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Spotify launches its own ad exchange: The company will offer video inventory before eventually expanding to audio.

Zooming out: AI audiobooks are available on other popular streaming platforms. Audible has over 40,000 AI-narrated titles, per Bloomberg, and Apple Books added AI-narrated options in 2023. Spotify said its goal is to boost the number of audiobook authors on its platform and make audiobook narration more cost-effective. AI everywhere: Spotify is incorporating AI throughout its offering.

Gen Z leads in digital usage by most proportional measures. However, social network use cuts across categories, influencing video viewing and digital buying.

South and Southeast Asia led all regions for music/audio adoption. At 83% penetration, it was 33 percentage points ahead of radio, where the region was second to last globally. Four of the top eight countries for music/audio usage globally (India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam) were in this region. Readership of newspapers and magazines in the region were both No. 1 globally.

The UMG deal underscores the power struggle between streaming platforms and record labels, with investors eager to assess its financial impact. With strong pricing flexibility and tighter cost controls, Spotify appears well-positioned for long-term profitability鈥攅specially as it continues to monetize its non-podcast media efficiently.

Behind the numbers: Spending will be dictated by two major trends: the need for consumers to replace electronics purchased during the pandemic and growing interest in AI-powered features. 70% of the consumer tech sector鈥檚 gains this year will come from sales of computers, portable audio, and televisions as shoppers embark on a 鈥減ost-pandemic 鈥� refresh wave,鈥� per Circana.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how Netflix鈥檚 recent live sports events have performed, if there鈥檚 a new streaming price ceiling for consumers, and whether its entertainment hub playbook is replicable. Tune in to the conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson and Vice President Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

We've seen a lot of retailers move into in-store audio. It's got a really low barrier to entry and it's just a really smart way for a lot of retailers to start experimenting with in-store retail media. The other reason is 7-Eleven is really starting to expand its store footprint to include more fresh food options, which I think is really interesting.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how Google鈥檚 cookie choices affect targeting with insights on alternative identifiers, data privacy, and strategies for 2025. Tune in to the discussion with our Principal Analyst and host Yory Wurmser, Chief Brand Officer of CP Skin Health Group Echo Sandburg and Senior Director First Party Data Strategy of the Eli Lilly & Company Moitree Rahman.

"We would not have re-accelerated our revenue in the last two years if it was not for AI," Alex Schultz, CMO and vice president of analytics at Meta, said on our "Behind the Numbers" podcast. "It's that important to us. We wouldn't have recovered from AppTracking transparency [or] been able to do more with less data if it wasn't for AI. So that's the very core of our business."

In today鈥檚 episode, we talk about what鈥檚 going on with Bitcoin since Trump won the election, how his policy moves could affect cryptocurrency, and the likelihood of America launching a digital dollar. Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development, Rob Rubin, and Analysts Grace Broadbent and Tyler Van Dyke.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the size of sports betting markets, what happens when regulation gets too tight, and the potential problems associated with marketing within the gambling universe. Tune in to the discussion with our Principal Analyst and host Bill Fisher, Principal Analyst Paul Briggs, Senior Director of Podcasts Marcus Johnson, and Vice President of Content Paul Verna.