Deezer vs Spotify

SACEM partners with Deezer to launch SACEM Play, a music solution for independent businesses

SACEM and Deezer today announced SACEM Play, a professional music solution, offered under the SACEM brand and powered by Deezer's technology.

AI content floods internet; verification gap widens

The article analyzes the growing prevalence of AI-generated content across media, highlighting that a significant portion of webpages, press releases, and new music uploads now involve AI. Despite this influx, AI-generated tracks account for only a small percentage of streams, suggesting a disconnect between supply and consumption. The piece features example companies like Pocket FM, which uses AI for 93% of its audio content and has seen revenue double, and discusses the legal and ethical implications, including Universal Music Group's lawsuit against DistroKid over alleged mass AI-generated music distribution. It also notes that Google's AI Overviews have reduced referral traffic to publishers, and emphasizes the need for AI auditing and verification standards, as current funding for such measures is minimal compared to broader AI regulation.

• One in three new webpages has some AI-generated content, according to Pew Research.
• AI-generated text appears in nearly 50% of press releases as of June 2026, double the rate from a year earlier.
• Over half of new music uploaded to Deezer in June 2026 was fully AI-generated, but such tracks account for only 1-3% of streams.

Qobuz Introduces AI-Generated Music Label and Blocks Fraudulent Streams

French music streaming service Qobuz has joined other platforms like Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music by introducing an 'AI-Tag' label to identify tracks containing AI-generated content. The label is displayed in the app above the artist's releases to provide transparency to listeners. While Qobuz does not automatically remove AI-generated music, it excludes such tracks from human-curated playlists and recommendations. The company also targets 'fraudulent streams'—artificially inflated play counts via bots—excluding them from royalty payments, and removes AI-generated tracks only if fraud is detected. Qobuz reports nearly 69,000 AI-generated tracks are uploaded daily, representing about 40% of received tracks, with 60% of those flagged as fraudulent. This move reflects the industry's growing response to AI-generated music, with varying approaches among platforms.

• Qobuz introduces an 'AI-Tag' label to identify AI-generated music tracks in its app.
• Qobuz blocks AI-generated tracks from human-curated playlists and recommendations.
• Fraudulent streams (e.g., bot-generated plays) are excluded from royalty payments.

Taste is dying because we stopped feeding it

This article argues that in the age of AI and curation, the development of 'taste'—the ability to judge quality and spot potential—is being neglected. The author, a design director, contends that current tools and practices lead to homogeneity and de-risking. She proposes methods to develop taste, including embracing friction, studying disliked things, tracing origins, creating instinctively, seeking human interaction, and keeping a taste journal. The piece also advises design leaders on influencing stakeholders by translating taste into consequences and anchoring choices in brand narrative. The underlying message is that taste, not AI, is the last human advantage that must be intentionally cultivated.

• The article was published on October 5, 2026.
• The author is Nicole Alexandra Michaelis, a Design Director based in Stockholm.
• The article references a talk by the author on design judgment at Future Product Days.

Podcast Impression Lacks Viewability: Buyers Demand Transparency

The article discusses the impending 'viewability moment' for podcast advertising, drawing parallels to the display advertising crisis of the early 2010s. Krystina Rubino and Lindsay Piper Shaw of Right Side Up argue that the podcast impression is losing its value as a proxy for consumption, especially after Spotify's test of skippable ads. They emphasize that an impression no longer guarantees listener engagement, and buyers are beginning to demand greater platform transparency regarding inventory delivery, consumption opportunities, and engagement data. The authors call for a move away from flat CPMs towards more nuanced, transparent metrics, warning that without better measurement, the podcast ad market risks a 'race to the bottom.' They advocate for creators to be more involved in understanding how their inventory is sold and monetized, and suggest that 2027 should be the inflection point for change.

• Spotify is testing skippable podcast ads, causing industry concern.
• Right Side Up has invested over $300 million in podcast advertising in the last eight years.
• The IAB and MRC set viewability standards for display ads in the early 2010s.

6-K Financial Filing Analysis for Spotify (2026-09-03)

On September 3, 2026, Spotify Technology S.A. reported the departure of Heidi O'Neill from its Board of Directors, effective immediately on September 3, 2026. Ms. O'Neill served on Spotify's Board for nearly nine years, predating the company's direct public listing. The filing confirms that her resignation is not the result of any disagreement with the company, its management, or its operations, and coincides with her executive leadership role at Lululemon.

• Board member Heidi O'Neill resigned from Spotify's Board of Directors effective September 3, 2026.
• O'Neill served on Spotify's Board for nearly nine years, beginning prior to the company going public.
• The departure involves no disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to operations, policies, or practices.