Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:
Storm brewing between YouTube and labels: Music Business Worldwide reports that Universal Music Group’s contract with YouTube may be up in the air. After starting the year on a month-to-month licensing agreement, the negotiations appear to have turned frosty. Sony and Warner’s licensing deals with YouTube may also be up for discussion soon. The majors have a turbulent history with the video platform, with ongoing discussions of both its use of safe harbor laws and the amount of revenue it is able to funnel through to the industry despite an audience of billions.
Cloudy forecast for NPR: Slate ran an article with dire predictions for NPR. Given the recent loss of talent to competitors in podcasting and audiobooks, and concerns over how the terrestrial programs are allowed to talk about the broadcaster’s digital properties, NPR has entered a risky place. It has to reach new audiences but may be hamstringing its own efforts to do so. The Slate piece is a long yet essential read for anybody who values NPR.
Conversation with Spotify CMO: Lastly, Adweek interviewed Spotify CMO Seth Farbman about the streaming service’s use of data, particularly for targeting millennial listeners. The questions also covered advertising, Farbman’s role as a judge in the Clio awards, and the company’s strategy for 2016.