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Slacker Radio hits select Toyota and Lexus models with voice control
Toyota's Entune and Lexus' Enform infotainment systems already have access to several music streaming services like Pandora and iheartradio. But if Slacker remains your internet radio of choice and you drive a 2011 to 2015 model from either automaker, look out for software updates, because the app is coming to select vehicles from within that timeframe. Even better: since both these systems have voice recognition tech, this new app will have voice-enabled song and station search, as well. Plus, it will let you create personal stations, browse other people's, and play music that matches your mood.
Pandora lets artists know just how well their music is doing
Many musicians put their tunes on Pandora in the hopes that they'll build an audience, but how are they supposed to know it's working? That's what the streaming service's new Artist Marketing Platform (AMP) aims to solve. The initiative gives performers data on not just how many plays and thumbs-up ratings their songs get, but the demographics of who's listening and where the music is taking off -- very handy for planning a national tour. It won't guarantee that your indie band catches a big break, but it could help you focus your musical talents where they matter the most. [Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images]
Broadcasters want phones to come with a 'hybrid' radio format
You may think that radio is dying in an era when on-demand music streaming is nearly ubiquitous, but some of the world's biggest broadcasters (unsurprisingly) disagree. The BBC, Clear Channel, HD Radio's Ibiquity and a handful of others are researching a "hybrid" radio format that would give smartphone users the advantages of reliable, low-intensity digital or FM radio with the interactivity and "enhancements" of internet streaming. In theory, this would keep your costs down and your battery life up without giving up the creature comforts of modern technology.
Rdio update expands its free radio offerings, focuses on curation
Rdio has offered radio-like shuffle listening for quite sometime, but with its latest update, the service looks to be tops in free internet streaming. Across Android, iOS and desktop apps, the tune-minded outfit packs in new features that will help do just that, and it'll lend subscribers a hand with easily tracking down what they're after -- whether it's Stations, playlists, full albums or a single song. The free "Stations-first" option claims to offer a library that's 15 times larger than others with channels for selections based on genres and artists. What's more, there are also streams based on emotion or activity curated by folks at Rdio, and some handpicked by "tastemakers" (Snoop Dogg was offered as an example). There's a station that's unique to each user, too -- Billy FM is mine, for example -- learning from your listening habits to provide a mix to suit your favorites and yet another that's populated with tracks from your Collection.
Pandora bumps subscription fee to $5 per month for new customers
Pandora will soon charge new subscribers a bit more to enjoy ad-free internet radio. Starting in May, anyone who signs up for the company's premium service (Pandora One) for the first time will have to pony up $5 a month, a buck more than the current rate. The company explains that its operating costs have grown since it started offering ad-free radio in 2009, hence the price increase. As you'd expect, royalties are one of the biggest contributing factors despite Pandora winning in court against the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' demands for larger rates. In addition to upping its monthly price, the company's also killing the annual $36 subscription option altogether. All current premium subscribers (3.3 million out of 250 million registered users) will be moved to a monthly rate after their subscription ends. The good news is that Pandora's rewarding its loyal customers by continuing to charge them $4 a month -- and yes, that includes last-minute stragglers who sign up before May.
Court rules that Pandora won't pay higher royalties to songwriters (update: ruling details)
Pandora has been fighting tooth and nail against potential songwriting royalty increases, and it appears that this tenacity is largely paying off. A court has ruled that the streaming radio service should pay the same 1.85 percent royalty rate that it has paid for years, resisting both Pandora's call for 1.7 percent (like traditional radio) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' (ASCAP) demand for 3 percent. Details of the ruling are under a court seal, so the motivations behind the decision aren't yet clear. However, ASCAP is more than a little upset by its loss; it sees the verdict as proof that full-scale licensing reform is necessary to "reflect the realities" of modern music. Whether or not that's true, the Society may have inadvertently sabotaged its own case. It pointed to iTunes Radio's higher royalty rate as a model for fair compensation, but Apple is willing to make little to no profit from its music services -- ASCAP may have unintentionally suggested that its proposal wasn't realistic. Update: A week later, the details of the ruling are available. The judge determined that ASCAP was colluding with publishers to force Pandora to pay higher rates; it would ask publishers to leave the group so that they could negotiate more lucrative deals on their own, raising their royalty demands to give ASCAP more leverage at the rate court.
Samsung's Milk Music internet radio service is only for Galaxy devices (video)
Do we need yet another online music service? Samsung certainly thinks so, as it's just introduced its very own internet radio service called, weirdly enough, Milk Music. So named for its supposed "fresh" take on music (Get it? Because milk is fresh? Yeah, we're not sure about that either), it's free to download from Google Play starting today. In fact, you can start streaming tunes immediately as soon as you launch it, no sign-up required. Best of all, the service is completely ad-free (for now at least -- we'll explain more about this later). The caveat, of course, is that it's exclusive to Samsung phones. Milk Music is a completely separate entity from Samsung's existing Music Hub subscription service, as the former is focused more as a free radio service that you can use without having to set up an account.
Radionomy acquires Winamp and Shoutcast to boost its streaming efforts
There were rumors that Winamp would find a rescuer following its shutdown, and today that rescue is official. Online radio platform provider Radionomy has acquired both WinAmp and Shoutcast from AOL (Engadget's owner) for an undisclosed amount. The deal is primarily a play for market share; now that Radionomy owns Shoutcast, it's powering roughly half of all internet radio. The company also plans to improve Winamp, making it "ubiquitous" across multiple platforms that include mobile devices and car infotainment systems. It's doubtful that Winamp will reclaim the prominence it had during its heyday, but the acquisition should at least give it (and Shoutcast) a new lease on life. [Image credit: Theis Kofoed Hjorth, Flickr]
Rdio launches in 20 new countries, now counts more markets than Spotify
After launching a free, ad-supported service in North America and Australia, Rdio is keeping up the momentum by rolling out its paid service in 20 new countries. Those include swaths of South America including Argentina and Venezuela, along with South Africa, Israel and Hungary. That brings the total to 51, ranking Rdio second by country ahead of Spotify but well behind Deezer, which services a whopping 182 nations. If you're in one of the new regions and okay with having a machine guess your musical taste, you can grab it at the source for most platforms.
Peripheral Vision 006: Shawn Campbell on starting a radio station with a computer and microphone
"People sometimes say, 'oh, you're just like a real radio station,' " Shawn Campbell begins with a smile. "I have to say, 'we are a real radio station -- we're just one that doesn't have a broadcast signal yet.' " Campbell is seated besides a mic in studio B of what does, indeed, look like a real radio station. I might have half-jokingly made a comment along those lines when we arrived -- one-hundred-plus years of terrestrial broadcasting is enough to instill one with certain preconceived notions about what, precisely, makes a radio station. Campbell launched Chicago-based CHIRP in 2007 with terrestrial radio dreams and a team of 75 volunteers. "I'd had a couple of bad experiences in radio where I'd really poured my heart and soul into a station, only to have it thwarted by the owners," she explains. "Initially we thought that we were going to have to wait to apply for a low-power FM federal broadcast license. We thought we were going to have to lobby and change the laws to be able to do that. But we were so engaged that after about six months, we thought there [was] no reason not to start as an online station and continue our work to increase access for low-power FM and eventually apply for a license."
Rdio launches free service on iOS, Android
The streaming internet radio battles continue with an announcement today by Rdio that it has launched a free internet radio service in the US, Canada and Australia today. Rdio recently inked a deal with radio station owner Cumulus Media, which will start bearing fruit with the new service, as Rdio's web radio player will feature ads sold by Cumulus Media. The free Rdio app (also available for Android) will not play ads between songs, at least at the present time. Rdio is counting on hooking listeners with the free service, then getting them to sign up for a US$10 monthly subscription that will unlock the ability to select albums and songs directly. The service competes directly with Apple's recently launched iTunes Radio, as well as established internet radio services Pandora and Spotify.
Cambridge Audio's Minx Xi music streamer packs built-in amp and 24-bit DAC (video)
There are plenty of gadgets that will stream music across the home, but few of them would satisfy the stereotypical audiophile. Cambridge Audio's just-shipped Minx Xi system may appease those fussier listeners. The WiFi sound hub includes its own 24-bit / 96KHz Wolfson DAC, a Class AB amplifier and even a toroidal power supply to minimize interference at higher volumes. It can also decode compression-free formats like AIFF, Apple Lossless and FLAC. There's no want for input sources, either. The Minx Xi takes local music from both Cambridge's mobile apps as well as devices with Bluetooth, optical output, UPnP and USB support; by itself, the hub streams services like BBC iPlayer, Pandora and Rhapsody. The Minx Xi isn't cheap at $899, but it's also one of the few networked audio devices that could be a true complement to high-end speakers.
Pandora intros redesigned iPad app, hopes you'll skip that other big radio service
There's no doubt that Pandora is feeling the heat from iTunes Radio. The company isn't letting its competitor's launch go unanswered, however. It just unveiled a redesigned Pandora 5.0 app for iOS that gives iPad users several features that were previously iPhone-only, including deeper artist exploration, social music sharing and an option for more variety in stations. The release also makes better use of the big screen through a panel that helps listeners find related music without skipping a beat. Android tablets will get these perks later in the fall, Pandora says. The firm may still have a tough time luring iPad owners away from Apple's streaming service, but the new Pandora app is free to use -- it won't hurt to tune in.
NYT: Rdio to offer free streaming by year's end, strikes deal with traditional radio company
Having a hard time making it in the internet radio space? Maybe you should take a feather from the cap of a firm that still rides the airwaves. That seems to be Rdio's approach -- according to the New York Times, the company is partnering with Cumulus Media (a company that owns for-real radio stations) to create a free version of its audio streaming service. Rdio will also trade a stake in its parent company, Pulser Media, for chunks of Cumulus programming and promotion on the traditional airwaves. Cumulus will sell ads for Rdio's impending free service, as well as compile playlists from its catalog of syndicated programming. This could buffer Rdio's music library with news and talk shows, which will hopefully give the service a competitive advantage over services like Spotify, Pandora and iTunes Radio. Although the deal doesn't involve a cash exchange, the Times reports the value of Cumulus' services at over $100 million. As for that free Rdio overhaul? It's predicted to be out sometime before the end of the year. The deal will be officially announced on Monday, until then, check out the NYT report at the source link below.
Twitter #Music charts now playing on Rdio
Twitter #Music might've released a Spotify app first, but that doesn't mean it's forgotten you folks on Rdio: you can now listen to all the tracks that rank on the social network's charts from within the internet radio's website or app. The songs are segregated into genre playlists -- just head over to the Twitter #Music station linked below to access and subscribe to them if you're inclined to keep abreast of what's trending. If what's hot with Twitter users don't exactly suit your ears, however, you can always discover new music via Autoplay or take advantage its Station Tuning feature instead.
Daily iPhone App: Radium for iOS is a delight for radio fans
I love the radio. Not internet radio, that awkward bastardization of the format bleating out unending playlists without human interaction. No, I mean actual turn-the-dial-and-find-a-voice radio. If you want news, music or just the sound of someone you disagree with talking about sports or politics, radio is there for you. It's a truly beautiful thing. Unfortunately, the radio game isn't what it used to be. While I'm blessed to live in a city like Atlanta, Ga., that features a host of solid local stations, not everyone is so lucky. That's why the Radium app for iOS was such a joy to discover. Radium is a simple app with plenty of extra features for those who want to dig a little deeper. Upon opening the app, viewers are met with a simple screen offering a search bar at the top and your current list of favorited stations at the bottom. Searching is simple: just type in whatever genre you're looking for and hit done. Radium will offer up a list of station names with their respective content sub-genres listed underneath. The app draws from an international list of stations, reportedly around 6,000, to find exactly what you're craving. You can find rock stations from around the world, stream NPR if you don't have a local affiliate or discover what the kids are listening to in Japan these days. For this news and music fan, the best feature is the ability to stream the myriad different stations offered by the BBC. The BBC produces some of the finest radio content available anywhere, from news to music to in-house dramatic productions. Simply hook up your iOS device to your home stereo and sit back for hours of programing. All for free. Radium also features the ability to stream subscription radio services, allowing you to log in to Sirius XM and stream your favorite stations on your iOS device. It currently also supports subscriptions to CalmRadio, DI Radio + SKY Radio, JazzRadio.com and Live365. Once you decide on a station to listen to, Radium has a number of features available to improve your listening experience. Listeners with picky sound preferences will be happy to find an equalizer setting for optimized sound, including a delightful "auto" button that automatically adjusts the settings to match your current song or station. This feature can be turned off if auto equalization isn't your cup of tea. Radium also allows for Last.fm track scrobbling and iCloud device syncing. For users who have Radium for both their Mac and their iPhone, iCloud syncing is a nice way of keeping your favorite stations updated on each device. Listeners are also able to share what tracks they're listening to via an integrated Twitter function. At US$3.99, the app is might be seen as a splurge, especially given the wide number of free streaming internet radio options out there. However, for obsessive radio devotees or just music fans looking for playlists that are curated by human beings and not algorithms, it's a small price to pay. Radium is an example of how mobile devices and apps can connect you to ideas and voices from around the world. That it can also play dance music on top of those features is simply a scoop of ice cream on an already joyful experience.
This is the Modem World: Internet radio is inhuman
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology. I gripped the handset, twirling the coiled wire around my wrist, listening for a ring tone. Instead, a busy signal triggered an autonomous twitch reaction in my teenage hand: hang up, wait for dial tone, hit redial, listen for ring tone. Again. Again.
SiriusXM internet radio coming to Ford's SYNC AppLink, complete with in-dash controls
Ford said a while back that it wanted more applications with support for voice control inside its vehicles, and slowly but surely the company's getting what it wished for. Just as Spotify did a few months ago, SiriusXM is now introducing its own app for the SYNC AppLink ecosystem, giving drivers access to the internet radio service right from their Ford's in-dash system. This also includes features like voice commands and steering wheel controls, as well as access to SiriusXM On Demand and MySXM. As part of the deal with the Satellite Radio company, the American car maker announced that customers purchasing one of those SYNC AppLink-ready autos will get a six-month subscription to the All Access Package -- which is usually $199 per year and has more than 160 channels to choose from.
The Daily Roundup for 06.18.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Editorial: What internet radio needs to disrupt actual radio
"Internet radio" is usually a misnomer, as well as an indicator of its ambition. The term "radio" is misapplied to internet services like AOL Radio, Rhapsody Radio, the upcoming iTunes Radio and their ilk. All these mediums are unrelated to radio technology. But for most people, "radio" simply means something you turn on and listen to. As a marketing term, "radio" seeks to accustom users to new technology by connecting it with familiar technology. Pandora describes itself as "free, personalized radio." The business intent in all cases is more ambitious -- to wean people from the terrestrial radio habit and migrate them to online services. Will it work?
