There is a minor irony in the streaming music industry: the big players are investing heavily on live events to actually get people to return to phones and computers to stream contents. So, right there in Africa, if you plan to open a streaming music website without plans to get musicians on live events, you are missing the other element that makes the double play strategy successful. The business is streaming but the boost is now live events. That explains why all the major Nigerian musicians are basically on constant tours around the world. Apple just hired one (Burna Boy) for Apple Music Up Next Artist, and he will be on live concerts to do one thing: get people to subscribe to Apple Music service.
When Taylor Swift takes the stage Wednesday night in New York City, only around 2,000 fans will be on hand to see the concert in person, but millions more are expected to watch live online via Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Day promotion.
Music-streaming services including Apple Music and Spotify are counting on live events to set themselves apart from one another, further connect fans with artists and keep their subscription payments flowing. They have been experimenting with concerts based on popular playlists, album-listening…
Simply, the business is not just streaming music but also doing live events to activate streaming subscriptions. That happens not by focusing on the few users who are live but those watching and connecting from around the world through the web. As you see the artist performs “live” – digitally or physically – you may be moved to keep that subscription going because there would be more concerts in future. The live concert is now the double play in the streaming music industry.
Whenever U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman sneezes, expect Bitcoin to look for a hiding corner. The cryptocurrency lost double digit value after the U.S. central bank boss said he has “serious concerns” on Facebook Libra, a stablecoin cryptocurrency which Facebook plans to unveil in coming months. But it was not only Bitcoin:”the world’s second and third-largest cryptocurrencies — ether and XRP — also fell. Ether was down 13% at $270 a token, while XRP fell 15% to about 33 cents”.
Bitcoin is sliding after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell poured cold water on Facebook’s plans to launch a cryptocurrency.
The world’s best-known digital coin — which has experienced a meteoric rise in 2019 — fell 12% to about $11,450 on Thursday, according to CoinDesk data.
Bitcoin had hit a 17-month high above $13,000 just two weeks ago. It’s currently up about 200% since the start of the year, having gathered momentum as large companies like Facebook and Fidelity get involved in the space.
But it began sliding as Powell said that he held “serious concerns” about Facebook’s planned digital currency Libra. The social network is looking to launch the token alongside a consortium of companies including Uber and Visa.
“Libra raises serious concerns regarding privacy, money laundering, consumer protection, financial stability,” Powell said at a congressional committee Wednesday. “These are concerns that should be thoroughly and publicly addressed.”
Yet, Bitcoin is still doing well, at least nearly doubling over the last few months.
I will run a workshop in coming days for a major African brand. The firm wants us to put its team on the path of Performance and Execution, making it clear to the team that they could win despite competition from foreign firms. We have been looking at something really positive where Nigeria is the undisputed #1 in the world, and we found one: FIFA U-17 World Cup Tournament.
In the global competition, Nigeria has won 5 gold and three silver medals holding a total of 8 medals. Brazil comes second with 3 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze for a total of 7 medals. From this, we will draw insights on being hungry early, executing with sparks of excellence, and then lazily peaking before the dance begins.
Then, how can teams win, win and keep winning as President Trump would like to note: we will keep winning until our enemies will be tired. Yes, you will not be the one that will be tired, of winning, but those despising your wins.
How can all Nigerians play FIFA U-17 World Cup and win in other sectors of our national existence?
We are the best U-17 team in the world. Can we boast of another area in a positive way?
France wants to tax revenue of digital tech companies since they have no access to the profits as most are shipped to tax havens: “new law expected to be passed by the French parliament today would slap a 3% levy on firms like Google and Facebook for revenue made in France”, notes Quartz. This move will affect many U.S. digital firms like Google, Facebook and Twitter; America is not happy.
US President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into France’s planned tax on tech giants – a move that could result in retaliatory tariffs.
His trade representative said the US was “very concerned” that the tax “unfairly targets American companies”.
On Thursday the French parliament is due to approve a 3% levy on revenue made by such companies as Google and Facebook inside the country.
France argues that these firms currently exploit global tax loopholes.
Tech giants are able to locate their headquarters in low-tax countries where they declare most of their profits, thereby minimising their tax bill.
U.S. should relax: Nigeria taxes revenue through Withholding Tax (WHT) and it is a good idea. Sure, if you want to do business with government in Nigeria, the WHT is designed because government is sure you will make profit. So, it wants to take its tax before anything; you may decide not to return to pay tax. But if you end up with a loss in the business activity, good luck getting a “refund” back.
American trade officials are probing the plan, on the basis that it could unfairly target U.S. firms. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer: “The president has directed that we investigate the effects of this legislation and determine whether it is discriminatory or unreasonable and burdens or restricts United States commerce.” (Fortune newsletter)
Globally, the construct of taxing profit in the digital world makes no sense because in a sector where marginal cost tends to zero, you can practically shift profit as you want. Twitter makes money from Nigeria as our companies advertise therein but Twitter may never need an office in Nigeria to serve its Nigerian clients. The implication is that without a taxable jurisdiction in Nigeria, Twitter will not have anything to be taxed. To the taxman in Nigeria, Twitter does not exist. Yes, Twitter tax will be $0 in Nigeria even though it makes money from Nigeria. That tax is zero because Twitter has no books for Nigeria and that means it has no profit to be taxed. Yes, Twitter profit is $0 in Nigeria for tax purposes because there is no taxable Twitter for Nigeria to tax. Add Netflix, Spotify and other digital firms to get the idea.
The French case is unique because these American companies do have offices but largely declare any profit therein. So, France struck to help its treasury with funds to keep things that make those companies to keep coming. Of course, U.S. will impose tariff on French imports and everything will normalize. I expect these contact-games going forward in the rich world. Nigeria should have its plans.
I wish to draw attention to a public health issue that has become popular in the major cities of Nigeria which is shisha smoking.
It is worthy of note that using shisha also poses the same risks as cigarette smoking.
I have decided to write this article to create some form of awareness about shisha.
Few days ago, I watched a youtube interview which featured a popular Nigerian artist and throughout the interview the artist engaged in a shisha smoking session which was quite shocking to me.
Following the recent issues emanating with codeine and tramadol abuse among youths in Nigeria, the federal ministry of health has to up their game in educating the general public on the harmful effects of social substances that are dangerous to health.
There are mixed messages regarding shisha coming from uninformed people that do not understand the ingredients that make up shisha.
The other day I read a comment on social media made by a young Nigerian lady; advising people that there is nothing wrong with shisha and using it is a way of taking nutritional supplements. The lady went on to say shisha is mixed with vitamins and minerals and those who engage in smoking it are getting their daily vitamins and minerals.
Her comment had hundreds of likes from people who are as uninformed as her.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheet on waterpipe tobacco smoking states that:
Waterpipe smoke is toxic. Laboratory analyses of waterpipe smoke reveal measurable levels of carcinogens (including tobacco- specific nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAH], volatile aldehydes like formaldehyde, and benzene), and toxicants such as nitric oxide and heavy metals. Additionally, the burning charcoal generates high levels of carbon monoxide.
Systematic reviews of existing research point to significant associations between waterpipe smoking and lung cancer, periodontal disease and low birth weight . More recent data suggest probable associations with oral, oesophageal, gastric and urinary bladder cancer, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic rhinitis, male infertility, gastro-oesophageal reflux and impaired mental health.
Shisha smoking is becoming popular among artists and some celebrities in Nigeria. This is a worrisome trend as such people could easily influence their fans and followers into smoking it as well.
As a clinician, I don’t see anything classy in engaging in risky behaviors that could endanger one’s health and probably shorten life span.
I care about the health of Nigerians and any little information as regards to self care and healthy living would help especially in this day and age where our healthcare sector is a reflection of system failure in all quarters.
A lot of people believe that smoking shisha is safer than smoking cigarettes but this is not true unfortunately.
The key facts about shisha show that it is even more risky and harmful to health than cigarette smoking.
The British Heart foundation advises that shisha smoking – “also called hookah, narghile, waterpipe, or hubble bubble smoking – is a way of smoking tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar, through a bowl and hose or tube”.
Please see below key facts about shisha from a publication by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to learn more:
What is in a shisha pipe?
Shisha pipes use tobacco sweetened with fruit or molasses sugar, which makes the smoke more aromatic than cigarette smoke. Popular flavourings include apple, plum, coconut, mango, mint, strawberry and cola. Wood, coal, or charcoal is burned in the shisha pipe to heat the tobacco and create the smoke because the fruit syrup or sugar makes the tobacco damp.
When you smoke shisha, you and anyone sitting near you are breathing in smoke which releases toxins including carbon monoxide and heavy metals –reducing your body’s ability to carry oxygen around in your blood.
How harmful is shisha smoking?
Traditionally shisha tobacco contains cigarette, tobacco so like cigarettes it contains nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals, such as arsenic and lead. As a result, shisha smokers are at risk of the same kinds of diseases as cigarette smokers, such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy.
Is herbal shisha safer?
No it isn’t. Shisha, herbal or otherwise, usually contains tobacco. Fruit or herbal flavours do not mean the product is healthy. Even if you use tobacco-free shisha, you’re still at risk from the carbon monoxide and any toxins in the coal or charcoal used to burn the shisha.
Now that you know the key facts about shisha, I expect you to make an informed decision whether to use shisha or not considering the risks and associated diseases.
Healthy living is the greatest gift you can give yourself, why not choose health!
