Apple will Subsidize Royalties for Creators of Spatial Audio Content
Apple Music announced on January 23 that to encourage more music creators to upload “spatial audio” music, starting this month Apple will offer an additional 10 percent royalty to creators who provide “spatial audio” tracks. This metric is based on the “Spatial Audio Available” status of a work, and creators will receive additional royalties for creating Spatial Audio music and uploading it to Apple Music, regardless of whether or not the user listens to the music. Apple says more than 90 percent of Apple Music subscribers have tried listening to Spatial Audio music, and the total number of Spatial Audio plays has more than tripled in the past two years, so the extra 10 percent royalty is both a reward for providing higher-quality content and a way to compensate music creators for the extra time and effort it takes to develop Dolby Atmos sources.
Sony Announces SRS-XV500 Bluetooth Speaker
Sony launched on January 23rd the model SRS-XV500 Bluetooth speaker, which is aimed at party, karaoke and other scenarios. The speaker is equipped with two X-Balanced Speaker units and two tweeters, has a full battery life of 25 hours, supports fast charging (2.5 hours of use in 10 minutes of charging), and supports IPX4 waterproofing. Functionally, the SRS-XV500 has a built-in karaoke function that allows users to connect a microphone for backing vocals, as well as echo and key adjustments for personalized sound, and a second input to accommodate an additional microphone or guitar. The speaker is currently available for pre-order in the U.S., priced at $398.
Riot Games to Lay off 11% of its Workforce
On January 22, League of Legends developer Riot Games released an announcement on its website, announcing that it will lay off 530 employees in the near future, accounting for 11% of the workforce. Fist game will mainly from the business is expected to poor Legends of Runeterra team to reduce labor costs, and stop Riot Forge related development business. Fighter has also proposed a compensation program for the employees who have been laid off. In addition to six months of salary and annual performance, the company has also provided resources such as medical insurance, health funds, equity, computers, and employment assistance.
NVIDIA Releases Beta Version of RTX Remix
On January 22, NVIDIA opened the beta download of its RTX Remix development tool for game module (mod) developers, which allows modders to “remake” classic games using modern technologies such as full ray tracing (also known as path tracking), DLSS, Reflex, and generative AI texturing tools. NVIDIA says RTX Remix has the best compatibility with games that use DirectX 8/9, such as Call of Duty 2, Hitman 2, Need for Speed: Underground Racing 2, and more.