Co-CEO Gustav Söderström said: “Spotify is in one of the few categories that actually stands to thrive in the agentic age. This is because agents excel at replacing and taking care of things people would rather not do. People love getting rid of chores. But entertainment is the opposite. - The Hollywood Reporter
“I can’t be on stage. I can’t do a play any more. I can’t do a film any more. I can’t read any more,” the 91-year-old actor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday. - The Guardian
“Clifford Murphy, the director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, which runs the festival, called it a ‘democratizing experience’ — one that added up to more than just making lemons into lemonade.” - The New York Times
Last week, Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right politician sworn in as President in August, declared a "cultural counterrevolution" and had dozens of artworks and historical objects removed from the Museo Nacional in Bogotá. In response, some 62,000 people demonstrated in the capital, arguing that the President's action violates Colombia's 1991 Constitution. - Artnet
“California’s $750 million bet on Hollywood has not reversed the overall decline in production, according to data released Wednesday by FilmLA. Instead, production levels fell 3.7% in the third quarter — even as the share of projects receiving state subsidies continued to rise. Location shoots remain well below the five-year average.” - Variety
“Nearly 300 authors filed (separate) copyright infringement claims against Meta Platforms on October 19 in (Federal court in San Francisco), alleging the company trained its AI models on pirated copies of their books and, more recently, on physical books it bought and scanned without a license.” - Publishers Weekly
The latest report from the Broadway League, covering the 2024-25 season, also found that the Broadway theater industry supported 114,600 full-time equivalent jobs and generated $979 million in taxes for the city. - Deadline
“Unionized staff across all four branches of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London announced their intention to strike on October 29 and 30, citing stalled negotiations and allegations of ‘Amazon-style’ working conditions at the newly-opened V&A East Storehouse.” - ARTnews
“Orélien has denied allegations that he used AI on his breakthrough novel (C’était ça ou mourir) and, last week, Canadian publisher Les Éditions du Boréal said it was standing by the 38-year-old writer. But on Wednesday, Boréal said it had conducted a further investigation” and concluded that Thélyson did use AI. - The Guardian
“Triumph, which has opened at London’s Almeida Theatre, is Churchill’s latest piece of explosive minimalism. Running at just 20 minutes, it skewers contemporary barbarism (via) historical analogy and is a reminder that Churchill … has in recent years developed a form of elliptical drama for which the apt word might be compressionism.” - The Guardian
Hamilton was the top grossing show of the week with $2.8 million, followed by The Lion King with $2 million. MJ was the fourth highest grossing with $1.76 million, followed by the Bowen Yang-led Oh, Mary! with $1.5 million. - The Hollywood Reporter
Since 2008, the territory’s government has funded nine designated major performing arts groups, including the Hong Kong Ballet, Philharmonic, and Repertory Theatre. The city’s chief executive has announced a planned change to a more flexible, “merit-based” system which would make room for more organizations. - South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Remember how, in Thailand and Indonesia, the ocean drew back from the coastline? People ran out to marvel at the miles of pristine new beach that suddenly emerged, not realising that, far out at sea, a wall of water was building up and would come crashing over them. - Equator
Streaming services, notable musicians and fans are confronting the growing presence of AI-generated music and drawing lines in the sand. On Tuesday, Spotify announced it had removed about 50m songs considered AI slop from its recommendations to users over the past year. - The Guardian
“The movie business needed Netflix to wake up. They needed a real disruptor... Maybe we are now entering a period where the relationship works the other way around, with Netflix being inspired by the movie business. I think the two worlds are additive.” - Deadline
