Hi again, everyone. With today\u2019s issue, I\u2019ve officially completed my first week as guest writer for Hot Pod. I want to thank everyone who\u2019s been emailing me news and responses already \u2014 it\u2019s made this newsletter a blast to write. Aria will be back for this week\u2019s Insiders, but you\u2019ll be hearing more from me soon enough. Now, for today\u2019s news\u2026<\/p>\n

Amazon launches its Clubhouse competitor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amazon finally announced its entrance into the live audio space this morning, with the launch of a new app called Amp.<\/p>\n

Amp is a lot <\/em>like Clubhouse \u2014 live broadcasts, a bunch of speakers hanging out in a room together \u2014 but it has one key difference: Amazon negotiated music licensing deals with the major labels and a bunch of indies, unlocking the ability for hosts to stream \u201ctens of millions\u201d of songs, no subscription required.<\/p>\n

Getting people to use a brand new social app is never an easy feat\u2026 and the live audio space is pretty <\/em>crowded at this point, so I don\u2019t want to make any prognostications about runaway success here. That said, I think the concept is pretty compelling. Everyone thinks they have great taste in music, and some people actually do. If Amazon can convince those people to start their own shows, it\u2019s got a shot at turning Amp into a place for tastemakers to build an audience.<\/p>\n

A bunch of celebrity guests will be coming on to host shows to get people to sign up. That includes Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, and Travis Barker \u2014 but also, more relevant for this newsletter, some radio hosts, including Guy Raz, Zach Sang, and Kat Corbett.<\/p>\n