March Madness got a Disney and Pixar twist thanks to Twitter. We asked Leslie Odom, Jr., the Tony-award winning actor from Hamilton, to fill out the bracket and choose his favorite Disney or Pixar film. In his recently released book "Failing Up," Leslie Odom, Jr. breaks down how his willingness to take risks led to success.

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ESPN on Monday announced the release of its direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, ESPN+. 

ESPN+ will launch Thursday, April 12. It will be available for $4.99 per month or an annual fee of $49.99.

The subscription service has been conceived as an add-on to ESPN's current cable coverage, so its service will lack access to any of the content on ESPN's core channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, and ESPN Classic.

But the company said in a release that ESPN+ include "thousands" of live games from a wide variety of sports, as well as a library of original shows, films, and other on-demand content.

The service will be available through an update to the ESPN app, which the company's president James Pitaro described as "completely re-imagined" and "increasingly personalized" in a statement on Monday.

Here's a rundown of all the live sporting events that ESPN+ will include: 

SEE ALSO: ESPN is making more money than ever off of subscribers despite its dwindling subscriber base

MLB — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will feature an MLB game "each day, seven days per week" throughout the season, including every MLB team. 

NHL — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will include "a daily NHL game" starting with the 2018-2019 NHL season.

Boxing — "Year-round schedule"

ESPN+ will feature "exclusive main event fights," including the match between Amir Khan vs. Phil Lo Greco on April 21, as well as "an unmatched library of legendary fights." 

After a long hiatus, the long-running PlayStation video game series "God of War" is back — and it looks nuts.

For its big new entry on the PlayStation 4, "God of War" is getting an outright reboot.

It still stars Kratos — the bald, extremely pale gentleman you see above with the axe — but he's on an entirely new journey, in an entirely new place, full of entirely new gods and creatures to violently murder.

With its April 20 launch date just around the corner, now's the time to prepare yourself!

You're still playing as Kratos, but he's a different guy than we're used to seeing.

Instead of a rage-filled marauder, Kratos is more solemn and stoic in the new "God of War."

There's a good reason for that: He's a father. This is Atreus, his son (of war).

• Sound effects sometimes require a lot of effort and creativity to get right.
• INSIDER profiled Studio Unknown, a studio that uses everyday objects to create sound effects for movies.
• For example, artists use chopsticks to imitate the sound of a rat scrabbling across the pavement.
• Meanwhile, a shredded rope can provide the whooshing noise needed to mimic that of a horse's swishing tail.
• Colorful Mardi Gras beads sound a lot like a bottle of pills when shaken.
• Supervising sound editor Matt Davies told INSIDER that old or broken items are often given a new purpose by these artists.
• Found or antique items might rattle or squeak more than newer objects.

SEE ALSO: From kayaking on glaciers to forging enormous swords, what 15 of the coolest jobs out there look like

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• There's something comforting about poetic, funny, or interesting last words.

• These quotations give us hope about facing death with dignity.

• From an early American patriot to a famous rock star, these individuals all died after uttering some particularly memorable last words.

We love famous last words.

There's a reason there are so many books listing memorable deathbed sayings throughout history out there. Perhaps we'd just rather believe well-known figures tend to die saying something clever and profound. It makes death itself a little less scary.

But, for that reason, final words can be quite tricky. As with any quotes on the internet — and historical quotes, in general — it's hard to sort out what's true and what's phony or exaggerated.

Here are several poignant, strange, or otherwise memorable last words from throughout history:

SEE ALSO: 18 people who accomplished incredible things at a shockingly young age

Historians believe the 21-year-old school teacher-turned-spy was paraphrasing a line from the popular 18th century play "Cato" as he stood on the scaffold, according to the book "Cato's Tears and the Making of Anglo-American Emotion." The British hanged Hale after he was captured during a failed 1776 espionage mission in Long Island.

The Roman statesman met his fate in 43 BCE, after Mark Anthony put a hit out on him during the power struggle following Julius Caesar's death.

Cicero attempted to flee, but accepted his death when confronted by his assassins. He even stuck his head out of his litter in order to make it easier for the killers to strike, according to "Forgotten Justice."

According to the 2016 biography "Marie-Antoinette," the deposed French queen apologized to her executioner on the scaffold in 1793. She had accidentally stepped on his foot on her way to the guillotine.

Critics are heaping praise on the new movie "A Quiet Place," a horror-thriller directed by and starring John Krasinski ("The Office," "13 Hours").

"A Quiet Place" centers on a family of four who has to keep dead silent in a dystopian world where they are hunted by creatures that track down sounds. Emily Blunt costars.

The movie stands at a 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Most critics have praised the movie's performances and Krasinski's execution of its conceit and scares.

Here's what critics have said about "A Quiet Place," which opens April 6 nationwide:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best movies of all time, according to critics

"When 'A Quiet Place' has one finger on the panic button and the other on mute, it's a nervy, terrifying thrill."

Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

"Directed with first-rate visual flair by John Krasinski (who knew?), this riveting near-silent thriller exudes the despair of a broken world with the concision of a Cormac McCarthy novel folded into a simplistic B-movie premise."

Eric Kohn, IndieWire

"Even moviegoers who don't accept the metaphor are going to have the pants scared off them."

John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter

As a billionaire reality TV star and real estate mogul in New York, a lot of people have tried to get into Donald Trump's inner circle over the years.

From politics to business and to Hollywood, it's not surprising that Trump has had friends in almost every line of work.

But here are 12 people you may not have known Trump befriended:

SEE ALSO: 17 celebrities who became politicians

DON'T MISS: Meet 'Stormy Daniels', the porn star Trump's lawyer paid to keep quiet about an alleged sexual affair — who's finally telling her side of the story

Trump took a liking to Mike Tyson when he starting hosting some of the boxer's biggest matches at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. When Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992, Trump defended the boxer, calling the verdict "a travesty."

Source: CNN

Shortly after the 2016 election, Trump met with rapper Kanye West at Trump Tower in New York. "We've been friends for a long time," Trump said, adding that the two discussed "life" during their meeting.

Source: Business Insider

Journalist Barbara Walters has been friends with Trump on and off for years. After having a bit of a falling out in 2007 after she defended Rosie O'Donnell's criticisms of Trump, Walters "rekindled" their friendship two years later, saying "I've missed you."

Source: The Today Show

• Jay-Z talked to David Letterman about his mother's coming out as lesbian, in an upcoming interview for Letterman's Netflix talk show.
• Jay-Z's mother, Gloria Carter, first came out publicly in an appearance on the rapper's song "Smile" from his 2017 album "4:44."
• The rapper told Letterman that his mother revealed her sexual orientation to him for the first time during the making of his album last summer, and that it made him "so happy for her that she was free."

Jay-Z told David Letterman that he cried tears of happiness for his mother when she came out to him as lesbian, in an upcoming interview for Letterman's Netflix talk show, "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction."

Jay-Z's mother, Gloria Carter, first came out publicly in an appearance on the rapper's song "Smile" from his Grammy-nominated, 2017 album "4:44."

Jay-Z told Letterman that his mother first revealed her sexual orientation to him during the making of "4:44" last summer, and that her revelation made him emotional and "happy for her that she was free."

"Imagine having lived your life for someone else. And you think you’re protecting your kids. And for my mother to have to live as someone that she wasn’t and hide and like, protect her kids — and didn’t want to embarrass her kids, and you know, for all this time,” Jay-Z said. “And for her to sit in front of me and tell me, ‘I think I love someone.’ I mean, I really cried. That’s a real story. I cried because I was so happy for her that she was free."

"This was the first time we had the conversation," he continued. "And the first time I heard her say she loved her partner. Like, ‘I feel like I love somebody.’ She said, ‘I feel like.’ She held that little bit back, still. She didn’t say, ‘I’m in love,’ she said, ‘I feel like I love someone.’ And I just, I cried. I don’t even believe in crying because you’re happy. I don’t even know what that is."

Jay-Z's interview with Letterman premieres on Netflix on April 6. 

Watch a clip from the interview below: 

SEE ALSO: JAY-Z's mother came out as lesbian on his new album '4:44'

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NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

• Rian Johnson, the director of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," said he got death threats after the movie came out.
• Johnson said that while he knew there would be backlash, the death threats were shocking to read.

"The Last Jedi" divided "Star Wars" fans in an extreme way. People either loved it or they hated it.

While some regard it as one of the best movies in the saga, on par with "The Empire Strikes Back," some despise it, maybe even more than the prequels. And some people who despised "The Last Jedi" sent death threats to its director, Rian Johnson.

Johnson has been quite open about the backlash against his first "Star Wars" film. While Lucasfilm and Disney seemed pleased with his movie, even tapping him to take on a separate trilogy, some fans felt the opposite. They particularly didn't like Johnson's interpretation of the Force and expansion of the galaxy, casting choices, and some storylines (including Leia's surprising use of the Force and Finn, BB-8, and Rose's adventure). Evidently, the only thing every "Star Wars" fan can agree on when it comes to "The Last Jedi" is the fact that Porgs are very cute.

Johnson told The Standard he was expecting backlash, knowing his story was unlike that of any previous "Star Wars" movie.

"I knew intellectually what I was letting myself in for, but then when it happens you're like, 'Oh my God, this is intense!'" he said. "It's about knowing you're not going to please everyone. But then you still read someone saying they wish you were dead and it's going to ruin your day."

"There were death threats," Johnson continued, without going into detail on the threats or where they came from. "It's balanced by a few things — 90% of the stuff I got online was not only lovely and encouraging but phenomenally thoughtful. Fans would send me essays on the movie. The other 10% is just loud and gets amplified."

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

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NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his entourage have reportedly rented out every room in the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills for several nights.
• The crown prince is in Los Angeles as part of multi-week trip across the US with business leaders, media moguls, celebrities, and politicians to help continue his ambitious agenda back home in the kingdom.
• The crown prince also intends on highlighting the potential for the Saudi Arabian entertainment industry during his trip to LA.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and his entourage rented the entire Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills for several nights during his visit to Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The hotel often hosts VIP guests and is a common stop for celebrities, politicians, and society elites. A single room starts at $625 per night, and the presidential suites go from $10,500 to $11,00 a night, the Hollywood Reporter notes.

With 285 units, the cost for the crown prince's visit could reach into the millions of dollars. But it is not the first time the House of Saud has spent a massive amount of money on trips, or rented out entire spaces so they can relax in private.

In 2015, Saudi King Salman rented a summer villa in the town of Volaris on the French Riviera. The entire beach was closed for his use, and a 300-metre exclusion zone that included the waters around the villa was set up by the French police. 

"The Saudis have a very strong spending power and don't count the cost," Jean-Noel Falcou, a councilor from Volaris, told the Guardian at the time. 

"They order 10,000-15,000 flowers every day and hundreds of limousines that give jobs to as many chauffeurs."

The crown prince is visiting a number of cities during his three week-long trip in the US, where he is meeting with business leaders, media moguls, and politicians to help continue his ambitious plans for modernizing the Kingdom.

In Los Angeles, the MbS, as he is known, had a private dinner with Rupert Murdoch, and met Disney CEO Bob Iger, Warner Bros. chairman Kevin Tsujihara, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Morgan Freeman, James Cameron, and other celebrities.

The Saudi General Entertainment Authority is also expected to hold a summit at the hotel, where officials will meet with Hollywood's elite to discuss the future of Saudi Arabia's entertainment industry. Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on public movie theatres last December.

SEE ALSO: Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince is taking a landmark US tour, meeting with with stars from Elon Musk and Bill Gates to Oprah

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NOW WATCH: Why Russia is so involved in the Syrian Civil War

• Jim Carrey depicted the Fox News host Sean Hannity and the InfoWars host Alex Jones as WWE wrestlers in a recent drawing.
• "Performers like Sean Hannity and Alex Jones should join the WWE where their hyperbole will do less damage to the culture," Carrey said in a tweet with the drawing on Tuesday.

Jim Carrey's latest drawing goes after the Fox News host Sean Hannity and the InfoWars host Alex Jones, depicting them as professional wrestlers and criticizing them for doing "damage to the culture."

Carrey, the actor and comedian who has recently made a name for himself as a political artist, posted a new drawing on Twitter on Tuesday showing Hannity and Jones as WWE wrestlers sparring in the ring in front of a crowd of onlookers that includes Hitler.

The tweet says: "If u believe wrestling is real u may even believe Fox news, Info Wars and the robotic drones on Sinclair Broadcasting. But wrestling doesn't harm viewers. Performers like Sean Hannity and Alex Jones should join the WWE where their hyperbole will do less damage to the culture."

A Deadspin video went viral this week showing anchors at local TV news stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group reciting the same speech about "false news."

Many perceive Sinclair, which owns nearly 200 such stations in the US, as having a conservative bias. In July, the "Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver criticized its right-leaning "must run" segments, and on Sunday, he blasted the company over the "false news" script.

Carrey has taken that line of criticism to a new level, grouping Sinclair with Hannity and Jones, who is best known for pushing conspiracy theories on his InfoWars show.

Carrey received backlash from Fox News and conservative commentators last month after posting an unflattering portrait of the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

More on Jim Carrey:

• 28 pieces of politically charged artwork posted by Carrey
• Carrey blasted by Fox News for posting unflattering portrait of Sarah Huckabee Sanders
• Carrey loves the conservative backlash to his Sarah Huckabee Sanders portrait
• Carrey slams Mark Zuckerberg in new portrait
• Carrey has taken his criticism of Trump to a new level with a sexually explicit drawing of the president

SEE ALSO: 9 prominent conservative characters from TV shows that aren't 'Roseanne'

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NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

In Japanese artist Hiroto Ikeuchi's designs, you'll find clusters of plastic, circuit boards, and electrical wiring.

At first glance, you might not think his cyberpunk-style masks, headsets, and other pieces would functional, but they are. Every last piece. 

Take a look at his apocalyptic gadgets:

SEE ALSO: How to pick out the best VR headset for you, even if you've never experienced virtual reality before

Meet the Tokyo-based artist, Hiroto Ikeuchi.

His designs take the shape of masks, headsets, goggles, earphones and dioramas, all decked out with unmistakable cyberpunk fixings. 

If you've seen "The Matrix" trilogy or Ridley Scott's 1982 "Blade Runner," you probably have a good grip on the cyberpunk concept.

Cyberpunk is defined as a science-fiction subgenre of steampunk that usually features computer technology dominating futuristic urban societies.

Cyberpunk began as a literary genre before trickling into film. Ikeuchi told Business Insider that only recently had he seen "Blade Runner" and learned about cyberpunk in general.

England's greatest rock band holds the top spot on this all-time ranking of best-selling artists by album sales, and it looks untouchable on a bizarre list filled with a number of surprising appearances.

It's somewhat shocking to find out, for instance, that smooth-jazz saxophonist Kenny G has sold more albums than Eminem, and that Garth Brooks has sold more than Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. 

We compiled this list by ranking the most successful acts in music history according to their total certified album units sold in the U.S. (including streaming figures), as provided by the RIAA. 

Check out the 50 best-selling music artists of all time by album sales: 

SEE ALSO: The best-selling album the year you were born

50. Phil Collins — 33.5 million units

49. Bon Jovi — 34.5 million units

48. Britney Spears — 34.5 million units

• Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors of Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War," posted a letter to fans on Twitter Tuesday urging them to keep the film's story a secret when they see it.
• They said "only a handful of people know the film's true plot."
• Fans are freaking out about it.

Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors of the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity War," posted a cryptic letter to fans on Twitter Tuesday asking them to not spoil the film's story once they see it, and revealing that "only a handful of people know the film's true plot."

The letter, tweeted with the hashtag "#ThanosDemandsYourSilence," urges fans to not post spoilers so "all fans can have an equal experience when they watch it for the first time."

The letter, especially that tidbit about the film's plot, implies there are some major twists in store for audiences — and people on the internet reacted accordingly:

There has been speculation that some fan favorite characters may not be safe in "Infinity War," which is potentially why the directors want to keep the story such a secret. Based on some Marvel comics storylines, it's likely some characters could die.

Captain America, for instance, died following the comic version of "Civil War," and actor Chris Evans has implied that he is ready to retire from the character.

Fans will be able to find out the film's true plot — and the reason for the secrecy — when it hits theaters on April 27.

More on the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

• 12 comics to read if you love the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies
• People are having a lot of fun coming up with 'more ambitious' crossover events than 'Avengers: Infinity War'
• MoviePass said it has bought over 1 million tickets for 'Black Panther'
• The 7 biggest questions we had after watching 'Black Panther'
• The 16 best moment in Marvel Cinematic Universe history, ranked

SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' director Rian Johnson said he got death threats from enraged fans

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NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

• The 12-year-old music streaming company Spotify went public on Tuesday, and people are wondering what made it so special.
• Analysts at the investment firm Goodwater Capital have a theory: It involves controlled growth and being in the right place at the right time.
• Spotify filled a need for both consumers and the music industry, Goodwater said in a report, and that's why it's still around.

The Swedish music streaming startup Spotify went public on Tuesday, and techies want to know what made this startup so special. 

Though founded in 2006, Spotify didn't even launch its product until 2008, and that was only in Europe.  

Now the company boasts over 159 million monthly active users and 71 million premium subscribers, and is valued at almost $20 billion.  

Here's what analysts at Goodwater Capital, a consumer tech investment firm, said Spotify did right in its path to an initial public offering.

Spotify scaled organically but controlled its go-to-market strategy 

"By rolling out in Europe (2008) and the United States (2011) with an invite-only system, the company generated buzz and increased demand through perceived scarcity. This strategy also equipped Spotify with a lever to control growth given its variable cost structure, incurring royalty costs for each new user who listens to songs." 

It embraced social media trends, like users' desires to share music

"Unlike earlier music piracy services that destroyed value for music industry revenues with each share, Spotify created a viral loop that increased the value of the market and network with each new user. Spotify’s growth-oriented social features such as shared links, shared playlists, and aggressive integrations with social networks like Facebook in 2011 catalyzed rapid audience growth."

Spotify filled a market gap and gave consumers what they craved

"By introducing an all-you-can-eat utility service for a fixed monthly subscription, Spotify offered a clear consumer value proposition that unlocked an audience of customers willing to pay for music and increased revenue across the music ecosystem."

Its model was also attractive to the music industry at a time when licensing models needed to be reimagined

"With the industry’s declining performance, Spotify’s entry into the music market was timely – publishers and labels were receptive to trying new revenue models to revive growth, while consumers were ready to adopt a new paid option to access an unlimited jukebox."

SEE ALSO: Spotify has spent $10 billion on music royalties since its creation and it's a big part of why its bleeding money

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: These 3D printed homes can be constructed for $4,000 — and they might change the approach to underdeveloped housing

• HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines announced that season five will be the last season of their show "Fixer Upper" — the final episode airs April 3.
• They realized that they couldn't balance their family, business, and TV show anymore.
• Chip started thinking about the show after getting a tweet from a customer waiting for a delivery.

HGTV star Chip Gaines started thinking about leaving hit show "Fixer Upper" after a tweet.

In his upcoming book, "Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff," the DIY entrepreneur remembers getting a tweet from a customer at 2 a.m. that, in his words, "changed everything."

"Hey @chippergaines," the customer wrote. "It's been 3 weeks, and I still haven't gotten my wreath. What's up?!"

"I tried to shake it off, knowing that I couldn't do anything about it then and that it would have to wait until morning," Gaines writes in "Capital Gaines." "No luck. I was up all night dwelling on it."

Midway through the next day, while on the set of "Fixer Upper" with his wife and business partner Joanna, Gaines was "overwhelmed" by a single thought: "What am I doing here?"

He wanted to walk off the set, head to the warehouse, and resolve the shipping problem. "Who else but me should be figuring out what was ailing my growing business, and who else other than me should be ensuring that we moved beyond each and every one of these mistakes?" he writes.

In that moment, he writes, "something shifted within me. Suddenly filming the TV show looked like 'the job' that had seduced me into giving it my precious time that I had always promised would be reserved for my true loves, my family and my business. How had this side gig found its way to competing with the very things that mean more to me than anything else in the world?"

The Gaineses realized that they were stretched too thin. Between the two of them, they estimate they can do two things well at a time, but in recent years they were juggling three: their home life with four children, their business, and their TV show.

"These major responsibilities affect my ability to sleep, and they steal from my peace of mind," Gaines writes. "Each is important. Each is worthwhile. And each is something that that can't succeed without Joanna's and my personal involvement."

Fans of the HGTV show might not realize that Magnolia, the Gaineses' business, predates "Fixer Upper" by over a decade. For years, the couple has been buying and flipping investment properties, renovating local homes in Waco, Texas, and operating home decor stores in the area.

The latest iteration of their business is Magnolia Market, the home-improvement hub they created in 2015 from two abandoned grain silos across the street from their children's school, which attracts visitors from all over the US. They also bought a restaurant in downtown Waco and partnered with Target to produce a line of exclusive home goods. Joanna collaborated with HGTV to produce a web series, "Behind the Design."

"These past several years have been such a mind-blowing season of life for us," Gaines writes. "They have also been a very real struggle. I've been in this lengthy internal wrestling match, trying to understand and prioritize these three main priorities while also fending off all the other big things that compete for my time. Who deserves the best of me? Which ones get the bulk of my passion and energy? And which, in turn, gets what amounts to my leftovers?"

Their marriage and children automatically take first place, he writes, and while he "dream[s] of the day Jo and I are chairmen of the board and not actually involved in the day-to-day operations" of their business, they are both still needed on the ground.

"It was really easy for us to feel like we could do it all when the show and the business were in the early stages," writes Gaines. "But the bigger things got — and they got big fast— the less energy we had to devote to all three. So much time was being allocated to filming that the details of the business were slipping." 

The "tweet-fueled revelation," Gaines writes, made him realize that he and Joanna are tired. He continues on to say that their relationship and business partnership is stronger than ever, "but pure long-term exhaustion can change a person — or two persons. We had been driving so hard for so long now. And I had this sense that if I kept my foot on the gas, we might be headed for disaster."

SEE ALSO: I traveled to Waco, Texas, to see the town that has been transformed by HGTV's hit show 'Fixer Upper' — here's what it's like

SEE ALSO: Why the stars of 'Fixer Upper' are leaving the reality TV juggernaut after 5 seasons and a home-improvement empire

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines choose the opposite of trendy when designing a home

• Spotify, which skipped the traditional IPO process for a unique format known as a direct listing, took its shares public on Tuesday.
• On March 15, ahead of the IPO, the company made its pitch to investors.
• In his pitch, CEO Daniel Ek highlighted Spotify's potential as a tool for the music industry and artists — which could signal to investors that the company has room to grow its product offerings and revenue streams. 

Music streaming service Spotify went public on Tuesday using an unusual method known as a "direct listing."

And rather than do the typical pre-IPO investor roadshow, where executives travel around the country making their pitches to would-be investors, Spotify opted instead for a one-day investor presentation, live-streamed on the internet in mid-March. 

In that presentation, Ek said that Spotify will also skip what he called the "the pomp or the circumstance of it all," and won't do any interviews or hold any parties around the time of its listing. However, the company did want the chance to make a case for the role it can play in the music industry, and how it can compete with rivals like Apple Music. 

Here's Spotify's pitch to investors: 

CEO emphasized Spotify as a tool for the music industry 

Ek's big pitch on Thursday centered around the idea that Spotify is both good for consumers and for artists. He called Spotify "a market place of services for the industry."

"If you're an artist in search of an audience, you really want to be on Spotify," Ek told investors.

He described Spotify, which got most of its $5 billion in 2017 revenue from premium subscriptions and advertising revenue, as a "creator experience platform." He highlighted the company's data analytics tools, which that give artists insight into how users are listening to their music, and which songs they skip. 

"Why does this matter? We all know information is power, and for many it helps bridge the gap between the struggling and the successful," Ek said. 

This is a key pitch for the company, as it gives investors a sense of how Spotify could create revenue streams outside of its consumer audience.

Spotify swiped at Apple and highlighted its 'algatorial' approach

One of Spotify's biggest competitors is Apple, which pre-loads its own Apple Music streaming service onto iPhones and iPads. Another competitor is Amazon Prime Music, which integrates with the popular Amazon Echo speaker. In its filing to go public, Spotify listed Apple and Amazon's hardware as a key threat to its business.

Both Ek and his chief research and development officer Gustav Söderström emphasized that Spotify is a software company, and that this gives it a level of focus that its competitors in hardware don't have. 

Spotify isn't focused on "selling hardware" or "selling books," Ek said. 

"Nobody else has more than 3,000 employees focused on just this one thing," Ek said.

Söderström highlighted a few different ways that Spotify is developing software to create a more tailored product. 

Among them is its so-called "algatorial approach." That's how Spotify characterizes music curation system for its playlists, which mix algorithms and human editorial curation. 

"Machines haven't taken over," Söderström said. "We're leveraging the taste and expertise of the world's best music curators."

Already, 30% of all streams on Spotify are alagatorial, he said, which is how they "know it's working."

Spotify was on the defensive about its free product, which is costly

One of Spotify's biggest hurdles is that it's expensive to be in the music streaming business.

Music licensing and royalty fees have cost the company $10 billion since its inception, and the company remains in the red as the result. Despite posting almost $5 billion in revenue for 2017, the company lost $1.5 billion that same year. 

Anticipating investors' concerns, Spotify defended its freemium model, which gives users ad-supported access to free streaming. Since Spotify pays per-stream and per-song, it loses money on these users.

But Söderström told investors that this freemium model helps Spotify reach consumers "who are still on the fence about paying for music," while giving the company access to their music consumption data. 

"The more you play, the more you're going to pay," Söderström said. "It allows us to reach much, much deeper into the market." 

But, because Ek and Söderström declined to take questions from would-be investors, there wasn't an opportunity to press further on these points and get more details on the freemium strategy. 

SEE ALSO: Spotify's growth chart should be the primary user manual for startups building businesses on the web

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NOW WATCH: Spotify is the unicorn best positioned to go public without a traditional IPO

• Spotify debuted on the public markets in a big way on Tuesday. If investors needed an excuse for their optimism, they can find it in a recent consumer survey from Goodwater Capital.
• Spotify topped rivals such as Apple Music and Pandora in terms of how likely customers were to recommend it to others and to either maintain or increase their usage of the service, the survey found.
  
• But the survey data also offered some warning signs. It found many consumers use more than one streaming service and Apple and Google have clear advantages over rivals because of their ownership of the two main smartphone operating systems. 

It's become a truism that Spotify users really love the music streaming service. And now, it seems, investors do too.

In its first day of trading on the public markets, Spotify's stock rose as much as 28% before settling down. In late trading, the stock was still up around 13% to $148.82 a share.

If investors were looking for an excuse for their optimism, they can look to a recent consumer survey conducted by Goodwater Capital. Goodwater found that Spotify is the highest-rated music services among consumers and the one they were most likely to recommend.

Spotify's service is marked by "undisputed customer love," Goodwater wrote in its report.

Some 92% of Spotify users in the US plan to either keep using the service as much as they are now or actually up their usage, according to the survey, giving the Swedish streaming services the top rank. Pandora came in second; some 86% of its US users plan to maintain or increase their usage of its service. Amazon was third with 80%, according to the report, which was based on a survey of 3,000 US consumers. And Apple and Google both lagged behind.

Consumers were also more likely to recommend Spotify to other people than other music services, according to Goodwater. Spotify's Net Promoter Score— which gauges how likely consumers are to recommend a service or product — was 24, the highest in its group.

Among consumers younger than 30 — which represents the core audience for music streaming services, Goodwater found — Spotify's NPS score was 32. Apple Music had the next-highest NPS score in that age group at 15.

But Goodwater's data wasn't entirely positive for Spotify. The most popular music service was actually Pandora, the investment firm found. Over the last year, some 34% to 35% of US consumers had used Pandora; just 21% to 25% had used Spotify.

And many consumers aren't particularly tied to one music service or another, the survey found. Among consumers who had used a streaming music service, 46% listened to more than one.

Meanwhile, Goodwater found that Apple and Google's control over the operating systems that run on nearly all smartphones gave their music services a leg up. Consumers who have devices that run Apple's iOS were six times more likely to use Apple Music than Google Play Music. Conversely, consumers with Android devices were five times more likely to use Google Play Music than Apple Music.

Spotify has had more success reaching Apple device users than those of Android devices, Goodwater found. Some 28% of iOS users are also Spotify users, while 20% of Android device owners use Spotify.

The Swedish streaming music company went public Tuesday using a novel direct-listing method, where its investors basically sold shares directly to thye public, instead going the route of a traditional investment banker-managed initial public offering. Spotify operates the largest subscription streaming music service but has never posted a profit.

SEE ALSO: Here's another reason to be wary of Spotify's public offering — the amount of money it brings in for each subscriber keeps shrinking

SEE ALSO: Spotify just proved that the streaming-music business is like a black hole — and investors may not see it until it's too late

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• HGTV's "Fixer Upper" couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, are responsible for a huge spike in tourism to their hometown of Waco, Texas.
• Waco has been named one of the top travel destinations of 2018 by TripAdvisor.
• From the Gaineses' Magnolia Market at the Silos to the Dr. Pepper Museum and a mammoth fossil site, there's plenty to see and do in Waco.

Chip and Joanna Gaines have starred in "Fixer Upper," one of HGTV's most-watched home improvement shows since 2013.

The indelible husband and wife duo announced last fall that Season 5 of "Fixer Upper" would be their last as they shift focus to their growing young family. The final episode airs April 3.

Though the Gaineses may soon be disappearing from television screens across America, their hometown ambassadorship is strengthening nationwide.

Waco, Texas, a city with a population of about 134,400, was recently named the No. 2 trending travel destination in the US by TripAdvisor, seemingly thanks to the Gaineses' burgeoning local empire.

In 2017, their expansive downtown Waco hub, Magnolia Market at the Silos, averaged 30,000 visitors a week — an annual total close to 1.6 million people, reports the Waco Tribune. That's more than the Alamo, one of Texas' best-known tourist attractions.

Meanwhile, hotel occupancy rates in Waco were 75% in the second quarter of 2017, according to the Waco Tribune, the second-highest in the state.

The Gaineses employ more than 600 people in Waco to help run their laundry list of businesses, including a 2.5 acre home-improvement hub, a real estate and construction company, two rental properties, and an upcoming restaurant, Magnolia Table.

Here's everything you need to see and do in Waco:

SEE ALSO: I traveled to Waco, Texas, to see the town that has been transformed by HGTV's hit show 'Fixer Upper' — here's what it's like

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Roundtrip flights from New York City to Dallas or Austin — the two largest airports near Waco — cost about $150 right now. Both airports are about 100 miles from Waco.

Once in downtown Waco, you can't miss the Silos. The Gaineses 'favorite investment' so far is a pair of rusted cotton-oil mill silos at the center of a 2.5 acre property otherwise known as Magnolia headquarters.

Source: Business Insider

On the Magnolia Market website there are tips for making the most of your visit to the Silos. Tip No. 1: The Silos are busiest during lunch hours, so come early or late in the day. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed Sundays.

Source: Magnolia Market

• Spotify went public on Tuesday through a so-called direct listing.
• The stock began trading at $165.90 a share shortly after noon, resulting in a valuation of roughly $30 billion.
• Shares lost about 10% in their first day of trading on Wall Street.
• Track Spotify's stock in real time here.

Shares of Spotify slid as much as 10% in their  first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday.

After receiving a reference price of $132 the day prior to the offering, the stock officially began trading at $165.90 per share at 12:44 p.m. ET Tuesday, netting the freshly public company a valuation of about $30 billion.

After initially spiking as high as $169, shares eventually slid to close at $149.60, according to Markets Insider data.

In lieu of a traditional initial public offering, Spotify used what's known as a direct offering — something it described as a "novel method" for going public. It's the stock-trading equivalent of opening a store and hoping people will just stop in.

The direct listing also meant the company listed without underwriters, a set price, a set supply of shares, or a lock-up on existing investors.

As of January, Spotify had 70 million subscribers, compared with Apple Music's 36 million. Apple Music, however, was growing at a much faster rate than Spotify: 5% versus 2%.

Check out Business Insider's full coverage of Spotify's unusual public offering:

• The New York stock exchange just got Spotify's country of origin all mixed up – by raising the Swiss flag
• Goldman Sachs' COO reportedly used his side gig as an EDM DJ to help win Spotify's business
• Spotify investor Lakestar won't be selling its shares — and thinks it should be a $100 billion company
• 'There's going to be a lot of interest in the stock': Here's one way to play the Spotify direct listing
• Spotify's using a 'novel method' to go public, and it means the stock price could 'decline significantly and rapidly'
• Spotify is going public at a terrible time for tech stocks — but this chart should get investors excited
• A long wait, and then wild market swings: What to expect when Spotify goes public
• RBC: Here's why Spotify is dominating the streaming-music industry
• Taylor Swift just picked Spotify to host her exclusive music video — on the same day Apple Music launched videos
• SPOTIFY: We expect revenue to grow 20 to 30% this year
• Spotify reveals that 2 million free users were dodging advertisements by using ad-blocking apps

SEE ALSO: Goldman Sachs' COO reportedly used his side gig as an EDM DJ to help win Spotify's business

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