Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Twitter launching #Music app for iPhone alongside new service today (update: now live)

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Twitter launching #Music app for iPhone alongside new service today update now live

We had a strong suspicion that Twitter's new music service would figure into the company's "big announcement" promised for today, and that is indeed the case. The company confirmed on Good Morning America this morning that its #Music service will be launching on the web later today with a separate iPhone app in tow. As expected based on the company's acquisition of We Are Hunted, the service is focused largely on music discovery, letting you find music that's popular with your friends or those you follow -- specifically, music shared from iTunes, Spotify or Rdio at the moment. According to Twitter, the web version will be rolling out over the next few hours, with the service currently offered in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Twitter also says that it hopes to roll the service out to Android devices in the future, but unfortunately isn't offering anything more specific for the time being.

Update: The iPhone app is now available in the App Store. If it's not turning up in searches for you, this link should work.

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Sunday, April 14, 2013

AirBeats / AirHarp creator demos his forthcoming Leap Motion music apps

Image


When it comes to developing music apps, Leap Motion's naturalistic interface seems like a no-brainer. Sure it doesn't offer the sort of tactile feedback you get from an actual instrument, but it certainly beats the heck out of, say, a keyboard and mouse. Adam Somers is among the early developers looking to bring a little bit of music magic to the tiny peripheral, and he gave us a sneak peak of what he's working on at a Smule event in San Francisco earlier this week.


The simpler of the two apps is AirHarp. Still in early developer preview mode, the program is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a virtual harp. Hold your hand out and strings light up -- tap down and you can pluck them. Reach in a bit and you can strum with one or several fingers. More impressive is AirBeats, a virtual machine with two pads and a slew of sounds that lets you record tracks. Somers is hoping to have at least one of the apps out in time for Leap Motion's upcoming launch. You can check out demos after the break.



Source: Stanford

Friday, April 12, 2013

Beamz teams up with Virtual DJ on interactive music system, we go lasers-on (video)

Beamz teams up with Virtual DJ on interactive music system, we go laserson video


Beamz has been firing lasers in the name of limb-flailing performance for a few years. Today, it's announced it's working with popular music-mixing software Virtual DJ to provide the aural filling in its laser sandwich. The controller is the same four-beamed multi-button affair we've seen before, but now with a custom version of the aforementioned DJ application to call its own, and make the set-up a cinch. On screen you'll see two representations of the Beamz controller (instead of decks) with instant visual feedback to let you know which beam is mapped to what. You can configure four different triggers at one time, controlling cue points, looping and so on. To add functionality, you can then use the large buttons at the base of the device to rotate through different mappings. The emphasis, of course, is on performance here with nary a rotary nor fader in sight (we imagine you'd be using your other controller for that, right?). The software and hardware combo are being bundled together as a deal, and if you want in, you can do so right away for $200. Not sure if it'll fit in your workflow? Perhaps head past the break, and see if that video doesn't change your mind.



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By: Unknown On 10:13 AM
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Twitter acquires music discovery service We Are Hunted, readies music app?

Twitter acquires music discovery service We Are Hunted, readies music app


Last month, rumors swirled that Twitter had acquired music discovery service We Are Hunted to fold it into a forthcoming music app. Today, that acquisition has been made official, with the We Are Hunted team announcing that it's shutting down its services and joining team Twitter, with the promise that it would "continue to create services that will delight you." Alas, there's no more detail provided about what services it'll be creating, but its core competency of tune discovery sure will dovetail nicely with Twitter's rumored preferred method of sonic delivery, SoundCloud. Time will tell if this attempt at a musical social network goes over better than the last one.


Via: The Next Web


Source: We Are Hunted

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Google Play Music spreads to Australia, New Zealand and five European nations

Google Play Music comes to Australia


Google has been on something of a tear spreading its Google Play media services around the world; don't look now, but it's picking up the pace. The search giant is expanding Google Play Music today to cover Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Portugal. That small deluge of new countries can now shop for their favorite tunes as well as store up to 20,000 of them online for streaming, either on the web or on Android devices. Large swaths of the world remain uncovered by the service -- ahem, Canada -- but we'll still welcome a big step toward cloud music for everyone.

[Thanks, Chris]


Source: Google Play (Google+)


More Coverage: Google Australia, Google New Zealand

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Xbox Music update adds volume control, cloud syncing and performance boost

DNP Xbox Music update adds volume control,


Several Windows 8 apps, including Calendar, Mail and People, received updates just yesterday, and today Microsoft's Xbox Music is getting a refresh of its own. The music app's update brings both performance improvements to Windows RT devices and some new functionality. Among the new features is a volume control that sets the app's volume independent of the system's volume. The update also brings the ability to automatically sync your music collection to the cloud and add songs from your collection to other devices running Xbox music. Finally, as you can see in the screen grab above, there's a new playing UI that displays all tracks from an album in addition to the song currently playing. You can check out the update yourself by clicking through to the Windows Store via the source link.


Via: The Verge


Source: Windows Store

Thursday, March 14, 2013

'Beat Making Lab' brings music tech, know-how to aspiring talent in developing communities

PBS 'Beat Making Lab' brings music tech, training to mu


Is the next Mos Def or Azealia Banks languishing in a region where there's no way to get his or her talent across? The producer who's laid down beats for those stars, 'Apple Juice Kid' (aka Stephen Levitin) along with fellow UNC prof Pierce Freelon aim to find out with a new PBS series called Beat Making Lab. In it, the pair take their talent, teaching skills and crates of audio gear to underserved communities in nations like Panama, Senegal and Fiji. The first episode (below the break) takes place in the Congo, where they're shown setting up a permanent recording studio at the Yole!Africa non-profit community center, then giving a crash course in beat-making tech to six highly motivated students. The Congalese artists use that know-how to lay down tracks that reflect their unique personalities and culture, which are showcased at the culmination of the episode. The series covets more than just a nice performance, though, as one student put it: "When the instructors return to the US, it won't be the end, but a beginning for us -- because we'll be able to teach others how to create their own beats."



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By: Unknown On 11:18 PM
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Friday, February 15, 2013

Nokia Music+ goes live for UK listeners at £4 per month (video)

Nokia Music goes live for


Nokia set broad targets for the launch of Music+ that left some of its audience wondering just when they'd have their turn. For the UK, that's now. Those willing to drop £4 per month (or use a one-week trial) will get the promised unlimited offline downloads to their Lumia, improved audio quality, unlimited radio skips and web streaming. Americans still don't have a firm date for their turn at a Music+ subscription, although they'll get a better deal with a $4 monthly outlay.

[Thanks, Alam]



Via: Symbian Tweet, WMPowerUser


Source: Nokia Music (Twitter)

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Deezer teams up with LG, Samsung and Toshiba to bring its music service to smart TVs

Deezer teams up with LG, Samsung and Toshiba to bring its music service to smart TVs


We were already well aware of Deezer making its way toward some LG Smart TVs in the UK, but now the streaming service has announced it'll be coming to many, many more savvy television sets in the very near future. The digital tunes provider let it be know that it's struck a deal with Samsung, Toshiba and, yet again, LG, one that's bound to make the Deezer application available to a "potential audience of at least 600 million people across more than 150 countries." There's a slight caveat, however, as the recently announced deal comes with somewhat of a limited scope -- namely the fact Deezer's set to only be usable on Samsung smart TVs in Europe that were produced in 2011, while the same goes for LG's but with the exception of a worldwide availability. Toshiba, on the other hand, will be able to bring the music offering to its 2011-range in Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, as well as the company's new 2013 smart TV lineup to users all around the globe. This, naturally, excludes us folks in the good ol' US of A, since, as you may know, Deezer is still trying to figure things out this side of the pond.


Show full PR text DEEZER INVADES THE LIVING ROOM IN 2013 VIA SMART TV PARTNERSHIPS WITH SAMSUNG, LG AND TOSHIBA

Wednesday 6th February, 2013: Leading music subscription service Deezer today announced partnerships with big-name TV manufacturers Samsung, LG and Toshiba to give music lovers across the globe unlimited access to a catalogue of over 20 million tracks via state of the art smart TV sets.

Deezer's expansion has been faster than any other digital music service - it's now available in more than 180 countries and in every continent in the world - and these partnerships make Deezer the new dominant digital music service provider via smart TVs. In the last year alone, around 43 million smart TVs were sold, and it is predicted that this number will rise to 95 million by 2016[1]. That's a lot of television sets in a lot of homes.

Axel Dauchez, CEO of Deezer, said: "We are committed to delivering a music revolution. Deezer is already available directly via a number of hi-fis and in-car entertainment systems - and of course on most smartphones, tablets and PCs - but we believe that putting Deezer at the heart of the TV experience marks the next innovation for music. For many of us, the living room is the heart of the home, and we want Deezer to be a part of that."

"We're now one step closer to breaking down all barriers to music and helping to ensure that people can listen to Deezer anywhere on any device."

Deezer subscribers will have instant access to all their favourite playlists, tracks and Deezer recommendations via their smart TV. If you don't have a subscription, you can still enjoy Deezer's discovery mode, which offers unlimited access to Deezer's thousands of artist-based and themed radio channels, and allows music fans to browse the Deezer library and listen to 30-second clips of any of our 20 million tracks.

Richard Choi, Senior Vice President of the Smart Business Centre at LG Electronics, said: "We are providing our customers with a new on-demand content service that enables browsing, sharing, organizing and, of course, listening to songs from a huge range of international artists.

"LG was the first company to integrate Deezer – a service already available for PCs, tablets and smartphones – in its Smart TV lineup. Going forward, LG and Deezer will continue to explore ways to deliver innovative music experiences on Smart TVs and other media platforms."

This partnership comes one month after Deezer launched the first truly global free (ad-supported) music streaming service to a potential audience of at least 600 million people across more than 150 countries. Deezer currently has more than three million paying subscribers that listen to an average of 60 hours of music per month – all of whom can now access the full Deezer platform via their Samsung, LG and Toshiba smart TVs.

Deezer will be available on all Samsung smart TV models produced from 2011 (Europe only), and on all LG smart TV models produced from 2011 (available worldwide). It will also be available on all Toshiba smart TV models since 2011 (Europe and MEA/Asia, Pacific) and on smart all smart TV models produced from 2013 (worldwide).


Source: Deezer

Focus@Will says its music app boosts concentration, opens it to public beta

Focus@will Releases Public Beta of Concentration-Enhancing Music App

Online productivity music app increasing user base to help refine system

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6, 2013 – Focus@will today announced the public beta release of a revolutionary cross-platform HTML5 online music app that helps patrons improve concentration and retention when working, studying, writing and reading. The company is launching in public beta to allow for a broader user base for testing and evaluation of the brand new productivity music application. The announcement stems from high demand and a 90 percent user revisit rate for the private beta version released in December.

"We have been astounded at the positive response we have received from our patrons over the past month and are extremely pleased to see the impact that our project has had on people," said Will Henshall, CEO of focus@will. "We are excited to share focus@will with a larger number of patrons with the public beta launch as we improve and refine the system to ready it for a full launch."

What's New
Since its private beta launch in December, the focus@will team has been working to fine-tune the productivity music system adding a significant amount of newly commissioned material to the exclusive instrumental music library across all genres, including Classical, Cinematic and Up Tempo. Composers added to the team now include electronic dance music DJ/producer Josh Gabriel and Peter Gabriel's musical director, viola player John Metcalfe. The team has since refined focus@will's cloud based focus genome algorithm after extensive testing with research firms and both alpha and beta testers. Reported improvements from beta testers include extending average productivity cycle time and more reliable connectivity over wireless networks. With the public beta now available, current patrons will notice subtle changes to the user interface and will find focus@will to be even more efficient at improving concentration.

Availability
The public beta is immediately available in the US through a cross-platform HTML5 web app and will roll out native mobile apps for iOS and Android in the future. Existing users can access the improved system and new users can sign up at focusatwill.com. A full international launch of the system is planned for later this year. To help prepare for the official launch of the system, beta users are encouraged to report any bugs, issues or errors at www.focusatwill.com/community.

About focus@will
CEO Will Henshall and John Vitale founded focus@will in 2010 with the goal of building a music system to help those struggling to focus while working, studying, writing and reading. Focus@will is the first-ever online music application designed from the ground up to improve focus and retention and provide productivity on demand. While most people are only able to concentrate for 20 minutes at a time before getting distracted, the focus@will adaptive audio technology helps extend concentration time up to a typical maximum of about 100 minutes. To learn more visit focusatwill.com/about.


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By: Unknown On 10:04 PM
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

BlackBerry World storefront goes live with music, TV shows and movies

BlackBerry World storefront goes live with music, TV shows and movies


Heads up, content lovers: you can now get your fix over at BlackBerry World, which has been updated with music, movies and TV shows for your perusal. As expected, prices are in line with industry norms, ranging from $8 to $12 for albums, and between $0.99 and $1.49 for individual tracks. Meanwhile, television episodes can be had for $1.99 a pop -- perfect if you happened to miss the awkward season premiere of Archer -- and there's variable pricing for movies, depending on whether you rent or buy. You'll find previews of all music tracks, but movies are limited to the trailers and TV shows lack free samples. Nonetheless, if you're feeling bold and live within one of the supported regions, take a moment to check out the overhauled BlackBerry World. It's certainly a nice appetizer of what's to come.

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Sony upgrades Music Unlimited to 320Kbps streaming on Android, PS3 and the web

Sony Music Unlimited on multiple devices


Higher quality audio is a staple of the experience for a growing number of streaming music services, most notably Spotify. Sony won't let itself become the exception to the rule: Music Unlimited now has an option for a much more detailed 320Kbps bitrate. The quality upgrade is staggered and is initially active on Android devices, the PlayStation 3 and the web player, while desktops, iOS, the PlayStation Vita and home theater gear will get improved tunes later on in the year. Music Unlimited won't appease those who want a consistent experience in the near term, then -- still, it might be enough for listeners whose Xperia serves as a primary jukebox.

Show full PR text

-- 320kbps AAC Streaming Playback Now Available for PlayStation 3, Android Smartphones and Tablets, and PCs


FOSTER CITY, Calif., Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Network Entertainment International today announced that the company's Music Unlimited service now offers users the ability to listen to high quality audio through the service's PC (Windows(R) and Mac OS(R)), Sony Xperia(TM) and other Android(TM) smartphones and tablets, Sony Android Walkman(R), and PlayStation(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system applications. By turning on the high quality streaming option in Music Unlimited's settings menu, songs will playback in pristine 320 kbps AAC high fidelity audio.


Sony Entertainment Network's Music Unlimited service is a cloud-based digital music service that hosts a global catalog of over 18 million licensed songs(1) and is available on a wide range of Sony and non-Sony connected devices including any personal computer (including Windows and Mac OS), iOS devices including iPhone(R) and iPod touch(R), Android devices including Sony Xperia smartphones and tablets, as well as the PS3, PlayStation(R)Vita, and connected Sony BRAVIA HDTVs as well as various Sony home audio and video devices.


The new feature, which is now live on the PS3, Android smartphone and tablet, Android Walkman, and web apps, will be added to other devices compatible with the Music Unlimited service later this year.

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Samsung expects Music Hub to reach competitors' devices, more countries

 

Samsung Music Hub to reach other companies' devices, more countries


Samsung's Music Hub has only had a comparatively small reach to date, delivering tunes to seven countries (six with scan-and-match) and just a handful of devices. Senior VP of Media Services TJ Kang expects the audio service to broaden its horizons -- he tells The Next Web that Samsung wants to widen access to rivals' gear as well. There's no convenient timetable to put on the calendar, but the expansion is a significant move for a service that's frequently seen as more of a brand-specific checklist feature than a full competitor with the likes of Google Music or iTunes. Plans for Samsung's own devices are more definite, Kang says. Music Hub is coming to more countries in 2013, as long as licensing deals work out, and further device support (including the non-mobile variety) will depend on flagship hardware releases scattered throughout the year. No matter where Media Hub heads next, it's safe to presume that it will be more than just a nice bonus in the near future.

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Nokia intros Music+ subscription service with unlimited downloads, web listening

Nokia Music on a Lumia 800


Most of the bigger streaming music services have both a free tier for casual listeners and a paid level for truly committed music fans. Nokia doesn't want to be the exception to the rule. It's launching Nokia Music+, a paid version of its existing platform. Paying €4 per month ($4 in the US) gives perks that you'd normally expect from a more expensive alternative like Spotify or Slacker's premium tier: the upgrade ratchets up the audio quality, adds lyrics, allows unlimited skips in Mix Radio and enables as many downloads for offline play as the phone can hold. Aren't you suddenly glad that you picked up a 32GB Lumia 920? Not that you'll always need it to tune in -- Music+ adds web streaming for anything with a suitably capable browser. Nokia hasn't said just which countries beyond the US will get the more advanced service, but it should make a formal debut within the next few weeks.

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BlackBerry World music and video offerings detailed, next day downloads for TV

New BlackBerry World for BlackBerry 10 to Include Extensive Catalogue of Songs, Latest Movies and TV Shows

January 28, 2013

Unified Multimedia Storefront Will Carry Music and Video Content from All Major Studios, Labels and Broadcasters

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX:RIM) today announced that the new BlackBerry® World™ storefront (formally BlackBerry App World™) for BlackBerry 10 will offer one of the most robust music and video catalogs in mobile today. The new BlackBerry World will include an extensive catalog of songs as well as movies and TV shows, with most movies coming to the store the same day they are released on DVD, and next day availability of many current TV series. The competitive offering will feature content from all major studios, music labels and top local broadcast networks. Customers will be able to preview tracks and access the content using multiple payment options.*

"Music and video content is an integral part of a rich mobile experience. People want easy and convenient access to their favorite music, movies and TV shows wherever they are," said Frank Boulben, Chief Marketing Officer at Research In Motion. "RIM is committed to working with content providers to bring the best, most up-to-date content to our customers with BlackBerry 10, and to make it easy for them to get what they want."

The video download and rental section in BlackBerry World will initially be available in the US, UK and Canada. Varying by region and distributor, customers will have access to movies from the following studios and independents: 20th Century Fox, Entertainment One (eOne), Lionsgate, MGM, National Film Board of Canada, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, STUDIOCANAL, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures (UK), Warner Bros. Customers will also have access to TV shows from the following broadcasters and studios: ABC Studios, BBC Worldwide, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBS, DHX Media, ITV, National Geographic, NBCUniversal (UK), Nelvana, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Univision Communications Inc, and Warner Bros.
The BlackBerry World storefront's DRM-free music download section will feature an extensive catalog from all major and independent labels including: 4AD Records, Domino Recording Company, finetunes, Matador Records, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, Rough Trade Records, Sony Music Entertainment, The Orchard, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, XL Recordings and Zebralution. The music section will initially be available in 18 countries: Canada, USA, UK, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Useful Links

BlackBerry World http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/

BlackBerry 10 Sign Up Page http://global.blackberry.com/blackberry-10.html

* BlackBerry® ID required. For more information please visit http://www.blackberry.com/bbid/


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By: Dilusha On 8:42 PM
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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Google Music scan and match only adding clean versions of songs

Google Music

It seems that users taking advantage of Google Music's new scan and match feature aren't always getting exactly what they expected added to their music libraries. The new feature, which launched in the U.S. just a week ago, lets users bypass uploading of new music by instead "matching" the music on the user's computer with the same file in Google Music automatically. That's all fine and dandy if it works, but users are reporting that songs with explicit lyrics are having the clean versions of songs added instead. This doesn't come as a complete surprise considering the same reports came out when iTunes started its own matching service, but this still shouldn't be happening.

Whether its because of a licensing shortcoming or technical issue with identifying music, we hope that Google can get this one figured out. Users with explicit music usually have it for a reason, and don't really want it replaced erroneously because a service isn't operating properly.

Source: Droid Life


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By: Dilusha On 9:32 PM
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Friday, December 28, 2012

Moog Music tacks on Grateful Dead expansion pack to Animoog 2.0 for $4.99 (video)

Moog Music tacks on Grateful Dead expansion pack to Animoog 2.0 (video)

Late last week, Moog Music rolled out version 2.0 of its Animoog synthesizer app for Apple's slate. Now, the Asheville, North Carolina outfit is adding a truckload of new sounds less than a week after the initial release. The Grateful Dead Expansion Pack is now available for the iPad software, touting 82 presets and 45 timbres broken down into ensemble, percussion and vocal groupings. Each piece of the add-on was taken from a February 1968 performance at the Carousel Ballroom and optimized for the Animoog platform. "We're not simply providing samples from the Grateful Dead's body of work, rather we've distilled the essence of notes and phrases in a different way to transform these performances into new instruments -- new voices," says Cyril Lance, Moog's Chief Engineer. The $4.99 in-app purchase is available now, but while you're mulling it over, jump down past the break to catch a glimpse of Mickey Hart taking it for a spin.

Continue reading Moog Music tacks on Grateful Dead expansion pack to Animoog 2.0 for $4.99 (video)

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Source: Moog

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Deezer music streaming service seeks partner to help it enter the US

Deezer, a French music streaming service, is looking to finally invade the U.S. and is seeking a partner to help infiltrate the lucrative market.

Deezer is available in 160 countries at the moment. Normally, it gives users two hours a month of free, ad-supported streaming music.

Then it offers music buffs plans ranging from about £7 to £10 in the U.K. (about U.S. $9 to $12), and $7.50 to $14.50 in Australia. But no U.S. prices have been announced yet.

The tidbit of information comes in an interview with Deezer's CEO Axel Dauchez, published in the Wall Street Journal today.

"We are looking for a partner in the U.S., maybe an operator or a blue-chip company, that is able to provide us with a significant volume of subscribers," He told the WSJ.

In the interview, Dauchez said the company started shopping around for partners months ago.

He said the cost to enter the U.S. music streaming market is "unbelievably high," and is one of the most competitive markets on the planet.

Only a year ago, Deezer's U.K. Managing Director, Mark Foster, told TechRadar that the expensive barrier to entry prevented it from touching down on American shores.

"Never say never. But for the foreseeable future, it's not part of our plans," Foster said.

But after a year, it seems things have changed. Deezer is ready to enter the melee of the U.S. music market, with the right partner.

If Deezer does hit the U.S., Spotify will be one of its biggest challenges to overcome.

Though Spotify only operates in 17 countries, it's attracted 5 million subscribers compared to Deezer's 3 million members. But if Deezer is to topple the king of American music streaming, it might have to up its game.

Spotify offers 10 free hours of ad-supported streaming music before users hit a pay wall. That dwarfs Deezer's two hours of free music. But Deezer has a few tricks up its sleeve.

To lure customers away from Spotify, the Franco music streamer offers promotional trails, which gives users free rein of Deezer and unlimited streaming for a limited period.

But that is only in areas where its rival operates. And the trial will still be backed by advertisements.

But Spotify isn't the only music distributor to worry about. There's still the popular web radio site, Pandora, and the MP3 selling behemoth, iTunes.

With these opponent, Deezer has a steep uphill battle ahead of it, which makes picking the proper ally all the more important. However, CEO Dauchez didn't hint about any potential friends, or when Deezer might move forward with its plans to enter the U.S. market.

Via the Verge


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By: Dilusha On 10:18 PM
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Saturday, December 15, 2012

Olive Media takes to Indiegogo to fund all-in-one music player

Olive Media has set out to revolutionize home music listening with the introduction of the Olive ONE multimedia device. The company has started a crowdfunded campaign over at Indiegogo to help complete the project. The only question left to answer really is, do you need something like this in your life?

To answer that, you’ll likely need to know a bit more about the Olive ONE. In short, it’s sort of like a tablet due to the fact that it features a 7-inch LED touchscreen but that is there the similarities end. The ONE looks more like a misshapen hockey puck or a Roomba without wheels than a traditional rectangular tablet, measuring 22.9-centimeters in diameter and 4.1-centimeters tall. Olive Media said they selected only the highest quality audio components and the finest aluminum and glass materials for ONE.

The idea of the ONE is to give you access to all of your music in one place, whether it be from your PC or Mac, smartphone or even in the cloud. While it’s true that there are dozens, maybe even hundreds of networked music players and docks on the market, the project founders claim the ONE is different for a number of reasons. These include, but not limited to, audiophile sound quality, an open architecture for app developers and artists and the ability to navigate and play music on your television using Wi-Fi Miracast.

Those interested in backing the Olive ONE can show their support for a little as $10 but if you want to be one of the first to own this all-in-one music player, expect to shell out $379 for the opportunity. Do note that units aren't expected to ship until July 2013, however.


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By: Dilusha On 5:24 PM
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Daisy, another music streaming service set to launch next year

spotify, music, music streaming, dai

Yet another music streaming service is set to debut next year for a piece of this booming market. According to a New Yorker article, entrepreneur and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has partnered up with Beats by Dre to launch the new venture (codenamed Daisy) in early 2013, taking on Spotify and similar services with what’s supposedly a superior music discovery experience based on algorithms and expert curators.

Of course, music curation is nothing new in the world of streaming services. With the launch of Spotify’s app platform quite a few alternatives have popped up, such as Digster and Tunigo, or some other apps by artists themselves. Likewise, music streaming services like Songza offer human-built playlists based on things like time of day and mood, genre, activity, or activity.

Daisy promises a mixed approach. Details are scarce at this point -- the New Yorker article itself isn't yet available online, but Pitchfork has a few quotes from Reznor, who explains that the service “uses mathematics to offer suggestions to the listener... [but also] would present choices based partly on suggestions made by connoisseurs, making it a platform in which the machine and the human would collide more intimately.”

He noted that Spotify boasts a huge song catalog but it’s not making it easy to stumble into anything new you might like, and argued that the model where “songs are chosen by algorithms that know who you listened to has begun to feel synthetic.”

Beats by Dre recently acquired streaming music service MOG. It’s unclear if the two services will run alongside or will be merged into something new.


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By: Dilusha On 12:44 PM
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