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Thursday, February 28, 2019
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Streaming Music Contributed 75% of Total U.S. Music Industry Revenues for 2018
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Streaming music services like Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, Pandora, and others are continuing to grow in popularity and in 2018, were responsible for 75 percent of total U.S. music industry revenues, according to a new year-end music industry report released today by the RIAA. [PDF]
Revenue from streaming platforms grew 30 percent year over year and hit $7.4 billion. Total music industry revenue for 2018 was at $9.8 billion, up from $8.8 billion in 2017 and $7.6 billion in 2016.
Digital downloads from storefronts like iTunes made up 11 percent of total revenue in 2018, and physical sales of records and CDs made up 12 percent. Digital downloads fell for the sixth consecutive year and were eclipsed by physical sales, which were also down, with the exception of vinyl record sales (up 8%).
Paid on-demand subscription services like Apple Music were responsible for much of the music industry's revenue growth, with ad-supported services and customized radio services making up a smaller portion of the growth.
Overall subscription revenues increased a total of 32 percent from 2017 to 2018, totaling $5.4 billion, thanks to 42 percent growth in the average number of paid subscriptions.
The RIAA does not break down revenue by subscription music service, but at last count, Apple Music had 50 million paying subscribers, while Spotify had 87 million.
This article, "Streaming Music Contributed 75% of Total U.S. Music Industry Revenues for 2018" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Streaming music services like Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, Pandora, and others are continuing to grow in popularity and in 2018, were responsible for 75 percent of total U.S. music industry revenues, according to a new year-end music industry report released today by the RIAA. [PDF]
Revenue from streaming platforms grew 30 percent year over year and hit $7.4 billion. Total music industry revenue for 2018 was at $9.8 billion, up from $8.8 billion in 2017 and $7.6 billion in 2016.
Digital downloads from storefronts like iTunes made up 11 percent of total revenue in 2018, and physical sales of records and CDs made up 12 percent. Digital downloads fell for the sixth consecutive year and were eclipsed by physical sales, which were also down, with the exception of vinyl record sales (up 8%).
Paid on-demand subscription services like Apple Music were responsible for much of the music industry's revenue growth, with ad-supported services and customized radio services making up a smaller portion of the growth.
Overall subscription revenues increased a total of 32 percent from 2017 to 2018, totaling $5.4 billion, thanks to 42 percent growth in the average number of paid subscriptions.
The RIAA does not break down revenue by subscription music service, but at last count, Apple Music had 50 million paying subscribers, while Spotify had 87 million.
Tag: Apple Music
This article, "Streaming Music Contributed 75% of Total U.S. Music Industry Revenues for 2018" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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What It's Like Using an iPhone SE in 2019
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Apple discontinued the iPhone SE in September when iPhone XS and XR models were released, but in January, Apple started selling off its remaining stock via its clearance site for $249.
Every time Apple restocks the clearance site, available iPhone SE models go quick, suggesting there's still quite a lot of interest in the 4-inch device. We recently picked up an iPhone SE to see just what it's like using one in 2019.
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The iPhone SE was Apple's last 4-inch iPhone, and compared to a 5.8-inch iPhone X, a 6.1-inch iPhone XR, or a 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max, it's tiny. Coming from one of these phones to the iPhone SE almost makes the iPhone SE feel like a toy.
On the plus side, it's so small and light that it's easy to use one handed, something you can't necessarily do with Apple's biggest iPhones. With its aluminum backing, the iPhone SE is more durable than Apple's new all-glass smartphones.
The iPhone SE pre-dates Face ID, of course, so it's using a Touch ID Home button, which is great for those who continue to prefer fingerprint sensors to facial recognition.
There's also a headphone jack, which has been eliminated from all current iPhones (and the most recent iPad Pro models), and it has separate volume up and down buttons along with a power button at the top of the device instead of a side button.
Apple released the iPhone SE in 2016, so it's using three-year-old hardware. It has an A9 processor, which was also used in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus back in 2015, along with 2GB RAM (vs. 3 in the XR and 4 in the XS).
You might think it'd be noticeably slower than newer iPhones, but, surprisingly, for built-in apps it's speedy. When using Mail, Messages, Calendar, FaceTime, and other similar built-in apps, the iPhone SE is as speedy as 2018 iPhones.
It's not, however, able to hold up when using apps built for newer iPhones with more modern processors, nor does it have the same augmented reality capabilities. The camera is fine and is the same camera in the iPhone 6s, but it's lacking the improvements made over the last three years.
If you don't care about camera quality, prefer a smaller screen, and don't need to use processor-intensive apps and games, the iPhone SE is a compact, easy-to-hold smartphone that still holds up even in 2019.
Apple's clearance site continues to have iPhone SE models in stock that are unlocked, but ship with Verizon and T-Mobile SIMs. The iPhone SE with 32GB of storage is priced at $249, while the iPhone SE with 128GB of storage is available for $299.
Ahead of when the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR were released, there were some rumors suggesting Apple was working on a second-generation version of the iPhone SE 2.
Some of that information was conflated with iPhone XR rumors, though, and since the 2018 devices launched, we've heard no more about another 4-inch iPhone except for some chatter suggesting Apple has nixed all plans for a new iPhone SE.
At this point in time, it looks like the iPhone SE will continue to be the last 4-inch device available from Apple.
This article, "What It's Like Using an iPhone SE in 2019" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple discontinued the iPhone SE in September when iPhone XS and XR models were released, but in January, Apple started selling off its remaining stock via its clearance site for $249.
Every time Apple restocks the clearance site, available iPhone SE models go quick, suggesting there's still quite a lot of interest in the 4-inch device. We recently picked up an iPhone SE to see just what it's like using one in 2019.
The iPhone SE was Apple's last 4-inch iPhone, and compared to a 5.8-inch iPhone X, a 6.1-inch iPhone XR, or a 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max, it's tiny. Coming from one of these phones to the iPhone SE almost makes the iPhone SE feel like a toy.
On the plus side, it's so small and light that it's easy to use one handed, something you can't necessarily do with Apple's biggest iPhones. With its aluminum backing, the iPhone SE is more durable than Apple's new all-glass smartphones.
The iPhone SE pre-dates Face ID, of course, so it's using a Touch ID Home button, which is great for those who continue to prefer fingerprint sensors to facial recognition.
There's also a headphone jack, which has been eliminated from all current iPhones (and the most recent iPad Pro models), and it has separate volume up and down buttons along with a power button at the top of the device instead of a side button.
Apple released the iPhone SE in 2016, so it's using three-year-old hardware. It has an A9 processor, which was also used in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus back in 2015, along with 2GB RAM (vs. 3 in the XR and 4 in the XS).
You might think it'd be noticeably slower than newer iPhones, but, surprisingly, for built-in apps it's speedy. When using Mail, Messages, Calendar, FaceTime, and other similar built-in apps, the iPhone SE is as speedy as 2018 iPhones.
It's not, however, able to hold up when using apps built for newer iPhones with more modern processors, nor does it have the same augmented reality capabilities. The camera is fine and is the same camera in the iPhone 6s, but it's lacking the improvements made over the last three years.
If you don't care about camera quality, prefer a smaller screen, and don't need to use processor-intensive apps and games, the iPhone SE is a compact, easy-to-hold smartphone that still holds up even in 2019.
Apple's clearance site continues to have iPhone SE models in stock that are unlocked, but ship with Verizon and T-Mobile SIMs. The iPhone SE with 32GB of storage is priced at $249, while the iPhone SE with 128GB of storage is available for $299.
Ahead of when the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR were released, there were some rumors suggesting Apple was working on a second-generation version of the iPhone SE 2.
Some of that information was conflated with iPhone XR rumors, though, and since the 2018 devices launched, we've heard no more about another 4-inch iPhone except for some chatter suggesting Apple has nixed all plans for a new iPhone SE.
At this point in time, it looks like the iPhone SE will continue to be the last 4-inch device available from Apple.
This article, "What It's Like Using an iPhone SE in 2019" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
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First-Gen Apple Pencil Available for Just $80 on Amazon
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If you have a sixth-generation iPad or iPad Pro model that predates the 2018 iPad, you might be interested to know that Amazon is currently selling the first-generation Apple Pencil for just $79.88.
At $80, the Apple Pencil is $20 less expensive than the standard asking price of $99, and it is the cheapest price we've ever seen on the accessory.
Apple does have an Apple Pencil 2 now, but it works exclusively with the 2018 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, so if you have an older tablet, you'll still need to pick up the first-generation Apple Pencil.
Apple sells the first-generation Apple Pencil for $99, as do most other retailers. Discounts are rare, so if you've been waiting for a sale to pick one up, now might be the time.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This article, "First-Gen Apple Pencil Available for Just $80 on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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If you have a sixth-generation iPad or iPad Pro model that predates the 2018 iPad, you might be interested to know that Amazon is currently selling the first-generation Apple Pencil for just $79.88.
At $80, the Apple Pencil is $20 less expensive than the standard asking price of $99, and it is the cheapest price we've ever seen on the accessory.
Apple does have an Apple Pencil 2 now, but it works exclusively with the 2018 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, so if you have an older tablet, you'll still need to pick up the first-generation Apple Pencil.
Apple sells the first-generation Apple Pencil for $99, as do most other retailers. Discounts are rare, so if you've been waiting for a sale to pick one up, now might be the time.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Tag: Apple Pencil
This article, "First-Gen Apple Pencil Available for Just $80 on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Comcast Used '0000' as Default PIN for Xfinity Mobile Customers, Leaving Them Vulnerable to Hacking
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Comcast's Xfinity Mobile service used "0000" as a default PIN for all of its mobile customers, which left them vulnerable to hacking attempts, identity theft, and more.
Comcast's decision to use simple default PINs for all of its customers came to light in a "Help Desk" article from The Washington Post included one Comcast customer's tech horror story.
Larry Whitted, an Xfinity Customer in California, had someone hijack his phone number, port it to a new account on another network, and steal his identity to commit fraud.
The thief put Samsung Pay on a new phone with Whitted's phone number and credit card then bought himself a computer at the Apple Store.
This was possible because Comcast does not ask its customers to create a PIN to secure their accounts to prevent them from being transferred to another carrier. Instead, Comcast uses the default 0000 code. From Comcast's support document:
Taking control of a person's telephone number is a popular way to obtain logins for email, social media accounts, bank accounts, and more. Any site that uses a phone number as a way of authenticating data can be accessed when someone has your phone number.
Charismatic hackers who use social engineering techniques can often get access to phone numbers from customer service representatives who don't know any better, but many carriers have implemented PIN codes to make it more difficult. Not Comcast.
This has led to other Xfinity Mobile customers having their phone numbers hijacked as well, and with phone numbers used for so much, hackers can access a lot of a person's data.
Comcast says that it has since implemented new measures to make it harder to steal phone numbers and that it is "working aggressively" to create a PIN-based solution, something that common sense dictates should have been available from the time the service launched.
Comcast says that a "very small number" of its customers have been impacted by this issue, and rightly admits that having even "one customer impacted" is "one too many." Comcast claims that customers who were affected perhaps used passwords leaked in other data breaches
This article, "Comcast Used '0000' as Default PIN for Xfinity Mobile Customers, Leaving Them Vulnerable to Hacking" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2Tt54kt
Comcast's Xfinity Mobile service used "0000" as a default PIN for all of its mobile customers, which left them vulnerable to hacking attempts, identity theft, and more.
Comcast's decision to use simple default PINs for all of its customers came to light in a "Help Desk" article from The Washington Post included one Comcast customer's tech horror story.
Larry Whitted, an Xfinity Customer in California, had someone hijack his phone number, port it to a new account on another network, and steal his identity to commit fraud.
The thief put Samsung Pay on a new phone with Whitted's phone number and credit card then bought himself a computer at the Apple Store.
This was possible because Comcast does not ask its customers to create a PIN to secure their accounts to prevent them from being transferred to another carrier. Instead, Comcast uses the default 0000 code. From Comcast's support document:
We don't require you to create an account PIN, so you don't need to provide that information to your new carrier.
Taking control of a person's telephone number is a popular way to obtain logins for email, social media accounts, bank accounts, and more. Any site that uses a phone number as a way of authenticating data can be accessed when someone has your phone number.
Charismatic hackers who use social engineering techniques can often get access to phone numbers from customer service representatives who don't know any better, but many carriers have implemented PIN codes to make it more difficult. Not Comcast.
This has led to other Xfinity Mobile customers having their phone numbers hijacked as well, and with phone numbers used for so much, hackers can access a lot of a person's data.
Comcast says that it has since implemented new measures to make it harder to steal phone numbers and that it is "working aggressively" to create a PIN-based solution, something that common sense dictates should have been available from the time the service launched.
Comcast says that a "very small number" of its customers have been impacted by this issue, and rightly admits that having even "one customer impacted" is "one too many." Comcast claims that customers who were affected perhaps used passwords leaked in other data breaches
Tag: Comcast
This article, "Comcast Used '0000' as Default PIN for Xfinity Mobile Customers, Leaving Them Vulnerable to Hacking" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
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