Live Video Streaming Takes Center Stage as Clubhouse-led 'Live Audio' Trend Fades

Lon Harris
Lon Harris is a contributor to dot.LA. His work has also appeared on ScreenJunkies, RottenTomatoes and Inside Streaming.
Live Video Streaming Takes Center Stage as Clubhouse-led 'Live Audio' Trend Fades
Evan Xie

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spotify plans to shut down its standalone live audio app, the logically-titled Spotify Live, at the end of April, as part of a larger shift away from real-time programming.

This represents something of a reversal from the last few years for the Swedish audio platform. In the early days of the pandemic, live group chat or “social audio” apps – led by Clubhouse – briefly became a major viral trend, with scores of bored people stuck at home logging in for large-scale free-ranging conversations. In March of 2021, seeking to join the wave, Spotify acquired Betty Labs, the startup behind the live chat app Locker Room, for around $67.7 million.


The Live Audio Autopsy

Locker Room was a sports-focused platform giving fans a place to connect, discuss their favorite teams and, let’s be honest, trash talk at a time when in-person events weren’t happening and sports bars were shut down. The app hadn’t built a massive community at the time of the acquisition – only counting around 19,000 installs post-launch – but nonetheless gave Spotify a presence in the exciting new world of social audio. At the time, the company’s research and development chief, Gustav Söderström, openly acknowledged that features like Locker Room might not ever drive revenue but added “it has potential, and it’s our job to explore.”

Despite Locker Room’s relatively slow start, on paper, the deal made some sense. Whereas a new upstart app had to attract a lot of users quickly in order to jumpstart worthwhile conversations, Spotify already had hundreds of thousands of people listening to the latest Gorillaz joint, ready to try out any new features the moment they appeared. As well, Spotify already collects personalization data on the listening habits of its users, in order to better recommend content to them. Tying that recommendation engine into curated programming – say, alerting a user when a hot podcast about a subject of specific interest to them was starting – seemed like a natural evolution for live audio platforms.

By June 2021, Spotify had launched its own live audio app – Greenroom – which was rebranded to Spotify Live in 2022. This was accompanied by a large-scale marketing push by the company around live content, incorporating the company’s line-up of big-name celebrity podcasters, like “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper, “Daily Show” vet Hasan Minhaj, and influencer Tana Mongeau.

By late 2022, though, it became clear that internet users were losing interest in live audio, either due to an end to pandemic lockdown protocols or just the trend wearing itself out organically. In December of last year, Spotify started quietly cancelling a number of its live shows, including “Deux Me After Dark,” “Doughboys: Snack Pack,” and “The Movie Buff.”

In general, Spotify plans to pivot away from live content and deeper into new music discovery, with a variety of new features helping artists to promote songs to potential new fans. At a March promotional event, the platform introduced “Marquee,” a new way for artists to promote and sponsor their own releases, and an enhanced discovery tool helping artists and labels to prioritize specific tracks they want to promote.

Spotify’s not alone, either. Facebook also saw the writing on the wall and scaled back its Clubhouse clone – “Live Audio Rooms” – in mid-2022. Amazon also laid off half of the team working on its Amp live radio app last year, after it failed to generate significant interest from users.

Hope for Live Streaming Video

Yet while live audio seems to have faded, live video remains a key area of interest among the major streamers. Hot on the heels of its big Chris Rock live comedy experiment, Netflix has announced another livestreamed event – the Season 4 “Love is Blind” reunion. Couples and singles from the show will reunite along with hosts Vanessa and Nick Lachey for a livestreamed breakdown of the season’s biggest events on April 16 at 5 pm PT.

Netflix hasn’t released specific viewership numbers around the Rock special. It managed to land in Netflix’s Top 10 chart in the US on its debut week, despite only being available to stream for the final two days of eligibility, and the streamer has planned more live events in its wake, so we can presume it was at least somewhat successful. The streamer also presented the SAG Awards live on its YouTube channel this year.

User-generated content hubs like Twitch and YouTube aside, most of the interest in livestreamed video from the major subscription players remains centered around sports coverage. While there’s undoubtedly a large audience that enjoys watching live sports, moving these eyeballs on to streaming platforms also remains a bit of an inexact, uncertain science at this point.

According to Nielsen, Amazon’s 11-year mega-deal to bring “Thursday Night Football” to the Prime Video platform averaged around 9.58 million viewers per game in its first season. Amazon’s own internal figures put the numbers at more like 11.3 million viewers. That’s still below the viewership on “Thursday Night Football” games back in the 2021 season, when they were also being simulcast on Fox and cable’s NFL Network, but it’s still better than many had predicted, considering that the games were now streaming behind the Prime Video paywall.

With Amazon’s contributions more than making up for the loss of ad revenue, the NFL financially profits off of the deal, according to The Athletic. Apple’s “Friday Night Baseball” live streams go fully behind the paywall this year, after some games were available to stream for free last season. That company also may still be looking to get deeper into live video; a recent report indicated that they’re considering a bid on English Premier League soccer rights as well. Ultimately, it may just come down to the content itself. While “live podcasts” failed to become appointment viewing once Americans were freed from lockdown and allowed to go to brunch again, baseball and football games retain enough significance to get Americans to actually plop down on their couch at a pre-set time and flip on their favorite streaming devices. - Lon Harris

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Wonder Dynamics: Redefining the Animation Landscape
Wonder Animation

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday, LA!

Wonder Dynamics, a Los Angeles-based company founded by Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic, has launched Wonder Animation, a beta feature that is poised to transform the landscape of video production. Acquired by Autodesk in May, Wonder Dynamics is leveraging this innovative tool, which harnesses artificial intelligence to turn standard video footage into captivating 3D animated scenes, making sophisticated animation techniques more accessible to filmmakers of all budgets.

Wonder Animation allows creators to shoot from multiple angles, with the AI reconstructing these shots into a dynamic 3D space. This functionality enables filmmakers to seamlessly blend live-action scenes with interactive virtual environments while preserving original camera movements. Users can customize various aspects, including animations, characters, lighting, and camera tracking data, and the tool integrates smoothly with popular software like Maya, Blender, and Unreal Engine.

What sets Wonder Animation apart is its emphasis on artistic control. Unlike many AI tools that impose rigid outcomes, this feature empowers creators to guide their projects, ensuring that their unique style remains front and center.

As the boundary between video and 3D animation blurs, Wonder Animation invites creators to experiment and innovate in exciting ways. This development marks a significant step forward in digital storytelling, democratizing access to high-quality visual effects and making sophisticated animation achievable for a broader range of filmmakers.

With the global animation market projected to reach approximately $400 billion in 2024 and grow to over $587 billion by 2030—reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 5%—tools like Wonder Animation are more relevant than ever. This growth underscores the increasing demand for animated content and highlights the necessity of innovative solutions to meet filmmakers’ evolving needs. For those looking to elevate their storytelling, Wonder Animation may just be the key to unlocking new creative horizons. According to Statista, this upward trend in the animation market emphasizes the significant opportunities ahead.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Evite, an online platform enabling users to design, send, and manage digital invitations and eCards with tools for event organization and guest tracking, has received a strategic growth investment from Francisco Partners to accelerate innovation and expand its product offerings. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
  • F4 Fund participated in a $4.1M Pre-Seed funding round for Further, a platform designed to help first-time homebuyers determine how much home they can afford by providing personalized insights on interest rates and lender requirements, giving users a clear view of their purchasing power. - learn more
  • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in a $10M Seed funding round for CrossBridge Bio, a company focused on developing advanced dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies, with the funds supporting preclinical development of its next-generation cancer treatments. - learn more
  • Clocktower Ventures participated in a $5.6M Series A funding round for Morada Uno, a startup in Mexico focused on making apartment rentals easier by providing a platform that connects tenants with landlords and simplifies processes like lease agreements and rent payments. - learn more
  • Skyview Capital participated in a $5M Series A funding round for Web3 chain game A-World, a tower defense battle game set in the metaverse on the BNB Chain, where players build hero towers to defeat waves of monsters. - learn more

      LA Exits

      • Drive Hospitality, a leading provider of personalized parking and hospitality services, including valet, concierge, bell services, parking management, and advanced technology integration, has been acquired by Propark Mobility. - learn more
      • Vebu Labs, located in El Segundo and specializing in custom automation solutions for the food industry—including the innovative 'Autocado' system that automates the peeling, coring, and scooping of avocados to enhance operational efficiency—will be acquired by Serve Robotics. - learn more

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            Big Wins: Dodgers Take the Title ⚾, ChatGPT Levels Up🚀

            🔦 Spotlight

            Happy Friday, LA! It’s been a week of big wins, on and off the field. 🎉

            ⚾️ First up, let’s talk Dodgers. With a thrilling 7-6 comeback victory over the Yankees in Game 5, the Dodgers clinched their eighth World Series title, their first since 2020. The city is buzzing, and fans are ready to celebrate! A parade kicks off this morning at 11 a.m., starting at City Hall and winding down to Flower Street, with a ticketed celebration at Dodger Stadium for those wanting to keep the festivities going.

            Image Source: Dodgers

            💻 Meanwhile, in the tech, OpenAI just rolled out a game-changing update for ChatGPT. Plus and Enterprise users can now access real-time internet search, powered by Microsoft Bing, bringing ChatGPT's responses fully up-to-date. This means users can now ask about the latest news, hotspots, or recent LA startup announcements, and ChatGPT will pull in fresh, relevant answers directly from the web. Previously limited to information up to 2021, ChatGPT’s new browsing capabilities make it a valuable digital assistant for anyone needing real-time insights in fast-paced industries like tech and entertainment.

            Image Source: ChatGPT

            🔍 The real-time search feature also includes “Browse with Bing,” allowing ChatGPT to source information from multiple sites for detailed answers to complex questions. Whether you’re exploring the latest venture capital trends in LA or curious about the best local spots, ChatGPT’s new browsing power helps you stay ahead with the latest info. This leap forward in AI functionality makes ChatGPT even more versatile and powerful for everyone, from business owners to everyday users.

            From the Dodgers’ World Series win to OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT update, there’s a lot to celebrate in LA this week. Here’s to champions, innovation, and a city that’s always pushing boundaries. 🌆✨


            🤝 Venture Deals

            LA Companies

            • Final Boss Sour, a Los Angeles-based gaming-themed snack company specializing in healthier sour snacks, has raised a $3M Seed funding round led by Science Inc. to expand its product offerings and operational capabilities. - learn more
            LA Venture Funds
            • Smash Capital led a $50M Series B round for Read AI, a productivity-focused AI company, bringing its total funding to $81M. The company offers a platform that enhances meeting efficiency through features like note-taking, summarization, and transcription. Additionally, Read AI introduced "Read AI for Gmail," a free Chrome extension that integrates information from various applications, reducing the need to switch between apps. The funds will be used to increase the company's headcount in engineering, data science, and business teams. - learn more
            • Distributed Global participated in a $25M funding round for Nillion, a company that provides decentralized privacy solutions designed to secure sensitive data using advanced technologies like secure multi-party computation. - learn more
            • Act One Ventures participated in a $5M Seed funding round for Latii, a construction materials supply chain startup, to enhance its platform that connects contractors with suppliers, aiming to streamline procurement processes and reduce costs in the construction industry. - learn more
            • SmartGateVC participated in a pre-seed funding round for Ritual Dental, a company revolutionizing dental care by integrating advanced technology and microbiome science to provide personalized, preventive treatments. - learn more

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                Billion-Dollar Milestones and Snapchat’s New Features

                🔦 Spotlight

                Happy Friday Los Angeles!

                This week’s spotlight showcases LA’s thriving tech scene, featuring Snapchat’s latest feature updates and two local startups Liquid Death and Altruist, making TechCrunch’s Unicorn List for 2024.

                Image Source: Snap

                Snapchat’s recent fall updates bring fresh features, including a new iPhone camera shortcut for instant snaps, Halloween-inspired AI-powered Lenses, and Bitmoji costumes inspired by Mean Girls and Yellowstone. Bitmoji stickers now reflect trending Gen-Z expressions like “slay” and heart symbols for added flair in chats. Plus, the “Footsteps” feature on Snap Map allows users to track their past adventures privately, adding a nostalgic touch.

                Image Source: Liquid Death

                ICYMI, two LA startups joined the Unicorn Club—achieving valuations over $1 billion. Liquid Death, based in Santa Monica, is a canned water company with edgy branding and a humorous sustainability focus. Known for viral marketing and brand partnerships, it redefines bottled water as a lifestyle brand and environmental statement. In March, Liquid Death closed $67 million in strategic financing, raising its total funding to over $267 million and valuing it at $1.4 billion.

                Image Source: Altruist

                Altruist, a Culver City-based fintech platform, offers financial advisors streamlined tools to better serve their clients. With a user-friendly investment and account management platform, Altruist has gained strong traction in the finance world. In May, it announced a $169 million Series E funding round, bringing its total funding to over $449 million and earning a valuation of $1.5 billion.

                Together, Liquid Death and Altruist exemplify LA’s capacity for innovation across diverse sectors, from lifestyle branding to fintech. Whether reshaping financial tools or redefining sustainable branding, these companies showcase LA’s unique entrepreneurial spirit. Go LA!

                Check out TechCrunch’s 2024 Unicorn List here. And don’t miss Snapchat’s latest features—perfect for adding some fun, connection and maybe a few selfies this weekend!


                🤝 Venture Deals

                LA Companies

                • Freeform, a company bringing AI to metal 3D printing, raised $14M in funding from NVIDIA’s NVentures and AE Ventures to further develop its AI-powered 3D printing technology for industrial-scale production. - learn more
                LA Venture Funds
                • Anthos Capital participated in a $70M Series D round for Carbon Robotics, which develops AI-powered robotics for precision agriculture, and the funding will be used to accelerate the growth of its autonomous weeding technology. - learn more
                • Anthos Capital participated in a $3.5M seed round for Plasma Network, aimed at expanding access to USDT stablecoins on the Bitcoin network, with the investment supporting the network’s growth and efforts to enhance stablecoin accessibility through the Lightning Network. - learn more

                LA Exits


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