Marketers fret as Apple’s hardline stance on tracking gets firmer
Digiday reports: “Marketers continue to avoid Apple’s harsh reality of a world without individual tracking, but it’s getting harder to avoid the consequences of doing so.”
Primary Wave Raises $375m Investment From Oaktree Capital, Sells Minority Stake
Music Business Worldwide reports: “Primary Wave Music just got a major cash injection. The company has finalized what it calls a “strategic relationship” with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management.”
Apple outlined plans to increase consumer data privacy at WWDC
VentureBeat reports: “Apple, facing accusations from rivals that it has too much control over its App Store, on Monday outlined plans to increase user privacy and keep consumer data out of other companies’ hands, laying out features including expanded video conferencing and storing virtual government IDs on iPhones.”
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X is about to make xCloud gaming much faster
The Verge reports: “Microsoft is making some significant upgrades to its Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) service in the next few weeks.”
Roblox Says $200m+ Copyright Lawsuit Is Based on a ‘Fundamental Misunderstanding’. Music Publishers Disagree.
Music Business Worldwide reports: “Video gaming platform Roblox has responded to being hit with a $200 million-plus copyright infringement lawsuit from music publishers in the US, noting its “surprise and disappointment” at being sued.”
Media Ad Revenue To Surge 22% In 2021, GroupM Predicts, As Digital Revival Exceeds Prior Forecasts
Deadline reports: “Top media firm GroupM says it expects 22% growth in media ad revenue in 2021 compared with 2019 levels, excluding political spending.”
Fintech giant Klarna raises $639M at a $45.6B valuation amid ‘massive momentum’ in the US
TechCrunch reports: “Just over three months after its last funding round, European fintech giant Klarna is announcing today that it has raised another $639 million at a staggering post-money valuation of $45.6 billion.”
Mythical Games raises $75M to build an NFT game engine
TechCrunch reports: “Even as NFT sales dip below their most speculative highs, startups aiming to tap into their potential are still scoring big funding rounds from investors who believe there’s much more to crypto collectibles than the past few months of hype.”
Trump’s Executive Order Against TikTok, WeChat Dropped by Biden Administration
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “The White House on Wednesday revoked executive orders from the Trump administration that sought to ban TikTok and WeChat.”
Twitch expresses ‘disappointment’ with music industry recent DMCA claims
Hypebot reports: “Twitch has expressed “disappointment” after a recent round of DMCA takedown notices ignited exactly the response one might expect from the music industry.”
