Music

The latest news and reviews of music.

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Apple Music for Android gets an overdue makeover
The Android version of Apple Music was very close to the iOS app when it first arrived, but it's clear that the software has lagged in recent months. While iOS and desktop users got a (frankly needed) overhaul last year, Android users were stuck with the old interface. No more: Apple has released a new version of the app that brings it up to par. That means a redesigned For You section with many more recommendations, stronger support for your own music library and a revamped player with quick access to your queue and lyrics.
Roland founder and music legend Ikutaro Kakehashi dies
It's a tragic time for both music and technology. Ikutaro Kakehashi, best known as the founder of Roland Corporation, has died at 87. The engineer turned corporate leader got his start making electronic drums and rhythm pattern generators, but it was after he founded Roland in 1972 that he hit the big time. His company quickly became synonymous with electronic music effects, and the machines built under his watch didn't just become popular -- they changed the cultural landscape.
Streaming made last year the music industry's best since 2009
When the RIAA released its annual report last year tracking sales in 2015, it came with a significant milestone: streaming revenue had surpassed that of downloads, if only by less than a percent. But the subscription-based model continues to grow -- and make history. As the agency's newest report notes, retail revenue in 2016 grew to $7.7 billion, making it the best year for the music industry since 2009. And streaming services accounted for 51 percent of music money made in the US.
Spotify's latest show is basically 'Carpool Karaoke'
Apple already locked down a season's worth of James Corden's Carpool Karaoke, but Spotify isn't letting that stop it from developing a similar show of its own. The streaming service announced this week and it teamed up with Russell Simmons on Traffic Jams, a show that pairs a hip-hop artist and a producer who haven't worked together to create something new before they arrive at their destination. Oh yeah, they have to do so while sitting in rush-hour traffic in Los Angeles.
Amazon's new Prime perk gets you the best seats in the house
With the weather beginning to brighten up, Amazon's introducing a new perk for Prime members that aims to get you to down your Kindle, drag yourself off your comfy sofa and venture out to see some live gigs and events. Starting this Thursday, Amazon Tickets -- the UK-only service (for now) we'd also kinda forgotten about -- will begin offering Prime members early dibs on gig and theatre tickets at least 24 hours before they go on general sale, starting with the upcoming tours of acts including Art Garfunkel and The Darkness. And if you really want to make a night of it, Prime subscribers can also splash their cash to get on the list for Amazon's premium seating and luxury lounges at various London venues.
Spotify's latest acquisition could bring better recommendations
Spotify's recommendations still leave some room for improvement -- and that's bad for both you and the company's bottom line, since you're not likely to play an irrelevant song or tap on an off-the-mark promo. It might get better before long, however. The streaming music service has bought MightyTV, a startup that revolves around using artificial intelligence and Tinder-like swipes for content recommendations. While the full scope of what the acquisition will mean isn't clear, there will be a strong emphasis on ads. MightyTV founder Brian Adams is becoming Spotify's VP of Technology and will refine the company's ad and marketing tech.
Tool may finally let you stream its brooding art metal
A number of artists who were initially opposed to streaming services wind up with their music available there for one reason or another. The music of both The Beatles and Prince is now available for streaming after both were holdouts for a long time. According to Bloomberg, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan may be the latest to change his mind.
Spotify's latest music documentary chronicles Green Day's rise
Spotify's Landmark music documentary series debuted back in August with four episodes on the early days of Metallic. Today, another installment is premiering on the streaming service and this time you'll get to relive the grungy angst of the early '90s with Green Day. The first episode is available today with the other three to follow each Thursday through April 13th.
Elektron's Analog Heat upgrades your synth and drum machine
The proliferation of digital modeling of analog synths has lowered the barrier for cash-strapped, would-be musicians hoping to become the next big synth group like S U R V I V E (the band responsible for the Stranger Things theme). Cheaper synths and drum machines are great, but because they don't decay like analog instruments, they also lend themselves to everyone sounding the same. For anyone looking to add more warmth and variety to her sound, Elektron recently started shipping the Analog Heat sound processor.
Spotify might delay album releases for 'free' users
Spotify's deadlock with three of the largest music labels could soon come to an end. According to the Financial Times, the streaming company has agreed to 'window' important album releases to keep them on side. It would mean select records are only available to premium members for a period of time, incentivising subscriptions and boosting the revenue that trickles through to labels. The FT says nothing has been signed just yet, but stress talks have "picked up considerably" since the concession was made.
Vevo's Watch Party lets you watch music videos in sync with your friends
Ever since streaming video became commonplace, people have expressed a desire to be able to virtually have a movie night with friends who aren't in the same place. Google has even released an app that lets you watch YouTube in sync with friends on your phones. Vevo may not have feature films or popular TV shows on its service, but the company believes that letting friends simultaneously watch its vast catalog of music videos can be highly engaging. To that end, Vevo is announcing a new feature called "Watch Party," which should be live by the end of the month. It lets you invite a bunch of friends to a room hosted on the Vevo website and build a queue of music videos that play back in sync regardless of where you're tuning in from. (Assuming you're in one of the 14 countries where Vevo is available, of course.) Anyone with a Vevo account can set up a "room" and start inviting friends to it. Once people start joining, the playback continues unabated; there's no way to pause or rewind. It's basically like you're all tuned in to MTV from your various homes, except that this version of MTV still plays music videos.
Google Play Music has a few new options for playback quality
After seemingly forgetting about Google Play Music for an extended period of time, the search juggernaut has been showing its music streaming app newfound love lately. The newest update across Android and iOS adds options for playback quality (low, normal, high and always high) over WiFi and for downloaded tracks. Previously, you could only adjust quality for streaming over mobile data. As 9to5 Google notes however, the selections don't say what bitrate each option corresponds to.
Sony's Motion Sonic wristband makes sound with a wave of your arm
Sony's wild Wow Factory at SXSW uses the company's technology for a host of oddball immersive experiences. One of those, the Motion Sonic Project, was quite a bit less ambitious than putting four perspectives into one VR headset or strapping players into full-body video gaming experiences. But nonetheless, it was fun, and it's pretty easy to imagine how the technology could be used once it graduates from the prototype phase.
UK to make online ticket-buying bots illegal
A new amendment slipped into the Digital Economy Bill, which is now pretty close to becoming UK law, would make the use of online tout bots that hoover up tickets to popular music, sport and other events a criminal offense punishable by unlimited fines (but not imprisonment). Websites typically limit the number of tickets an individual can buy for obvious reasons, but computerized tools that circumvent these caps allow scalpers to buy more than their fair share, if there is such a thing in this context.
'Zelda' concert tour to celebrate 'Breath of the Wild'
If you love The Legend of Zelda, or appreciate top video game tunes, there's nothing like a Symphony of the Goddesses performance. The live, orchestral concert series has dazzled fans of Link and Hyrule for the past five years, with epic renditions of classic tracks from A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and more. Today, concert organiser Jason Michael Paul Entertainment has announced the dates for the 2017 Tour. It's also teased some set list changes, including a new piece from Breath of the Wild, an "all-new movement" from Skyward Sword and an updated overture.
Pandora's new on-demand music service is beautiful, but is that enough?
Rdio wasn't the first streaming-music service I used, but it remains the one that I've used the longest. A combination of smart discovery, social features and excellent design (something most music services still can't nail) made it a great option, but it couldn't attract subscribers the way Spotify could. Eventually, Rdio shut down -- but at the same time, Pandora acquired its assets, which the company used to build Pandora Premium. Today that service is finally ready to launch. As announced in December, Pandora Premium is a combination of traditional radio stations as well as an on-demand competitor to Spotify and Apple Music (with the same $10-per-month price, to boot). Both of those rival services have been rapidly gaining subscribers as of late. The question Pandora has to answer is not only whether Premium can compete but also whether there's enough of an audience for it in an already crowded market.
SXSW 2017: What to watch out for over the weekend
The atmosphere here in Austin, Texas is warming up nicely (as is the weather, thankfully). With the smell of BBQ and the constant strum of guitars now permanently lingering in the air, it can only mean one thing: SXSW's Interactive weekend is upon us. If you're not here on the ground in Austin, no worries: We're here to bring the show to you via the interpipes.
Harmonix and Hasbro's new card game mashes up hit music
The heyday of music games may have passed, but that hasn't stopped Harmonix from experimenting with new ways for you to experience your favorite tunes. Sure, there's a new Rock Band coming to VR, but for those who prefer something a bit more old school, the company's developing a new card game with toy company Hasbro. Dropmix is a music-mixing game about outscoring your opponent, building an awesome song collection and creating the dopest beats.
Trippy rhythm-action game 'Thumper' is coming to Xbox One
No matter what platform you own, you'll be able to play last year's excellent rhythm game, Thumper. Developer Drool writes on Xbox Wire that the equally trippy and violent music game will make its way to Xbox One sometime this spring, teasing that more details will soon follow. And, in related news, if you want something to play on your shiny new Nintendo Switch, Thumper will make its way there as well in the same vague time period. Who said you needed VR to enjoy what the game has to offer, anyhow? And if you're a big fan of the music you can even get that on vinyl. Unlike so many other gaming soundtracks, though, this one won't cost you an arm and a leg.
Spotify hurtles past 50 million paid subscribers
Last we heard, Spotify had some 40 million subscribers. That was so 2016. Now the music streaming service has announced it's pushed past 50 million paying subscribers. Feel like helping the company celebrate? Well, you could start by listening to a certain song by Kool & The Gang. Soon enough, you could even stream it at a higher audio fidelity, too. Compared against Apple Music's reported (by CNBC) 20 million users, it shows just how far Apple has to go before taking on the current leader in the space.

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