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tech

Page: 14

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Tesla
Elon Musk has proudly hitched his electric wagon to the Trump train, but could that spell the end for his EV dominance? Recent financial numbers hint at some potential hard times ahead.

Spotted The Verge, Tesla’s 2024 delivery numbers are not looking good. For the first time, the company reported that sales had fallen year over year.

The website reports Musk’s EV company produced 1.77 million vehicles in 2024, a 4% drop from the previous year. Tesla also delivered 1.79 million cars this year, 1% less than in 2023, while deploying 31.4 GWh in energy storage.
There were some silver linings. Tesla reported a record fourth quarter for deliveries, with 495,570 vehicles arriving in customers’ driveways. The EV company also delivered 11 GWh of energy storage products, which it claims was also a record.
Tesla also produced 459,445 vehicles, mostly Model 3s and Ys, in 2024.

Q4 2024
Production: 459,445
Deliveries: 495,570
Energy storage deployments: 11 GWh
A record for both deliveries & deployments

Full year 2024
Production: 1,773,443
Deliveries: 1,789,226
Energy storage deployments: 31.4 GWh
→ https://t.co/YF9iWpPuud
— Tesla (@Tesla) January 2, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
More Bad News For Tesla
Despite the late rally, Tesla flopped in 2024, falling short of its 2023 numbers. Donald Trump’s newest rump kisser, Elon Musk, warned of hardship for his company due to increased competition and a stale lineup of vehicles.
Even the world’s ugliest vehicle, the Cybetruck, and its “popularity” wasn’t enough to help Telsa have a good year.
According to Wedbush’s Dan Ives, despite breaking records, Tesla did not meet Wall Street’s target of 504,800 vehicle deliveries, resulting in a roughly 5 percent drop in the company’s stock price.
How does the company move forward under the Trump administration, which has made it clear he is not a fan of the incentives given to potential EV buyers? Begs the question? Why would Musk align himself with someone who would hurt his business in the first place?
We are intrigued to see if Musk and Tesla will face consequences in the future for allegiance to the MAGA movement.

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Apple / Apple Vision Pro
This news shouldn’t shock anyone, but many people did not spend $3,500 on the Apple Vision Pro headset, and now, reportedly, the company that Steve Jobs built is sitting on a stockpile of the device and will no longer be producing it.

According to a report by The Information, initially published in October 2024 and broken down by Kotaku, Apple supplied enough parts for 500K Vision Pro headsets in October but only sold around 370K units. 

The failure to meet sales estimates meant that “tens of thousands of undelivered parts” were sitting in the warehouse and would no longer be needed.
The report states that Apple has manufactured enough parts to meet the Vision Pro’s expected lifetime sales, which fell short of initial projections.
Eurogamer points out that the current numbers align with a report published by the UK Financial Times last summer, where components suppliers claimed they expected to make fewer than 400k units.
Per Eurogamer:
That same report claimed Apple had significantly scaled back its internal sales targets for the headset due to production difficulties, after previously expecting at least 1m sales in 2024.
Apple has reportedly struggled to easily produce the Vision Pro’s two micro-OLED displays for each eye, as well as the device’s outward facing lens.
Welp.
Apple Should Have Saw This Coming
The writing was on the wall when Apple unveiled the Vision Pro. During the reveal event, a video of the crowd reacting to the $3,500 price tag immediately went viral, and should have let the tech selling the device would not be as easy as pushing a yearly iPhone model on its loyal customers.

While it was a valiant attempt, Apple took amassivee swing in the market with its spatial computing device but couldn’t compete with Meta, which has found a sweet spot with the $300 to $500 price points for its Meta Quest headsets.
Apple is still reportedly working on a much more affordable version of the Vision Pro, but based on this news, we don’t expect to see it any time soon.

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Source: 343 Industries / HALO Infinite
News of Microsoft dropping the ball isn’t surprising lately, but this might be a massive L for the company looking to secure as many wins as possible.

Tim Miller and Dave Wilson set out to deliver an anthology series like Netflix’s Love Death + Robots, but with popular video game IP with their latest offering, Secret Level, currently streaming on Prime Video.
The 14-episode first season, featuring characters from beloved video game franchises like Pac-Man, Warhammer 40K, Mega Man, SIFU, God of War, and more, is currently hit or miss with fans. Still, news of a nixed Halo x Doom crossover episode has gamers pondering what could have been and bashing Microsoft.
Speaking exclusively with Collider, Miller and Wilson confirmed they see and hear fans’ questions and complaints regarding specific video game IPs getting episodes while others didn’t.
Miller pointed to one instance of someone highlighting Spelunky getting an episode while Halo didn’t, which opened the door for him to reveal they had big plans for the 343 Industries franchise. Ultimately, Microsoft told them, “Nah,” denying us an epic team-up we didn’t know we needed with Master Chief and Doomguy. 
“We wanted to make a Master Chief/Doom Slayer crossover episode, and I spent a whole weekend crafting this impassioned letter of my childhood. And it’s exactly what Tim said; they were like, ‘Nah,” Wilson revealed.
The interview also notes that Secret Level has been in production since 2021, so there could have been some conflict between the Halo x Doom crossover pitch and the first season of the now-canceled Halo TV show on Paramount+.
Gamers Are Very Disappointed
Whatever the case, gamers are very disappointed that Microsoft decided to pass on the episode.
One user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote, “Microsoft is so allergic to fun that they shot down one of the coolest crossovers they could have possibly done, that’s insane.”

Microsoft is so allergic to fun that they shot down one of the coolest crossovers they could have possibly done, that’s insane. https://t.co/ako4BCjRlE
— Ultima (@UltimaShadowX) January 2, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Gamertag Radio’s Danny Peña replied to the news, “What?!?!?! *smh emoji.”

What?!?!?! 🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/jnNYSSNL9e
— Danny Peña (@godfree) January 2, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
It definitely sounds like a missed opportunity. Maybe we will see it in season two. Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.

1. Gamers are in an abusive relationship with Xbox

2. Infuriating

3. Gamers are pleading with Microsoft

4. A Halo x Doom crossover would have been an easy slam dunk

7. The Paramount show was not that bad

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Rockstar Games / GTA 6
We still don’t know much about GTA 6. However, according to one analyst, the next installment in Rockstar Games’ iconic video game franchise will likely earn a lot of money before it even hits shelves and digital stores.

The Financial Times reports GTA 6, undoubtedly 2025’s most anticipated game, could earn a whopping $3.2 billion in its first year. According to DFC Intelligence analysts, the game could earn $1 billion in just pre-orders. 

According to Yoshio Osaki of IDG Consulting, the anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6 is “greater than anything” they have ever seen. We think it’s going to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, not just in games but for all of media.” 
No kidding.
To keep the hype building, which is already at an all-time high, Take-Two Interactive’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, agreed with Osaki’s take, adding, “I think Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal.” He also tried to exhibit chill and lower expectations in the same breath, adding, “I never claim victory before it occurs, but the anticipation is high.”

Expectations Are Already Through The Roof
It might be too late. Since the first trailer premiere a year ago, expectations for GTA 6 have been through the roof. As expected, outside of “leaks,” Rockstar Games has been silent about the upcoming title, leaving gamers in limbo and thirsty for information about the video game.
The game’s release date and whether it’s still locked in for Fall 2025 have been the subject of discussion. Some believe the game will have its wig pushed back, forcing Rockstar Games to reassure fans that they can still expect to get their hands on it in 2025.
Like everyone else, we are at the mercy of Rockstar Games as we patiently wait for a new GTA 6 trailer and the game’s official release date.

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Gabe Ginsberg / Getty / D&D
The iconic tabletop game D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) is valiantly attempting to attract a new generation of players by making it more inclusive. Still, as expected, some folks are not happy about that.

D&D has gone “woke,” according to some OG players after the iconic game’s first significant rule changes in a decade became law during its 50th anniversary.

Gone are “races,” and they have been replaced with the term “species.” Plus, character traits are no longer tied to biological identity; for example, “a mountain dwarf is no longer inherently brawny and durable, a high elf no longer intelligent and dexterous by definition,” as per The New York Times explanation.
Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, which Hasbro owns, is on board with the trend of role-playing games allowing players to stop playing if they begin to feel uncomfortable.
Elon Musk & Other Hardcore D&D Players Were Big Mad
As expected, some OG D&D players, including Elon Musk, feel the game is going the “woke” route. Musk responded to a post on his crappy platform X complaining about the Dungeons & Dragons 40th Anniversary Making of Dungeons & Dragons book’s foreword, claiming that it “slams the original creators and attempts to distance themselves” from sexism, cultural appropriation, and other problematic tropes from the 1970s.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets to trash E. Gary Gygax and the geniuses who created Dungeons & Dragons,” Musk said. “What the f*** is wrong with Hasbro and WOTC?? May they burn in hell.”
Jason Tondro, a project lead for D&D, was part of the backlash against Musk’s comments about changes made considering progressives and underrepresented groups.
Musk then responded as any spoiled billionaire would by asking, “How much is Hasbro?”
If the folks at Hasbro have been paying attention to how Phony Stark is running Twitter—oops, we mean X—since he reluctantly acquired it, they wouldn’t let him get his greasy hands on the company.

HipHopWired Featured Video

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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Donald Trump / TikTok
TikTok is still facing a potential ban in the United States, but the popular social media platform might have found an unlikely savior in Donald Trump. Some folks can see the jig with this latest move.

In an interesting turn of events, Donald Trump, who has had a wishy-washy position on the matter, is now calling for the Supreme Court to pause the looming ban on the popular social media platform TikTok.
Trump’s take on the matter is in direct contrast to the Biden administration and some Republican, former Trump, and Democratic official’s stance that the Chinese-owned platform poses a “grave” threat to the country’s national security.
If TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, doesn’t sell TikTok to an American company, it will be officially banned on January 19, one day before Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Per NBC News:
“President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute,” wrote D. John Sauer, Trump’s lawyer who is also the president-elect’s pick for U.S. solicitor general. “Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump’s incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case.”
The US Supreme Court decided to hear the case and fast-tracked the schedule for briefings and oral arguments, but it did not decide whether to consider TikTok’s request to pause the implementation of the ban.
Never Forget, Donald Trump Wanted TikTok Banned
Trump, who famously tried to ban TikTok in 2020 during his first failed presidency, is now claiming he can somehow negotiate a deal to “save” the platform after he met with the company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, claiming he now has a “warm spot” for the platform.
“President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government—concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged,” Sauer notes.
While the news of TikTok’s potential saving is making some people happy, there are many who see the move as a political one.
“Donald Trump’s reversal on the TikTok ban is the most billionaire thing ever. The president-elect, himself a billionaire, changed his mind because his billionaire donor Larry Ellison asked him to. Not good for democracy!” read one post on X, formally Twitter. 
Another post on X read, “Hold the fuck on. The same Donald Trump who is threatening to “take back the Panama Canal” from PANAMA because it’s being “controlled by” the Chinese, has asked the Supreme Court to pause the law which would ban TikTok here unless it’s sold, thereby allowing the app to continue to be controlled by… the Chinese? Do I have that just about right?”

We can also see the jig.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

1. This video proves why Donald Trump isn’t the brightest person on the planet

2. Imperial fluffing

3. We guess

4. LOL, of course he doesn’t

Days after a panel of federal judges voted to uphold a new law that would ban TikTok in the United States beginning on Jan. 19, the independent label Artist Partner Group (APG) started assessing how that might potentially impact its marketing campaigns — and how the company should adjust. 
“It’s hard to imagine a reality where TikTok actually goes down,” says Alec Henderon, head of digital at APG. “But we need to be prepared. We are doing video shoots ahead of time, so if it does go, we have top-tier content hitting other short-form video platforms very quickly.”

J.D. Tuminski, former digital marketing lead at Def Jam and founder of Casadei Collective Marketing Agency, is also advising clients to be ready. “If folks are being smart right now,” he says, “they’re already putting plans in place for other platforms and thinking about alternative marketing strategies.” 

Trending on Billboard

At least most music marketers have been down this road before. President Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020 but was blocked by the courts. “We’ve had this conversation internally so many times,” sighs Rafael Rocha, CEO of the marketing agency NuWave Digital. “If I was a betting man, I would bet confidently that it will not get banned.” 

Or maybe not banned for long. President Trump returns to office on Jan. 20, and recently he has appeared more enthusiastic about TikTok, saying he had “a warm spot in my heart” for the app. In addition, on Wednesday (Dec. 18), the Supreme Court agreed to hear TikTok’s challenge to the law that would ban it in the U.S. TikTok’s stance is that a ban would lead to “massive and unprecedented censorship of over 170 million Americans.”

Marketers are trying to prepare for the app’s potential disappearance nonetheless. No one wants to be caught flat-footed, especially because TikTok has “become such a large part of our execution when music is released and for teasing new music,” says Allison Laughter, vp of digital, marketing and streaming for Red Light Management. If the app were outlawed in the U.S., it would “hurt us in the short run for sure.”

The pain would probably be felt more acutely by rising artists who don’t yet have name recognition. “Where is new artist discovery happening in 2025 if this app completely disappears?” asks Johnny Cloherty, co-founder of the digital marketing company Songfluencer. “There is new artist discovery on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts — it just doesn’t happen on the same scale as it does on TikTok.”

Some genres that are reaching a new audience abroad might also be more vulnerable if TikTok use is prohibited. “Country music is bigger than it’s ever been, and we’re seeing more global success than we ever have,” Laughter adds. “It would be a shame to have an international platform taken away from us at a moment when we really have leverage with country acts. It’s slowing down a rocket ship while it’s hot for us.” 

Many executives got some practice grappling with a TikTok-less existence earlier this year. On Feb. 1, Universal Music Group’s deal with the platform expired, and all its artists’ music was pulled from the app. A month later, many songs from other labels that featured contributions from Universal Music Publishing Group writers were removed as well. 

“That was a wake up call for a lot of people,” says Dan Roy Carter, a former TikTok employee who recently launched Carter Projects, his own music marketing company. “That made people look at other platforms [outside of TikTok] and realize they have to develop them.” 

But most marketers did not find that other short-form video platforms could fill the void left by TikTok’s absence. “Anyone I’ve spoken to who tried to pivot to another platform during that time frame generally didn’t find anything that was comparable straight away,” Carter says. That was certainly Laughter’s experience: “I don’t think that we found the sweet spot of how to mimic the success or reach we might see on TikTok with any other platform.” 

If the TikTok ban did go through in the U.S., however, the platform would still be available for hundreds of millions of users globally (at least for now). And clips that are popular on TikTok often make their way to other social media platforms. “Say TikTok is banned here — that doesn’t mean that internationally it can’t be a part of a strategy to drive streaming,” says Jen Darmafall, director of marketing for ATG Group. “When you see Reels and Shorts make an impact on music consumption, it is often following something that’s going viral on TikTok first.”

Several marketers discussed using VPNs to circumvent a potential ban Stateside and continue to market their acts to audiences in Europe, Latin America and Asia. And digital marketers abroad would almost certainly see an influx of business from American artists and labels. “Hiring companies to be a liaison to TikTok creators outside of the U.S. is something that I would think about if I was a musician,” Tuminski notes.

Artists and labels would also watch carefully to see where TikTok’s large, famously active user base in the U.S. ends up. “If this goes down, we’ll need to be reactive towards where the content and the traffic and energy shifts,” Henderson says. “Short form video is not going away,” Cloherty agrees. “The TikTok audience will go somewhere.”

Reels and Shorts are typically mentioned as potential TikTok substitutes due to their short-form video focus. But other platforms can also serve as potential conduits for conveying music to listeners. 

X, formerly Twitter, doesn’t pop up in many music marketing conversations these days, but Henderson has seen it bring in new listeners for rappers. He’s been focused on trying to harness the power of Twitch as well. The APG artist Flawed Mangoes saw a sizable jump in streams after appearing on the stream of Kai Cenat, one of the most popular personalities on the platform. 

Marketers are also intrigued by the possibilities of Snapchat. “It’s still very heavily used by kids, but it’s not as heavily used by artists,” says Jenna Rosenberg, former vp of digital marketing at Atlantic Records. “There is an audience on there, it’s just that no one’s talking to them.” Darmafall has observed “more and more artists posting about following them on Snapchat.” 

And if TikTok gets outlawed, the audience hunting for a substitute might end up on another app altogether, something that isn’t currently part of everyday conversation. “Platforms ebb and flow,” Rosenberg says. “Kids will find one that they’ll gravitate towards, and then we’re all going to have to learn it really quickly and educate the artists on how to utilize it.”

For now though, TikTok continues to operate in the U.S., driving new listeners to songs like Lola Young’s “Messy” and Sam Barber’s “Indigo.” “As people are building out their plans for any releases that are coming at the start of the year, they are still including TikTok as part of that plan,” Darmafall says. “It just can’t be your only plan.” 

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Source: Paramount Pictures / SEGA / Sonic The Hedgehog 3
SEGA might have the greatest video game movie franchise ever thanks to the company’s iconic speedy mascot, Sonic The Hedgehog. The third installment in the franchise, Sonic The Hedgehog 3, keeps the same energy as the first two films and, based on the critical reception, is the best one yet.

Like the Sonic The Hedgehog video game franchise, the movies follow the same trajectory, each being a level-up from the next.
While Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s domestic box office opening was slightly under Sonic 2’s $72.1 million, it raced to an impressive $70.5 million.
But where Sonic 3 trumps its predecessor is in its critical reception, currently sitting at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 98% audience score, making it the highest-rated movie out of the three. Hence, everyone, except IGN, who gave the film a 6 (okay) rating, is more than pleased with the latest movie.
Now, we’re not totally bashing everyone’s favorite video game website. The reviewer did love Jim Carrey’s duo performance as Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather Gerald Robotnik, and the excellent use of CGI for the film’s scenes featuring Team Sonic and the bad-ass anti-hero Shadow The Hedgehog.
But for the other critics and fans, those things mentioned above, the perfect casting of Keanu Reeves to bring Shadow to the big screen alongside returning favorites Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Idris Elba (Knuckles), and Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Tails) were the chef’s kiss.

Jeff Fowler Went Out His Way To Please Sonic the Hedgehog Fans
Returning director Jeff Fowler clearly did his homework when making these Sonic films. He went hard on the fan service, which was also a big hit with fans of the video game franchise, as the movie is peppered with references to the video games.

I did this like seven times during #SonicMovie3 pic.twitter.com/AmdAZqnRur
— The Green Kasey 🎃 (@RawbertBeef) December 21, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Sonic The Hedgehog’s success at the box office should be studied; who can forget the reaction to the film’s first CGI design for Sonic, which was so bad that social media successfully bullied the director and his team to go back to the drawing board and make changes.

Those changes have paid off big-time, giving Paramount some bragging rights because they can say, without much pushback from anyone, that the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise is the best video game film adaption ever.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

1. Definitely not wrong with this take.

3. A job well done Jeff.

4. We agree

For all the value derived from social media, artists and labels have yet to generate revenue directly from their activity on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. In contrast, Weverse, a social media and e-commerce platform owned by South Korean company HYBE, changes up the typical social media dynamic by generating direct revenue from the fandom it facilitates.
This month, in an effort to generate even more revenue from superfans, Weverse introduced a digital membership tier that offers additional perks such as ad-free viewing, video downloads for offline access, high-quality streaming and language translation. The paid digital membership is separate from the fan clubs offered on the platform and Weverse’s own direct messaging feature that allows users — for a fee — to message their favorite artists.

“Digital membership, we believe, is the very first cornerstone of the future evolution” of the music business,” Weverse CEO Joon Choi tells Billboard. He adds that in the first two weeks that digital memberships were made available on the platform, 79 artists (out of 162 active artist communities on Weverse) have given fans the option of signing up for them.

Trending on Billboard

Weverse is an anomaly in social media: a platform with a small number of high-demand musicians rather than a large number of mostly unpopular artists. Launched in 2019, Weverse had 9.7 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of Sept. 30, according to HYBE’s latest financial results, down from 10.6 million a year earlier. The platform is a Swiss Army knife of a promotional vehicle. Artists not only post media content and updates but also conduct live-streams and respond — for a fee — to fans’ direct messages, while the platform additionally sells concert live streams, music and merchandise. And HYBE’s most popular artists can rack up amazing numbers on the platform: Earlier this week, BTS member Jung Kook set a Weverse record with 20.2 million real-time views of a 2.5-hour live broadcast in which he spoke to fans during a break from his military duty.

In recent months, Weverse expanded beyond K-pop artists by welcoming such Western, English-language stars as Ariana Grande and The Kid Laroi, hinting at possibilities that have record labels salivating. Goldman Sachs analysts have estimated that improved monetization of superfans — including new digital platforms, greater emphasis on vinyl buyers and higher-priced music subscription plans — could result in $3.3 billion of incremental revenue globally by 2030. Given the potential, it wasn’t surprising to hear both Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl and Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge express their interest in superfan products and experiences earlier this year. In September, UMG CFO Boyd Muir said the company was in “advanced talks” with Spotify about a high-priced superfan tier — something Chinese music streaming company Tencent Music Entertainment already launched with early success.

In the early days of its membership tier, Weverse is still figuring things out. “We are pioneering this field, so we see a lot of unknowns,” says Choi. For example, he says Weverse has heard from many labels that it should bundle the digital membership tier with fan clubs already offered by artists into something like a premium membership tier (of the 162 active artist communities on Weverse, 72 currently offer fan clubs). He adds that Weverse would not make the decision independently but is discussing it with labels. “Combining them together in the future, I think it’ll be stronger than what we offer right now,” says Choi.

The rollout of the membership tier hasn’t been without controversy, though. In October, an article at The Korea Herald quoted an email from Weverse to its partner record labels in which the company said participation in the membership tier is “mandatory for all artist communities hosted on Weverse.” The article also quoted a South Korean lawmaker who called on the country’s Fair Trade Commission to investigate Weverse’s “new forms of monopolistic practices and determine whether unfair treatment is occurring against affiliated companies using the platform.” Weverse says it has not been contacted or investigated by regulators.

Choi pushes back against the assertions in The Korea Herald, saying artists on the platform are not required to offer a subscription tier, in contrast with the email quoted by the newspaper. “That’s not mandatory,” he insists. In a separate statement to Billboard, Weverse said it “aims to roll out digital membership to all communities” but that the decision “is the choice of labels and artists” and, in any event, fans will still be able to use many existing Weverse services for free. Despite Weverse playing an integral role in the marketing and promotion of K-pop artists, Choi argues it doesn’t have enough market power to make such demands: “We are not in a dominant place where we can just present the policy and dictate our policy to the artist or labels however we want.”

Weverse has also received criticism for its revenue-sharing splits with labels, with The Korea Herald additionally citing an anonymous source as saying the company proposed a “disproportionate” share of the revenue ranging from 30% to 60%, leaving the artist and label with anywhere from 40% to 70%. Choi declined to comment on the business arrangements that determine how much subscription revenue Weverse keeps but noted the platform is investing money into the subscription tier to create features valuable to artists and their fans.

The pushback encountered by Weverse foreshadows the challenges platforms and labels will face as superfan platforms proliferate and the stakeholders wrangle over how the money will be shared. Labels and publishers have spent decades trying to get more value from streaming services, and short-form video apps like TikTok necessitated new conversations about how to compensate creators for the value they bring to the platform. As Choi says, “What we’re doing is basically creating a new value by connecting the artist and super fans in the same place.” In the process, HYBE has pioneered a new model that could become standard practice for artists and labels in the music business of the future.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Digital cameras were thought to be dead after the introduction of the first iPhone back in 2007, but new research has found an increasing surge in sales — and it’s all thanks to Gen Z. Young adults aged 18-29 are supposedly the driving force behind the major growth in digital camera sales as the desire for a vintage ’90s aesthetic and Y2K style prevails.

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See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The average price for a digital camera has since increased to around $620, but that doesn’t mean you have to burn a hole in your wallet to hop on the instant camera trend. There are a number of good digital cameras under $100 that’ll provide better quality photos than what your smartphone and flip phones could ever produce.

Trending on Billboard

Below, Billboard Shopping breaks down the benefits of owning a digital camera as well as the best digital cameras under $100 to buy online. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, here are some budget cameras to put under the tree.

Are Digital Cameras Still Worth It?

The best digital cameras have evolved with the times to include an expanded list of features and upgraded technology. You’ll not only capture higher-quality photos than with a smartphone (especially in low-light conditions), you’ll also enjoy quicker shutter speeds, an increased amount of storage, and customizability.

Content creators can also use most point-and-shoot cameras as a vlogging camera due to its versatile nature, allowing you to switch from point-and-shoot to a video camera.

Is a Digital Camera Better Than An iPhone?

Apple’s latest iPhone 16 boasts 48 megapixels (the amount of detail a camera’s sensor can capture), which is at the same level of some cheap digital cameras. That doesn’t take into account the $1,000+ price tag attached to the smartphone in addition to not as much storage and a less crisp flash. Digital cameras are also designed with photography being the main use, whereas an iPhone and other smartphones have to be able to switch from a camera, to a phone and web browser.

What Are the Best Digital Cameras Under $100?

When determining the best digital camera under $100 to buy, you’ll want to decide what your main purpose of use will be. Whether you’re capturing memories from your lineup of tours and music festivals or looking for a beginner-friendly design to start a photography hobby, check below for some of the top-rated affordable digital cameras.

editor’s pick

4K Digital Camera for Photography

Amazon’s digital camera can capture 64MP (the most on the list!) as well as 4K resolution videos for the highest-quality content. The built-in anti-shake feature will also help you avoid snapping any blurry photos, while the rechargeable battery ensures you don’t have to stock up on disposable batteries.Amazon reviewers love how easy it is to use and the quality of pictures it takes for its low price, noting that it takes solid pictures, has easy controls and does a great job in different shooting situations. The stabilization is also handy for getting clear shots.

Walmart

photography pick

Kodak PixPro FZ45-SL Digital Camera

$30.59

$109.99

72% off

Whether you’re shooting photos of your tropical vacation or family picutres, Wednkoly’s affordable digital camera makes it possible to capture professional-grade photos with 44 MP. Included is a 32 GB SD card to store your picutres on, face recognition, smile detection and continuous shooting for a more flexible shooting experience.One reviewer described it as a “very impressive little camera for the price,” commenting on how “at this price point, this camera is the best option out there.”

Amazon

beginner-friendly pick

Lecran Digital Camera

If you’re new to photography, Lecran’s cheap digital camera simplifies the process without sacrificing quality. It’s capable of capturing 44 MP and uses motion detection and face detection while setting up your shot. The anti-shake feature helps prevent blurry photos, while the self-timer allows you to take group pictures to make sure everyone is in the photo. The digital camera has “exceeded expectations” for one Amazon shopper who said “the image quality is superb with sharp details and vibrant colors. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced photographers.” This is a bestseller too, with more than 9,000 units sold in the last month alone.

Amazon

vlogging pick

Brewene 4K Digital Camera

$74.99

$99.99

25% off

Vloggers will appreciate the 48MP and 4K resolution of the Brewene digital camera paired with its 16X zoom abilities and built-in microphone. It’s also designed with a hot shoe mount, a rotatable LCD screen (great for self-tapes) and and CMOS image sensor that’ll precisely focus on your subjects. Amazon reviewers called the digital camera a “little gem for budding creatives” complimenting how “navigating through the settings was intuitive and the autofocus feature works like a charm making everything look professional.”

Amazon

travel pick

Camkory Digital Camera

$49.99

$69.99

29% off

Camkory’s compact digital camera will help keep you from feeling weighed down during your travels since it only weighs 9.13 ounces. Its slim design makes it easy to slip inside your backpack or fanny pack while and when it’s time to take pictures, you can enjoy 44MP quality.Reviewers can’t get enough of its portability with one verified Amazon reviewer saying, “the photo quality was impressive, showcasing the camera’s capabilities in diverse settings.”

Amazon

action pick

AKASO Brave 4 Pro Action Camera

$89.99

$139.99

36% off

Make sure to capture all your concert antics with an affordable action digital camera like the AKASO Brave 4 Pro. The outer shell is waterproof for any underwater or rain-filled shots while the electronic image stabilization (EIS) 2.0 uses a six-axis gyroscope that’ll detect positions and motion changes for more focused, straight shots.Reviewers enjoy the quality of photos and videos for the price point with one person saying “I wanted a camera with two screens, that was easy to use and has a good battery life — and this has all that. So far, the battery has lasted on a two-hour ride and I can take the spare if I go longer.”

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best podcast equipment, portable recording booths and studio headphones.