Today’s kids might not necessarily know who the Beatles are, but they’ll soon get the chance to hear a lot of their hits in a fun, new way. In August, Netflix will premiere Beat Bugs — a show inspired by the iconic British band’s music — and the streamer has announced that season 2 will premiere in November.
Beat Bugs already boasted an eclectic and star-studded lineup of musicians performing in the series, and now that list has only grown. Seven more artists who will guest star on the show were announced Wednesday. The recent additions include Aloe Blacc, Robbie Williams, Frances, and The Lumineers for season 1, plus Rod Stewart, Jennifer Hudson, and Tori Kelly for season 2.
Netflix also released the first official trailer, which showed off some of season 1’s stars and the songs they’ll perform, along with the series’ adorable animated critters. Viewers also got to hear the show’s theme song, All You Need Is Love, hinting at the musical direction the series will take. The soundtrack sounds promising and will be available for purchase.
Republic Records is set to release both seasons’ official soundtracks exclusively on Apple Music. Season 1’s release will coincide with Beat Bugs‘ premiere date, and it will include 27 tracks split over two parts. More information about season 2’s soundtrack will be released at a later date.
Each season has a lot to offer in the way of talent. Season 1 will feature guest stars P!nk (performing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds), James Corden (I’m A Loser), Aloe Blacc (Rain), Robbie Williams (Good Day Sunshine), Eddie Vedder (Magical Mystery Tour), Frances (In My Life), The Shins (The Word), The Lumineers (Honey Pie), and Sia (Blackbird). Season 2 will bring performances by Rod Stewart (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band), Chris Cornell (Drive My Car), Regina Spektor (And Your Bird Can Sing), Jennifer Hudson (I’ll Follow the Sun), Of Monsters and Men (Eleanor Rigby), James Bay (Hey Bulldog), and Tori Kelly (I’m Happy Just to Dance with You).
The series, which is written and directed by Josh Wakely, is produced for Netflix by Grace: A Storytelling Company, Beyond Screen Production, and Thunderbird. Season 1 premieres on August 4, with season 2 following on November 18.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.