Technologies

YouTube Music and Premium Jumps to More Than 80M Subscribers

The streaming giant credits fans, new features and partnerships for its growth surge.

YouTube‘s Music and Premium services have reached 80 million paid subscribers globally as of September, the company’s global head of music Lyor Cohen said on Wednesday. The number includes trial runs but is a substantial increase from the 50 million mark it hit in September 2021.

By comparison, Spotify reported 195 million paid subscribers — including those who trialed the service — at the end of September, and it predicted its paying membership will eclipse 200 million by the end of the year.

YouTube is the world’s biggest online video source, with more than 2 billion monthly users. Despite its massive scale, YouTube’s music service struggled for years to break through, as it went through more than one transformation. Now reporting peppy growth of 30 million new members in a year, YouTube’s offerings — a Spotify-like music service plus upsell to a Premium package unlocks extra perks on YouTube itself — appear to be hitting a stride.

Cohen touted the platform’s international collaborations with companies such as Samsung, Vodafone and SoftBank for expanding the services’ reach. He also noted how the addition of features like afterparties and exclusive livestreams to YouTube Premium helped make it more attractive for users. And by cueing fans to engage in extended listening sessions or to download content, Cohen said the service has made it easier for them to enjoy their experience.

A YouTube Music premium subscription costs $10 per month and allows users to stream and download music without ads. Its background play feature enables you to play music while using other apps or while your screen is off. YouTube Premium includes ad-free access to the video platform, YouTube Music and YouTube Originals — with the option to download or use background play for videos and music. A membership runs $12 a month, but you can sign up for a student or family plan.

Technologies

Apple’s New App Store Rules Take Aim at Personal Data Sharing With AI

The changes are a win for privacy and control.

Apple updated its App Review Guidelines page on Thursday, introducing changes to the handling of personal data sharing and the requirements that must be met before doing so. Noncompliant apps could be removed from the App Store.

The updated language in the rules calls out that personal data shared with third parties must be both clearly disclosed and only with the explicit permission of the user.

The language echoes previous guidelines, but points out that these third parties also include artificial intelligence:

«You must clearly disclose where personal data will be shared with third parties, including with third-party AI, and obtain explicit permission before doing so. Data collected from apps may only be shared with third parties to improve the app or serve advertising (in compliance with the Apple Developer Program License Agreement),» it says.

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Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Most of the world knows AI in the form of chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, but the term extends well beyond these to technologies like machine learning, which learns and improves itself based on data.

Apple is set to release its long-awaited AI-powered Siri soon, which may be powered by a custom version of Google’s Gemini underneath.

The small change is a win in a world where privacy often feels more like a concept than a reality, especially as AI technology continues to surge.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 14, #417

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 14, No. 417.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a bit of a toughie. There are a few logos that help some players and hurt others. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: No longer in the mix.

Green group hint: Think J.R. Ewing.

Blue group hint: It was a good year for them.

Purple group hint: On your mark, get set, go!

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Take out of a competition.

Green group: Dallas-Fort Worth teams.

Blue group: Teams to win championships in 2025.

Purple group: ____ race.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is take out of a competition. The four answers are bounce, defeat, eliminate and knock out.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Dallas-Fort Worth teams. The four answers are Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers and Stars.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is teams to win championships in 2025. The four answers are Aces, Dodgers, Eagles and Thunder.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ race. The four answers are horse, pennant, relay and road.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Nov. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I struggled with 4-Across, but the other answers filled it in. And I laughed at 6-Down, where The New York Times gets all meta. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.