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Amazon and Meta are contributing $1 million each to the inauguration fund for Donald Trump in an attempt to curry good favor with him.
According to reports, Meta and Amazon are donating $1 million to the inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, made its announcement of the move on Wednesday (Dec. 11), weeks after founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Amazon announced its decision the following day, with Trump claiming that he would meet with Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos next week.
In addition, Amazon will livestream the inauguration ceremony on Prime Video, representing an “in-kind” donation totaling up to $1 million. Amazon also did the same with President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021. “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory,” Bezos wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Nov. 6. “No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.”
The donations come after Trump’s turbulent history with Amazon and Facebook. Trump opposed a proposed ban on social media giant TikTok, claiming that Meta would benefit if it took place. “If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. He also accused Facebook of interfering in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump has also blasted Bezos, calling the “Fake Washington Post” an Amazon lobbying arm and alleging that Amazon was avoiding paying U.S. Postal Service rates in full during his first presidential administration. The two seemed to reconcile after the assassination attempt on Trump’s life in Pennsylvania in July, and Bezos recently said at the DealBook Summit last week that Trump “seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. And my point of view is, if I can help him do that, I’m going to help him, because we do have too much regulation in this country.”
The moves are seen as a way to gain favor with the incoming administration – the Trump team has promised donors who contribute $1 million top-tier benefits, which include six tickets to inaugural events from January 17 to 20 as well as tickets to the ceremony and “an elegant and intimate dinner with President Donald J. Trump and Mrs. Melania Trump” on Jan. 19.
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Meta’s most budget friendly mixed-reality headset lives up to the hype. Last month, Meta introduced the Quest 3S headset — a smaller, lighter and more affordable version of the Meta Quest 3 with a few, internal and external upgrades.
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For starters, Meta Quest 3S retails for $299 — $200 cheaper than its predecessor. It’s also lighter and more comfortable than Meta Quest 3, and updated with new features such as dynamic spatial audio and increased resolution for Passthrough (which lets you mix your reality with VR).
Meta Quest 3S allows users to stream movies and more on a cinema-sized, VR screen, plus access games such as Beat Saber, Alo Moves XR, Just Dance VR, Wordle and Metro Awakenings along with streaming apps like Prime Video, Peacock, Netflix, Amazon Music, Twitch, YouTube, Xbox Cloud Gaming (available in BETA).
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Meta Quest 3S 128GB — Get Batman: Arkham Shadow and a 3-Month Trial of Meta Quest+ Included — All-in-One Headset
The holidays are around the corner, and Meta’s latest VR headset is certainly giftworthy. With Meta Quest 3S users can explore Horizon Worlds’ Music Valley where music fans get a front-row seat to VR performances from Sabrina Carpenter, BLACKPINK, Doja Cat and other recording stars.
One of my main gripes with Meta Quest 3? The headset. It’s heavy and uncomfortable, but the Quest 3S offers a slight improvement on the weight issue along with other, notable upgrades such as adjustable Frensel lenses, a spacer for users who wear glasses and a rebuilt Meta Horizon OS interface with added support for social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Quest 3S is incredibly user friendly, especially if you’re already familiar with the Meta portal. Even if you’re unfamiliar, the device will walk you through steps to set things up.
The new 3S features Travel Mode, so you can use it on an airplane (Meta plans to expand it to be used on trains and other modes of travel) and hand tracking, which allows you to use your hands instead of the controllers.
The standard Quest 3S features 128GB of storage, but you can upgrade to the 256GB device for $399.99. Meta Quest 3S is available at major retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Meta.com.
Get a complimentary copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and three months of Meta Quest+ with the purchase of an all-new Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S through April 2025.
The Warner Music Group (WMG) has struck a new multiyear licensing deal with Meta, Billboard has learned. The partnership, which covers both Warner’s recorded music and Warner Chappell publishing operations, will be across all of Meta’s platforms — Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon and Threads — and will also include WhatsApp for the first time, Billboard […]
Universal Music Group and Facebook parent Meta have forged an expanded agreement that will “advance social music opportunities” for the music major’s roster of artists and songwriters across the tech giant’s platforms.
The new arrangement, announced Monday, Aug. 12, covers Meta’s platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and for the first time, WhatsApp.
Financial terms weren’t disclosed, although a joint statement indicates the partnership ensures that “artists and songwriters are compensated fairly.”
Also, Meta and UMG will continue working together to address, among other things, unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters.
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UMG has been proactive on the issue of AI in music over the past year, and taken stands to protect against what it sees as harmful uses of AI. It was UMG that partnered with YouTube on a series of AI principles and an AI Music Incubator to help artists use AI responsibly, formed a strategic partnership with BandLab to create a set of ethical practices around music creation, and partnered with Endel on functional music, among other initiatives.
The origins of this arrangement can be traced back to 2017, when Facebook and Universal entered into what Billboard described at the time as an unprecedented and global licensing partnership that would shake-up the way people listen to and share music on the popular social platform.
With that deal, Facebook was finally on good terms with its content partners after a years-long relationship that was, for the most part, frosty.
This renewed partnership “builds on the recognition that music can help connect us and bring fans, artists, and songwriters closer together, not only on established platforms such as Instagram and Facebook,” says Tamara Hrivnak, VP music and content business Development at Meta, in a statement, “but also in new ways on WhatsApp, and more. “We’re extremely grateful to the Universal team, and look forward to growing our partnership in the future.”
Adds Michael Nash, chief digital officer & EVP, Universal Music Group: “Since our landmark 2017 agreement, Meta has consistently demonstrated its commitment to artists and songwriters by helping to amplify the importance music holds across its global network of engaged communities and platforms, creating new opportunities and applications where music amplifies and leads engagement and conversations.”
In recent months, both parties have collaborated on “landmark campaign rollouts” across the Meta ecosystem for artists including Billie Eilish, Karol G and Taylor Swift.
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From “Please, Please, Please” to “Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter has been dominating the charts and soon, she’ll be taking virtual reality by storm. The 25-year-old songstress is set to host her first VR show in Meta Horizons Worlds on Friday (July 19).
Fans can stream the VR concert in Music Valley, one of the Meta Horizons Worlds available on Meta Quest headsets. Thinking about buying one? Good news! Meta Quest 3 is currently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy. This deal isn’t part of Amazon Prime Day, but Quest 3 doesn’t go on sale often (if at all), so it’s best to grab it at a discount while you still can.
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For a limited time, shoppers can save $70 off the VR headset at Best Buy and Amazon. Meta Quest 3 usually retails for $500.
Meta Quest 3 VR Headset
$429.99
$499.99
14% off
Meta Quest 3 is available at other major retailers such as Walmart, QVC and Target, though not on sale.
Touted as the “most powerful” yet, the mixed reality headset allows you to have a truly immersive VR experience. Jump between worlds, enjoy gaming, fitness, wellness, entertainment and more, plus stream listen to music, make beats, watch TV shows and movies with over 500+ immersive apps. Meta Quest 3 comes with a headset and two Meta Quest Touch Plus Controllers (batteries not included).
The Music Valley concert series gives fans front-row access to music concerts in an immersive, virtual reality space that lets you watch VR concert live and interact with other concertgoers. Enjoy music performances, exclusive rewards and lots of games to play in Music Valley – enough to keep you occupied for hours at a time (the battery in Meta 3 lasts for a couple hours before it needs to be charged).
Other artists who have been featured in Meta’s VR concert series include Doja Cat, BLACKPINK, Victoria Monét, Raye and Imagine Dragons.
Sabrina Carpenter: A VR Concert kicks off in Music Valley on July 19 at 5 p.m. PT.
Merlin, the digital licensing partner for the independent music sector, announced that it renewed its licenses with Meta on Wednesday (June 12). That means the music of Merlin members — releases from labels like Domino, Secretly, Ninja Tune, Warp Records and many more — can continue to be discovered on Facebook and Instagram.
“This renewal is about more than simply licensing music – it’s about the strength of building long term relationships, seeking innovative ways to deliver music to fans and those discovering our artists for the first time, and the value of the dynamic nature of independent music,” Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin, said in a statement. “Merlin, on behalf of its members and their artists, is leading the way to build an ethical, sustainable, and indie-centric world.”
“Meta is thrilled to renew our partnership with Merlin, one of the leading champions of independent music,” added Tamara Hrivnak, vice president of music & content business development at Meta. “Our continued collaboration will foster further innovation in music discovery and creative expression. We’re excited for what the future holds.”
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Merlin’s global membership accounts for around 15% of the recorded music market, and Merlin negotiates deals not only with Meta but with Apple, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and more than 40 other platforms.
“In an industry that has always been in flux, Merlin is the steady hand,” Sirota explained earlier this year. “Merlin doesn’t have investors looking for an exit. There is no parent company with different motives. We are a mission-driven organization that operates like a not-for-profit and is funded entirely by our members.”
As short-form video platforms have become increasingly important for driving music discovery, artists are eager to make their songs available through platforms like Reels. And Reels took on even more importance earlier this year when Universal Music Group’s licensing negotiations with TikTok fell apart.
Historically, no short-form video platform has been able to match TikTok when it comes to causing a previously unknown song to erupt into the public consciousness overnight. When the wider music industry realized it might have to live without TikTok as a marketing tool at some point, many marketers redoubled their efforts to reach an audience through Reels and YouTube Shorts.
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Facebook’s parent company Meta has been called out over the muting of an Arabic word on its platforms.
An oversight board has made a recommendation to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Threads, and Instagram to loosen their blanket restrictions on the Arabic word “shaheed”. Meta had enacted a blanket ban on the word, reviewing it in 2020, and removing it from the posts of people on the platform that were deemed dangerous. In a statement, the “blunt method” was regarded as “overbroad and disproportionately restricts freedom of expression and civic discourse,” wrote Oversight Board member Helle Thorning-Schmidt, saying it ignored the complexities of the word and settled for one definition meaning “martyr”.
The group’s findings declared the ban unnecessary given the company’s established policies that can already address any danger posed by terrorist organizations and individuals on the platform when used properly. The board finalized their decision to make the recommendation after the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023, which currently has seen 32,000 Palestinians killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry after members of Hamas invaded an area of southern Gaza and killed or taken hostage 1,400 people. They had extended research on “shaheed” but still agreed on the recommendation.
“The term is used in many circumstances, but the vast majority of those referred to as Shaheed are civilians,” said Nadim Nashif, the executive director of The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media. Thorning-Schmidt agreed, stating that the restriction stops legitimate usage of the word in reporting on discussions of terrorism and violence. “It can even lead to those speaking about deceased loved ones having their content taken down in error,” he said.
Jewish advocacy groups have come out against any potential change, claiming that softening the restrictions would enable more antisemitism on the platforms. “These calls to terror and violence will be normalized and, more importantly, more people will be exposed to them, possibly leading to additional violence at a time there is already a lot of violence and targeted antisemitic attacks,” said Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, the founder of CyberWell, an Israeli nonprofit group that tracks antisemitism online. Montemayor said that it flagged over 300 usages of “shaheed” in antisemitic posts on Facebook since October 7.
“We want people to be able to use our platforms to share their views, and we have a set of policies to help them do so safely,” Meta said in a statement. They also said that they would review the feedback they’ve collected and make a decision in 60 days.
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Not your average shades! Maluma is seeing things differently thanks to Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
The “Según Quién” singer, who stars in the campaign for the latest iteration of Meta‘s smart glasses, likes wearing them because they allow him to share his “unique point of view” with fans.
“They’re super simple to use and feel like the average pair of sunglasses, except now I am more present,” the 29-year-old singer explained in an email interview with Billboard before heading back home to Colombia for the holidays.
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“My favorite thing about the glasses is that I can share my unique point of view while living my life, enjoying moments with family and friends and even while on stage.”
Ray-Ban and Meta tapped Maluma, Erykah Badu, Coi Leray and Coco Gauff to launch the newest installment of smart sunglasses. The Meta Wayfarer and Meta Headliner smart glasses are available in seven different colors, including shiny rebel black with amber lenses, shiny black with clear lenses, matte black with clear/green lenses, shiny caramel with brown lenses, matte jeans with dusty blue lenses, matte black with graphite lenses and shiny black with green lenses.
“I wear glasses all the time, so I like to match the glasses with my outfit but also the vibes of the day,” he explained of his favorite style of glasses. “Sometimes I wear a classic Wayfarer and other moments I go bold and bright. I even wore the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer during my Latin Grammys performance [last November].”
Offering a hands-free way to capture, share, and livestream, the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses lets you take 12MP photos, 1040p videos, answer phone calls and engage with AI. You can snap photos, record video and livestream on Facebook and Instagram with the glasses, which offer up to four hours of battery life (they come in a chargeable case) and are available on Ray-Ban.com starting from $299.
Shop the smart glasses below.
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Meta Quest, the leading VR headset device on the market, has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to curating moments for music and entertainment fans in the sprawling Metaverse. The great minds at Meta Quest are rolling out a new Music Valley concert series, featuring the likes of Victoria Monét, Jorja Smith, and more.
Music Valley is an innovative VR concert series experience that lives in the Meta Horizon Worlds realm and features some of entertainment’s biggest names. The desert venue features a large main stage screen and a dance floor that will allow Meta Quest fans to let loose and even grab some objects while jamming in the Metaverse.
Things jumped off last month in the valley via iHeartRadio LIVE with The Kid LAROI and tonight, (December 4), the aforementioned Victoria Monét will grace the virtual stages at 8 PM ET. In January, Jorja Smith will lend her formidable talents to the Music Valley experience.
Along with those names, K-Pop stars BLACKPINK will be highlighted in BLACKPINK: VR Encore, which was filmed during the Born Pink World Tour finale show at the Gocheok Sky Dome in South Korea with The Diamond Bros serving as producers.
Red Rocks Live will also deliver a VR experience with acts like Louis The Child rocking the major venue of Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado with other acts set to grace the stage in this developing partnership with Dorsey Pictures.
For all those who can’t make the shows when they air, Meta Quest is kindly hosting the concerts for one month after their air date. That means it’s time to sign up for the Music Valley experience and take in all the sights and sounds that extend far beyond concerts with mini-games, DJ sets and more to do inside the valley.
Learn more about Music Valley, including air dates and times, by clicking here.
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Photo: Meta Quest
Meta has launched AudioCraft, a new suite of AI models that generate music and audio based on text prompts, the company announced on Wednesday (Aug. 2). The technology consists of three models: MusicGen (music), AudioGen (sound effects) and EnCodec (higher quality music). It acts as new competition for Google’s MusicLM, a text-to-music generator that launched […]