Until now, the only tools for telling how long users actually listened to the podcasts they downloaded were the proprietary ones of Apple and Spotify. So NPR developed an open-source tool to get data beyond download figures. But with the privacy scandals that have broken over the past year, some podcasters are leery. — Columbia Journalism Review
Category: AUDIENCE
English National Opera Makes Its Saturday Shows Free For Under-18s
“Removing cost as a barrier to entry for under-18s is a seismic leap forward for ENO and for opera as a whole, and we hope to entice as many under-18s as possible, from the musically obsessed to the just plain curious.” – The Stage
How Skeptical Consumers Were Convinced To Accept Stereo
“A key challenge for selling stereo was consumers’ satisfaction with the mono music systems they already owned. … Something was needed to show people that this new technology was worth the investment. The ‘stereo demonstration’ was born — a mix of videos, print ads and records designed to showcase the new technology and its vibrant sound.” — The Conversation
Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery Has New App To Bring Its Collection To The World (And Ask For Money)
“[The Russian state museum] is harnessing blockchain technology to power a new app that digitises its entire collection of more than 190,000 objects … In what is being described as a ‘new form of public involvement in art’, the My Tretyakov app invites each user to … either sponsor a work personally or give digital patronage to someone as a gift.” — The Art Newspaper
So Just How Dependent Are Ballet Companies On ‘Nutcracker’ These Days?
“[Dance/USA] just reported on the state of The Nutcracker for the first time since 2008, and the data shows just how much the ballet’s prevalence has grown in the past 10 years — and how much companies have come to rely on it as a revenue source.” — Dance Magazine
Americans Twice As Likely To Vote For Candidates Who Support Doubling Spending On Arts: Study
According to the 2018 Americans for the Arts report, “40% of Americans believe that the White House is not spending enough on nonprofit arts organizations. A majority of Americans (53%) also approve of doubling the federal government’s funding to these organizations and generally financing the arts (65%).” — Hyperallergic
‘Seismic’: English National Opera To Give Under-18s Free Tickets To Saturday Night Shows
Said company CEO Stuart Murphy, “We were founded on the belief that opera is for everyone. Removing cost as a barrier to entry for under-18s is a seismic leap forward for ENO and for opera as a whole.” There are two hitches, though … — The Guardian
Is Netflix Going To Work As A Movie Studio?
It’s like Lifetime! Or Hallmark! But wait, it’s got prestige movies! And hey, there are documentaries! And animated movie! And … whoa, Netflix, what are you even doing? A lot. “The number of annual Netflix film releases climbs to about 90. To compare, Universal, one of Hollywood’s most prolific traditional studios, releases roughly 30 movies a year.” – The New York Times
Is The Push To Watch ‘Roma’ In Movie Theatres Just A Snotty Anti-TV Move?
Critics have taken the idea on as a crusade, but there are real differences between big and smaller screens. “The film’s crystalline images (captured with the ultra-high-definition Alexa 65 camera) and elaborate sound design [are] key to the film’s success—and … with those elements diminished by the transition to the smaller screen, Cuarón’s deep-focus shots and leisurely pans might prove more soporific than engrossing.” – Slate
Who Gets To Claim Verdi?
What happened to Verdi? He used to be on Italian money (back when the lira existed), and now there’s a festival – but there’s also a huge argument between dozens of Verdi fans. Which political party and movement can claim the composer? – Los Angeles Review of Books