Author: TechBrunch

Music streaming service Tidal has introduced a new feature that allows artists to track royalties and control the music they write and create on the platform. Music copyright royalties are very complicated. In the US, all collaborators on a particular track, including composers and performers, must register with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) and obtain an Interparty Information (IPI) number that identifies them as rights holders for the track. PROs in various territories then track where the track is being used and ensure royalties are paid to the artist. The biggest challenge for artists here is keeping track of royalties…

Maximize your brand's presence by hosting a side event in San Francisco during Disrupt Week from October 26th to November 1st. Connect with 10,000+ attendees at Disrupt 2024, as well as your network and the vibrant Bay Area tech community. With the flexibility to host an event that reflects your brand, the options are endless: industry meetups, office hours, workshops, fun runs, cocktail parties, happy hours and more. Submit your free application by the September 6th deadline. Why host a side event? Increased exposure: Promote your side event through multiple channels to ensure it reaches a wide audience, building meaningful…

Are you a Series A or B startup ready to make waves in the tech industry? The ScaleUp Startups exhibitor program at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 can be your springboard to success. The program offers unparalleled exposure and connects you with top industry leaders, investors, and potential partners. Don't miss out, there's less than a week left until the deadline of August 30th. Start your application here. Why enroll in the ScaleUp startup program? Expand your reach: Showcase your innovative startup on the vibrant Disrupt Expo Floor with over 10,000 tech leaders, investors, and media. This is your chance to showcase…

Ben Freeberg was an associate at venture capital firm Alpha Partners when he suddenly lost consciousness in broad daylight. He sought medical help and underwent several diagnostic tests, but doctors could not find anything wrong with him. “The doctors told me I was overreacting,” Freeberg told TechCrunch. But just under 12 months later, he was diagnosed with stage 3a cancer, revealing that this incident was just the beginning. “If they'd caught it sooner, I could have avoided multiple surgeries and possibly chemotherapy.” Beating cancer not only impacted his life but his career as well, and he set his sights on…

Inflection told TechCrunch it plans to limit free access to its AI chatbot Pi in the coming months, as the new CEO shifts the company's focus to enterprise products. Users can now also export conversations from the AI ​​chatbot. The usage caps come just a year after Inflexion raised $1.3 billion to develop an “emotionally intelligent” AI chatbot. Microsoft, one of the lead investors in that deal, hired most of the company's founders and staff five months ago and paid $650 million to license its AI models and repay investors. At the time, Inflexion said Pi was reaching millions of…

You may not know Viggle AI, but you've probably seen the viral memes it's created. The Canadian AI startup has made dozens of remix videos of rapper Lil Yachty bopping around onstage at summer music festivals. In one, Lil Yachty is replaced by Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. In another, Jesus appears to be pumping up the crowd. Users created countless versions of the video, but it was one AI startup that made the meme go viral. Viggle's CEO says YouTube videos power the company's AI model. Viggle trained its 3D video foundation model, JST-1, to have a “true understanding of physics,”…

More and more hackers are targeting regular people with the goal of stealing their crypto, perhaps getting into their bank accounts or simply stalking them. These types of attacks are still relatively rare, so there’s no need for alarm. But it’s important to know what you can do to protect yourself if you suspect someone got into your email or social media account. A few years ago, I wrote a guide to help people protect themselves, and understand that most of the companies you have an account with already offer you tools to take control of your accounts’ security, even…

San Francisco's AI startup boom is so big that even international founders who aren't running AI startups are relocating to San Francisco to help grow their companies, according to several founders who recently moved there. That's mainly because tech talent and investor dollars remain overwhelmingly concentrated there, according to new data provided exclusively to TechCrunch by venture capital firm SignalFire. According to data from SignalFire's Beacon platform, the San Francisco Bay Area maintains a commanding share of the total tech workforce in the U.S., accounting for 49% of large tech engineers and 27% of startup engineers. SignalFire, which boasts big…

Ares Industries, the first defense startup backed by Y Combinator, was launched earlier this week. In a post on its YC website, the startup outlined its vision to build a low-cost cruise missile that is compatible with existing launch platforms, saying: [Department of Defense] They want a form factor that is 10 times smaller and 10 times cheaper.” Ares Industries' founders say they have been testing prototypes in the Mojave Desert and expect to deliver a working missile system to their first customer in mid-2025. YC partner Jared Friedman told the Financial Times that the incubator began encouraging applications from…

The Port of Seattle, which also operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, said it was hit by a “possible cyber attack” that appears to have affected its website and phone systems. The port first became aware of the outage via social media on Saturday morning, after which the airport posted that it had “experienced certain systems failures indicating a possible cyber attack.” Late Saturday night, the airport said services remained suspended, adding that “no timeline has been determined for when services will be restored and port teams continue to work to restore full service,” and urged travelers to use airline apps to…