Platform pulse: November 2025

Whether you're battling the attribution black hole or fighting to reclaim fan data from fragmented platforms, control is the ultimate currency. This month, we're tracking the shifts that actually impact your bottom line - from Adobe’s data-led acquisition to new creator protections on Meta.

We've filtered out the noise to give you the intelligence you need to turn vague metrics into bookings, sales and streams.

1. Adobe

Adobe acquires Semrush to integrate data-led visibility

A massive shift in the martech landscape: Adobe is acquiring Semrush for $1.9 billion, a move set to integrate deep SEO insights directly into the creative workflow. This deal promises to give marketers the power to build brands that are not just visually striking, but data-optimised for maximum web visibility from day one.

Read more: https://www.theverge.com/news/823887/adobe-semrush-acquisition-digital-marketing

2. Meta

Value optimisation drives 29% higher ROAS

The data speaks for itself: Meta’s updated value optimisation models are delivering hard results. Advertisers shifting focus from volume to conversion value are seeing up to 29% higher ROAS, proving that prioritising quality leads to scalable efficiency.

Read more: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mrahmey_meta-just-rolled-out-major-improvements-to-activity-7394754681727778816-y1z5/

Benchmark your growth with Competitive Insights

Instagram’s Professional Dashboard has added “Competitive Insights”, giving you the necessary context to benchmark your account’s performance and identify gaps to outpace the competition.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-adds-competitor-insights-professional-accounts/804465/

New automated protection for creators

Meta is stepping up for creators with “Content Protection” on Facebook, a new automated tool designed to scan the platform for unauthorised reuse of original Reels, helping you maintain control over your intellectual property.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-launches-content-protection-for-creators/805714/

3. Spotify

Frictionless playlist importing

Spotify is breaking down walls with a new “Import your music” feature. Powered by TuneMyMusic, users can now transfer playlists from competitors like Apple Music and YouTube Music directly into Spotify, removing a major friction point for user acquisition.

Read more: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/spotify-now-lets-you-import-playlists-from-other-music-apps/

Testing a flexible tiered subscription model

Flexibility is the focus as Spotify pilots a new subscription structure in international markets. By introducing Premium Lite, Standard, and Platinum tiers, they are testing new ways to capture a wider audience through tailored access levels.

Read more: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/welcome-to-spotify-supremium-higher-priced-india/

4. OpenAI

Rethinking ads and search intent

OpenAI is challenging the status quo, with CEO Sam Altman signalling a new approach to commerce in ChatGPT. He argues that current search models profit when users fail to find answers, vowing that ChatGPT will build an ad model designed to fix - rather than exploit - the search experience.

Read more: https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-ads-coming-some-point-464388

5. TIDAL

Direct artist uploads expand to key markets

Tidal is handing more power to artists in the US, UK, and Europe with a new feature that allows for the direct upload of original audio tracks, streamlining the path from creation to distribution.

Read more: https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/26542012438673-TIDAL-Upload

6. EXA

Web-grounded data directly in Google Sheets

Data gathering just got 100x more efficient. Exa is now integrated into Google Sheets, allowing you to pull live search results and web-grounded answers directly into your spreadsheets using simple functions.

Read more: https://x.com/exaailabs/status/1986503535723487593?s=12&t=bWYK5a5ACxwXZ0YSDp6Fwg

7. Bandsintown

A centralised marketplace for artist growth

Bandsintown has launched a comprehensive marketplace for its 700,000+ registered artists. This ecosystem connects musicians with essential growth tools from partners like Spotify, Linktree, and Shopify to centralise their marketing stack.

Read more: https://musically.com/2025/10/30/bandsintown-launches-artist-marketplace-as-distrokid-debuts-direct/

8. Bluesky

Steady growth to 40 million users

Quietly gaining momentum, Bluesky has climbed to 40 million users. Despite the crowded market, the platform's consistent growth proves there is a steady appetite for decentralised alternatives in the social landscape.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/bluesky-reaches-40-million-users/804467/

9. TikTok

User control over AI content

Transparency takes centre stage as TikTok pilots a slider allowing users to control the volume of AI-generated content in their feeds. This coincides with a massive push to label over one billion videos with invisible watermarking for better clarity.

Read more: https://www.technology.org/2025/11/20/tiktok-hands-users-control-over-ai-content-flooding-their-feeds/

Direct engagement with Bulletin Boards

TikTok is deepening creator-fan connections with 'Bulletin Boards', a new broadcast messaging tool available to creators with over 50k followers, designed to drive direct engagement and share key updates.

Read more: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/introducing-bulletin-board?lang=en

10. Google

Gemini-powered guidance for advertisers

Google is integrating its Gemini AI models into two new tools: “Ads Advisor” and “Analytics Advisor”. These additions are designed to provide intelligent, data-backed guidance to help you maximise campaign performance and website results.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/google-adds-ai-powered-ads-advisor-analytics-tools/805324

High-quality assets with Nano Banana Pro

Creative output gets an upgrade with Nano Banana Pro, Google’s updated AI image model. It is built to generate higher-quality, brand-ready visuals, including complex diagrams and infographics, to streamline asset creation.

Read more:https://blog.google/technology/ai/nano-banana-pro/

11. Policy & Culture

Defining fairness in music algorithms

Music Tomorrow dives deep into the ethics of the industry, exploring what fairness looks like in an ecosystem driven by conflicting interests and the need for greater algorithmic transparency and accountability.

Read more: https://www.music-tomorrow.com/blog/fairness-transparency-music-recommender-systems

When algorithms serve slop

A critical look at the state of discovery: The Verge examines why music recommendation algorithms, originally designed to filter noise, are increasingly failing to connect and serving up generic content instead.

Read more: https://www.theverge.com/column/815744/music-recommendation-algorithms