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Changes in Spotify-Owned Findaway Voice’s Terms of Use Sparks Industry Concern

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The Coalition of Concerned Creators outlines changes, reactions and sources for literary creators to learn more as new Findaway Terms of Use generate confusion and concern

NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Spotify-owned Findaway Voices recently introduced new terms of use for its Audiobook Product, a platform used by authors to publish their audiobooks on major services. As a result, the new terms sparked significant concern among authors and rights holders, prompting many to swiftly attempt to cancel their contracts or voice their concerns on social channels.

“At the moment this was announced, it became clear that this would pose an immediate threat to the livelihoods of thousands of independent authors and creators,” said the Coalition of Concerned Creators. “We have seen what happened to musicians when Spotify forced new terms and royalty changes on them, and we should all be hyper-cognizant of how Spotify could try to exploit authors in the same way.”

Findaway Voices and Spotify’s contentious history of licensing terms and its undervaluation of artists and creators has intensified concerns.

In the initial email detailing the changes, the updated terms would have allowed Spotify to use independent authors’ work without paying royalties, sparking immediate backlash from indie authors, narrators and author groups. The terms initially stated, “You hereby grant Spotify a non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free, fully paid, irrevocable, worldwide license to reproduce, make available, perform and display, translate, modify, create derivative works from, distribute, and otherwise use any such User Content through any medium…you also agree to waive, and not to enforce, any “moral rights” or equivalent rights, such as your right to object to derogatory treatment of such User Content.”

The backlash against these new terms was so intense that Findaway Voices did immediate damage control, modifying them the very next day. Despite the update, there are still questions that have yet to be answered about the extent of Spotify’s rights. The Society of Authors “urged Spotify to explicitly clarify in their terms of use that no works will be used in the development of any type of generative artificial intelligence model or product without creators’ permission.”

“I terminated my contract with Findaway Voices,” said R.J. Blain, an author and a member of the Coalition of Concerned Creators. “I was in their Royalty Share (Voices Share) program, and I informed them I was not accepting their terms of use promptly after they announced the changes. They are attempting to force me into paying their cancellation fee for refusing to accept their terms of use. I have said no.”

Authors and narrators have been advised to review the updated terms and consider their options carefully.

In a first-response statement to the coalition, Orna Ross, the Founder of the Alliance of Independent Authors, said, “Our Watchdog, John Doppler, has been in touch, and we’re waiting for Findaway to come back to us on the issues raised.” 

To learn more about this ongoing incident, you can read the following resources and articles:

Society of Authors: SoA urges Findaway Voices by Spotify to clarify new Terms of UseAlliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing News: Findaway Voices Terms – What’s Really Changed?Bloomberg: Spotify and Independent Audiobook Authors FaceoffWriters Beware: Outrage Over New Terms of Use at Findaway Voices Forces ChangePublishing Perspectives: UK’s Society of Authors: More Clarity in Spotify’s Terms

About the Coalition of Concerned Creators
We are writers, musicians, literary agents, and other creators demanding transparency from Spotify. Specifically, we are concerned by the streaming giant’s new audiobook streaming offering and the impact it will have on author compensation, the value of books, and the literary industry more broadly.

Press Contact: concernedcreators@gmail.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/changes-in-spotify-owned-findaway-voices-terms-of-use-sparks-industry-concern-302073381.html

SOURCE Coalition of Concerned Creators

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Bank Alfalah Acquires Strategic Stake in UAE Fintech Jingle Pay

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DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Bank Alfalah, a leading commercial bank in Pakistan with a network of over 1,000 branches, has announced its acquisition of a 9.9% equity stake in Jingle Pay, one of the fastest growing fintechs in the MENAP region. The Bank’s fintech investment underscores its commitment to driving digital transformation and fostering financial inclusion across key markets.

Jingle Pay has redefined the fintech space with its proprietary AI-powered tech stack already processing over 2 million transactions and facilitating over $1 billion in international money transfers in 2024, saving customers over $6 million in fees. Jingle Pay was recently awarded the top global fintech for remittances into Pakistan.

Jingle Pay has solidified its position as a high-growth fintech leader in the MENAP region, supported by prestigious investors, including MoneyGram, G42-backed Applied AI, and prominent U.S. venture capital firms known for backing global fintech giants like N26 and PayPal, Jingle Pay continues to disrupt the industry. Bank Alfalah’s equity investment and appointment to Jingle Pay’s Board signal a robust partnership aimed at driving growth and innovation. This collaboration leverages Bank Alfalah’s extensive infrastructure to amplify Jingle Pay’s impact on cross-border payments and digital banking, advancing its ambitious vision for the MENAP region.

Jingle Pay provides innovative services, including multi-currency accounts, instant money transfers via the world’s first remittance marketplace, card payments, and last-mile payouts across 150+ corridors in 99+ currencies. Additionally, its Remittance-as-a-Service solution enables banks, FinTech’s, and non-financial institutions to facilitate seamless international money transfers.

Jingle Pay plans to launch its digital banking services in Pakistan in Q1 2025 as a branchless banking mobile app targeting to bring seamless and inclusive financial services to the country’s largely unbanked population. Jingle Pay will leverage Bank Alfalah’s infrastructure to bring seamless banking solutions to millions of customers. The partnership will create synergies in cross-border payments strengthened by shareholder MoneyGram.

As Pakistan’s 5th largest remittance partner, Jingle Pay plays a crucial role in driving global financial flows that contribute significantly to the country’s GDP. Establishing local presence in Pakistan will strengthen its partnership and cross-border capabilities, further cementing Jingle Pay’s position as a leader in the remittance ecosystem.

Leadership Remarks

Farooq A. Khan, Group Head – Corporate, Investment Banking and International Business of Bank Alfalah, emphasized: “This acquisition is a milestone in our journey to lead the digital banking revolution. By combining Jingle Pay’s innovative platform with Bank Alfalah’s resources, we aim to redefine cross-border financial services and deliver exceptional value to millions of users.”

Amir Fardghassemi, Founder and CEO of Jingle Pay, said: “Partnering with Bank Alfalah empowers us to scale our vision of inclusive finance. Together, we aim to enrich the digital economy and create transformative cross-border financial solutions.”

The collaboration also enhances Bank Alfalah’s role in the global Payments ecosystem, strengthening its position as a leader in cross-border financial flows and delivering unparalleled value to customers in the MENAP and beyond.

About Bank Alfalah

Bank Alfalah is a leading commercial bank in Pakistan, with over 1,000 branches across 200 cities and an international presence in the UAE, Bahrain, and Afghanistan. Its heritage and prominence extend over 25 successful years, highlighted by achievements that reflect exponential growth in the country’s financial sector.

The Bank offers various products and services to private-sector institutions and governments, including corporate and investment banking, consumer banking, securities brokerage, commercial, small and medium enterprises, agricultural, Islamic, and asset financing.

The Bank has established itself as a premier digital bank by introducing various features on its banking app, such as Alfamall, Buy Now Pay Later, and Term Deposit Receipts. It has also launched Pakistan’s first digital lifestyle branch. 

About Jingle Pay

Jingle Pay, a UAE born fintech, is the MENAP region’s leading and fastest-growing fintech, specializing in cross-border money transfers licensed by Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Jingle Pay operates in the UAE, Bahrain, and Pakistan, offering cutting-edge financial services. Backed by global financial institutions like MoneyGram, Bank Alfalah, top-tier U.S. and international venture capital firms that have backed PayPal and N26, as well as G42 backed, Applied AI.

The company provides a wide array of solutions, including Remittance-as-a-Service for financial institutions, enabling seamless global payouts across 150+ corridors and 99+ currencies. Additionally, Jingle Pay operates a B2C app for retail customers, facilitating card payments and international money transfers focused on driving financial inclusion and leveraging AI to redefine cross border payments.

CONTACT: Jingle Pay, Media@jinglepay.com, +971 4 547 7778

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2594862/Jingle_Pay.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bank-alfalah-acquires-strategic-stake-in-uae-fintech-jingle-pay-302347236.html

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Better Business Bureau Serving the Tri-Counties Warns Homeowners About Donation Scams Following Southern California Fires

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BBB Offers Recommendations for Donating to Southern California Wildfire Requests, Warning to Beware of Click-Bait and Phishing Scams, Bogus Crowdfunding Requests

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Better Business Bureau Serving the Tri-Counties issues warning to businesses and consumers tied to donation scams following Southern California Fires. As reported, strong winds fueling a fast-moving fire in Southern California has caused more than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes. For those seeking to help those in need, BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers the following tips to give thoughtfully.

For those seeking to help those in need, BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers the following tips to give thoughtfully.

Tips for Donating to Southern California Wildfire Relief Efforts

Make Sure the Charity Is Trustworthy: Before giving, search for the charity’s report on Give.org to find out if the charity meets the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (i.e., a BBB Accredited Charity). While disaster fundraising has not yet fully emerged for this tragedy, donors might check with the following BBB Accredited Charities to help start their selection of organizations offering help: American Red Cross, Direct Relief, GlobalGiving and Salvation Army.

Look for Specific Fire Relief Activities in Appeals: Be wary of relief appeals that have vague program descriptions and do not explain what activities your support will assist.

Watch Out for Click-Bait and Phishing Scams: Online giving scams tend to pop up after a disaster to take advantage of public sympathy. Don’t click on email, text, or social media links promising to connect you to a familiar charity. Instead, go directly to the charity’s website on your own.

Review Crowdfunding Requests: Some crowdfunding sites take precautions in carefully screening, vetting, and managing postings after a disaster or tragedy. Others might not. If unsure, review the procedures described on the site and also find out about transaction fees and other specifics.

Verify Charity Registration: About 40 of the 50 states require charities to annually register. Check with your state’s office of the attorney general or secretary of state’s office.

Understand the Phases of Disaster Relief: Most disasters go through three periods of activity: rescue, relief, and recovery. Each phase involves different activities and support. You can familiarize yourself with each phase on our Supporting Disaster Relief and Preparedness page.

Better Business Bureau Serving the Tri-Counties intends for this advice to help donors to give with confidence while avoiding questionable efforts.

For more information
To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker.
To learn how to protect yourself, go to “10 Steps to Avoid Scams.”

Media Contact

Frank Tortorici, Marketing Maven, (908) 875-8908, frank@marketingmaven.com, https://marketingmaven.com/ 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/better-business-bureau-serving-the-tri-counties-warns-homeowners-about-donation-scams-following-southern-california-fires-302347662.html

SOURCE Better Business Bureau

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Pollo AI Launches Consistent Character Video to Maintain Consistency of Characters, Objects, or Scenes in Generated Videos

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SINGAPORE, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Pollo AI  continues to raise the bar in AI video generation with the addition of its latest feature: Consistent Character Video, which can transform still images into high quality AI videos, while maintaining consistency of characters, objects, or scenes throughout every frame.

Users can upload one or up to three images of a subject to the tool – it could be a person’s face, for example, or image(s) of an inanimate object, like an appliance or piece of clothing, or image(s) of specific scenes. The AI video generator will then use the image(s) as the reference point(s) when generating its video content, ensuring that the original visuals are accurately and consistently portrayed.

This way, users can make multiple videos while keeping the same consistent subjects. They can make themselves the star of numerous clips, for example, or incorporate real-life items into their video creations. While other elements of the videos may change, the core subjects you choose will always remain consistent.

The uses for this are numerous. Brands, for example, could upload images of their latest products and then make various AI-generated videos featuring those products in a range of settings and scenarios. Or creators could make entire feature-length films by generating multiple short-form AI videos with the same consistent subjects in different scenes.

You could even upload an image of a famous landmark or monument, and instruct the tool to use that throughout your video creations. This makes it so much easier to create sequences or series of videos with the same consistent background, environment, or setting – a feat that many AI video generators have historically struggled with.

It’s a huge leap forward for AI video technology. Before the Consistent Character Video Generator, many users had expressed frustration when it came to trying to keep the same characters and subjects in multiple AI-generated videos. But with this new tool, that challenge has been solved.

What’s more, the Consistent Character Video Generator is backed up by Pollo AI’s advanced algorithms and powerful technology. Thanks to that, it’s able to make some of the most visually impressive AI videos, with cinematic levels of quality, fluid motion, realistic physics, and other desirable characteristics.

Plus, just like other AI videos generated with Pollo AI, the user has total control over various aspects, such as the aspect ratio, the length of the video, the resolution, and the camera movement. With this bold new addition, Pollo AI continues to assert itself as one of the leading and most innovative names in the AI video sphere.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pollo-ai-launches-consistent-character-video-to-maintain-consistency-of-characters-objects-or-scenes-in-generated-videos-302347735.html

SOURCE Pollo AI

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