Quick Hits: Interviews from Wondery and Audiomack. Also beware big-spending birds.

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:

From mixtapes to streaming at Audiomack: Billboard interviewed the founders of streaming service Audiomack. The platform is consciously positioning itself not to compete with major players like Spotify or Apple Music, and its still spiritually sticking to its roots as a mixtape service. “With gatekeepers being a huge problem for emerging artists to stand out, since the beginning of recorded music, we reduce, if not alleviate entirely, the barriers to getting in front of an artist,” co-founder and CMO Dave Ponte said. “I think it’s easier than ever now for an emerging artist, but it’s still very difficult if you want another platform to get people to give you a try. We enable artists to find their audience. We’ll surface the music and get it in front of the right people.”

Wondery CEO interview: Podcast company Wondery knows a thing or two about success. CEO Hernan Lopez spoke with Poynter about how so many of its shows have become hits, not just with listeners but also with Hollywood execs.

Parrot racks up Amazon orders on owners’ Echo: Parrots’ ability to mimic human speech has long been a delight, but the birds can pose a rather strange risk to any smart speaker owners. Marion Wischnewski, a worker at the National Animal Welfare Trust in the UK, found that out the hard way while fostering an African Grey parrot named Rocco.

Anna Washenko