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Universal Music inks deal with imeems
MUMBAI: Universal Music Group (UMG) has inked a deal with a social networking company imeem to provide on-demand, interactive streaming of Universal‘s extensive digital music and video catalog. imeem is the first social networking company to offer full-length streaming access to the entire music and video catalogs of all four major music companies on an advertising-supported basis. “imeem has developed an way to make our artists‘ music a central part of the social networking experience. More importantly, they are working with UMG to provide an musical experience for consumers, while ensuring that our artists are fairly compensated for the use of their works, ” said UMG chairman and CEO Doug Morris. imeem founder and CEO Dalton Caldwell said, “Our agreement with UMG will make imeem‘s media-centric experience even more compelling and firmly establishes our position as the leading social media network.” UMG‘s digital catalog includes artists such as Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Fall Out Boy, 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls, Gwen Stefani, The Killers, Snow Patrol, Maroon 5 and Nelly among others. A number of the brands and companies including Apple, Nike, Microsoft, AT&T Wireless, Toyota Scion, T-Mobile and Puma, are currently working with imeem on advertising and brand sponsorships.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
