The Daily Valet. - 2/26/20, Wednesday
✔️ Streaming Boosts Record Sales
Wednesday, February 26th Edition
Who else played a drinking game during the debate?
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
Streaming Is Now Good for Music Sales
Services such as Spotify and Apple Music accounted for 80% of revenues last year
Streaming services from companies like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon have helped to fuel an increase in sales and profitability for the music industry after years of declining numbers. Music sales grew over 13% in 2019 to reach $11.1 billion, which is the highest in more than a decade, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Overall, streaming accounted for 80% of the industry’s overall revenue in 2019—marking the industry’s fourth year in a row of growth. Total streaming revenue reached $8.8 billion last year, coming from subscription services, ads on platforms like YouTube and Vevo, along with services like Pandora and SiriusXM satellite radio.
This immense growth comes primarily from Americans opting to pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to vast catalogs of music.
The Financial Times reports that these streaming subscriptions afforded us the ability to play more than 1.5 trillion songs in 2019—which is helping revenues inch their way back towards levels not seen since the profitable CD era. Or as they so cleverly put it, "The music industry is partying like it’s 2006."
↦ 60 Million: The number of Americans who pay for a music streaming subscription, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
The Last Debate Before a Lot of Voting
There was a lot of yelling from behind the podiums
Days before the South Carolina primary (where 54 delegates are at stake), seven Democratic candidates faced off in Charleston. According to the Washington Post, they sparred over policy including health-care costs, gun control and foreign affairs in a testy debate—often talking over each other.
Several candidates attacked Sanders for the costs of his health-care proposals, and others squared off with Bloomberg over everything from his massive wealth to his controversial "stop and frisk" policy as mayor of New York City. Bloomberg held his own this time, pitching himself by saying, "I have the experience, I have the resources, and I have the record."
Warren took on Sanders’s progressive bona fides; Steyer and Klobuchar blamed Sanders for being too liberal to unite the party. Later on, Biden and Buttigieg ganged up on Sanders for praising the good things authoritarian socialist regimes had done. It prompted Sanders to say: "I’m hearing my name mentioned a little bit. I wonder why."
But the stakes are high. This is the last debate before a lot of voting. South Carolina casts its primary ballots on Saturday, followed by Super Tuesday just three days later, when over a dozen states will vote. We won’t see the candidates on the debate stage again until March 15. And by then, several contenders who appeared last night will have likely dropped out.
We’re Giving Away a Vintage Tag Heuer Monaco
Steve McQueen’s choice of chronograph could be yours.
New Delhi Streets Turn Into Battleground
More than a dozen people were killed in the communal clashes
Violent clashes continued across the Indian capital of New Delhi on Tuesday, as anti-Muslim mobs targeted shops and mosques in heavily-Muslim neighborhoods.
The clashes erupted on Sunday after supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed by Parliament last December, attacked anti-government protest sites. The CAA, dubbed "anti-Muslim", has triggered nationwide protests, especially by Muslims, reports Al Jazeera.
According to the New York Times, thousands took to the streets Tuesday, "hurling petrol bombs, attacking vehicles, hospitalizing several journalists and drawing more and more police officers and paramilitary troops."
The death toll has risen to 13, hundreds are reported injured and a mosque was set on fire, all while President Trump visits the Indian capital and attempts to broker a trade agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amazon’s Supermarket Doesn’t Have Cashiers
The company is taking “self checkout” to the next level
The world's largest online retailer is opening its first, full-size, cashierless grocery store. Five years in the making, the Amazon Go Grocery store is in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle—the backyard of Amazon's corporate headquarters—reports CNBC.
The 10,400-square-foot store incorporates the same technology found in the earlier Amazon Go locations. You walk in and scan a QR code from an app at a turnstile. Grab whatever you want—image recognition software and weight sensors detect which products have been selected—then you just walk out when finished.
The store will stock 5,000 items, including produce, meat, seafood, bakery items and household essentials. And it will also include ready-to-cook meals, beer and wine.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon hopes the grocery store will serve as a showcase for its technology as it seeks to sell the system to other businesses. They're looking to make shopping at convenience stores, airport shops and sports arenas faster and easier.
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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The Undeniable Appeal of the Celebrity Candle
Who do you want your home to smell like?
I'm someone who appreciates a nice candle. I've usually got one burning at home, the office and even in hotel rooms. And I'm always switching up scents (though this remains my ride-or-die). But there's a new type of candle making waves: the celebrity candle.
According to HighSnobiety, consumers really want something intimate that reminds them of the stars they stan.
"If Gwyneth Paltrow could convince enough people in the Goop community that they needed Heretic’s potent (and political) This Smells Like My Vagina candle, then there’s honestly no telling what people won’t buy to get a whiff of fame in the form of a flame."
Recently, Boy Smells collaborated with Kacey Musgraves on a Slow Burn candle which, not only sold out immediately, but sparked a waitlist with a whopping 10,000 names on it for an April restock.
↦ Other Options: We rounded up a few of our favorite campfire candles.
What They’re Saying
If you don't have a robot cleaning your place, you're living in the past. There's a reason why anyone who has one of these hardworking little machines swears by it—and often gives it a name. Because they're reliable and all but guarantee your home stays clean and ready for company at any moment. These are three of the top-rated models, according to real world reviews.
Pure Clean Ultra-Thin Robotic Vacuum
/ 339 reviews
“I didn't want to spend a lot and this was well-reviewed. It took five minutes to set up and have worked better than I expected. Plus, there's a HEPA filter—which my allergies appreciate—and it's thin enough to get under every single piece of furniture.”
↦ Get It $150 / $134.99 at Amazon
eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S
/ 12,597 reviews
“I hated my last one because it was so loud and often left dog hair tumbleweeds in the corner. This one is quieter than my microwave and actually knows when to increase the suction when things get messy.”
↦ Get It $229.99 / $159.99 at Amazon
iRobot Roomba i7+
/ 1,396 reviews
“I've had three previous Roombas and this one is worth every penny. You can go two months without having to empty it, connecting to our Wi-Fi was no problem and the app is really easy to set up.”
↦ Get It $999.99 / $799 at Amazon
Today’s Deals
Expires 2/27
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↦ Want More? See all 47 sales
Morning Motto
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