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Beyoncé’s influence is undeniable. Spotify has finally released Spotify Wrapped 2024, revealing that the music icon inspired over 36 million people to listen to country music for the first time this year. Beyoncé released “Cowboy Carter” on March 29, 2024, in collaboration with Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, according to AFROTECH™ . The album’s 27-song track list includes “ Blackbiird ,” “16 Carriages,” “Jolene,” and “Levii’s Jeans.” While creating the album, Beyoncé noted that in the rising age of artificial intelligence (AI), she wanted to focus on authentic sounds, as reported by AFROTECH™ . She made good use of various instruments, such as the accordion, harmonica, washboard, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, fiddle, tack piano, banjo, and her fingernails as percussion. On its release day, Spotify announced on X that the album was the most streamed on the platform in a single day in 2024, marking the first time a country album held this distinction...
Spotify Wrapped has returned, and this year, the company has partnered with Google’s NotebookLM to launch the Spotify Wrapped AI podcast . While Wrapped curates customized end-of-the-year lists for users to reflect on their musical favorites, the AI podcast takes it a step further by providing an engaging audio recap, according to Google Labs. In the podcast, two AI hosts from NotebookLM explore users’ favorite tracks and artists, highlighting how one’s music taste has evolved throughout 2024. Each podcast is a unique conversation tailored to the specific user, created using the technology behind NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews. Molly Holder, senior director of personalization, spoke with Spotify on Wednesday, Dec. 4, about the magic behind Wrapped. “The beauty of Wrapped is how much it reflects each individual user,” Holder said, according to For The Record. “Whether it’s your top song, total minutes listened, or favorite artist, 2024 Wrapped celebrates how you listened this year.”...
Joe Budden knows when it’s time to walk away from things that aren’t in alignment with the brand that he’s worked to build. During an appearance on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, he explained his rise to the top of the podcasting game. He even shared the details that went into his decision to walk away from what seemed like a lucrative deal with Spotify.
For over three decades, Diddy has built a legacy in the music industry. Staying true to his “Can’t stop, won’t stop” motto, the mogul hasn’t let up on both releasing music and discovering new talent. As previously reported by AfroTech, he announced the latest level of his evolution with Love Records — his new R&B label that has partnered with Motown Records.
Meghan Markle seems to be ready for her take over of the podcast industry. Forbes reports that the Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast has knocked The Joe Rogan Experience out of the No. 1 spot on Spotify podcast charts in the U.S. The major feat comes only two days after Markle dropped her first episode. What’s more, her podcast is dominating across Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Kanye West is known for thinking outside of the box. And, with his next album “Donda 2,” things are no different. Ahead of its release on Feb. 22, Kanye West took to Instagram to announce it will not be available on streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, and YouTube. But, the album will be available for streaming on his $200 stem player that AfroTech previously reported allows fans to “customize any song.” “Donda 2 will only be streaming on my own platform, the stem player. You can download new music from stemplayer.com. You can play 4 different elements of the track: vocals, drums, bass and music. It also has a MP3 player available. We currently have 67,000 available and are making 3,000 a day,” Kanye West wrote via Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaHAZv4ju7N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link If you are wondering why the sudden move to venture away from streaming giants, West revealed his disdain for the “oppressive system.” “Donda 2 will only be available on...
Over the past week, Joe Rogan has been in the headlines for his use of the n-word in his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience”. AfroTech previously reported that India.Arie became one of the latest musicians to pull her music catalog from Spotify. Her decision came in following the resurfaced videos, as well as the platform’s negligence of the COVID-19 misinformation shared on Rogan’s podcast, which Neil Young was the first to demand action. “Neil Young opened a door that I must walk through,” Arie wrote via Instagram. “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.” In the midst of the controversy around Rogan, it looks like the podcaster will continue to stay on Spotify. The platform’s CEO Daniel Ek has recently stated his condemnation for Rogan’s actions but has no plans of removing him according to The Hollywood Reporter. While Ek addressed in a letter to staff that...
India Arie has always been about doing what feels right. Arie has shook the music industry since the very beginning, defying beauty standards with her hit song, “Video,” and always making it known that she will not conform to fit into what the world wants her to be. And, in 2022, nothing is changing. Rolling Stone reports that Arie is among the latest musicians set to remove music from Spotify in support of Neil Young, who first demanded action against the streaming platform’s failure to address the COVID-19 misinformation shared by Joe Rogan via his podcast. While misinformation about viruses and vaccines sparked the protest by musicians on the platform, Arie says it’s much more than that. “Neil Young opened a door that I must walk through,” Arie wrote via Instagram. “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.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by India Arie...