Music

The latest news and reviews of music.

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Etsy buys music gear marketplace Reverb to expand its reach
Etsy is expanding its online shopping empire, albeit not in the way some would have expected. The company plans to acquire Reverb, one of the largest marketplaces for musical instruments, for $275 million. This is a chance to expand into a "new vertical" with a business that follows a similar strategy, Etsy said. It intends to run Reverb as a stand-alone business and help it grow through improved search, a stronger community and easier buying and selling.
US Netflix subscribers can finally watch Eurovision replays
Americans didn't have official ways to watch the Eurovision Song Contest live this year, but they'll at least have a way to relive it. Netflix will carry the 2019 competition's semi-finals and grand final in the US starting on July 22nd, giving you eight-plus hours of melodramatic performances, over-the-top costumes and bitter national rivalries. You'll also have on-demand access to the 2020 contest after it airs.
YouTube Music adds seamless switching between audio and videos
If you're a YouTube Premium or Music Premium subscriber, switching between a song and its music video should be smoother as of today. You can hop back and forth between the two, and playback will continue from the same point with no pauses or interruptions, YouTube says.
Spotify adds long-overdue iPad multitasking
Spotify has been available on the iPad for several years, but it hasn't really evolved to take advantage of the Apple tablet's growing multitasking abilities. You've still had to switch to a full-screen view just to start a new playlist or see what friends are playing. At last, though, it's getting more respect. Spotify has stealthily updated its iPad app with support for multitasking modes like Slide Over and Split View. You can keep tabs on an album while you're reading the artist's bio on the web, or browse podcasts without disrupting your group chat.
Organelle M is a portable and endlessly hackable music ‘computer’
Critter & Guitari has been pumping out interesting musical devices since at least 2008. But a few years ago the company streamlined its selection of instruments to focus on two products: the ETC video synthesizer and the Organelle music computer. What makes the latter unique is that it isn't a synthesizer or a sampler; it's both or neither or some combination of things. It is, at its heart, a computer running patches built in Pure Data, a visual programming language primarily used for creating and manipulating audio. Though, much of that is hidden, and you can just fire it up and start playing if you want. Since its introduction in 2016 the Organelle has received multiple software updates. But about two weeks ago, it got its first major hardware upgrade.
Recommended Reading: The legacy of female players in 'FIFA'
How female characters in FIFA led to a diversity movement at EA Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat Discussions on diversity and equal pay have taken over in the week following the 2019 Women's World Cup, especially in the US. EA game designer Katie Scott explains how her work on FIFA's "The Journey" story mode lead to improving representation of female characters -- work that eventually kickstarted company-wide change.
Teenage Engineering ships its delayed modular synth and keyboard
Teenage Engineering announced it was adding modular options to its Pocket Operator line back in January. A month later, the company cited manufacturing issues when it cancelled pre-orders for the 170 analog synth and the 16 keyboard designed to be used with it. In an email this morning, Teenage Engineering says those two pieces of gear are shipping via its website. Indeed both are now listed as in stock when you add them to your cart.
What we're listening to: Broken Record and Thom Yorke's 'Anima'
In this month's installment of our audio IRL, we're back to podcasts. Deputy Managing Editor Nathan Ingraham embraces the weirdness of Thom Yorke's new album and Senior News Editor Billy Steele can't get enough of Malcolm Gladwell's music history show.
Korg's music-making Switch app offers Genesis and Taito game sounds
It stands to reason that a music creation app on a game console should have sound samples from consoles, doesn't it? Korg certainly thinks so. It's updating its Gadget app for the Switch with both a Sega Genesis-derived drum machine (Otorii) and a Taito arcade synth (Ebina). Both are as retro-looking as their names imply, and they each sample their fair share of classic games.
Recommended Reading: Apple's ambitious TV plan
Can Apple hack it in Hollywood? We talk to the man behind Apple TV+ Stuart McGurk, GQ UK Apple officially revealed it's TV streaming service in March, but it won't debut for the masses until this fall. There have been all kinds of reports swirling about content, including reports that Apple executives were micromanaging creative direction. GQ sat down with senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue to find out more about TV+, and get some clarity on a few of those rumors.
Blipblox is a synth made for kids that adults will like too
Blipblox is a synthesizer designed for children. The company behind it, Playtime Engineering, even calls it a toy. And it certainly looks like one. It's made out of bright, glossy, primary-colored plastic. The large knobs and buttons are clearly meant for the clumsy hands of a child. Oh, and it's covered in crazy blinking lights that are mostly there for show. But if you start digging a little deeper, you'll find more than just a plaything.
Tidal's interactive credits let you explore artists' other projects
In the days of CDs and records, exploring the credits for a piece of music simply meant reading the album sleeve. But with digital music, discovering the unsung heroes behind your favorite music -- the producers, the engineers and studio musicians -- is a bit trickier. Jay-Z's music streaming service Tidal wants to put an end to that, as the platform launches a new interactive credits feature.
Spotify ends direct music uploads for indie artists
Indie artists will no longer have the option to upload music directly to Spotify -- not that they'll necessarily mind. Spotify is shutting down the upload beta test after determining that its efforts were better spent elsewhere. Feedback from musicians suggests that Spotify should instead "lean into" the work of existing distribution partners, according to the company. It would also pour more of its energy into unique benefits, such as listener metrics and a playlist submission tool.
Recommended Reading: Algorithms and school surveillance
Aggression Detectors: The unproven, invasive surveillance technology schools are using to monitor students Jack Gillum and Jeff Kao, ProPublica Following the rise in mass shootings, schools, hospitals and other public places are installing tech to monitor people. Part of this effort includes using algorithm-equipped microphones to capture audio, with the goal of detecting stress or anger before bad things happen. The problem? They aren't reliable and their mere existence is a massive invasion of privacy.
Korg's Minilogue and Monologue synths are getting a major update
The Minilogue and Monologue are a few years old at this point, and approaching modern classic status in the synth world. But that doesn't mean that Korg is content to simply let them coast through life the same way they left the factory. Today the company is releasing a major update to the firmware for both that in a lot of ways is about making them a little closer to each other in terms of features. For one, Minilogue users are getting micro tuning capability. That means they'll no longer be bound by the constraints of the Western 12-tone equal temperament, and it's particularly great if your goal is to be the next Aphex Twin. The sequencer is also getting a much needed refresh, especially on the "motion" side which controls the parameters and settings rather than notes. A new view lets you dig a bit deeper and makes it clearer what you're working on. Monologue is getting some tweaks too, including to the MIDI filter, which will be a huge boon to anyone that likes to control it with an external sequencer. There have also been changes to the active step programming features, though we've been unable to test them out, so we can't tell you exactly how useful they are. Lastly, both synths are getting original value indicators. That will make finding your way back to where a patch started much easier after you're done twiddling the knobs. Version 2.0 of the Minilogue and Monologue firmware is available today for free at Korg.com.
Spotify's album pre-saves share personal data you might not be aware of
You might be sharing more data than you care to offer when you pre-save an album on Spotify. Billboard has pointed out that labels sometimes ask for permission to track an extensive amount of info about your account and listening habits, including your email address, your recent play history and who you follow. They'll also ask for the abilities to manage who you follow, add and remove library items and create playlists. As you might imagine, a lot of that isn't necessary to find out if you want to listen to a new album.
The new Organelle is a synth built around a Raspberry Pi
It's a niche company, but Critter and Guitari was a big name during the portable synth renaissance, and back in 2016 it released its flagship instrument, the Organelle. Now, it's had a pretty significant upgrade.
Ableton teaches synthesizer basics from the comfort of a browser
From creating grungy music with drone motors to perfecting DIY digital setups and recreating 60-year-old music machines, there are plenty of cool things you can do with synthesizers. But synths can be hard to understand, and if you're unfamiliar with them, you might feel a little left out. Ableton wants to change that. The company's new Learning Synths interactive website offers step-by-step synthesizer lessons, followed by a "playground," where you can put your new skills to the test.
Sony XB900N review: Solid noise cancellation for under $300
Since the debut of its 1000X line, Sony has given Bose a run for its money when it comes to noise-canceling headphones. In fact, the 1000XM2 and 1000XM3 are arguably better than the QuietComfort 35 II Bose introduced in 2017. Now Sony wants to offer a worthy alternative to Bose in its more affordable Extra Bass line with the WH-XB900N. While this new model doesn't have the same level of noise-canceling power as the 1000XM3, there's a lot to like for $250.
Recommended Reading: Facebook moderator PTSD
Bodies in seats Casey Newton, The Verge The job of moderating toxic content on social media is a daunting task. It also takes a massive psychological toll on those doing it. The Verge has first-hand accounts from the worst-performing Facebook moderating site in North America. People who worked there describe dire working conditions, harassment and their struggles with PTSD.

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