Streaming
What’s Streaming on HBO Max in February 2021
HBO Max is offering more than valentines in February. As promised, the streaming giant is delivering more Warner Bros. theatrical features as part of their same-day program. This month sees the release of the star-studded Judas and the Black Messiah and the live-action re-imagining of Tom & Jerry. Judas… is a biographical drama on the life of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), the Illinois chairman of the Black Panther Party who was betrayed by William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield). The film is set to premiere at this weekend’s Sundance Film Festival, and has already been named one of the 10 best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review. Elsewhere, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver returns for what should be a far less vitriolic season given the changing political climate, while Studio ...
What’s Streaming on Disney+ in February 2021
Disney+ is bringing the fantastical for February. The great Marvel mystery that is WandaVision will continue each Friday, delivering more sitcom subversions as the two titular heroes attempt to escape their own televised hell. Then again, who would want to leave the comforts of a ’70s living room. Speaking of classic television, the Mouse House is dusting off five seasons of The Muppet Show, as previously reported. Just make sure you bring champagne, roses, and a box of Godiva for Ms. Piggy, who tends to be particular about that stuff. Editors’ Picks Elsewhere, families can enjoy seeing Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz pop up in the new superhero comedy Flora & Ulysses or revisit Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in not one but two Cheaper by the Dozen films. Those are always a fun re...
What’s Streaming on Amazon Prime Video in February 2021
Amazon Prime Video has unveiled its additions for February. The big event of the month are two original sci-fi films: First up is Bliss starring Salma Hayek and Owen Wilson, which deals with simulated realities. Right after that is The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, a sci-fi drama with Freaky star Kathryn Newton. Beyond that, subscribers can enjoy some essential archival additions, particularly Coming to America (just in time for Amazon’s highly anticipated sequel in March), Dazed and Confused, Moulin Rouge, There’s Something About Mary, and The Prestige. Editors’ Picks Check out the entire list below, which includes a number of exclusives to Amazon. To help round out your streaming sessions, be sure to read our recent guides outlining everything that’s hitting Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, a...
What’s Streaming on Shudder in February 2021
Shudder is showing a whole lotta love for Valentine’s Day. For February, AMC’s spooky streaming service has curated a twisted lineup of originals, classics, and premieres that will splash blood all over your box of chocolates. Building on their promise of 11 new originals/exclusives over 11 weeks, the next month will see premieres of A Nightmare Wakes, After Midnight, Shook, and one of last year’s most frightening films: The Dark and the Wicked. Of course, the real main event is spending a romantic night with Joe Bob Briggs. Shudder’s de facto mayor is back with a Valentine’s Day special that he’s dubbed Joe Bob Put a Spell on You, which more or less confirms some wild witchy content. Editors’ Picks Additions to the back catalogue are just as special, most notably Nicolas Cage’s cult...
What’s Streaming on Netflix in February 2021
Netflix is bringing the love in February 2021. Leading the charge is Sam Levinson’s highly anticipated black and white drama Malcolm & Marie. Starring John David Washington and Zendaya, the film was the first feature to be written and filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also bringing the hugs and kisses is Maggie Friedman’s new drama Firefly Lane. Based on the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah, the series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as two lifetime friends whose bond has yet to break. Elsewhere, there’s the Korean space drama Space Sweepers, the true crime docuseries Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, Kevin James’ new NASCAR comedy series The Crew, and the star-studded TIFF stunner I Care a Lot. In terms of archival additions, subscribers can enjoy a coup...
Melvins Share New Song “The Great Good Place”, Announce Valentine’s Day Livestream
The Melvins’ re-formed 1983 lineup is set to drop the new album Working with God on February 26th. As another preview of the impending release, they’ve shared “The Great Good Place”. They’ve also announced their second livestream event, “Divine Monkeyshines: Valentine’s Day Special”. Another massive slab of heavy rock, “The Great Good Place” is built on chunky riffs and a twisted pop sensibility that’s pure Melvins. Having now heard almost a third of the album, Working with God is primed to be one of 2021’s heaviest records thus far. Driving home the 1983 concept behind the project, the lyrics and music for Working with God closely mirror the vibe of the Melvins’ formative years — proof that the band was writing irreverently brilliant songs from the start. The Melvins’ antics don’t st...
Warner Music Makes a Play for India’s Regional Music Market
The partnership with Sky Digital is part of Warner Music’s mandate of “taking the Indian sound global,” Jay Mehta, Warner Music India managing director, tells Billboard. The tie-up follows a similar distribution deal with Bollywood label Tips Music and a licensing agreement with Punjabi music aggregator Ziiki Media, which were announced in May and October 2020, respectively. In addition to running an in-house label whose roster includes such Punjabi singing stars as Sunanda Sharma, Sky Digital currently serves as the aggregator for over 40 Punjabi music labels as well as several Hindi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri ones. Sky Digital also manages a suite of regional music YouTube channels in those languages that collectively have over 15 million subscribers. Among the recent big Punjabi hits distri...
Spotify Stock Downgraded by Citi, as Podcast Competition Heats Up
Spotify’s share price was already in retreat, dropping 12.5% from an all-time high of $370.95 reached on Wednesday (Jan. 13), however. Some experts would argue it’s still too high. The 25 analysts covering Spotify have a median price target of $298.53 with a high of $425.90 and a low of $141.30, according to Refinitiv. Key Takeaways: 1) The three leading audio streaming companies — Spotify, Apple and Amazon — are pushing hard into podcasts. If turning a music service into an all-around audio service attracts subscribers and reduces churn, record labels and publishers will benefit.2) Regardless of how its podcasts perform in the next year or two, Spotify has the resources to see its strategy through. It had €1.18 billion ($1.43 billion) on its balance sheet on Sept. 30, 2020, en...
Apple Music’s Africa Strategy Is Starting to Pay Off
“Africa has birthed a lot of special talents that have been creating amazing music for a long time and we’re happy to finally have the platforms and the means to share our music across the continent and to the rest of the world,” Tems tells Billboard. “[The Africa Rising program] allowed my music to reach new listeners and [has] also given my supporters and myself something to be excited about in these tough times.” ALL EYES ON AFRICA Over the past several years, labels, distributors and industry trade groups have turned their focus towards the African music market, and Apple Music is not the only streaming service making inroads on the continent, or supporting its local artists. (Tems, for example, was also included as part of the latest class of YouTube’s Foundry program, whi...
Madeon & Moore Kismet Lead Lineup For Videogame-Centric Festival Fusing Virtual & IRL Worlds
As the worlds of dance music, gaming and streaming continue to coalesce, a crew of scene stars are gearing up for a new event merging all three elements. 2021 Grammy nominee Madeon, Billboard 21 under 21 producer Moore Kismet, along with Ookay, Whipped Cream and Armnhmr will play the inaugural Valorant wwFest, happening this Friday, January 15 at 4 p.m. ET. Additional artists will be added to the lineup ahead of the event. Watch a trailer for wwFest below. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Netflix Flexes Its Muscle With New Teaser Video Previewing 2021 Film Slate
Source: Courtesy Netflix / Malcolm & Marie Netflix is making a strong case as to why it remains the premier destination to stream movies and original shows. 2021 is poised to be a stellar year for the popular movie streaming service. Today (Jan.12), the company which normally keeps details about its movies and projects close to the vest dropped off a teaser trailer giving subscribers a sneak peek at what their now $17.99 premium subscription will get them in the form of movies and original shows while not revealing any release dates. The nearly three-minute teaser opens with Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds who star in Netflix’s $160 million PG-13 blockbuster Red Notice kicking things off before giving glimpses of the 2021 film slate that features 70 movies ranging...
Spotify Stock Price Hits New All-Time High
What recession? The leader in the fast-growing music streaming market, Spotify reached an all-time high of $354.60 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, and closed at $353.48, up 7% from Thursday’s closing price and up 12.2% for the week. At Friday’s high, Spotify’s enterprise value rose to roughly $66.1 billion. Why the investor enthusiasm? An obvious factor is Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich’s price target hike from $357 to $428 on Wednesday. But a number of factors have had investors excited about the stock over the past year: It is the leader in music streaming and is aggressively expanding its podcast business, most notably with the strong — although controversial — launch for the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Plus, limited pricing experiment...
