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Spotify taps DJ Semtex for hip-hop culture podcast
Following in the footsteps of Zane Lowe and Ryan Newman, hip-hop aficionado DJ Semtex is the latest BBC Radio veteran to jump ship to a music streaming service. He'll be handling co-presenting duties alongside RCA's Parris O'Loughlin-Hoste on season two of Spotify's original podcast Who We Be TALKS_; a weekly show that explores the "music and lifestyle that surrounds [hip-hop and grime] culture".
Draft BBC Charter sets the stage for a subscription service
A few months after its White Paper, the UK government has published the first official draft of the next BBC Charter. The crucial document, which sets out the broadcaster's funding, corporate structure and general approach to programming, comes with a few crucial changes. After all, it's been a decade since the last Charter was drawn up -- a lot has changed in that time, both politically and inside the media industry.
BBC to create 'personalised radio' that switches between stations
The BBC offers a mixture of local and national radio stations aimed at different types of listeners. Want the latest chart-toppers? Radio 1 has your back. Prefer something classical? Just switch to Radio 3 instead. The problem is that many Brits have eclectic music tastes spanning more than one station. To stop listeners from tuning out, the broadcaster is planning a personalised radio service -- a single stream that intelligently switches between live and on-demand broadcasting based on your preferences. So let's say you like the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, which runs from 6 to 9am. But you also love Lauren Laverne's show on Radio 6 Music, which kicks off at 10am -- the service would, in theory, change stations automatically, and maybe throw in a podcast for the hour in between.
BBC iPlayer Radio app adds Glastonbury coverage
The BBC has updated its popular iPlayer Radio app with Glastonbury coverage. From the app's release notes: It's summer festival time! This update adds access to the BBC's extensive Glastonbury coverage, which will include live video streams throughout the event, as well as live performance video clips, photos, line up, artist information and more. The Glastonbury Festival is an annual event that takes place in Somerset, England. The festival spotlights a wide range of artists across all genres, but particularly music. The BBC has been toting this year's Glastonbury Festival as the "most digital Glastonbury ever" so it's no surprise they've added dedicated Festival coverage to the iPlayer Radio app. Glastonbury Festival fans can also download the official Glastonbury Festival 2013 app here. The Glastonbury Festival runs from Wednesday, June 26th until Sunday, June 30th. iPlayer Radio is a free download in the UK App Store.
BBC Media Player to give Android users their iPlayer fix in a mostly Flashless world
Remember how the BBC was asking Adobe to keep Flash for Android on life support for a short while? The broadcaster just removed any doubts as to why with the launch of BBC Media Player, its solution for that day when the mobile plugin is well and truly buried. Starting with iPlayer on the mobile web and moving on to both radio as well as an updated version of the Android app due next week, the BBC will be using close Flash cousin Adobe AIR for streaming playback on Android phones and tablets. It can't quit Flash technology cold turkey given the sheer number of devices still running Gingerbread or earlier, which rules out HTTP Live Streaming for now. Media Player isn't necessarily the most elegant solution -- we're seeing reports of sub-par video and other hiccups -- but it will keep those episodes of Doctor Who rolling on most Android hardware and let the BBC push out updates that address as many of the Google-inclined as possible.
BBC iPlayer adds radio support to Xbox app
Well, they certainly made you wait for it, but the BBC has finally delivered on its promise, bringing radio support to its Xbox 360 app. When iPlayer launched on the console in March, patient customers were initially left without access to the national network's vast catalog of audio programming. With today's 22MB update that changes, but only so long as you're sticking with archived materials. You'll have access to the catch up feature, but no live streaming (so don't expect to get your breaking news through your Xbox). You'll also be able to pick up where you left off with previously accessed programs. If you've got an urge to find out about all the work that went into the UI design, hit up the source.
Browse John Peel's legendary record collection, travel back in time
The Peel Sessions -- those are three blissful words to any music enthusiast. John Peel's BBC radio show was the stuff of legends. It launched entire careers and created a legacy of eclectic and intimate musical snapshots by our favorite artists. Can you imagine exploring his record collection? Well, now you can. The Space has created a wonderful site that lets you browse the late DJ's record archive one virtual shelf and album cover at a time -- complete with links to iTunes and Spotify. It looks and feels like the real thing, and provides a fantastic journey back in time. Only the letter A's been cataloged so far -- additional letters will be added (one each week) over the coming months. This is your chance to discover music curated by a man with impeccable musical taste over a period of four decades. Just follow the source links below.
