Radioplayer vs Spotify

Radioplayer launches breakthrough real-time car radio analytics

Radioplayer has launched a new real-time car radio analytics product, as highlighted in the latest news on their website.

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.