Apps
Spotify evaluates video courses to provide instruction in various areas such as music creation and excel
Netflix has established a distinct market presence in the domains of music streaming, podcast entertainment, and audiobooks. In its continuous endeavors to enhance user engagement and financial investment on its platform, Spotify is introducing a novel content category known as e-learning.
Spotify is now conducting an initial launch in the United Kingdom to assess the viability of introducing an online educational platform consisting of freemium video courses. The course, which is developed in collaboration with external entities such as the BBC and Skillshare, offers a minimum of two complimentary courses. The overall cost of the course often falls within the range of £20 to £80. Currently, the costs will remain consistent for both basic and premium users.
In an interview, Mohit Jitani, the product director for the education business based in London, stated that pricing decisions are being tested. “Our primary objective with this launch is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the demand,” he stated. “Next, we will enhance our approach to make it more captivating and stimulating.”
The content will be available on both Spotify’s homepage and browse tabs, namely under the “Courses” section. It may be accessed both online and through the Spotify mobile app.
The courses are positioned between YouTube, Master Class, and LinkedIn Learning. The videos in the current catalog encompass a diverse array of topics, ranging from music production to Excel proficiency. Additionally, there are lessons on developing online learning materials to empower musicians and other individuals to become “education creators.”
While there are numerous online learning platforms available on the internet that offer interactive content and various media formats, including startups that aim to become the “Spotify for education” when searching for that term, Spotify’s educational strategy primarily revolves around providing one-way, on-demand video.
According to Jitani, certain courses may include supplementary material, albeit primarily in the form of additional documents rather than assessments or other forms of engagement. The individual refrained from providing an update regarding the potential implementation of gamification by Spotify in the future, as well as the potential inclusion of games in their future plans.
The initial collaborators for Courses include Skillshare, which will prioritize creative pursuits; PLAYvirtuoso, which offers courses in the music industry; BBC Maestro, which provides Master Class-like content; and Thinkific, which caters to individuals seeking to develop their abilities through online learning programs. According to Jitani, Spotify intends to customize its offerings through its course, taking into consideration the preferences and search queries of its users on the site. However, upon examining the catalogs of these individual suppliers, it becomes evident that the topics encompass a considerable range and depth.
According to Jitani, valuable insights would be gained into individuals’ genuine interests, leading to the emergence of numerous sectors centered around these topics. Subsequently, we will proceed to locate the most optimal content.
Third-party publishers who give Spotify a license own the content. However, the videos will be stored and purchased directly on Spotify’s platform. Regarding the distribution of money, the creator, publisher, and Spotify will each receive a portion of the sales, while content partners will be responsible for managing the payments made to the creators.
Spotify has not provided details regarding the allocation of the cut to specific individuals, nor has it indicated whether it will potentially provide any type of reduction or further advantage to existing premium members on the platform.
What is the purpose of education? What is the reason for choosing the UK?
The aforementioned action indicates Spotify’s strategic approach to further expanding its business operations, with the concurrent objective of establishing a trajectory towards enhanced profitability and improved profit margins. According to Jitani, the United Kingdom has been selected as the target market due to its significant market size and existing high level of engagement on a global scale.
Spotify experiences significant fluctuations in its financial performance within the current market. The company experienced three instances of workforce reductions in the previous year, and its financial performance has been predominantly unprofitable rather than successful. Notably, in February, the company reported a net loss of $81 million in its quarterly profits.
Indeed, the realms of online learning and professional development may appear unappealing for a firm mostly recognized for music streaming. However, there are three specific domains where it is logical.
As Spotify’s podcasting business expands, it is accumulating substantial data on user activities on the platform. It has identified a strong association between popular podcasts on Spotify and educational material.
According to Spotify, almost 50% of Spotify Premium customers have engaged with educational or self-help-oriented podcasts. Spotify has the capability to employ suggestion-surfacing techniques, similar to those employed for music and podcasts, in order to engage in cross-promotion. Consider, for instance, a podcast featuring a “business guru” who is now endorsing a paid course featuring that individual. Spotify is wagering that one will facilitate the sale of the other.
In addition, Spotify has been actively developing solutions aimed at assisting content creators in effectively managing and expanding their revenue streams. Providing educational materials focused on business management or enhancing music production aligns with this objective.
Furthermore, there is the video component. Spotify has been endeavoring to expand its presence in the video industry for nearly ten years.
That has not yet resulted in becoming a competitor to YouTube or Netflix. The company’s most recent earnings call included a single mention of video, with CEO Daniel Ek providing a vague description of video podcasting as “growing in a healthy way.”. However, earlier this month, it introduced music videos in specific regions, and now we are making a sincere endeavor to produce informative videos. It may still find its rhythm.
Android
Google Chrome now has a ‘picture-in-picture’ feature
Google is getting ready to make a big change to how its Chrome browser works. This is because new browsers from startups like Arc are making the market more competitive. The company said on Wednesday that it will be adding a new feature called “Minimized Custom Tabs” that will let users tap to switch between a native app and their web content. When you do this, the Custom Tab turns into a small window that floats above the content of the native app.
The new feature is all about using Custom Tabs, which is a feature in Android browsers that lets app developers make their own browser experience right in their app. Users don’t have to open their browser or a WebView, which doesn’t support all of the web platform’s features. Custom tabs let users stay in their app while browsing. Custom tabs can help developers keep users in their apps longer and keep them from leaving and never coming back.
If you make the Custom Tab into a picture-in-picture window, switching to the web view might feel more natural, like you’re still in the native app. People who send their customers to a website to sign up for accounts or subscriptions might also find this change useful, since it makes it easier for users to switch between the website and the native app.
After being shrunk down to the picture-in-picture window, the Custom Tab can be pushed to the side of the screen. Users can tap on a down arrow to bring the page back to the picture-in-picture window when it is full screen.
The new web experience comes at a time when Google is making it easier for Android users to connect to the web. People can find their way to the web with AI-powered features like Circle to Search and other integrations that let them do things like circle or highlight items.
The change is coming to the newest version of Chrome (M124), and developers who already use Chrome’s Custom Tabs will see it automatically. Google says that the change only affects Chrome browsers, but it hopes that other browser makers will add changes like these.
Apps
Threads finally starts its own program to check facts
Meta’s latest social network, Threads, is launching its own fact-checking initiative after leveraging Instagram and Facebook’s networks for a brief period.
Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, stated that the company has recently implemented a feature that allows fact-checkers to assess and label false content on threads. Nevertheless, Mosseri refrained from providing specific information regarding the exact timing of the program’s implementation and whether it was restricted to certain geographical regions.
The fact-checking partners for Threads—which organizations are affiliated with Meta—are not clearly specified. We have requested additional information from the company and will revise the story accordingly upon receiving a response.
The upcoming U.S. elections appear to be the main driving force behind the decision. India is currently in the midst of its general elections. However, it is improbable that a social network would implement a fact-checking program specifically during an election cycle rather than initiating the project prior to the elections.
In December, Meta announced its intention to implement the fact-checking program on Threads.
“At present, we align the fact-check ratings from Facebook or Instagram with Threads. However, our objective is to empower fact-checking partners to evaluate and assign ratings to misinformation on the application,” Mosseri stated in a post during that period.
Apps
Mark Zuckerberg reports that Threads has a total of 150 million users who engage with the app on a monthly basis
Threads, Meta’s alternative to Twitter and X, is experiencing consistent and steady growth. During the Q1 2024 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg stated that the social network currently has over 150 million monthly active members, which is an increase from 130 million in February.
Threads made significant progress in integrating with ActivityPub, the decentralized protocol that powers networks such as Mastodon, during the last quarterly earnings conference. In March, the firm granted U.S.-based users who are 18 years of age or older the ability to link their accounts to the Fediverse, enabling their posts to be seen on other servers.
By June, the business intends to make its API available to a broad range of developers, enabling them to create experiences centered on the social network. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether Threads will enable developers to create comprehensive third-party clients.
Meta just introduced their AI chatbot on various platforms like Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Threads was conspicuously omitted from this list, perhaps because of its lack of built-in direct messaging capabilities.
Threads introduced a new test feature on Wednesday that allows users to automatically archive their posts after a certain length of time. Additionally, users have the ability to store or remove specific postings from an archive and make them accessible to the public.
Threads is around nine months old, and Meta has consistently expanded its readership. Nevertheless, Threads cannot be considered a viable substitute for X, as Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, explicitly stated in October that Threads will not “amplify news on the platform.” However, Meta’s social network continues to grow in popularity. According to app analytics company Apptopia, Threads now has more daily active users in the U.S. than X, as Business Insider reported earlier this week.
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