Fintech
UPDATE: LiveXLive Leverages Diverse Channel Strategy to Accelerate Marked Growth
![](https://thefintechbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/update-livexlive-leverages-diverse-channel-strategy-to-accelerate-marked-growth.jpg)
New York, New York–(Newsfile Corp. – April 5, 2021) – PCG Digital — With over one million subscribers entering 2021, LiveXLive (NASDAQ: LIVX) is employing a multi-channel approach to accelerate their growth. The goal is to reach the 10 million mark by 2030, when the total available market (TAM) for music subscribers is estimated to be $1.2 billion.
On February 11th, LIVX released a report that showed record growth for an eleventh consecutive quarter. Revenue for the quarter increased 96.9% YOY to $19.1 million. The total projected revenue for fiscal 2021 is expected to be between $64 million and $69.5 million.
That’s not all. Shareholder equity increased by $23.5 million, and cash was increased from $5.2 million to $17.6 million during the quarter. All of this occurred after two major acquisitions in 2020. PodcastOne was acquired in July, Custom Personalized Solutions (CPS) in December.
Music Content Distribution with LiveXLive Slacker Radio
Every great product or service needs a delivery mechanism. For LIVX, that’s Slacker Radio. They had over two billion audio listens in 2020, 63 billion since their inception. With an ever-increasing hunger for subscription music, those numbers are expected to increase this year.
Ranked as the best quality music app and Editor’s Choice by PC Magazine, one of the keys to success in 2021 is their listeners’ desire for live music. Obviously, live music was limited during the COVID-19 pandemic, but 74% of concert fans said they will continue to watch livestreaming events even after physical events resume. LiveXLive, Slacker Radio and React will be streaming these shows in-person.
PodcastOne Adds Another Dimension and New Listeners
Widely regarded as a premier music distributor, LIVX diversified their offering in 2020 with the acquisition of PodcastOne, a company that grossed $27.5 million on its own in 2019. PodcastOne generates more than 2.25 billion downloads per year with 400+ episodes distributed per week across a stable of hundreds of top podcasts.
This was a big win. The founder of PodcastOne, Norm Pattiz, is the brains behind the explosive growth of Westwood One Radio, the largest audio network in America. The acquisition does more than just diversify the LIVX product line, it brings over existing listeners. PodcastOne’s “LadyGang” podcast recently hit one hundred million downloads. In addition to Keltie Knight, Becca Tobin and Jac Vanek from LadyGang, the network also features podcasts from Adam Carolla, Pitbull, Brett Favre, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Todd and Julie Chrisley, Michael Irvin, and Mike Tyson. Followers of these shows now have full access to music on Slacker Radio.
CPS Acquisition Helps Expand Social Media Footprint
Custom Personalized Solutions (CPS) is an eCommerce platform that generated $20 million in revenue in 2020 prior to the LIVX acquisition. The deal was done debt-free and comes with approximately $5.2 million in working capital.
The financial numbers on this acquisition look great, but they are not the only benefit to the deal. LiveXLive is planning to use the CPS platform to partner musical artists and influencers with large networks to improve their social media footprint.
CPS also provides a direct-to-consumer eCommerce platform, opening up new opportunities for monetization. The global licensed merchandise market is expected to reach $400 million in the next two years, so this partnership will further help accelerate growth at LIVX.
New Networks Increase Sponsorship and Advertising Revenue
Offering integrated channels as a venue to reach younger listeners has already paid off for LIVX in their multi-year livestream partnership with iHeartRadio. With podcasts and eCommerce, they are now able to offer expanded sponsorship opportunities.
Some of the bigger names that have gotten behind the LIVX growing media empire are Pepsi, McDonald’s, Porsche, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and Capital One. These are in addition to integrated sponsorship and merchandise programs with top name artists and musicians.
The Company also has a deal with Tesla to provide a one-year paid subscription to Slacker Radio in all new electric Tesla models sold in the United States. That number is expected to be roughly 750,000 units, a 50% increase over Tesla sales numbers from last year.
Stock Market Outlook for LIVX in 2021
Subscription revenue, which was 94% of revenue in February 2020, is now just 44% of revenue. The other 56% is coming from advertisers. Revenue for 2022 is estimated at $90 million to $100 million, and that’s assuming no revenue from live events, which are still on hold. The 2020 acquisitions of PodcastOne and CPS have facilitated a diversification in revenue streams that makes the company outlook promising.
In summary, most analysts covering the Company rate it as a strong buy, and investors can potentially see a nice return on LIVX in 2021 if fundamentals continue to improve.
Disclaimer
This communication was produced by PCG Digital Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of PCG Advisory Inc., (together “PCG”). PCG is an integrated investor relations, communications and strategic advisory firm. The information contained on this may be ‘Paid Advertising’ for purposes of Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (together with the rules and regulations there under, the “Securities Act”). PCG may be compensated by respective clients for publicizing information relating to its client’s securities. For more information in terms of compensation received for services provided by PCG, see the pertinent advertising materials relating to the respective client. By accessing this Site and any pages thereof, you agree to be bound by the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
PCG is not a registered or licensed broker, dealer, broker-dealer, investment adviser nor investment manager, nor does PCG engage in any activities that would require such registrations. PCG does not provide investment advice, endorsement, analysis or recommendations with respect to any securities, and its services to or statements about its clients should never be construed as any endorsement of or opinion about any security of any client. No information contained in this communication constitutes an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other similar product or service regardless of whether such security, product, or service is referenced in this communication. Further, nothing in this communication is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this communication should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. For full disclaimers, including compensation received for professional services, please visit www.pcgadvisory.com/disclosures.
Contact: [email protected]
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/79396
Fintech
How to identify authenticity in crypto influencer channels
![](https://thefintechbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/11.jpg)
Modern brands stake on influencer marketing, with 76% of users making a purchase after seeing a product on social media.The cryptocurrency industry is no exception to this trend. However, promoting crypto products through influencer marketing can be particularly challenging. Crypto influencers pose a significant risk to a brand’s reputation and ROI due to rampant scams. Approximately 80% of channels provide fake statistics, including followers counts and engagement metrics. Additionally, this niche is characterized by high CPMs, which can increase the risk of financial loss for brands.
In this article Nadia Bubennnikova, Head of agency Famesters, will explore the most important things to look for in crypto channels to find the perfect match for influencer marketing collaborations.
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Comments
There are several levels related to this point.
LEVEL 1
Analyze approximately 10 of the channel’s latest videos, looking through the comments to ensure they are not purchased from dubious sources. For example, such comments as “Yes sir, great video!”; “Thanks!”; “Love you man!”; “Quality content”, and others most certainly are bot-generated and should be avoided.
Just to compare:
LEVEL 2
Don’t rush to conclude that you’ve discovered the perfect crypto channel just because you’ve come across some logical comments that align with the video’s topic. This may seem controversial, but it’s important to dive deeper. When you encounter a channel with logical comments, ensure that they are unique and not duplicated under the description box. Some creators are smarter than just buying comments from the first link that Google shows you when you search “buy YouTube comments”. They generate topics, provide multiple examples, or upload lists of examples, all produced by AI. You can either manually review the comments or use a script to parse all the YouTube comments into an Excel file. Then, add a formula to highlight any duplicates.
LEVEL 3
It is also a must to check the names of the profiles that leave the comments: most of the bot-generated comments are easy to track: they will all have the usernames made of random symbols and numbers, random first and last name combinations, “Habibi”, etc. No profile pictures on all comments is also a red flag.
LEVEL 4
Another important factor to consider when assessing comment authenticity is the posting date. If all the comments were posted on the same day, it’s likely that the traffic was purchased.
2. Average views number per video
This is indeed one of the key metrics to consider when selecting an influencer for collaboration, regardless of the product type. What specific factors should we focus on?
First & foremost: the views dynamics on the channel. The most desirable type of YouTube channel in terms of views is one that maintains stable viewership across all of its videos. This stability serves as proof of an active and loyal audience genuinely interested in the creator’s content, unlike channels where views vary significantly from one video to another.
Many unauthentic crypto channels not only buy YouTube comments but also invest in increasing video views to create the impression of stability. So, what exactly should we look at in terms of views? Firstly, calculate the average number of views based on the ten latest videos. Then, compare this figure to the views of the most recent videos posted within the past week. If you notice that these new videos have nearly the same number of views as those posted a month or two ago, it’s a clear red flag. Typically, a YouTube channel experiences lower views on new videos, with the number increasing organically each day as the audience engages with the content. If you see a video posted just three days ago already garnering 30k views, matching the total views of older videos, it’s a sign of fraudulent traffic purchased to create the illusion of view stability.
3. Influencer’s channel statistics
The primary statistics of interest are region and demographic split, and sometimes the device types of the viewers.
LEVEL 1
When reviewing the shared statistics, the first step is to request a video screencast instead of a simple screenshot. This is because it takes more time to organically edit a video than a screenshot, making it harder to manipulate the statistics. If the creator refuses, step two (if only screenshots are provided) is to download them and check the file’s properties on your computer. Look for details such as whether it was created with Adobe Photoshop or the color profile, typically Adobe RGB, to determine if the screenshot has been edited.
LEVEL 2
After confirming the authenticity of the stats screenshot, it’s crucial to analyze the data. For instance, if you’re examining a channel conducted in Spanish with all videos filmed in the same language, it would raise concerns to find a significant audience from countries like India or Turkey. This discrepancy, where the audience doesn’t align with regions known for speaking the language, is a red flag.
If we’re considering an English-language crypto channel, it typically suggests an international audience, as English’s global use for quality educational content on niche topics like crypto. However, certain considerations apply. For instance, if an English-speaking channel shows a significant percentage of Polish viewers (15% to 30%) without any mention of the Polish language, it could indicate fake followers and views. However, if the channel’s creator is Polish, occasionally posts videos in Polish alongside English, and receives Polish comments, it’s important not to rush to conclusions.
Example of statistics
Wrapping up
These are the main factors to consider when selecting an influencer to promote your crypto product. Once you’ve launched the campaign, there are also some markers to show which creators did bring the authentic traffic and which used some tools to create the illusion of an active and engaged audience. While this may seem obvious, it’s still worth mentioning. After the video is posted, allow 5-7 days for it to accumulate a basic number of views, then check performance metrics such as views, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), signups, and conversion rate (CR) from clicks to signups.
If you overlooked some red flags when selecting crypto channels for your launch, you might find the following outcomes: channels with high views numbers and high CTRs, demonstrating the real interest of the audience, yet with remarkably low conversion rates. In the worst-case scenario, you might witness thousands of clicks resulting in zero to just a few signups. While this might suggest technical issues in other industries, in crypto campaigns it indicates that the creator engaged in the campaign not only bought fake views and comments but also link clicks. And this happens more often than you may realize.
Summing up, choosing the right crypto creator to promote your product is indeed a tricky job that requires a lot of resources to be put into the search process.
Author
Nadia Bubennikova, Head of agency at Famesters
Fintech
Central banks and the FinTech sector unite to change global payments space
![central-banks-and-the-fintech-sector-unite-to-change-global-payments-space](https://thefintechbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/51859-central-banks-and-the-fintech-sector-unite-to-change-global-payments-space.jpg)
The BIS, along with seven leading central banks and a cohort of private financial firms, has embarked on an ambitious venture known as Project Agorá.
Named after the Greek word for “marketplace,” this initiative stands at the forefront of exploring the potential of tokenisation to significantly enhance the operational efficiency of the monetary system worldwide.
Central to this pioneering project are the Bank of France (on behalf of the Eurosystem), the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Korea, the Bank of Mexico, the Swiss National Bank, the Bank of England, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. These institutions have joined forces under the banner of Project Agorá, in partnership with an extensive assembly of private financial entities convened by the Institute of International Finance (IIF).
At the heart of Project Agorá is the pursuit of integrating tokenised commercial bank deposits with tokenised wholesale central bank money within a unified, public-private programmable financial platform. By harnessing the advanced capabilities of smart contracts and programmability, the project aspires to unlock new transactional possibilities that were previously infeasible or impractical, thereby fostering novel opportunities that could benefit businesses and consumers alike.
The collaborative effort seeks to address and surmount a variety of structural inefficiencies that currently plague cross-border payments. These challenges include disparate legal, regulatory, and technical standards; varying operating hours and time zones; and the heightened complexity associated with conducting financial integrity checks (such as anti-money laundering and customer verification procedures), which are often redundantly executed across multiple stages of a single transaction due to the involvement of several intermediaries.
As a beacon of experimental and exploratory projects, the BIS Innovation Hub is committed to delivering public goods to the global central banking community through initiatives like Project Agorá. In line with this mission, the BIS will soon issue a call for expressions of interest from private financial institutions eager to contribute to this ground-breaking project. The IIF will facilitate the involvement of private sector participants, extending an invitation to regulated financial institutions representing each of the seven aforementioned currencies to partake in this transformative endeavour.
Source: fintech.globa
The post Central banks and the FinTech sector unite to change global payments space appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
Fintech
TD Bank inks multi-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud
![td-bank-inks-multi-year-strategic-partnership-with-google-cloud](https://thefintechbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/51861-td-bank-inks-multi-year-strategic-partnership-with-google-cloud.jpg)
TD Bank has inked a multi-year deal with Google Cloud as it looks to streamline the development and deployment of new products and services.
The deal will see the Canadian banking group integrate the vendor’s cloud services into a wider portion of its technology solutions portfolio, a move which TD expects will enable it “to respond quickly to changing customer expectations by rolling out new features, updates, or entirely new financial products at an accelerated pace”.
This marks an expansion of the already established relationship between TD Bank and Google Cloud after the group previously adopted the vendor’s Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) for TD Securities Automated Trading (TDSAT), the Chicago-based subsidiary of its investment banking unit, TD Securities.
TDSAT uses GKE for process automation and quantitative modelling across fixed income markets, resulting in the development of a “data-driven research platform” capable of processing large research workloads in trading.
Dan Bosman, SVP and CIO of TD Securities, claims the infrastructure has so far supported TDSAT with “compute-intensive quantitative analysis” while expanding the subsidiary’s “trading volumes and portfolio size”.
TD’s new partnership with Google Cloud will see the group attempt to replicate the same level of success across its entire portfolio.
Source: fintechfutures.com
The post TD Bank inks multi-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
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