TechCrunch reports: “The team at Wotch has created a new social video platform — but wait, don’t roll your eyes quite yet. “Obviously, we’re very used to someone creating a new internet video-sharing platform,” said co-CEO Scott Willson. “It must be very irritating for everyone to hear that.”’
Hypebot reports: “TikTok owner ByteDance is testing a new music app that could offer real competition to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other global streaming music players.”
VentureBeat reports: “Scope AR, maker of enterprise augmented reality products, announced it has acquired WakingApp, an AR technology company based in Tel Aviv, Israel.”
The Verge reports: “Twitter is funding a small team of researchers to build an “open and decentralized standard for social media,” with the goal of making Twitter a client for that standard. CEO Jack Dorsey announced the news and laid out his reasoning in a tweet thread this morning, although he acknowledged that the process could take years.”
gamesindustry.biz reports: “The Fortnite dance emote controversy has reared its head once again, after Epic Games filed preemptive lawsuit against a dancer.”
Hypebot reports: “Warner Music Group and Providence Equity Partners are partnering to invest in recorded music and music publishing catalogs with a new joint venture, Tempo Music Investments.”
Billboard reports: “With the help of a new program, ASCAP is hoping to provide its members with something that’s so often in short supply for music creators: peace of mind.”
Variety reports: “At Xandr, the ad-technology firm that is part of AT&T, the time to start talking about the advertising of the future is now. The AT&T unit is best known, perhaps, for selling commercial inventory related to the company’s DirecTV. But Xandr CEO Brian Lesser expects to be recognized soon for taking part in many other areas of the telecommunications-and-media giant.”
Hollywood Reporter reports: “Sony Pictures Television has agreed to buy children’s animation studio Silvergate Media, in a deal that values the company at around $195 million.”
TechCrunch reports: “According to CEO Afif Khoury, we’re in the middle of “the third wave of social” — a shift back to local interactions. And Khoury’s startup Soci (pronounced soh-shee) has raised $12 million in Series C funding to help companies navigate that shift.”
