Music to Medicine: A Revolutionary Wave Sweeps Across Industries, Reshaping the Future
🔶 Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin: From Pioneers of Protest
🔶 Revolutionary Stem Cell Therapy Helps Lizards Regrow Perfect Tails
🔶 Spotify and Shopify Team Up to Revolutionize Music Merchandise Sales
🔶 Facebook Pledges to Create 10,000 New Jobs in Europe to Build Metaverse
🔶 James Webb Space Telescope Launches to Revolutionize Astronomy
🔶 Fan Investment Takes Center Stage as SongVest Launches First Public Securities
🔶 Worldcoin: “Giving Ownership to Everyone in the Global Economy”
🔶 Streaming Services Battle Music Publishers for Pre-2018 Song Royalty Rates
🔶 Warner Music Group's $10bn Surge: The Resurgence of Music Industry
🔶 Egypt detains ultra-realistic artist robot Ai-Da before historic pyramid show
Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin: From Pioneers of Protest to the OG NFT
PleasrDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), has purchased the single copy of the Wu-Tang Clan’s unreleased album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, for an undisclosed amount, after nearly a decade under wraps and in private hands. The album was conceptualized and produced in secret over the course of six years starting in 2007 and includes every member of the Wu-Tang Clan except for Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004. The purchase by PleasrDAO, a collective formed to reach beyond the limits of any single individual, symbolizes a fight against the establishment juggernauts of the music industry and highlights the potential of NFT technology to return music to the value of fine art.
Worldcoin: “Giving Ownership to Everyone in the Global Economy”
In a world where the global economy often seems out of reach for many, Worldcoin is building a new financial network that belongs to everyone. Their ambitious goal is to create universal access to the global economy, providing ownership and opportunity to all, regardless of background or nationality. At the heart of their plan is a digital identity system called World ID that protects personal privacy while proving a person's unique and real existence. The Worldcoin token, the first of its kind, will be freely distributed to individuals for utility and future governance, enabling global payment, purchases, and transfers using traditional currencies or digital assets. Worldcoin is an open-source protocol supported by a community of developers, economists, and technologists committed to expanding participation in and access to the global economy. As we move toward a more equitable and inclusive economic future, Worldcoin offers a glimmer of hope, a pathway for the many to access the opportunities and benefits of a globalized world.
Warner Music Group's $10bn Surge: The Resurgence of Music Industry or Just Another Bubble?
In a stunning display of growth, Warner Music Group's Enterprise Value (EV) has surged by over $10 billion in the past year, fueled in part by the success of Universal Music Group's recent floatation. Warner's share price hit a record high of $48.06, translating to an EV of $27.66 billion. The surge in value represents a significant increase from last year when the EV had fallen to $17.18 billion. Warner's success is not unique, with other music companies like Live Nation and Believe also experiencing stock market growth. This latest development is a testament to the music industry's changing dynamics and the value of alternative platforms such as Facebook and Peloton, which are now recognized by major players in the industry.
Spotify and Shopify Team Up to Revolutionize Music Merchandise Sales
In a world where music streaming has become the norm, musicians have been searching for ways to monetize their art beyond the digital realm. Enter Shopify and Spotify, two industry giants teaming up to offer a new solution: artists can now sell merchandise directly on their Spotify pages through a Shopify integration. This development not only opens up a new revenue stream for artists, but also provides a seamless and convenient shopping experience for fans. As the music industry continues to evolve, the Shopify-Spotify collaboration is a prime example of innovation meeting creativity to benefit both artists and their audience.
Streaming Services Battle Music Publishers for Pre-2018 Song Royalty Rates in US Copyright Board Proceedings
Music streaming services in the US, including Spotify and Amazon, are proposing pre-2018 song royalty rates for America's compulsory license from 2023 to 2027, according to the Copyright Royalty Board. This is a significant difference from the rates paid between 2018 and 2022. In addition to the top-level revenue rate percentage, there is another percentage based on the rate being paid to the labels on the recordings side and a minimum rate per subscriber. Most streaming services, except Apple, appealed the 2018-2022 decision, and the appeals court sent the case back to the CRB for reconsideration. The music publishers, however, are pushing for a further increase, so that the top-level rate would be around 20%.
Fan Investment Takes Center Stage as SongVest Launches First Public Securities Offering for Music Royalties
SongVest, a fan investment platform, has been granted approval by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to sell public securities for royalties, allowing fans to purchase fractional shares of music royalties. The SEC approval comes under the Regulation A+ of the US Securities Act, with royalties being offered in the form of SongShares. The shares allow fans to collect royalty income every quarter in proportion to the amount they own. The initial sale was for a share of producer royalties from the song "Hit the Quan" and began at $16 per royalty share unit, with other songs set to become available for public sale in the coming months. The move is seen as a way to bring fans into the music industry investment sphere, normally available only to industry insiders, private equity and institutional investors.
Unveiling the Mysteries of the Cosmos: James Webb Space Telescope Launches to Revolutionize Astronomy
The James Webb Space Telescope is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos. This groundbreaking infrared telescope, boasting a 6.5-meter primary mirror, will launch in 2021 and serve as the premier observatory of the next decade. With its ability to study the earliest moments of the universe, the formation of solar systems, and the evolution of our own, the Webb telescope will provide unprecedented insights into the mysteries of the cosmos. Developed through an international collaboration between NASA, ESA, and CSA, the Webb telescope boasts cutting-edge technologies such as a five-layer sunshield and programmable microshutters. As we look towards the skies with bated breath, the James Webb Space Telescope promises to be a beacon of scientific progress and discovery for generations to come.
Egypt detains ultra-realistic artist robot Ai-Da before historic pyramid show, prompting denials that she is a spy
Ai-Da, the world's first ultra-realistic robot artist, was detained in customs by Egyptian security forces, along with her sculpture, due to security issues related to the cameras in her eyes. This prompted a diplomatic fracas and her creator to deny that she was a spy. Ai-Da was eventually released a few hours before her exhibition at the Great Pyramid of Giza was due to start. Her exhibition, entitled "Forever Is Now", is being presented by Art D’Égypte, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism, and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The exhibition will showcase works by leading Egyptian and international artists, including Stephen Cox, Lorenzo Quinn, Moataz Nasr, and Alexander Ponomarev. Ai-Da's sculpture, a play on the riddle of the Sphinx, asks the question: "What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?" The answer is a human.
Revolutionary Stem Cell Therapy Helps Lizards Regrow Perfect Tails, Paving the Way for Improved Human Wound Healing
In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications, scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have successfully helped lizards regenerate better tails through stem cell-based therapy. This achievement provides a blueprint for improving wound healing in humans and could lead to medical breakthroughs for treating hard-to-heal injuries. The researchers used gene-editing tools to make embryonic neural stem cells unresponsive to the ventralizing signal, and implanted these cells into adult tail stumps, leading to the regeneration of perfect tails with dorsoventral patterning - an intricate feature characteristic of original embryonic appendages. This marks the first time a lizard has regrown a tail with dorsoventral patterning in over 250 million years and is a significant step towards improving regenerative potential in humans.
Facebook Pledges to Create 10,000 New Jobs in Europe to Build the Metaverse and Unlock a New Era of Virtual Experiences
Facebook has announced a plan to create 10,000 high-skilled jobs within the European Union over the next five years. This move comes as the company seeks to invest in the growth of the European tech industry and tap into its top-quality talent. The goal is to help build the metaverse, a new phase of interconnected virtual experiences that will unlock access to new creative, social and economic opportunities. This will require collaboration and cooperation across companies, developers, creators, and policymakers. As one of the pioneers in this field, Facebook is looking to invest in product and tech talent to make this vision a reality. The company's move is a vote of confidence in the strength of the European tech industry, its talent, and its values. Facebook's investment is set to propel the EU's tech sector to the forefront of the global stage, bringing Europe's unique advantages to bear and shaping the new rules of the internet for the world.