Show Notes
Hello, Laurence & Lindsay here. We've got a big problem, and we need your help.
If you're listening to this on Spotify, we're asking you to stop, and switch to another podcast player.
As I'm sure most of you know, there's plenty of evidence that Spotify is a terrible company with a long history of exploiting and underpaying artists, but that's only part of why it's so bad.
It's been reported that Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek, has recently invested millions of Euros of your subscription fees in an AI weaponry company called Helsing. This company has developed an automated target identification system, with the option to keep a human in the loop. In other words, it's machines selecting which humans to kill on the battlefield.
It's also been reported Spotify donated $150,000 to the Trump campaign, and it's recently been running ICE recruitment ads. It is a powerful force for bad.
So here's our problem. Almost half of our total listenership comes from Spotify, and the adverts that we run are how we make our money. If we just pulled our podcasts straight away, that would be a huge financial blow for us.
So we would like to urge you to listen elsewhere, on another podcast player. Lots of people recommend one called Pocket Casts, we've also heard good things about Podcast Addict. In the last month, we've had downloads from about 50 different podcast players, so there are plenty of alternatives.
We've going to take our podcasts off Spotify as soon as it becomes clear that there is a real movement to cancel Spotify subscriptions and move to other platforms, and that movement is growing.
For you, thankfully, this doesn't cost anything. Podcasts are, and will always be, free to listen to on any platform. Like we said, a lot of people seem to like Pocket Casts, and as far as we know, they're not evil. There are also a ton of others to choose from - all very accessible, and all free.
If you've ever enjoyed our podcasts, or you're about to discover them, thank you so much for listening. Let's try and do the right thing.
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More from Madame Magenta: Sonos Mystica
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The leaves are browning, your cosier jumpers are coming out, all your photos look cinematic, and there are a plethora of excellent horror films on Channel 4. It's Spooky Season, and it's time for another.... Charity Livestream! And this week, we are raising money for one of our favourite charities: Oxfam. Head on over to YouTube to hear the songs from this week's livestream: a medley of Monster Mash (Bobby "Boris" Pickett), Stand By Me (Ben E King) and Please Mr Postman (The Marvelettes/Carpenters), and Magenta herself singing Windmills Of Your Mind (Michel Legrand). Join us next week at the usual time and place for a chanson special! 8pm UK time (3pm ET), on YouTube and all the other less good platforms. And you can still support this week's excellent charity Oxfam on our campaign page here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It’s definitely not a cult! Why do people keep saying that? It’s just another… CHARITY LIVESTREAM with Madame Magenta and Bernard! Songs! Fortunes! Good hangs! Money for good causes! All of that and more (by which we mean, possible cat appearances). This week, M&B are raising money for REACT Disaster Relief, a very interesting charity which Magenta will tell you about. You can also head over to YouTube to hear Bernard's two songs from this live stream - Sour Grapes (Cass Elliot), and Xanadu (ELO and Olivia Newton John). Join us next week for another... CHARITY LIVESTREAM on Sunday 4th October! Here's the ol' YouTube link here And you can still donate to this week's charity campaign, here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
WATCH the recording of our London Podcast Festival live show on YouTube here! ---- It's been three weeks since the last charity live stream, but M&B are back! And this week, we are raising money for two excellent Palestine charities: Medical Aid For Palestinians (MAP) and Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF). And we're very much not playing any Ed Sheeran. Head over to YouTube to see the full video of this stream, including the songs that have to be cut for the podcast version. This week, M&B sang together twice: Livin' On A Prayer (Bon Jovi) and I Know Him So Well (Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson). You can still donate to this week's two charities on the campaign page here And join us next week for the next live stream, here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Come and see Magenta & Bernard at the London Podcast Festival! AN AUDIENCE WITH MADAME MAGENTA (& BERNARD) - Sunday 6th September, 4:30pm, Kings Place London. Tap here to buy tickets! ---- On this live stream, we pay tribute to three of our favourite legends - Dolly Parton, Tim Curry and Sam Neill. Come join us for chat, music, live fortune telling, and raising money for Save the Children. Head over to YouTube to watch the full version of this, including Bernard's songs! This week: Here You Come Again (Dolly Parton), Professional Pirate (Tim Curry/The Muppets), and Jurassic Park/I Will Always Love You (John Williams/Dolly Parton). You can still donate to Save The Children on this week's charity campaign page, here. Join us for the next live stream on Sunday 20th September, here! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.