Music

The latest news and reviews of music.

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Pandora's on-demand music now streams on Alexa devices
Amazon Alexa's repertoire of on-demand music services appears to be growing by the day. Hot on the heels of Tidal's support, Pandora has enabled Premium streaming on Alexa-equipped devices like Amazon's Echo speakers. You no longer have to be content with Pandora's radio feature -- you can access your playlists and play albums like you would anywhere else. You can set the service as your default music option as well. It's not quite complete when Personalized Soundtracks support is "coming soon," but you otherwise won't be hurting for choice.
Tidal music streaming is now available on Amazon's Echo speakers
Amazon's Echo speakers have been gradually improving in quality, and it looks like Tidal wants to seize on that opportunity. The streaming service is now available on all Echo devices in the US through a dedicated Tidal skill. Link your account and you can play that Beyoncé or Jay-Z exclusive with a quick voice command. You can set it as your default music option if you'd like, but you can always add "on Tidal" to a command if the service remains secondary.
Xbox One mouse and keyboard support is available now
If you're tired of Microsoft drumming up hype for the Xbox One's mouse and keyboard support, we have good news: that feature is finally here. Install the November 2018 Xbox Update and your One S or One X will have PC-like input for compatible games, including Fortnite and Warframe. Don't expect every game to offer a mouse-and-keyboard option -- it'll typically be limited to games where it both makes sense and won't provide an unfair advantage in multiplayer modes.
Spotify officially debuts its Apple Watch app
That didn't take long -- mere days after it became clear Spotify was testing an Apple Watch app, that client is now available to the masses. The streaming music giant has updated its iOS app with an Apple Watch app that can control the service from your wrist. It currently doesn't serve as much more than a glorified remote with playlist selection, track skipping and other basics, although it will let you choose to stream music on Spotify Connect-aware devices. However, there's more on the horizon.
iHeartRadio's app now supports direct control of Sonos speakers
Streaming radio stations just became a bit more intuitive on Sonos speakers. In the wake of similar moves by Pandora, Spotify and Tidal, iHeartRadio's app now offers direct control over your Sonos audio system. You no longer have to fire up the Sonos app to listen to live radio, on-demand tunes and everything in between. And since this is a radio app, you don't need to sign in for freebies like radio, podcasts and playlist-based radio -- you only need it if you're a paying customer who wants access to everything.
Bit Brigade, the rock band that plays classic NES games on-stage
Bit Brigade could be more famous if they wanted to be. They're a five-man rock band, but one of their members doesn't play an instrument -- instead, he speedruns through a classic NES game while the remaining four bandmates play its soundtrack, live and completely attuned to the pixelated action projected above the stage. Bit Brigade has a built-in audience of nerds and nostalgia fiends, especially in an era dominated by live streaming, but they don't even have a Twitch channel. There is a YouTube page named "bitbrigade," but it has just four videos, all of which are more than 10 years old.
Alexa can tell you when your favorite artists release new music
If you're an Amazon Music subscriber in the US, you can receive notifications when your favorite artists drop new music, simply by asking Alexa to follow them. All you need to do is say something like "Alexa, follow Anderson .Paak on Amazon Music" or "Alexa, tell me when Imagine Dragons has new music." You can also follow an artist through their page on the Amazon Music iOS or Android apps or web player.
Spotify begins testing Apple Watch app
A year and a half later, Spotify is following through on its plans to make an official Apple Watch app. The streaming music provider has released a test version of its iOS client that includes a companion app for Apple's wearable. To call it basic would be an understatement, mind you. You can control playback from your phone, and that's about it -- for now, you'll have to set aside your dreams of listening to an offline playlist while you're at the gym.
You can now post your Shazam finds to Instagram Stories
Instagram's obsession with music is expanding to Shazam: The song-identifying app now works with Instagram Stories. Starting today, you'll be able to pull up Shazam, ID a song, and immediately post it to your Instagram Story.
Spotify is just $6.8 million away from profitability
If anyone was expecting to see Spotify's growth tail off, then the company's latest earnings report is chock full of disappointment. The streaming service has managed to increase the number of paying subscribers to 87 million, up from 83 million three months ago. More broadly, the platform has seen its total user numbers rise to 191 million, up from 101 million in the summer. The increased numbers haven't led to an actual profit, but losses are way, way down, from €90 million ($102 million) in Q2, to just €6 million ($6.8 million) now.
What to look for when buying headphones
In 2018, most people are listening to music or a podcast at some point during the day. And in order to avoid annoying your co-workers and fellow commuters, that requires headphones. These are rarely impulse buys, since they can cost a few hundred dollars and, like anything else, we want them to last. Similar to TVs, laptops and other gadgets, headphones come in all shapes and sizes -- each with their own pros, cons and unique features. We've compiled a list of factors to consider when you're shopping for new headphones to help you avoid buyer's remorse.
SoundCloud updates Premier program terms after backlash
If SoundCloud's Premier program terms seemed too onerous to you, you're not the only one. SoundCloud has changed the Premier agreement in response to criticism, most notably removing a covenant not to sue the company. This was an "outdated" element from the previous invitation-only agreement, SoundCloud said. Artists won't have to go through arbitration (which tends to favor companies) if there's ever a dispute.
SoundCloud’s Premier program is a bad deal for artists
Earlier this month, SoundCloud made its direct monetization program public, allowing hundreds of thousands of creators to make money from the platform. However, The Verge has gotten its hands on the contract artists have to sign to become a part of SoundCloud Premier, and it's rife with stipulations that aren't in artists' interests. From mandatory arbitration clauses to weak payment terms, SoundCloud's contract stands to limit creators' positions and restrict the steps they can take if they feel that they've been wronged.
Spotify officially lets artists submit songs for playlist consideration (updated)
Spotify now believes it's fully ready to give artists a shot at stardom through its well-known playlists. After a beta test in the summer, the streaming music service has officially opened its playlist submissions to all musicians. An up-and-comer now has a real chance of reaching a playlist editor and having their new song stream to millions of people (no, offering money won't increase your chances). These inclusions have a real impact, according to the company -- at least some of those who made the cut saw tangible improvements in their streaming numbers.
SoundCloud users can now share song links to Instagram Stories
SoundCloud users will no longer have to settle for screenshots when they want to share music on Instagram, as the company announced today that tracks can now be shared to Instagram Stories directly from the SoundCloud app. Instagram announced at F8 that it would start letting users post to their Stories from third-party apps, including Spotify and GoPro, and SoundCloud has now jumped on board. However, it should be noted that sharing from SoundCloud only adds a sticker to your Story, and to hear the track, viewers will have to tap the "Play on SoundCloud" link and listen to the tune in the SoundCloud app. The feature doesn't add a soundtrack to your Story.
Spotify Premium redesign borrows one of Pandora's best features
Spotify's been busy announcing a bunch of new features this week, including an app for Google's Wear OS and better direct uploads for artists -- and it's made some changes to Spotify Premium, too. Starting today, subscribers can enjoy streamlined navigation, personalized search and a feature called Endless Artist Radio.
Spotify will help artists upload music to competing services
Spotify's direct uploads for artists weren't as convenient as they seemed -- there wasn't much point to using it when musicians typically want to upload to many services. The streaming giant is well aware of this, at least. The company has formed a partnership with the startup DistroKid that will help artists put their music on "other platforms" when they upload to Spotify. Details are coming "soon," but this suggests a band could put its hot new single on Spotify and promptly spread it to competing services like Apple Music and Tidal.
Apple buys a digital talent scout for music
Apple wants to know what the next big thing is before you do, which is why it's purchased Asaii. The startup is a digital talent scout that's designed to find the Beyoncés of tomorrow before anyone else. According to Axios, Apple spent less than $100 million to snap up the firm, which calls itself an "automated A&R and music analytics platform."
Teenage Engineering reluctantly adds Bluetooth audio to OD-11 speaker
For years, Teenage Engineering has chosen not to allow its users to stream music via Bluetooth to its flagship OD-11 speakers. And that's despite it actually having a Bluetooth radio inside. The Swedish engineers have finally, reluctantly, given in and users can simply download a software update for their speaker to enable it.
Akai's MPK Mini Play is a compact battery-powered beats machine
Portable instruments that run on AA batteries have been popping up for a while now. There's the Roland Boutique line, Korg's Monologue and even the iRig Keys I/O from IK Multimedia. Now Akai is getting into the portable game with an affordable update to one if it's most popular pieces of gear. The MPK Mini Play is a new version of the MPK Mini that's loaded with 128 sounds and 10 drum kits to get you started.

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