Snap Inc. says they’ll start paying top creators

A platform is only as good as the content it produces. And while it might be a bit late, Snapchat is looking to put a bit more effort to support its pool of creators. Aside from revamping its Android app, Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc., plans to start paying its top creators, similar to what YouTube does with its star YouTubers that are encouraged to create videos in exchange for advertising revenue. Snap Inc.’s CEO Evan Spiegel acknowledges in his prepared quarterly remarks that they have “neglected the creator community on Snapchat that creates and distributes public Stories for the broader Snapchat audience.”

Spiegel says they plan to develop more distribution and monetization options for its creators over the next year. Snapchat might also introduce professional tools and help facilitate sharing beyond friend groups.

Source: The Verge

Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ reportedly won’t be available on streaming services on its first week

To say Taylor Swift’s relationship with streaming services is tenuous is an understatement. And it looks like that’s just going to continue. A new report from Bloomberg claims Reputation, the pop superstar’s fifth album, won’t be on any streaming services at least a week after it goes on sale. The die-hard fans who want to get their hands on the record will either need to buy it online or if you live in the US, through Target. Taylor Swift has openly criticized the music streaming service industry for devaluing music.

The move might also be prompted by the importance to Swift of getting to the top spot of the charts with physical and digital record sales, which is also seen as a more lucrative endeavor. It hasn’t really been outright confirmed by Swift’s camp and she could change her mind. But we won’t be surprised of the likelihood of this happening. 

Adoption of iOS 11 lags behind previous versions at 52 percent

While it’s still light years ahead of Android Oreo’s adoption (which is currently at 0.2 percent), there is a drop in the number of iOS devices running iOS 11. The latest version of iOS is currently installed in 52 percent of iPhones and iPads, according to Apple’s App Store support page for developers. Last year, iOS 10 reached 60 percent of devices, while iOS 9’s adoption rate was at 67 percent by November 16, 2015.

This slower rate of adoption though could be attributed to a number of factors. One is there have been bugs plaguing the operating system. Another is it’s seen as an iPad-focused update so less iPhone users see the need to upgrade.

Source: The Verge

Snap Inc. announces major redesign for Snapchat on Android

Looks like Snap Inc. is finally going to pay better attention to its Android user base. In an investor note that’s part of the company’s third quarter 2017 financial results, Snap’s CEO Evan Spiegel announced that they are working on a major revamp of Snapchat on Android, citing they’re building it “from the ground up.” The app will be built from what the company’s Android development team has learned from working on Android in the past five years. Spiegel claims that the new Android version will be “a huge focus over the coming year.” The company says they saw “significantly more Android users” added with the improvements they’ve added to the app, even when compared to iOS users.

Spiegel didn’t give a specific time frame for the release of the new Android app but they did say it’s coming out in a limited number of markets first before they roll it out worldwide. On top of this, Snap is exploring a redesign of the app to appeal to a wider audience, even if this might be as he says “disruptive to our business in the short term.” These announcements come out as Snap reported a lower-than-expected 4.5 million new Snapchat users in the third quarter. The app currently has 178 million daily active users.

Source: Android Authority