Lenny Brown

DeamPlus Games Earned $12M+ IAP Revenue Amids “Hoa Hoa Hoa” Season 🍂 Game of Vampires: Twilight Sun, an empire-building RPG, is the ultimate vampire fantasy brought to life. 🌘 Gothic castles, luxurious dark interiors, a spooky atmosphere — and a ton of pop-culture references! From Twilight and The Vampire Diaries to Blade and The Addams Family — this game is packed with nostalgic nods that resonate with players through its ASO, ad creatives, and character design. 🧛‍♂️🏰 The right timing and a touch of luck drive this success even further: with the game’s global launch, the unexpected revival of the Twilight franchise came into play! Millennials are fueling it with nostalgia, while Gen Z is having fun with those cringy moments the old movies have. ✨🧛‍♀️ For a deep dive into this phenomenon and the insights game developers can draw from it, check out Diana Levintova's fantastic article for AppMagic. Halloween couldn’t be a better time to dive into the industry insights, spooky vibes, and, of course, “hoa hoa hoa” 🎃👻 Link in the comments! 👇

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“The UK music industry, with support from the UK Government, is seeking your help to identify resources that raise awareness of the significance of metadata in ensuring creators are fairly paid and credited for their tracks. In music, metadata is information which describes who contributed to a track’s creation, and how – such as who wrote a song, who performed on a recording, and who owns the individual rights in the work or recording. Metadata includes unique identifiers, such as the ISWC, ISRC, IPI and IPN, as well as title and contributor information. Education and awareness of the importance of metadata is vital for all parts of the creative value chain, from those creating songs and recordings, through to those responsible for delivering data to platforms, CMOs and others, including artist managers and A&R departments. Your responses to this survey will inform the work of the Metadata Education Group, one of the expert industry working groups formed to help deliver improvements to metadata practice as part of the UK Metadata Agreement. The Group is working to map out existing resources that educate and raise awareness of the importance of music metadata, maximise access to these resources, and identify gaps in current provision.” Read the post and the survey below for more: #Metadata #UK #Creators #CMOs #ISWC #ISRC #IPI #IPN #Artists #Songwriters #MusicPublishing #IP #IntelectualProperty #Copyright #DerechoDeAutor #DroitdAuteur #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #IPO

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“The UK recorded music industry grew for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, bringing in £1.43 billion. Streaming and physical music saw growth, and the independent sector also enjoyed an increased share of album sales and streams. This is all according to a new stats pack from BPI The BPI has published its annual ‘All About The Music’ report on the British record industry's performance in the previous calendar year. The topline stat is that revenues grew by 8.1% in 2023 to £1.43 billion. That’s the ninth consecutive year of growth. According to the record industry trade group’s stats pack, more than half of that (58%) came from subscription streaming, sync and public performance combined contributed 13.6%, vinyl sales 9.9%, ad-funded audio and video streams 9.5%, and CDs 6.8%. Physical media actually saw stronger percentage growth than streaming last year, with CDs, vinyl and other formats all up individually, and collectively up 12.8% on 2022 - vinyl seeing the biggest jump, up 18.6% year-on-year. Streaming overall saw revenues rise by 8.4%, with ad-funded streaming growing fastest at 12.4%. In terms of actual revenues, physical brought in £243.4 million, while streaming generated £962.1 million. In terms of what people were listening to, Miley Cyrus came out top with her song ‘Flowers’, which enjoyed ten consecutive weeks at number one in the UK singles chart. This run helped female artists to score a record tally of weeks at the top of the UK top 40 - 31 out of 52 weeks. Women appear in seven slots in the top ten for the full year, including Raye, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and SZA.” #BPI #UK #Streaming #Artists #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicStreams #MusicRoyalties #Songs #Recordings #MusicBusiness #Music #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz

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From the Latest FilmLA Report • Scripted TV production in Los Angeles dropped 99% in Q3 2023 compared to 2022. • FilmLA calls for a significant expansion of California’s $330 million production incentive due to a 20% drop in local filming. • Other jurisdictions like New York, Ontario, Georgia, and the U.K. offer more competitive, uncapped or larger subsidies, putting California at a disadvantage. • Strikes in 2023 and a decline in Peak TV also contributed to a production slowdown. • Global production declines occurred, with Georgia and the U.K. also seeing reduced TV releases. • California temporarily boosted its incentives in 2021, but ongoing state budget deficits limit further expansions. • FilmLA warns California must act to support its entertainment industry or face continued market share losses. FilmLA Seeks 'Vast Expansion' of California Tax Credit (variety.com) https://lnkd.in/gps_6c9A

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📺 **The Evolution of Kids’ Content in Streaming**   In the past two decades, the world of kids' content has undergone a dramatic shift. According to Olivia Deane from Ampere Analysis, children's access to media surged during the first "on-demand" era (2004-2014), with streaming platforms investing heavily in kids' content to meet growing demand. This era, referred to as the "OTT golden years," saw kids' content rise in priority for streamers, competing with top genres like documentaries and reality shows. 📈 **The Rise and Saturation of Kids’ Content**   The market for kids' content nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022, reaching a saturation point by 2024. With a staggering amount of kids' content available, streamers faced a slowdown in new commissions. However, kids' and family content remained vital to reducing churn, even as the number of new commissions dropped 12% in 2023 and a further 5% in 2024. 👧 **Kids’ Content Still Holds Power**   Even though the market is crowded, children's content continues to play a key role in audience retention. According to Deane, kids and family shows were the second most popular genre in late 2023 on platforms like Netflix, indicating their importance in subscription behavior, even if they don’t directly drive new subscriptions like sports content. 🎮 **Opportunities for Creators**   Despite the downturn in new commissions, public broadcasters are still investing in popular kids' content. Deane highlighted success stories like the French studio Ankama’s "Wakfu" and YouTube's "Lukas the Spider," proving that creators who explore alternative funding models and engage with popular brands can still thrive in this competitive market. #TV #streaming #svod #kids

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Q3 2024 Video Game Confidence Survey Summary is Now Live! Curious about the latest trends shaping the video game industry? Dive into our Q3 2024 Game Confidence Index, where we unpack the highs, lows, and everything in between from July to September. Key Insights: Shifts in economic sentiment and profitability expectations Rising development costs and intensified market competition Evolving funding strategies amid a tightening financial landscape Read the full analysis to see how industry leaders are responding to these trends and positioning for Q4: Q3 2024... Stay ahead with the insights that matter for navigating this rapidly changing industry! #VideoGames #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #MarketInsights #Q32024

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Today on GamesIndustry.biz... (Tuesday, April 30th 2024) 1. Your must read is Brendan's interview with Dan Ayoub about why Hasbro is investing $1 billion into internal game development following the success of externally-developed hits like Baldur's Gate 3 and Monopoly Go https://lnkd.in/ePdmqeH5 2. You should also read Paul Cecchini's great interview with Hunter Bridges about how Penny's Big Breakthrough built on the Evening Star team's experience making Sonic Mania, and how they turned 3D platformer tropes on their head https://lnkd.in/esAvDP96 3. The success of Amazon's Fallout TV show rumbles on as it's revealed the series has amassed 65 million viewers in 16 days, making it Prime's second most watched programme to date https://lnkd.in/eqXYz6T3 4. Tencent has increased its stake in Remedy from 5% to 14%. The two companies are working together on a project known as Vanguard https://lnkd.in/gDtV-tm8 5. Square Enix has warned investors its next financial results will show a $140m hit due to cancelled games. The publisher wants to streamline and concentrate on a more focused pipeline of titles https://lnkd.in/evZJHbK5 6. Despite a campaign to raise awareness of five potential projects ahead of GDC, Deliver Us Mars studio Keoken Interactive has failed to secure any funding and been forced to lay off 13 team members. Only the two co-founders remain, but they hope to rebuild the studio in future https://lnkd.in/eGMfQtpa 7. And Discord has banned a number of accounts that were using bots to scrape public messages from up to 620 million users, which were then sold to companies as AI-training data. Discord is considering legal action https://lnkd.in/edjh8eUS You can get even more news straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily https://lnkd.in/eAkx_zen

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“Warner Music Group (WMG) CEO Robert Kyncl has come out in favor of a US Senate bill that would crack down on unauthorized deepfakes, arguing that the technology could ruin lives, reputations and businesses if left unchecked. Although many in the music business are embracing AI, it’s also the case that “generative AI is appropriating artists’ identities and producing deepfakes that depict people doing, saying, or singing things that never happened,” Kyncl will tell a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Commitee on Tuesday (April 30). “Through AI, it is very easy for someone to impersonate me and cause all manner of havoc,” Kyncl said, according to his pre-prepared remarks shared with MBW. “They could speak to an artist in a way that could destroy our relationship. They could say untrue things about our publicly traded company to the media that would damage our business.” #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Legal #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musicians #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicLicensing #WMG #MusicVideos #Artists #MusicBiz #Streaming #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #WarnerMusicGroup #USCongress #USA

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“How much do artists make per stream on the most popular streaming music services? Here’s a breakdown for Pandora, Napster, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and more (updated for 2022). Based on information directly received from artists and indie labels, as well as various published sources, we can rank streaming music services according to their per-stream rate. So how much do artists make per stream? Given extreme variations in payouts, the answer largely depends on the platform involved. Take a look.” Read the article for the details: #Streaming #Artists #Royalties #MusicRoyaties #Spotify #Napster #Pandora #AppleMusic #YouTube #Deezer #AmazonMusic #TIDAL #Beyonce #JayZ #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #DigitalRights #MusicRights #Songs

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Thinking of filming in #California? Check out the below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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“In 2022, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) accepted a (near) music industry-wide settlement to improve songwriters’ streaming royalty rates in the United States from January 1, 2023. The settlement – known as ‘Phonorecords IV’ or ‘CRB IV’ – will see songwriters and music publishers paid a headline rate of 15.35% of a given interactive streaming service’s US revenue by 2027. That rate is being ‘phased in’, because ‘Phonorecords IV’ covers the five-year period between 2023 and 2027: In 2023 (starting January 1), songwriters and music publishers were to be paid a headline rate of 15.1% of a US service’s revenue; in 2024, this increased to 15.2%; in 2025, it will increase to 15.25%; in 2026 it will increase to 15.3%; and in 2027 it will reach 15.35%. The deal also included a number of changes to other components of the rate, including increases to the per-subscriber minimums and the “Total Content Costs (TCC)” calculations which reflect the rates that services pay to record labels.” #Spotify #NMPA #Streaming #Legal #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicStreams #MusicRoyalties #Songs #Recordings #US #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #Songwriters #MusicPublishing #RecordLabels

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Feature Update: Take control of your production costs with our new Purchase Order management feature in Saturation. Now you can create, approve, and track POs effortlessly, linking them to your budget with smart phase integration. Stay organized, align your committed

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Music Business Association Music Biz 2024 coming up in May. Find out more about Reactional Music and what we are delivering across interactive music, music personalisation, in-game economies, generative composable music and the possibilities for creators, composers, artists and developers

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Luminate just released its "2024 Midyear Music Report" highlighting that while the music industry continues to be dominated by streaming, success is no longer solely defined by massive hit singles or major label backing. Instead, it's increasingly about finding and nurturing a dedicated audience, leveraging technology and data effectively, and creating multi-faceted careers that span both online and physical worlds. for independent artists, the current music landscape offers more paths to success than ever before 🚀 a few exciting highlights that Indies can take home: 🎵 streaming dominance and the rise of Indie artists: independent artists are capturing a significant portion of the mid-tier streaming market. the report shows that 62.1% of artists who accumulated between 1 million and 10 million U.S. on-demand audio streams in the first half of 2024 were independent. 🎸 the rise of the mid-tier artist: the report introduces the concept of the "mid-tier artist" - those consistently earning millions of streams and redefining success in the streaming age. this category saw significant growth, with 29,253 more artists reaching the 1-10 million on-demand audio streams tier in the first half of 2024 compared to the second half of 2023. 🎥 the power of short-form video: the report emphasizes the growing importance of short-form video (SFV) platforms in music discovery and promotion. 76% of music listeners have watched short-form videos, while 22% of artists have posted to these platforms. this presents a significant opportunity for indie artists to increase visibility and engage with fans. 🔗 Read the full article in our Blog: https://lnkd.in/e5iMFKGe #indiemusic #independentmusic #indieartists #independentartists #musicpromotion #musicmarketing #musicindustry

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Hollywood Betting Big on Genre Films: AFM’s Vegas Move Signals Shift in the Independent Film Market For the first time in its 45-year history, the American Film Market (AFM) has traded the coastal ambiance of Santa Monica for the glitzy setting of Las Vegas, launching its 2024 event at the Palms Casino Resort. This relocation comes with high hopes for streamlined networking, concentrated events, and fresh energy—but also a dose of skepticism as the independent film market continues to erode. With a notable focus on genre films, the independent film industry is gathering to confront market challenges in a bold new setting. A New Venue and New Energy Relocating from Los Angeles, where AFM was a fixture for over four decades, the Las Vegas setting promises to bring renewed energy to the market. At the Palms Casino Resort, all activities—from screenings to panels to networking events—are conveniently held under one roof, a feature set to alleviate some of the logistical challenges of prior years. By consolidating everything into one venue, AFM aims to foster a community atmosphere, allowing filmmakers, distributors, and buyers to maximize their time without shuttling across various locations. The all-in-one setup at the Palms is already a draw for industry heavyweights. With 286 sales, production, and distribution companies registered, including significant players, AFM sees increased interest from international representatives spanning 80 countries. European delegates from Italy, France, and Germany are attending in solid numbers, underscoring the global appeal of AFM’s new setting. The Rise of Genre Films Amid Uncertain Markets In an industry facing unpredictable returns from theatrical releases, genre films have emerged as a key investment focus at this year’s AFM. Genre films, especially horror and action, command significant buyer interest due to their strong built-in audiences and relatively lower risk. The recent success of horror films like Longlegs and Terrifier 3 has reinforced this trend, with AFM showcasing an impressive slate of horror and action offerings. Projects generating buzz include George A. Romero’s final zombie movie, Twilight of the Dead, directed by Brad Anderson, and the psychological thriller Victoria Psycho, which reunites Sanctuary star Margaret Qualley with director Zachary Wigon. Action films are also gaining traction, with high-profile offerings such as Cleaner, featuring Daisy Ridley in a Die Hard-style thriller, and The Last Druid, a sword-and-sandals epic led by Russell Crowe.

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Deepna Devkar, Ph.D. what a treat having you on the podcast! If you’ve ever wondered what goes into building your personalised experience on Max, this is the episode for you. Tune in to hear from one of the minds leading the build of the platform experience!

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Featuring my latest cartoon for CALÓ News!

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