Spotify reportedly filed for an IPO, Roku launches a streaming service, and more. Dana Wollman, Executive Editor at Engadget, joins Cheddar to discuss the latest headlines in tech.
According to reports, Spotify will list directly at the NYSE. Wollman says this is proof that the company needs money badly. She also talks about the steep competition within the music streaming industry right now with Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and Google all getting in the game.
Plus, Roku plans to debut its new streaming service at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 9th. Now the streaming company won't be physically manufacturing a device like Amazon or Google does, but it will be licensing the software to other companies. Roku was up 6% on Wednesday after the news was announced.
One month after its launch, new streaming venture CNN+ announced it was shutting down. Seth Schachner, the managing director of StratAmericas and digital business executive, joined Cheddar News to talk about the high-profile media flop. "That's a really, really different beast than what HBO Max is, which is video streaming, entertainment features," he said. “It's a tough sell when you really look at these things in the cold light of day as to whether or not they actually fit together."
Meta wants creators to make money from the metaverse, but it's going to take a large chunk of the cut. The tech giant is planning to keep nearly 50% of all digital asset sales within Horizon Worlds, the virtual reality platform that's considered an integral part of the company's unfolding metaverse. Rolf Illenberger, Co-founder and Managing Director of VRdirect, joined Cheddar to discuss why Meta is taking heat for this move, and what it could be doing as an alternative to help support creators, small businesses, and consumers.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 18, 2022, with Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian city of Lviv killing seven, mass shootings in South Carolina and Pittsburgh, Lucky Charms cereal under official investigation by the FDA, and more.