen mounting anger from musicians struggling to survive in the streaming era. "Artists deserve clarity about the economics of music streaming," Spotify said on its new Loud & Clear site, adding that it aims to "increase transparency by sharing new data on the global streaming economy and breaking down the royalty system, the players, and the process". It said 13,400 artists had generated revenues of $50,000 or more from its app last year, and 7,800 generated more than $100,000. But it added: "Spotify does not pay artists or songwriters directly. Instead, Spotify pays the rights-holders... Once that revenue leaves Spotify's hands, how much an artist or songwriter gets paid depends on their agreements with rights-holders." Indeed, artists signed to major labels will typically take only 20 percent of these revenues and may have to split the remainder between band members and managers. That means many of those 13,400 artists may only be earning around $10,000 a year -- and then only if they have paid off their initial debts to labels. A study by France's Centre National de la Musique recently found that 10 percent of all revenues from Spotify and Deezer were being generated by just 10 megastars at the very top. - 'Failed' - Musicians around the world have been increasingly vocal about their finances in recent months as labels announce record profits from streaming, while all but the top artists struggle to make a living. There were protests outside Spotify offices in several cities around the world on Monday as part of the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers's Justice at Spotify campaign. "Spotify has failed to meet any of our demands. The company consistently deflects blame onto others for systems it has itself built, and from which it has created its nearly $70 billion valuation," the union said in a statement to US music magazine Pitchfork. Campaigners have demanded information on Spotify's contracts with major labels, and whether it takes money for other aspects such as playlisting certain songs. The company's new site pushed back against demands for per-stream payments, pointing out that there are now more than 550,000 tracks with over a million streams. Instead, it bases payments on an artist's share of the total. Spotify also said they were sceptical of adopting the "user-centric" model, in which each subscriber's monthly fee -- typically around $10 -- goes only to the artists they stream, rather than into one big pot that is shared based on global plays. "We are willing to make the switch to a user-centric model if that's what artists, songwriters, and rights holders want to do," it said. "However, Spotify cannot make this decision on its own –- it requires broad industry alignment to implement this change." Studies have shown the user-centric model may only make a small difference to lower level musicians, but campaigners say this is better than nothing, will encourage greater investment in niche genres, and is inherently fairer. They accuse major labels of blocking the move. Soundcloud became the first streaming service to introduce "user-centric" payments this month, but only for the 100,000 independent artists that monetise directly through its site.

Spotify launches site explaining how it pays artists

Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google has announced&nbsp;that it will&nbsp;cut the service fee it charges developers on its app store by half on the first $1 million they earn in revenue in a year, after a similar move by rival Apple Inc last year.

Both the companies have come under fire from large firms such as Microsoft Corp, Spotify Technology SA, as well as startups and smaller companies, that allege the fees deprive consumers of choices and push up app prices.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-more-us-states-join-texas-led-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google-371008" hreflang="en">Four more US states join Texas-led antitrust lawsuit against Google</a>

Google&nbsp;said in a blog post on Tuesday that it would cut app store fees to 15 per cent&nbsp;from 30 per cent&nbsp;effective July 1, a move that would impact most of the developers on its app store.&nbsp;

In contrast, Apple said in November it planned to lower its commissions only for developers who make $1 million or less in proceeds in a year from its app store.

Fortnite creator Epic Games said in a statement to Reuters that&nbsp;Google's move only alleviates some of the financial burden of developers.

"Whether it's 15 per cent&nbsp;or 30 per cent, for apps obtained through the&nbsp;Google&nbsp;Play Store, developers are forced to use&nbsp;Google's in-app payment services," Epic said.

Epic has been at loggerheads with Apple since August when the game maker tried to avoid paying fees on the iPhone maker's app store by launching its own in-app payment system, which prompted Apple to ban Fortnite from its store.

Data analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated that it could have cost&nbsp;Google&nbsp;about $587 million&nbsp;or about 5 per cent&nbsp;of the $11.6 billion it earned from&nbsp;Google&nbsp;Play last year had the service fee cut come into effect in 2020.

Alphabet Inc's Google has announced that it will cut the service fee it charges developers on its app store by half on the first $1 million they earn in revenue in a year, after a similar move by rival Apple Inc last year.

Alphabet Inc's Google has announced that it will cut the service fee it charges developers on its app store by half on the first $1 million they earn in revenue in a year, after a similar move by rival Apple Inc last year. Both the companies have come under fire from large firms such as Microsoft Corp, Spotify Technology SA, as well as startups and smaller companies, that allege the fees deprive consumers of choices and push up app prices. Also read| Four more US states join Texas-led antitrust lawsuit against Google Google said in a blog post on Tuesday that it would cut app store fees to 15 per cent from 30 per cent effective July 1, a move that would impact most of the developers on its app store. In contrast, Apple said in November it planned to lower its commissions only for developers who make $1 million or less in proceeds in a year from its app store. Fortnite creator Epic Games said in a statement to Reuters that Google's move only alleviates some of the financial burden of developers. "Whether it's 15 per cent or 30 per cent, for apps obtained through the Google Play Store, developers are forced to use Google's in-app payment services," Epic said. Epic has been at loggerheads with Apple since August when the game maker tried to avoid paying fees on the iPhone maker's app store by launching its own in-app payment system, which prompted Apple to ban Fortnite from its store. Data analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated that it could have cost Google about $587 million or about 5 per cent of the $11.6 billion it earned from Google Play last year had the service fee cut come into effect in 2020.

Google announces cut in app store fee by half on developers' first $1 million in sales

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.'

If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.”

The 62-second earworm appears in Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and its purpose is simple: It explains what Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), has been up to this entire time. It has also taken on a life of its own, having spawned numerous trap, rock and rap remixes in the days since the episode debuted Feb 19.

“None of us knew this was going to be the song,” said composer Robert Lopez, 46, who created the songs for the series with his wife of 17 years, Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, 48. “We woke up that morning to find that it was all over the internet, and it was like, ‘This is awesome.’”

It isn’t the first time the songwriting power couple has created an infectious earworm, having written tunes such as the Oscar- and Grammy-winning song “Let It Go” for the Disney animated movie “Frozen” and the Oscar-winning ballad “Remember Me” for the Pixar animated film “Coco.” They’ve won a pile of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys between them. (Lopez, who co-conceived and co-wrote the hit musicals “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” is in rarefied air as the only double EGOT — someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, twice over.)

But it is a minute-long riff on “The Munsters” theme that has burned itself into the brains of the collective internet over the past week.

 
“It’s got an ‘Addams Family’ twist with an electric harpsichord,” Anderson-Lopez said. “It’s super-duper cool and feels like something you’d find in a haunted house.”

Sung by Hahn and a chorus of male backup singers (including Lopez), it delivers the dramatic revelation that Agnes is the powerful witch Agatha Harkness — and that it is she, not Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), who is behind all the oddities happening in sleepy little Westview. (Having killed a dog, she reveals, was among her dastardly deeds.)

When the song debuted on Spotify and iTunes on Tuesday, it leaped to the No. 1 slot on the iTunes soundtrack charts. (The trap remix created by hip-hop artist Leland Philpot is “the most glorious thing,” Anderson-Lopez said.) 
 
In a phone interview from Connecticut on Wednesday, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez shared how the track came together, their trick for getting their own songs out of their own heads and why Hahn’s character is “perfidious” rather than “hideous.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q: Did you have any idea “Agatha All Along” was going to blow up like this?

ROBERT LOPEZ: No, not at all. We were sort of sad that we were winding down and we didn’t know if we’d have any hits come out of this thing. But my goodness.

Q: What part of the song came to you first?

LOPEZ: We have a theme — the “WandaVision” motif — that’s in every single song. So that was how we began with “Agatha.”

KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But, in a way, “Agatha All Along” was there all along. We’ve been spoon-feeding a tritone that’s called the devil’s interval — the&nbsp; 'duh-duh-duh'&nbsp;— throughout the series. And then ultimately, when the big reveal happens with the 'DUH! DUH! DUH!', everyone had been hearing it steadily, so it felt like an old friend.

Q: Where did you look for inspiration for the song?

LOPEZ: We started with a different idea for a version of the song more along the lines of “That Girl.”

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But it just wasn’t right; it just wasn’t churning my blood the way that I wanted it to. So then we thought: It’s a show about witches, right? So let’s embrace it. What other shows are about witches and Goth figures? “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters,” the “Monster Mash” — all these Halloween-y kind of songs that have this grinding, growling bari sax.

LOPEZ: We also have an electric harpsichord, which is what they use in “The Addams Family.” That’s the thing going dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit — the repeated chorus.

Q:Who does what when you’re writing a song?

LOPEZ: It changes with every song. Sometimes we’ll write it together in the same room, sometimes one of us will write the whole thing and the other one will take credit. In this case, Kristen wrote the full lyrics and gave them to me on a sheet of paper, and then I went to town with music.

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: I would wake up in the morning, and sometimes I’d be so excited to write the songs that I would write them in the shower. Get out, get a towel, scribble them on a piece of paper with drips, blurring ink — and Bobby would compose them by 10 a.m., and we’d record them after lunch, and then get notes at like 5 p.m.

Q:“Perfidious” is quite the lyric! Where did that come from?

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: We knew we didn’t want to say "hideous," because Agatha is still hot. So I looked at a rhyming dictionary and was like: “'Perfidious!' It’s so great! It’s so perfect!”

LOPEZ: We always have an SAT word in the lyrics somewhere because people appreciate learning a word. And if they already know it, they appreciate being able to brag that they know it.

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: Right! “Frozen fractals …” [from “Let It Go”]

Q: Your neighbors were not fans of one of your last hits, “Let It Go.” Has reaction been more favorable this time around?

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: It’s still early — they’ve had less than a week. But I’m starting to feel the trickles on Twitter. I’m getting messages saying, “Thank you so much for ‘Agatha All Along,’ now please remove it from my head!” and “It’s been five days, now take it back, please!”

Q: Do the songs you write get stuck in your head, too?

LOPEZ: Of course! You wake up in the middle of the night with it pounding in your ears. But having a song that gets in people’s heads is such an honor for us. It means what we created somehow magically connected across space and time and landed in another person’s neurons. It’s what was in our heads, and now it’s in their heads, and that’s something we now all share.

ANDERSON-LOPEZ:I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with “She’s insidious / So perfidious” just going on a loop in my head. And so I replaced it with: “Don’t worry, / Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh, / be happy.”

LOPEZ: That’s how you get it out of your system …

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: … replace it with another thing that’s been stuck in your head before.

This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.' If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.

This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.' If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.” The 62-second earworm appears in Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and its purpose is simple: It explains what Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), has been up to this entire time. It has also taken on a life of its own, having spawned numerous trap, rock and rap remixes in the days since the episode debuted Feb 19. “None of us knew this was going to be the song,” said composer Robert Lopez, 46, who created the songs for the series with his wife of 17 years, Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, 48. “We woke up that morning to find that it was all over the internet, and it was like, ‘This is awesome.’” It isn’t the first time the songwriting power couple has created an infectious earworm, having written tunes such as the Oscar- and Grammy-winning song “Let It Go” for the Disney animated movie “Frozen” and the Oscar-winning ballad “Remember Me” for the Pixar animated film “Coco.” They’ve won a pile of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys between them. (Lopez, who co-conceived and co-wrote the hit musicals “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” is in rarefied air as the only double EGOT — someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, twice over.) But it is a minute-long riff on “The Munsters” theme that has burned itself into the brains of the collective internet over the past week. “It’s got an ‘Addams Family’ twist with an electric harpsichord,” Anderson-Lopez said. “It’s super-duper cool and feels like something you’d find in a haunted house.” Sung by Hahn and a chorus of male backup singers (including Lopez), it delivers the dramatic revelation that Agnes is the powerful witch Agatha Harkness — and that it is she, not Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), who is behind all the oddities happening in sleepy little Westview. (Having killed a dog, she reveals, was among her dastardly deeds.) When the song debuted on Spotify and iTunes on Tuesday, it leaped to the No. 1 slot on the iTunes soundtrack charts. (The trap remix created by hip-hop artist Leland Philpot is “the most glorious thing,” Anderson-Lopez said.) In a phone interview from Connecticut on Wednesday, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez shared how the track came together, their trick for getting their own songs out of their own heads and why Hahn’s character is “perfidious” rather than “hideous.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation. Q: Did you have any idea “Agatha All Along” was going to blow up like this? ROBERT LOPEZ: No, not at all. We were sort of sad that we were winding down and we didn’t know if we’d have any hits come out of this thing. But my goodness. Q: What part of the song came to you first? LOPEZ: We have a theme — the “WandaVision” motif — that’s in every single song. So that was how we began with “Agatha.” KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But, in a way, “Agatha All Along” was there all along. We’ve been spoon-feeding a tritone that’s called the devil’s interval — the 'duh-duh-duh' — throughout the series. And then ultimately, when the big reveal happens with the 'DUH! DUH! DUH!', everyone had been hearing it steadily, so it felt like an old friend. Q: Where did you look for inspiration for the song? LOPEZ: We started with a different idea for a version of the song more along the lines of “That Girl.” ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But it just wasn’t right; it just wasn’t churning my blood the way that I wanted it to. So then we thought: It’s a show about witches, right? So let’s embrace it. What other shows are about witches and Goth figures? “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters,” the “Monster Mash” — all these Halloween-y kind of songs that have this grinding, growling bari sax. LOPEZ: We also have an electric harpsichord, which is what they use in “The Addams Family.” That’s the thing going dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit — the repeated chorus. Q:Who does what when you’re writing a song? LOPEZ: It changes with every song. Sometimes we’ll write it together in the same room, sometimes one of us will write the whole thing and the other one will take credit. In this case, Kristen wrote the full lyrics and gave them to me on a sheet of paper, and then I went to town with music. ANDERSON-LOPEZ: I would wake up in the morning, and sometimes I’d be so excited to write the songs that I would write them in the shower. Get out, get a towel, scribble them on a piece of paper with drips, blurring ink — and Bobby would compose them by 10 a.m., and we’d record them after lunch, and then get notes at like 5 p.m. Q:“Perfidious” is quite the lyric! Where did that come from? ANDERSON-LOPEZ: We knew we didn’t want to say "hideous," because Agatha is still hot. So I looked at a rhyming dictionary and was like: “'Perfidious!' It’s so great! It’s so perfect!” LOPEZ: We always have an SAT word in the lyrics somewhere because people appreciate learning a word. And if they already know it, they appreciate being able to brag that they know it. ANDERSON-LOPEZ: Right! “Frozen fractals …” [from “Let It Go”] Q: Your neighbors were not fans of one of your last hits, “Let It Go.” Has reaction been more favorable this time around? ANDERSON-LOPEZ: It’s still early — they’ve had less than a week. But I’m starting to feel the trickles on Twitter. I’m getting messages saying, “Thank you so much for ‘Agatha All Along,’ now please remove it from my head!” and “It’s been five days, now take it back, please!” Q: Do the songs you write get stuck in your head, too? LOPEZ: Of course! You wake up in the middle of the night with it pounding in your ears. But having a song that gets in people’s heads is such an honor for us. It means what we created somehow magically connected across space and time and landed in another person’s neurons. It’s what was in our heads, and now it’s in their heads, and that’s something we now all share. ANDERSON-LOPEZ:I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with “She’s insidious / So perfidious” just going on a loop in my head. And so I replaced it with: “Don’t worry, / Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh, / be happy.” LOPEZ: That’s how you get it out of your system … ANDERSON-LOPEZ: … replace it with another thing that’s been stuck in your head before.

Meet the songwriters behind the 'WandaVision' hit 'Agatha All Along'

Fortnite maker Epic Games on Wednesday lodged a complaint against Apple with EU antitrust authorities, deepening its bitter feud with the iPhone-maker over its app store.

Apple and Epic have been caught in a fierce battle over whether Apple's tight control of the App Store, and its 30-per cent cut of revenue, is abusive.

The fight took a dramatic turn in August when Apple expelled Fortnite, one of the world's most popular games, from its app store after Epic released an update that dodges revenue-sharing with the iPhone maker.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/one-bad-apple-freefortnite-tournament-takes-a-dig-at-apple-322317">'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple</a>

Apple does not allow users of its popular devices to download apps from anywhere but its App Store, and developers have to use Apple's payment system which takes its cut.

"We will not stand idly by and allow Apple to use its platform dominance to control what should be a level digital playing field," said Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney in a statement.

The company said the lawsuit "complements" other legal proceedings it has launched in the United States, Australia and Britain.&nbsp;

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-pacman-to-fortnite-video-games-that-changed-the-world-350735">From Pacman to Fortnite: Video games that changed the world</a>

The war over the Apple app store has widened to Facebook, where CEO Mark Zuckerberg has accused Apple of imposing rules for outside developers that it does not apply to its own services.

This echoes the accusations of Spotify, which also believes Apple has given unfair advantage to its Apple Music service over other streaming services.&nbsp;

With its European complaint, Epic joins Spotify and other developers who successfully spurred the EU into action with their own complaints.

Those gripes pushed the EU's powerful competition authority to open a series of cases against Apple in June, involving both its app store and its Apple Pay payment service.

Apple has angrily called the complaints by Spotify and others as "baseless", describing them as sour grapes by companies that do not want to play by the same rules as everyone else.

Apple — along with Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft — is also targeted in Europe by a new draft legislation, the Digital Markets Act, which aims to limit their omnipotence.&nbsp;

But the plan, unveiled in December, is only at the beginning of a legislative process that could last years.

Fortnite maker Epic Games on Wednesday lodged a complaint against Apple with EU antitrust authorities, deepening its bitter feud with the iPhone-maker over its app store.

Fortnite maker Epic Games on Wednesday lodged a complaint against Apple with EU antitrust authorities, deepening its bitter feud with the iPhone-maker over its app store. Apple and Epic have been caught in a fierce battle over whether Apple's tight control of the App Store, and its 30-per cent cut of revenue, is abusive. The fight took a dramatic turn in August when Apple expelled Fortnite, one of the world's most popular games, from its app store after Epic released an update that dodges revenue-sharing with the iPhone maker. Also read| 'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple Apple does not allow users of its popular devices to download apps from anywhere but its App Store, and developers have to use Apple's payment system which takes its cut. "We will not stand idly by and allow Apple to use its platform dominance to control what should be a level digital playing field," said Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney in a statement. The company said the lawsuit "complements" other legal proceedings it has launched in the United States, Australia and Britain. Also see| From Pacman to Fortnite: Video games that changed the world The war over the Apple app store has widened to Facebook, where CEO Mark Zuckerberg has accused Apple of imposing rules for outside developers that it does not apply to its own services. This echoes the accusations of Spotify, which also believes Apple has given unfair advantage to its Apple Music service over other streaming services. With its European complaint, Epic joins Spotify and other developers who successfully spurred the EU into action with their own complaints. Those gripes pushed the EU's powerful competition authority to open a series of cases against Apple in June, involving both its app store and its Apple Pay payment service. Apple has angrily called the complaints by Spotify and others as "baseless", describing them as sour grapes by companies that do not want to play by the same rules as everyone else. Apple — along with Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft — is also targeted in Europe by a new draft legislation, the Digital Markets Act, which aims to limit their omnipotence. But the plan, unveiled in December, is only at the beginning of a legislative process that could last years.

Fortnite's Epic takes Apple feud to Europe

America is only a few days away from getting their new President, and ahead of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=Amid+security+concerns%2C+Joe+Biden%27s+inauguration+rehearsal+postponed">swearing-in ceremony</a> on Jan. 20, the president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have released the soundtrack for the inauguration day.&nbsp; 
 
The 46-song playlist consists of current Hits &amp; throwback songs from our favourite singers. The collection features Beyonce's 'Find Your Way Back'&nbsp;and Dua Lipa's 'Levitating', and &nbsp;SZA’s very latest, 'Good Days',&nbsp;as well as the list also consist of classic tunes like The Doobie Brothers' 'What a Fool Believes' and Led Zeppelin's 'Fool in the Rain.'

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/lady-gaga-jennifer-lopez-to-perform-at-diverse-joe-biden-inauguration-356734" hreflang="en">Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez to perform at diverse Joe Biden inauguration</a> 
 
The Biden Inauguration Committee shared the playlist in a Twitter, "@DJDNice and @TheRaedio came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders." the Committee wrote.&nbsp;

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Are you planning your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Inauguration2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Inauguration2021</a> at-home watch party? 
 
Well let us take one thing off your plate — <a href="https://twitter.com/djdnice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DJDNice</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRaedio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheRaedio</a> came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders. 💃🏼🕺<a href="https://t.co/QSKjH4uemj">https://t.co/QSKjH4uemj</a> <a href="https://t.co/OqqKK88NkI">pic.twitter.com/OqqKK88NkI</a>
— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) <a href="https://twitter.com/BidenInaugural/status/1350125893276979205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"As this wonderous transition of power ensues, we strongly hold the joy of these select songs to be self-evident," reads the playlist's description on Spotify.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-tom-hanks-to-host-televised-special-for-joe-bidens-inauguration-356579" hreflang="en">Tom Hanks to host televised special for Joe Biden's inauguration</a> 
 
Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Tony Allen said in a statement: “During a tumultuous year that has kept so many loved ones apart, music has been a consistent vehicle that has kept us connected. Whether you are a country soul, a jazz enthusiast, a hip-hop head, a classical sort, or just love that old-time rock ‘n’ roll, music clarifies, inspires, unites, and heals. Today we are excited to share President-elect Biden’s and Vice-President Elect Harris’ official inaugural playlist with the nation. These songs and artists reflect the relentless spirit and rich diversity of America. They are the score to a new chapter and will help bring people together as the Biden-Harris Administration begins its important work to unite our country.”

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/justin-timberlake-demi-lovato-others-to-perform-at-joe-bidens-inauguration-ceremony-356602" hreflang="en">Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato &amp; others to perform at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony</a> 
 
The playlist is available now on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music.

America is only a few days away from getting their new President, and ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, the president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have released the soundtrack for the inauguration day.

America is only a few days away from getting their new President, and ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, the president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have released the soundtrack for the inauguration day. The 46-song playlist consists of current Hits & throwback songs from our favourite singers. The collection features Beyonce's 'Find Your Way Back' and Dua Lipa's 'Levitating', and SZA’s very latest, 'Good Days', as well as the list also consist of classic tunes like The Doobie Brothers' 'What a Fool Believes' and Led Zeppelin's 'Fool in the Rain.' Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez to perform at diverse Joe Biden inauguration The Biden Inauguration Committee shared the playlist in a Twitter, "@DJDNice and @TheRaedio came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders." the Committee wrote. Are you planning your #Inauguration2021 at-home watch party? Well let us take one thing off your plate — @DJDNice and @TheRaedio came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders. 💃🏼🕺https://t.co/QSKjH4uemj pic.twitter.com/OqqKK88NkI — Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 15, 2021 × "As this wonderous transition of power ensues, we strongly hold the joy of these select songs to be self-evident," reads the playlist's description on Spotify. Tom Hanks to host televised special for Joe Biden's inauguration Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Tony Allen said in a statement: “During a tumultuous year that has kept so many loved ones apart, music has been a consistent vehicle that has kept us connected. Whether you are a country soul, a jazz enthusiast, a hip-hop head, a classical sort, or just love that old-time rock ‘n’ roll, music clarifies, inspires, unites, and heals. Today we are excited to share President-elect Biden’s and Vice-President Elect Harris’ official inaugural playlist with the nation. These songs and artists reflect the relentless spirit and rich diversity of America. They are the score to a new chapter and will help bring people together as the Biden-Harris Administration begins its important work to unite our country.” Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato & others to perform at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony The playlist is available now on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music.

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris drop inaugural playlist featuring Beyonce, Dua Lipa & more

Britain`s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will produce and host podcasts for Spotify`s streaming service, the Swedish company said on Tuesday, starting with a holiday special that will be released this month. 
 
Under a multi-year agreement, the couple`s newly formed Archewell Audio will produce programming that "uplifts and entertains audiences around the world" and features "diverse perspectives and voices," Spotify said in a statement. 
 
The podcasts will be available free through Spotify, the company that leads the streaming music market. Spotify also offers more than 1.5 million podcast titles such as "The Michelle Obama Podcast" and "Mama Knows Best" by influencer Addison Rae, and reaches more than 320 million active users per month. 
 
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 
 
Harry and Meghan`s first podcast installment will be a holiday special featuring "stories of hope and compassion" to celebrate the new year, the statement said. Their first complete series is expected next year. 
 
"What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction," the couple said in a joint statement. 
 
"With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are," the pair added. 
 
The deal is the latest move by Harry and Meghan, known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to make a living outside of the royal family. 
 
The couple moved to Southern California with their infant son Archie this year after stepping back from royal duties in January. In September, they signed an exclusive multi-year production deal for TV programming with Netflix Inc. 
&nbsp;

Britain`s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will produce and host podcasts for Spotify`s streaming service, the Swedish company said on Tuesday, starting with a holiday special that will be released this month.

Britain`s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will produce and host podcasts for Spotify`s streaming service, the Swedish company said on Tuesday, starting with a holiday special that will be released this month. Under a multi-year agreement, the couple`s newly formed Archewell Audio will produce programming that "uplifts and entertains audiences around the world" and features "diverse perspectives and voices," Spotify said in a statement. The podcasts will be available free through Spotify, the company that leads the streaming music market. Spotify also offers more than 1.5 million podcast titles such as "The Michelle Obama Podcast" and "Mama Knows Best" by influencer Addison Rae, and reaches more than 320 million active users per month. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Harry and Meghan`s first podcast installment will be a holiday special featuring "stories of hope and compassion" to celebrate the new year, the statement said. Their first complete series is expected next year. "What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction," the couple said in a joint statement. "With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are," the pair added. The deal is the latest move by Harry and Meghan, known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to make a living outside of the royal family. The couple moved to Southern California with their infant son Archie this year after stepping back from royal duties in January. In September, they signed an exclusive multi-year production deal for TV programming with Netflix Inc.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to produce and host podcasts for Spotify

Swedish music streaming service Spotify is testing a new Instagram-style Stories feature for its playlists. 
 
The Stories feature was seen on Spotify`s Christmas Hits playlist on both iOS and Android apps. 
 
Spotify confirmed the new feature to Engadget, saying it was a test. 
 
"At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience," a spokesperson was quoted as saying. 
 
"Some of those tests end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We have no further news to share on future plans at this time." 
 
On its Christmas Hits playlist, a series of artists including Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson and Pentatonix use short video clips to share personal anecdotes about the festive period. 
 
The videos can be accessed from an icon on the top left of each supported playlist. 
 
Stories made its debut on Snapchat and were later embraced by Facebook-owned Instagram. Now, several online platforms have this feature including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and even LinkedIn. 
 
Last year, Spotify was first spotted working on a Stories feature for artists.

Swedish music streaming service Spotify is testing a new Instagram-style Stories feature for its playlists. The Stories feature was seen on Spotify`s Christmas Hits playlist on both iOS and Android apps.

Swedish music streaming service Spotify is testing a new Instagram-style Stories feature for its playlists. The Stories feature was seen on Spotify`s Christmas Hits playlist on both iOS and Android apps. Spotify confirmed the new feature to Engadget, saying it was a test. "At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience," a spokesperson was quoted as saying. "Some of those tests end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We have no further news to share on future plans at this time." On its Christmas Hits playlist, a series of artists including Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson and Pentatonix use short video clips to share personal anecdotes about the festive period. The videos can be accessed from an icon on the top left of each supported playlist. Stories made its debut on Snapchat and were later embraced by Facebook-owned Instagram. Now, several online platforms have this feature including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and even LinkedIn. Last year, Spotify was first spotted working on a Stories feature for artists.

Spotify testing Instagram-like Stories feature

Apple Inc has been on a blocking rampage for the last few weeks now. After blocking games from Facebook, Microsoft and Google, Apple Inc has now blocked the famous "Fortnite" from its App Store.

Apple Inc has claimed "Fortnite" was violating in-app purchases policy of its App Store, due to which the company had to block the game. Epic Games, game developer, has now decided to retaliate in more than one way.

Epic Games has first filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc asking for no monetary compensation, but urging it to end its in-app purchases policy, and accusing it to block competition — an accusation which has been made against the tech giant earlier too.&nbsp;"Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation. Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear," Epic said in its lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California.

This was Epic's legal way of handling the block. In addition to this, Epic Games took to social media to rally an online army against this block. Fortnite made a parody of Apple's 1984 introduction video and rolled out a video in which an Apple-shaped character is seen talking about the "anniversary of&nbsp;of the platform unification directives." The speech is interrupted when a woman fighter hurls a unicorn-head stick at the screen.

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The text at the end of the video reads, "Epic Games has defied the App Store monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984." which is followed by "#FreeFortnite" — a hashtag which has started trending on Twitter too.

Apple, on the other hand, claims a direct payment feature rolled out on the Fortnite app earlier on Thursday as the violation.

"The fact that their (Epic) business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users," Apple said in a statement.

Apple believes Epic Games launched the payment feature in Fortnite&nbsp;with the "express intent of violating the App Store guidelines" after having had apps in the store for a decade.

Spotify, the music-streaming app, was the first one to come to Epic's support.&nbsp;"Apple`s unfair practices have disadvantaged competitors and deprived consumers for far too long," Spotify saidin a statement. "The stakes for consumers and app developers large and small couldn`t be higher and ensuring that the iOS platform operates competitively and fairly is an urgent task with far-reaching implications."

Apple Inc has been on a blocking rampage for the last few weeks now. After blocking games from Facebook, Microsoft and Google, Apple Inc has now blocked the famous "Fortnite" from its App Store.

Apple Inc has been on a blocking rampage for the last few weeks now. After blocking games from Facebook, Microsoft and Google, Apple Inc has now blocked the famous "Fortnite" from its App Store. Apple Inc has claimed "Fortnite" was violating in-app purchases policy of its App Store, due to which the company had to block the game. Epic Games, game developer, has now decided to retaliate in more than one way. Epic Games has first filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc asking for no monetary compensation, but urging it to end its in-app purchases policy, and accusing it to block competition — an accusation which has been made against the tech giant earlier too. "Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation. Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear," Epic said in its lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California. This was Epic's legal way of handling the block. In addition to this, Epic Games took to social media to rally an online army against this block. Fortnite made a parody of Apple's 1984 introduction video and rolled out a video in which an Apple-shaped character is seen talking about the "anniversary of of the platform unification directives." The speech is interrupted when a woman fighter hurls a unicorn-head stick at the screen. × The text at the end of the video reads, "Epic Games has defied the App Store monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984." which is followed by "#FreeFortnite" — a hashtag which has started trending on Twitter too. Apple, on the other hand, claims a direct payment feature rolled out on the Fortnite app earlier on Thursday as the violation. "The fact that their (Epic) business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users," Apple said in a statement. Apple believes Epic Games launched the payment feature in Fortnite with the "express intent of violating the App Store guidelines" after having had apps in the store for a decade. Spotify, the music-streaming app, was the first one to come to Epic's support. "Apple`s unfair practices have disadvantaged competitors and deprived consumers for far too long," Spotify saidin a statement. "The stakes for consumers and app developers large and small couldn`t be higher and ensuring that the iOS platform operates competitively and fairly is an urgent task with far-reaching implications."

'Fortnite' makers to sue Apple Inc as #FreeFortnite trends with remake of 1984 video

The owner of video chat and game app Houseparty has announced&nbsp;a reward of $1 million&nbsp;for providing a proof regarding its involement in&nbsp;a commercial smear campaign.

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We are investigating indications that the recent hacking rumors were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty. We are offering a $1,000,000 bounty for the first individual to provide proof of such a campaign to bounty@houseparty.com.
— Houseparty (@houseparty) <a href="https://twitter.com/houseparty/status/1244827034406121472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Previously, online rumours had emerged that the Spotify, Netflix and even bank accounts accounts of customers got hacked after downloading the application.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/quarantine-together-new-dating-app-links-you-to-new-people-but-only-if-you-wash-hands-289419" hreflang="en">Quarantine Together: New dating app links you to new people, but only if you wash hands!</a>

However, the company said that&nbsp;there was "no evidence" to back up those claims.

Houseparty has become one of the most downloaded apps in several countries across the globe where lockdown has been imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/social-distancing-appears-to-have-slowed-coronavirus-spread-says-study-289684" hreflang="en">Social distancing appears to have slowed coronavirus spread, says study</a>

Downloads of the application rose from an average of 130,000 in&nbsp;mid-February to 2 million a week in the middle of March, according to Apptopia.

Online gaming firm Epic Games, which also makes Fortnite, purchased Houseparty from its creator in 2019.

The owner of video chat and game app Houseparty has announced a reward of $1 million for providing a proof regarding its involement in a commercial smear campaign.

The owner of video chat and game app Houseparty has announced a reward of $1 million for providing a proof regarding its involement in a commercial smear campaign. We are investigating indications that the recent hacking rumors were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty. We are offering a $1,000,000 bounty for the first individual to provide proof of such a campaign to bounty@houseparty.com. — Houseparty (@houseparty) March 31, 2020 × Previously, online rumours had emerged that the Spotify, Netflix and even bank accounts accounts of customers got hacked after downloading the application. Also read: Quarantine Together: New dating app links you to new people, but only if you wash hands! However, the company said that there was "no evidence" to back up those claims. Houseparty has become one of the most downloaded apps in several countries across the globe where lockdown has been imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Social distancing appears to have slowed coronavirus spread, says study Downloads of the application rose from an average of 130,000 in mid-February to 2 million a week in the middle of March, according to Apptopia. Online gaming firm Epic Games, which also makes Fortnite, purchased Houseparty from its creator in 2019.

After hacking rumour, Houseparty app offers $1 million reward as evidence for sabotage

The Libra Association, created by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paypal-abandons-facebook-backed-libra-cryptocurrency-group-253843">Facebook to launch its new cryptocurrency</a>, has announced its 21 founding members after defections by previous supporters including Visa and Mastercard.

The announcement on Monday came as the planned Libra global currency faces swelling criticism from regulators, and reported warnings from the Group of Seven that it poses a threat to the global financial system.

The group kicked off its first council meeting in Geneva and founding members including Uber, Spotify and Vodafone formally signed onto the Libra Charter, director-general Bertrand Perez said.

"We now have a total guarantee of their involvement, so we have confidence in the project," he said.

Last month, the non-profit association voiced hope that the number of companies backing it when it opened for business would swell from an initial 28 to "well over 100".&nbsp;

But instead, the list has shrunk, after more of its initial backers walked away amid swelling criticism from regulators around the world.

Credit card giants Visa and Mastercard, online marketplace eBay and digital payments firm Stripe each announced Friday they had changed their minds about being founding members of the association, following a similar recent announcement by digital payments firm PayPal.

The Libra Association confirmed Friday that the companies would no longer be founding members, but said it would continue building an alliance of businesses, social-good organisations, and others to implement the cryptocurrency.

Its launch was originally planned for mid-2020, but Perez said he had not ruled out a later start date.

"What we want is to build a platform that is solid, that is there to last and that will survive in the long term," he said, adding he was still "optimistic" about reaching around 100 members as planned.

Threat to financial stability?

The membership departures came after US senators sent letters to several financial firms noting that they could face "a high level of scrutiny from regulators" if they participated in the new currency plan.&nbsp;

French economy and finance minister Bruno Le Maire has warned that under current circumstances, Libra posed a threat to the "monetary sovereignty" of governments and could not be authorised in Europe.

Facebook executives have, however, claimed the new digital coin could help lower costs for global money transfers and help those without access to the banking system.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify at an October 23 hearing in the US House of Representatives on the Libra plan.

But in a fresh blow, a draft G7 report has outlined nine major risks posed by such digital currencies, according to the BBC.

The report, due to be presented to finance ministers at International Monetary Fund's annual meeting this week, did not single out Libra but referred to "global stablecoins" with the potential to "scale rapidly" as posing a range of potential problems.

Stablecoins are seen as more steady than cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, since they are pegged to traditional currencies such as the US dollar or the euro.

But the G7 draft report reportedly cautioned that such currencies could pose problems for policymakers setting interest rates, and could threaten financial stability if users suddenly suffer "loss of confidence" in the digital unit.

Randal Quarles, the head of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), which oversees regulation among G20 economies, also sent a letter to G20 finance ministers Sunday warning that "global stablecoins could pose a host of challenges to the regulatory community".

This, he wrote, was "not least because they have the potential to become systemically important, including through the substitution of domestic currencies".

"Stablecoin projects of potentially global reach and magnitude must meet the highest regulatory standards and be subject to prudential supervision and oversight," he insisted.

The Libra Association, created by Facebook to launch its new cryptocurrency, has announced its 21 founding members after defections by previous supporters including Visa and Mastercard.

The Libra Association, created by Facebook to launch its new cryptocurrency, has announced its 21 founding members after defections by previous supporters including Visa and Mastercard. The announcement on Monday came as the planned Libra global currency faces swelling criticism from regulators, and reported warnings from the Group of Seven that it poses a threat to the global financial system. The group kicked off its first council meeting in Geneva and founding members including Uber, Spotify and Vodafone formally signed onto the Libra Charter, director-general Bertrand Perez said. "We now have a total guarantee of their involvement, so we have confidence in the project," he said. Last month, the non-profit association voiced hope that the number of companies backing it when it opened for business would swell from an initial 28 to "well over 100". But instead, the list has shrunk, after more of its initial backers walked away amid swelling criticism from regulators around the world. Credit card giants Visa and Mastercard, online marketplace eBay and digital payments firm Stripe each announced Friday they had changed their minds about being founding members of the association, following a similar recent announcement by digital payments firm PayPal. The Libra Association confirmed Friday that the companies would no longer be founding members, but said it would continue building an alliance of businesses, social-good organisations, and others to implement the cryptocurrency. Its launch was originally planned for mid-2020, but Perez said he had not ruled out a later start date. "What we want is to build a platform that is solid, that is there to last and that will survive in the long term," he said, adding he was still "optimistic" about reaching around 100 members as planned. Threat to financial stability? The membership departures came after US senators sent letters to several financial firms noting that they could face "a high level of scrutiny from regulators" if they participated in the new currency plan. French economy and finance minister Bruno Le Maire has warned that under current circumstances, Libra posed a threat to the "monetary sovereignty" of governments and could not be authorised in Europe. Facebook executives have, however, claimed the new digital coin could help lower costs for global money transfers and help those without access to the banking system. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify at an October 23 hearing in the US House of Representatives on the Libra plan. But in a fresh blow, a draft G7 report has outlined nine major risks posed by such digital currencies, according to the BBC. The report, due to be presented to finance ministers at International Monetary Fund's annual meeting this week, did not single out Libra but referred to "global stablecoins" with the potential to "scale rapidly" as posing a range of potential problems. Stablecoins are seen as more steady than cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, since they are pegged to traditional currencies such as the US dollar or the euro. But the G7 draft report reportedly cautioned that such currencies could pose problems for policymakers setting interest rates, and could threaten financial stability if users suddenly suffer "loss of confidence" in the digital unit. Randal Quarles, the head of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), which oversees regulation among G20 economies, also sent a letter to G20 finance ministers Sunday warning that "global stablecoins could pose a host of challenges to the regulatory community". This, he wrote, was "not least because they have the potential to become systemically important, including through the substitution of domestic currencies". "Stablecoin projects of potentially global reach and magnitude must meet the highest regulatory standards and be subject to prudential supervision and oversight," he insisted.

Group behind Facebook's Libra coin announces 21 founding members

US lawmakers have requested information from Apple critic Spotify as part of an antitrust probe, according to two sources briefed on the investigation into allegations the iPhone maker engages in anti-competitive behavior to support its own apps.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-case-on-restrictive-abortion-law-253858">US</a> House of Representatives Judiciary Committee reached out to the music streaming service with broad requests for information, according to one source, who added the request to the company was narrowed in follow up telephone calls.

Spotify Technology SA filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union in March, but the contact with the committee marks its first known participation in congressional inquiries into the iPhone maker, whose Apple Music streaming service is Spotify's biggest rival.

Spotify and other developers have alleged that Apple engages in anticompetitive behavior by imposing rules that hamper distribution via its App Store, the only way for third-party developers to reach more than 900 million iPhone users.

At the same time, Apple sometimes copies the features of their apps for its own offerings, developers have said. Multiple apps in the App Store offered female cycle tracking before Apple added the same feature to its own health tracking app this fall, for example.

Spotify has been pressing for antitrust action against Apple for several years.

Its representatives have met with Justice Department officials, as well as members of the FTC's Technology Task Force, a group of some 17 attorneys that was set up in February to focus on online platforms and other Internet competition issues, according to one source.

App developers also complain that Apple's Siri, which response to verbal commands and can control Apple's own apps, has long had limited functionality with the vast majority of non-Apple apps, including Spotify.

Apple announced an update to its software in June that would allow Siri to access Spotify and other music services.

Beyond Spotify, the congressional probe has tapped many companies for details on the four big tech firms.

In addition to the Judiciary Committee probe, the big tech companies face a plethora of other antitrust investigations.

The Justice Department is probing Alphabet's Google, Facebook, and Apple while the Federal Trade Commission is investigating <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paypal-abandons-facebook-backed-libra-cryptocurrency-group-253843">Facebook</a> and Amazon.com. Groups of state attorneys general have also been formed to probe <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-cant-escape-copyright-laws-frances-emmanuel-macron-253863">Google</a> and Facebook.

Spotify has complained also about the 30 per cent fee that Apple charges outside app developers who sell so-called digital goods such as music or e-books on the App Store, using Apple's in-app billing system. Apple bars app makers for collecting payment any other way on the App Store or showing users links or buttons to other ways to pay.

At one point, Apple told Spotify to stop sending emails to users who had just signed up for a free version of its streaming music prompting them to upgrade to the paid service, Spotify has said. Spotify has said the shifting rules, and Apple's threats to block routine app updates, have made it difficult to compete with Apple's own music service on a level playing field.

Asked for comment, Apple referred to its previous responses, published in March, to Spotify's claims. The company says it enforces its App Store rules evenly among all developers and that more than eight out of every 10 apps are free and pay nothing to Apple. Apple has said Spotify pays nothing for users of its free service or for paid Spotify members who signed up outside the App Store.

Apple has said Spotify pays a revenue share on about half a per cent of its 108 million premium users, paying 15 per cent&nbsp;fees on roughly 680,000 customers that Spotify acquired between 2014 and 2016 when it used Apple's payment systems.

US lawmakers have requested information from Apple critic Spotify as part of an antitrust probe, according to two sources briefed on the investigation into allegations the iPhone maker engages in anti-competitive behavior to support its own apps.

US lawmakers have requested information from Apple critic Spotify as part of an antitrust probe, according to two sources briefed on the investigation into allegations the iPhone maker engages in anti-competitive behavior to support its own apps. The US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee reached out to the music streaming service with broad requests for information, according to one source, who added the request to the company was narrowed in follow up telephone calls. Spotify Technology SA filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union in March, but the contact with the committee marks its first known participation in congressional inquiries into the iPhone maker, whose Apple Music streaming service is Spotify's biggest rival. Spotify and other developers have alleged that Apple engages in anticompetitive behavior by imposing rules that hamper distribution via its App Store, the only way for third-party developers to reach more than 900 million iPhone users. At the same time, Apple sometimes copies the features of their apps for its own offerings, developers have said. Multiple apps in the App Store offered female cycle tracking before Apple added the same feature to its own health tracking app this fall, for example. Spotify has been pressing for antitrust action against Apple for several years. Its representatives have met with Justice Department officials, as well as members of the FTC's Technology Task Force, a group of some 17 attorneys that was set up in February to focus on online platforms and other Internet competition issues, according to one source. App developers also complain that Apple's Siri, which response to verbal commands and can control Apple's own apps, has long had limited functionality with the vast majority of non-Apple apps, including Spotify. Apple announced an update to its software in June that would allow Siri to access Spotify and other music services. Beyond Spotify, the congressional probe has tapped many companies for details on the four big tech firms. In addition to the Judiciary Committee probe, the big tech companies face a plethora of other antitrust investigations. The Justice Department is probing Alphabet's Google, Facebook, and Apple while the Federal Trade Commission is investigating Facebook and Amazon.com. Groups of state attorneys general have also been formed to probe Google and Facebook. Spotify has complained also about the 30 per cent fee that Apple charges outside app developers who sell so-called digital goods such as music or e-books on the App Store, using Apple's in-app billing system. Apple bars app makers for collecting payment any other way on the App Store or showing users links or buttons to other ways to pay. At one point, Apple told Spotify to stop sending emails to users who had just signed up for a free version of its streaming music prompting them to upgrade to the paid service, Spotify has said. Spotify has said the shifting rules, and Apple's threats to block routine app updates, have made it difficult to compete with Apple's own music service on a level playing field. Asked for comment, Apple referred to its previous responses, published in March, to Spotify's claims. The company says it enforces its App Store rules evenly among all developers and that more than eight out of every 10 apps are free and pay nothing to Apple. Apple has said Spotify pays nothing for users of its free service or for paid Spotify members who signed up outside the App Store. Apple has said Spotify pays a revenue share on about half a per cent of its 108 million premium users, paying 15 per cent fees on roughly 680,000 customers that Spotify acquired between 2014 and 2016 when it used Apple's payment systems.

Antitrust probers in Congress ask Spotify to detail alleged Apple abuses: Sources

Spotify Technology SA has acquired music production marketplace SoundBetter, the music streaming service said on Thursday, without disclosing terms of the transaction.

New York-based SoundBetter will become part of the Spotify for Artists feature, which provides insights, profile management and promotion tools to artists and their teams, the Swedish company said.

SoundBetter's platform allows hiring of musicians, audio engineers, producers and songwriters. The company was formed in 2012 and has over 180,000 artists registered on its network, according to the statement.

Spotify's monthly active users, which included its ad-supported free version, surged 29% to 232 million people in the second quarter.

Spotify Technology SA has acquired music production marketplace SoundBetter, the music streaming service said on Thursday, without disclosing terms of the transaction.

Spotify Technology SA has acquired music production marketplace SoundBetter, the music streaming service said on Thursday, without disclosing terms of the transaction. New York-based SoundBetter will become part of the Spotify for Artists feature, which provides insights, profile management and promotion tools to artists and their teams, the Swedish company said. SoundBetter's platform allows hiring of musicians, audio engineers, producers and songwriters. The company was formed in 2012 and has over 180,000 artists registered on its network, according to the statement. Spotify's monthly active users, which included its ad-supported free version, surged 29% to 232 million people in the second quarter.

Spotify buys music production marketplace SoundBetter

Apple Inc on Thursday confirmed that the company's streaming music service has more than 60 million subscribers, trailing rival Spotify Technology SA's 100 million premium subscribers.

A company spokesman confirmed the figure that Eddy Cue, senior vice president of services for the iPhone maker, disclosed in remarks made&nbsp;to French publication Numerama in Paris. Apple executives had not disclosed a new number since May 2018, when the company said it had 50 million Apple Music subscribers.

The 60 million figure includes Apple customers who are on a free trial of Apple Music.

In April, Spotify reported it has 100 million "premium" subscribers. Spotify's definition of premium subscribers also includes those on free trials of its paid service so long as the user has entered a payment method such as a credit card.

When including listeners to its ad-supported service, Spotify has 217 million users. Apple and Spotify are locked in an antitrust dispute after Spotify filed a complaint with European regulators in March.

Apple Inc on Thursday confirmed that the company's streaming music service has more than 60 million subscribers, trailing rival Spotify Technology SA's 100 million premium subscribers.

Apple Inc on Thursday confirmed that the company's streaming music service has more than 60 million subscribers, trailing rival Spotify Technology SA's 100 million premium subscribers. A company spokesman confirmed the figure that Eddy Cue, senior vice president of services for the iPhone maker, disclosed in remarks made to French publication Numerama in Paris. Apple executives had not disclosed a new number since May 2018, when the company said it had 50 million Apple Music subscribers. The 60 million figure includes Apple customers who are on a free trial of Apple Music. In April, Spotify reported it has 100 million "premium" subscribers. Spotify's definition of premium subscribers also includes those on free trials of its paid service so long as the user has entered a payment method such as a credit card. When including listeners to its ad-supported service, Spotify has 217 million users. Apple and Spotify are locked in an antitrust dispute after Spotify filed a complaint with European regulators in March.

Apple Music hits more than 60 million subscribers, trailing Spotify

Music streaming service Spotify Technology SA said it will remove all songs belonging to one of India`s oldest record labels from its app after they failed to agree on licensing terms, months after the Swedish company`s launch in the country. 
 
According to a court document, Saregama India Ltd filed a petition with the Delhi High Court seeking an injunction against Spotify to stop it from using its songs. 
 
The move comes two months after Spotify launched in India, a price sensitive market already crowded by well-funded players like JioSaavn and Apple Music. 
 
According to the court document dated April 23, Spotify`s senior counsel said the streaming service would remove all Saregama songs from its app within 10 days. 
 
Spotify said last month it had more than 1 million unique users in India across its free and premium categories within a week of its launch. The company offers a free version supported by ads and a premium ad-free variant that charges users 119 rupees ($1.68) per month. 
 
Spotify declined to comment, while Saregama did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Music streaming service Spotify Technology SA said it will remove all songs belonging to one of India`s oldest record labels from its app after they failed to agree on licensing terms, months after the Swedish company`s launch in the country.

Music streaming service Spotify Technology SA said it will remove all songs belonging to one of India`s oldest record labels from its app after they failed to agree on licensing terms, months after the Swedish company`s launch in the country. According to a court document, Saregama India Ltd filed a petition with the Delhi High Court seeking an injunction against Spotify to stop it from using its songs. The move comes two months after Spotify launched in India, a price sensitive market already crowded by well-funded players like JioSaavn and Apple Music. According to the court document dated April 23, Spotify`s senior counsel said the streaming service would remove all Saregama songs from its app within 10 days. Spotify said last month it had more than 1 million unique users in India across its free and premium categories within a week of its launch. The company offers a free version supported by ads and a premium ad-free variant that charges users 119 rupees ($1.68) per month. Spotify declined to comment, while Saregama did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Spotify loses access to songs from major Indian label Saregama

Perhaps one of the most pertinent question that's running on everyone's mind these days is that who will finally grace the iron throne in the finale of 'Game Of Thrones'. And while it is a closely guarded sequel, listening to a Spotify playlist might just give fans some generous hints.&nbsp; 
 
The series creators David Benioff and DB Weiss created the playlist called `Game of Thrones: The End is Coming` and told For the Record, Spotify`s new site, that the playlist will answer all the questions related to the show`s ending.&nbsp; 
 
"The answer to the ending is one hundred percent hidden in the playlist choices. No one will believe us, but it`s true," they said."We were looking for songs that made us feel the way the show made us feel. There`s variety in there -- Rage is not Johnny Cash. But they both have a deep inherent power," the creators added. 
 
The titles of the songs feature a whole bunch of references to wolves, lions, winter, fire, and war, which makes a lot of sense. There are at least five songs about wolves alone, which comes as a hope that the Starks will prevail in some way. There are also a couple of references to mother, which could refer to Dany as the mother of dragons, or as the mother of Jon Snow`s baby, as many theorise will happen or it could refer to Cersei, who`s allegedly pregnant with Jaime`s baby?&nbsp; 
 
`Crown on the Ground` also sticks out, probably giving a hint that no one will end up on the throne at all. We`re also wondering if `Here`s Your Future` means we might see a few glimpses into the future of the character. 
 
`Her Black Wings` sounds like a dragon reference by title, but the track is more about death or a demon coming and seducing someone.&nbsp;Now that you know which playlist to listen to, dive into it and maybe by the references you know the ending of the series!`Game of Thrones` is set to return with its final season on 14th April on HBO.&nbsp;

Perhaps one of the most pertinent question that's running on everyone's mind these days is that who will finally grace the iron throne in the finale of 'Game Of Thrones'.

Perhaps one of the most pertinent question that's running on everyone's mind these days is that who will finally grace the iron throne in the finale of 'Game Of Thrones'. And while it is a closely guarded sequel, listening to a Spotify playlist might just give fans some generous hints. The series creators David Benioff and DB Weiss created the playlist called `Game of Thrones: The End is Coming` and told For the Record, Spotify`s new site, that the playlist will answer all the questions related to the show`s ending. "The answer to the ending is one hundred percent hidden in the playlist choices. No one will believe us, but it`s true," they said."We were looking for songs that made us feel the way the show made us feel. There`s variety in there -- Rage is not Johnny Cash. But they both have a deep inherent power," the creators added. The titles of the songs feature a whole bunch of references to wolves, lions, winter, fire, and war, which makes a lot of sense. There are at least five songs about wolves alone, which comes as a hope that the Starks will prevail in some way. There are also a couple of references to mother, which could refer to Dany as the mother of dragons, or as the mother of Jon Snow`s baby, as many theorise will happen or it could refer to Cersei, who`s allegedly pregnant with Jaime`s baby? `Crown on the Ground` also sticks out, probably giving a hint that no one will end up on the throne at all. We`re also wondering if `Here`s Your Future` means we might see a few glimpses into the future of the character. `Her Black Wings` sounds like a dragon reference by title, but the track is more about death or a demon coming and seducing someone. Now that you know which playlist to listen to, dive into it and maybe by the references you know the ending of the series!`Game of Thrones` is set to return with its final season on 14th April on HBO.

'Game of Thrones' Season 8: Want to know who gets the Iron throne? Listen to the Spotify playlist!

Spotify Technology SA, the world's most popular paid music streaming service, said it racked up more than 1 million unique users in India across its free and premium tiers since launching less than a week ago.

Spotify launched in India on Tuesday, stepping into a price-sensitive market crowded by well-funded players such as Reliance Industries' JioSaavn and Apple's Apple Music.

The Swedish company is offering a free version that will run with ads, alongside a premium ad-free variant that will charge users 119 Indian rupees ($1.68) per month.

India, with a population of 1.3 billion and more than 400 million smartphone users, is a potentially huge market for the Swedish company.

According to media reports, Tencent-backed Gaana leads the Indian streaming market with over 80 million monthly users. Spotify has 207 million monthly active users globally and 96 million subscribers.

In India, the streaming service also competes with other players including Amazon's Prime Music, Alphabet Inc's Google Play Music and Xiaomi-backed Hungama.

Spotify Technology SA, the world's most popular paid music streaming service, said it racked up more than 1 million unique users in India across its free and premium tiers since launching less than a week ago.

Spotify Technology SA, the world's most popular paid music streaming service, said it racked up more than 1 million unique users in India across its free and premium tiers since launching less than a week ago. Spotify launched in India on Tuesday, stepping into a price-sensitive market crowded by well-funded players such as Reliance Industries' JioSaavn and Apple's Apple Music. The Swedish company is offering a free version that will run with ads, alongside a premium ad-free variant that will charge users 119 Indian rupees ($1.68) per month. India, with a population of 1.3 billion and more than 400 million smartphone users, is a potentially huge market for the Swedish company. According to media reports, Tencent-backed Gaana leads the Indian streaming market with over 80 million monthly users. Spotify has 207 million monthly active users globally and 96 million subscribers. In India, the streaming service also competes with other players including Amazon's Prime Music, Alphabet Inc's Google Play Music and Xiaomi-backed Hungama.

Spotify adds 1 million unique listeners in India in less than a week

Music retailer HMV said on Friday it was calling in the administrators, blaming a worsening market for entertainment CDs and DVDs, to become the latest victim of brutal trading conditions in Britain's retail sector.

The accounting firm KPMG has been named as the administrator and intends to keep the business running while it seeks a potential buyer, HMV said in a statement.

Will Wright, Neil Gostelow and David Pike from KPMG's Restructuring practice have been confirmed as joint administrators to HMV Retail Limited and HMV E-commerce Limited, KPMG said in a statement late Friday.

The retailer, one of Britain's best-known high street stores, went into administration in 2013 before its rescue by restructuring specialist Hilco, but it has since been hit by competition from online rivals and music streaming services.

Sky News earlier reported that about 2,200 jobs were at risk if HMV went into administration, adding that the company had been in talks with leading names in the recorded music industry for funding, but that those discussions came to nothing.

HMV was opened on London's Oxford Street by English composer Edward Elgar in 1921 and made famous by the image of the "dog and trumpet".

"During the key Christmas trading period, the market for DVDs fell by over 30 per cent compared to the previous year, and whilst HMV performed considerably better than that, such a deterioration in a key sector of the market is unsustainable," said Paul McGowan, Executive Chairman of HMV and its owner Hilco Capital, which paid around 50 million pounds ($63.47 million) for the group in 2013.

"The company has suffered from the ongoing wave of digital disruption sweeping across the entertainment industry", said Wright, a joint administrator and partner at KPMG.

"Over the coming weeks, we will endeavour to continue to operate all stores as a going concern while we assess options for the business, including a possible sale", he added.

Britain's retailers had been hoping Christmas would revive spending after a year for much of the sector that has seen a string of store groups go out of business or closed shops.

Weakening consumer spending, uncertainty over Britain's exit from the European Union, rising labour costs and higher business property taxes, has spread gloom across the retail industry.

In the years running up to its first rescue in 2013, HMV struggled to hold its own against supermarkets and online services in sales of CDs, DVDs and video games.

More recently, traditional players in the music industry have been hit by the growing popularity of online streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Inc's Apple Music, which this year became the recording industry's single biggest revenue source.

HMV - which had a hand in The Beatles' big break in the 1960s, recommending the group's demo record to publishers - had around 230 stores and over 4,000 staff before it went into administration in 2013. It currently has 125 stores around Britain and employs 2,025 people.

Music retailer HMV said on Friday it was calling in the administrators, blaming a worsening market for entertainment CDs and DVDs, to become the latest victim of brutal trading conditions in Britain's retail sector.

Music retailer HMV said on Friday it was calling in the administrators, blaming a worsening market for entertainment CDs and DVDs, to become the latest victim of brutal trading conditions in Britain's retail sector. The accounting firm KPMG has been named as the administrator and intends to keep the business running while it seeks a potential buyer, HMV said in a statement. Will Wright, Neil Gostelow and David Pike from KPMG's Restructuring practice have been confirmed as joint administrators to HMV Retail Limited and HMV E-commerce Limited, KPMG said in a statement late Friday. The retailer, one of Britain's best-known high street stores, went into administration in 2013 before its rescue by restructuring specialist Hilco, but it has since been hit by competition from online rivals and music streaming services. Sky News earlier reported that about 2,200 jobs were at risk if HMV went into administration, adding that the company had been in talks with leading names in the recorded music industry for funding, but that those discussions came to nothing. HMV was opened on London's Oxford Street by English composer Edward Elgar in 1921 and made famous by the image of the "dog and trumpet". "During the key Christmas trading period, the market for DVDs fell by over 30 per cent compared to the previous year, and whilst HMV performed considerably better than that, such a deterioration in a key sector of the market is unsustainable," said Paul McGowan, Executive Chairman of HMV and its owner Hilco Capital, which paid around 50 million pounds ($63.47 million) for the group in 2013. "The company has suffered from the ongoing wave of digital disruption sweeping across the entertainment industry", said Wright, a joint administrator and partner at KPMG. "Over the coming weeks, we will endeavour to continue to operate all stores as a going concern while we assess options for the business, including a possible sale", he added. Britain's retailers had been hoping Christmas would revive spending after a year for much of the sector that has seen a string of store groups go out of business or closed shops. Weakening consumer spending, uncertainty over Britain's exit from the European Union, rising labour costs and higher business property taxes, has spread gloom across the retail industry. In the years running up to its first rescue in 2013, HMV struggled to hold its own against supermarkets and online services in sales of CDs, DVDs and video games. More recently, traditional players in the music industry have been hit by the growing popularity of online streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Inc's Apple Music, which this year became the recording industry's single biggest revenue source. HMV - which had a hand in The Beatles' big break in the 1960s, recommending the group's demo record to publishers - had around 230 stores and over 4,000 staff before it went into administration in 2013. It currently has 125 stores around Britain and employs 2,025 people.

Britain's HMV faces the music as retailer calls in administrators

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/popular-song-despacito-singer-luis-fonsi-named-as-puerto-ricos-new-tourism-ambassador-19128" target="_blank">Luis Fonsi</a> and Daddy Yankee&rsquo;s &ldquo;Despacito,&rdquo; featuring Justin Bieber continues&nbsp;its&nbsp;run&nbsp;on&nbsp;streaming services&nbsp;by now&nbsp;reaching 1 billion streams on Spotify. With this, Despacito&nbsp;became the&nbsp;first Spanish-language song to reach the milestone.

The 1 billion list includes&nbsp;Drake&rsquo;s &ldquo;One Dance,&rdquo; &ldquo;Closer&rdquo; by The Chainsmokers, &ldquo;Shape of You&rdquo; and &ldquo;Thinking Out Loud&rdquo; by Ed Sheeran, and Major Lazer, DJ Snake and M&Oslash;&rsquo;s &ldquo;Lean On.&rdquo;

For Justin Bieber,&nbsp;&ldquo;Despacito&rdquo; marks his third song on the list as&nbsp;&ldquo;Sorry&rdquo; and &ldquo;Love Yourself&rdquo; have also reached a billion streams previously.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-despacito-songwriter-first-latino-nominated-in-grammys-song-of-the-year-category-25835" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;&#39;Despacito&#39; songwriter, first Latino nominated in Grammys Song of the Year category</a>

Here is a list of songs that reached 1 billion streams on Spotify:

Dec. 15, 2016: &quot;One Dance&quot; - Drake

May 19, 2017: &quot;Closer&quot; - The Chainsmokers, feat. Halsey

June 8, 2017: &quot;Shape of You&quot; - Ed Sheeran

June 26, 2017: &quot;Lean On&quot; - Major Lazer, DJ Snake &amp; M&Oslash;

Nov. 30, 2017: &quot;Sorry&quot; - Justin Bieber

Dec. 21, 2017: &quot;Thinking Out Loud&quot; - Ed Sheeran

Jan. 30, 2018: &quot;Love Yourself&quot; - Justin Bieber

Jan. 30, 2018: &quot;Despacito&quot; remix - Luis Fonsi &amp; Daddy Yankee, feat. Justin Bieber

The hit song is by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber continues its run on streaming services by now reaching 1 billion streams on Spotify. With this, Despacito became the first Spanish-language song to reach the milestone. The 1 billion list includes Drake’s “One Dance,” “Closer” by The Chainsmokers, “Shape of You” and “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, and Major Lazer, DJ Snake and MØ’s “Lean On.” For Justin Bieber, “Despacito” marks his third song on the list as “Sorry” and “Love Yourself” have also reached a billion streams previously. Also Read: 'Despacito' songwriter, first Latino nominated in Grammys Song of the Year category Here is a list of songs that reached 1 billion streams on Spotify: Dec. 15, 2016: "One Dance" - Drake May 19, 2017: "Closer" - The Chainsmokers, feat. Halsey June 8, 2017: "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran June 26, 2017: "Lean On" - Major Lazer, DJ Snake & MØ Nov. 30, 2017: "Sorry" - Justin Bieber Dec. 21, 2017: "Thinking Out Loud" - Ed Sheeran Jan. 30, 2018: "Love Yourself" - Justin Bieber Jan. 30, 2018: "Despacito" remix - Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, feat. Justin Bieber

'Despacito' is first Spanish language song to reach a billion streams on Spotify

YouTube is planning to introduce a paid music streaming service in March.

Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Merlin, a consortium of independent labels, &nbsp;are in talks with the website.

Record Label Warner Music Group has already signed with the service.

The streaming service will&nbsp;call&nbsp;&quot;Remix&quot; and it will be competing with Spotify and Apple.

Music streaming website like Spotify and Apply music have become hugely popular in recent times and launching &quot;Remix&quot; is going to the parent company Alphabet&#39;s third attempt to compete with these giants.

YouTube Red launched a subscription-based service for exclusive content from popular creators like Lily Singh, Michael Stevens, Liza Koshy, in 2016.

Google has also launched its streaming app called Google Play Music in 2011.

(With inputs from news agency)

Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Merlin, a consortium of independent labels, are in talks with the website

YouTube is planning to introduce a paid music streaming service in March. Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Merlin, a consortium of independent labels, are in talks with the website. Record Label Warner Music Group has already signed with the service. The streaming service will call "Remix" and it will be competing with Spotify and Apple. Music streaming website like Spotify and Apply music have become hugely popular in recent times and launching "Remix" is going to the parent company Alphabet's third attempt to compete with these giants. YouTube Red launched a subscription-based service for exclusive content from popular creators like Lily Singh, Michael Stevens, Liza Koshy, in 2016. Google has also launched its streaming app called Google Play Music in 2011. (With inputs from news agency)

YouTube to launch music subscription service 'Remix' next year

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