Applications
AOL improves upon music service
MUMBAI: Internet giant AOL has revamped its Web-based music download service, adding music videos, streaming radio and user community features. |
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The service is called AOL Music Now. AOL says that this is the first digital music subscription service offering unlimited on-demand streams and downloads of more than 2.5 million audio tracks and thousands of music videos. With the launch of the AOL Music Now service (www.aolmusicnow.com), music fans have a new place to discover, listen, download and own songs, albums and videos from one of the largest music libraries on the web. Unlike other pay per download services, the AOL service lets users play as many songs and music videos as they want, in their entirety and on-demand. Users can access music and videos they have transferred to their PCs and compatible portable devices as long as they maintain a portable tier subscription. |
The new service also features AOL Radio with XM offering with more than 200 AOL Radio stations plus select premier XM Satellite Radio channels. AOL Music Now president Amit Shafrir says, “With the addition of music videos and AOL Radio with XM stations, AOL Music Now has raised the bar in the digital music service space. And, with best-in-class personalisation and automated discovery features, it’s easy for music lovers to navigate the thousands of mixes, playlists and radio stations the service offers.” The music service claims to have a library of more than 2.5 million songs from all four major music labels and hundreds of independents. In addition, AOL has agreements with several labels, including Sony BMG to provide thousands of music videos for use in the AOL Music Now service. |
Applications
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.
