The Vergecast Jack Dorsey’s Square, Inc. buys Tidal / Microsoft Mesh and the future of Microsoft Teams / Apple not switching to USB-C iPhones
Mar 5, 2021
Tom Warren, Senior Editor at The Verge, brings his expertise on Microsoft as he discusses exciting updates to Teams, including end-to-end encryption and a new Trello-like calendar. Micah Singleton from Billboard dives into the implications of Jack Dorsey’s Square acquiring Tidal, exploring how it might reshape artist compensation and the music industry. They also touch on Microsoft's Mesh platform and its potential to revolutionize virtual collaboration, while pondering the future of Apple’s charging decisions.
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Square Buys Tidal
- Square, Inc. is acquiring a majority stake in Tidal for $297 million.
- This move is not primarily for the streaming service itself, but to access musicians and build financial components.
Direct Artist Payments
- Square aims to revolutionize artist compensation by enabling direct payments from fans through Cash App.
- This model bypasses the current market-share-based system where streaming revenue is not directly tied to individual artist listens.
Strategic Acquisition
- Buying Tidal gives Square access to Jay-Z's industry relationships and Roc Nation, accelerating their entry into the music ecosystem.
- This acquisition bypasses the challenge of negotiating with the music industry, allowing Square to quickly build relationships with major artists.