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iHeartRadio adds Spotify-like personalized playlists
iHeartRadio announced today that it's adding a new playlist for users to stream -- a weekly updated selection of tunes based on what you listen to. Your Weekly Mixtape will be refreshed every Monday and will include 30 to 75 songs chosen for you based on the stations and artists you listen to and the tracks you give a thumbs up. It sounds an awful lot like Spotify's Discover Weekly, even down to the day it's released. But iHeartRadio's chief product officer, Chris Williams, told CNET that there is a difference between the two.
Spotify lets artists submit unreleased tracks to playlist editors
Spotify announced today that it's making it easier for artists and labels to submit new music to its playlist editors. The company has released a new feature, which is still in beta, that will allow artists and managers with a Spotify for Artists account or labels using Spotify Analytics to submit an unreleased song for curated playlist consideration. That track will then be available to the over 100 editors Spotify has around the world, who can search through submissions for appropriate additions to the playlists they design.
Alexa can build Amazon Music playlists for you
Amazon announced today that Amazon Music listeners will now be able to ask Alexa to make a playlist through their Alexa-enabled devices. Commands like "Alexa, add this to my playlist" and "Alexa, create a new playlist" can be used and users can ask the assistant to add songs to a specific playlist or to create a new playlist from the current song being listened to.
Spotify is testing a Pandora-esque standalone Android app
Spotify apparently has plans to launch another music app -- one that's more like Pandora's original service, or like a radio, if you will. The company has begun testing a playlist-based app called "Stations" for Android, and according to its Google Play listing, it plays music as soon as you launch it. You'll have to "like" tracks in the app so it can create personalized stations for you, but like Spotify's main app, Stations learns what music you prefer the more you listen. All you need to do to switch stations and automatically start playing other music is to scroll through your playlists.
Spotify's latest playlist collects your top 100 tracks from 2017
Spotify's data-driven and editorialized playlists are some of the biggest features that set it apart from its competitors. It being December means the streaming service is taking a look back at the year that was. Specifically, it's offering a look at your year in music listening. When you log in today you'll find two playlists: one for your top 100 songs from 2017 and then "the ones that got away." More than that, there's a downloadable and shareable card with stats about how many minutes of music you've listened to, your top artists, top genre and top songs. The data analysis goes even further, with a report for how many songs you've skipped, how many artists you've listened to and how many songs you've streamed.
Spotify's new playlist is personalized to your teenage years
Spotify has added another personalized playlist to its lineup, but rather than a compilation of what you've been listening to or what you might like to hear, this one takes you back to what you used to play, probably on a CD or something. "Your Time Capsule" features 30 songs that "take you back in time to your teenage years," and the playlist is around two hours long.
Shazam brings its music-recognition skills to Samsung TVs
Samsung and Shazam have partnered up to put an end to the head-scratching torment of hearing an unidentifiable song on TV. Samsung's newest update for its 2017 smart TV platform will give viewers access to Shazam at the click of a button, allowing them to identify the title, artist and lyrics of a song playing on screen. This can happen live, or via content delivered through HDMI. Viewers can also speak "what is this song?" into the Samsung One Remote to access information, plus stream the music they identify and create playlists that can be accessed without running an external app.
Spotify’s Summer Rewind collects your favorite warm weather jams
Spotify's known for excellent playlist curation and music discovery, and now they're extending that expertise to your favorite summer music. Starting today, Spotify users can find their most-listened to songs of past summers on the new "Your Summer Rewind" playlist.
Starz pulls Spotify music streaming into its apps
The pairing of Spotify and Starz in a single app seems odd, but it's happening anyway. Subscribers to the premium channel who use its mobile app (via a direct subscription or participating cable provider -- sorry Comcast customers) will notice links to the music service with its most recent update. It will provide a quick link to soundtracks and music from Starz-licensed movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens (since that came out just before Netflix took over the deal from Disney) as well as its exclusive shows like Power and Outlander.
Snapchat ends our long nightmare by killing Story Auto Advance
Before Instagram copied it, Snapchat's rolling 24-hour Story feature was a quick way to keep up with anyone you follow on the app. There was just one problem: Viewing a new Story would play not only that person's post, but any other new posts in the queue. That means a (completely theoretical) viewing session could jump between a random celebrity selfie, video from a concert, something X-rated and then a video of someone's kids playing with their pets, and there was no way to know for sure what would be next. Now, Snapchat is pulling back on the Auto Advance feature in favor of Story Playlist.
Spotify's Daily Mixes use your listening habits to make playlists
Spotify has been keen on adding new discovery features to its service for a while now. Today, the streaming option announced yet another tool that keeps your playlists fresh. The new feature is called Daily Mixes and it compiles six different playlists that are constantly updated based on your listening habits. Each mix contains over a dozen songs and more tracks load as you listen so you don't have to worry about running out of material.
Virgin America's app has Spotify playlists based on your trip
Virgin America revealed a major overhaul to its website back in 2014, and now it finally has an app for Android and iOS. As you might expect, the retooled mobile software has a similar look and feel to the web portal, but you can use it to book flights, manage upgrades and access boarding passes on the go. There's a lot more playful illustration than you've seen in other airline apps, consistent with the approach Virgin takes to air travel. What's more, there's Spotify integration as well, offering an easy way to play music during your trip.
Create Netflix movie and TV show 'mixtapes' with Flixtape
If you're looking for a weekend activity, Netflix has another option to guide your streaming habit. The company has a new Flixtape generator that takes a subject or phrase that you enter and compiles a mixtape-like playlist of three titles. You're free to add more to keep the marathon going as well as re-order or nix the streaming service's recommendations entirely for your own picks. Though the mixtape sentiment is there on the surface, when a TV show is selected, Flixtape lists the series as a whole, rather than specific episodes. It would be kind of like adding an entire album to the collection.
Spotify will make a playlist for your out-of-office message
Spotify has been churning out a number of new features for finding fresh tunes as of late, but its most recent tool aims to make your out-of-office email more musical. The streaming service has a feature that builds a playlist based on your destination that will appear inside the aforementioned message. Appropriately called OOO, the web-based interface takes into account the city you're traveling to, whether its for business or pleasure and the overall mood of the trip before compiling a collection of songs. The playlist is actually pulled from tracks that are trending in that location, so when I selected New York City, I got a good amount of show tunes and The Last Five Years soundtrack.
Spotify's Fresh Finds playlists serve up undiscovered artists
Last summer, Spotify rolled out its Discover Weekly feature that builds a new playlist each week based on your listening habits. I've actually found the tool to be quite useful for discovering new music and now the streaming service is looking to expand its recommendations. With Fresh Finds, Spotify creates genre-specific playlists uses software and human "tastemakers" to identify undiscovered artists before they become popular. The process for choosing the tracks includes analyzing listening patterns of users who seem to have a knack for "up and coming music" (those so-called tastemakers) and monitoring the web for additional info.
Pacemaker's DJ app is putting the 'mix' back into mixtape
The team that gave the world the Pacemaker portable DJ device, the Pacemaker DJ app, and put the whole Spotify library in your virtual record box doesn't want you to DJ anymore. In fact, the latest version of Pacemaker for iPhone almost elbows you out of the DJ booth completely, assigning you the role of "selecta" instead, while it blends the music. Pacemaker isn't the first app to auto mix your tunes (it's not even the first one this week). It's not even the first Pacemaker app to do so. What this update does do, is have a stab at reinventing the humble playlist -- turning them into seamless beat-matched mixes that you control.
BBC Radio 1's new show is designed specifically for iPlayer
Now more than ever, Brits are discovering new music through streaming apps such as Spotify, Rdio and Apple Music. Specifically, listeners are tuning in to playlists that are themed around artists or music genres they're already interested in. The BBC seems to have recognised this and is doing something similar with a new, downloadable "Playlist" show on Radio 1. From January the programme will air every Thursday from 9 to 10pm, but more importantly, it'll also be available to download in the iPlayer Radio app. The show will rotate every week, covering different themes and moods, like "Ellie Goulding's Running Mix" and "Annie Mac's Ibiza Classics." The BBC already offers some show downloads in the iPlayer Radio app, so this idea isn't entirely new. The difference, however, is that the broadcaster seems to be thinking iPlayer-first, rather than radio-first now. It could be an early glimpse at the new, playlist-centric music service that the BBC has in the works.
Shazam update adds songs to Spotify and Rdio playlists
Shazam is great for discovering new music and settling a friendly bet. While you could already listen to full-length songs from Rdio or Spotify inside the app, now you can add identified tunes to your playlists parked at those two streaming services, too. Without leaving Shazam, simply hit the plus in the top right corner of the screen after the app gives you the track details. Shazam will then display a list of saved playlists for you to choose from. Once you make a selection, you're directed back to the song page in the music discovery app. I gave it a shot this afternoon and it works well, especially if you want to put a song somewhere other than the playlist that Shazam automatically creates, and continually populates, for songs after you link your streaming subscription.
Spotify's Discover Weekly uses your habits to recommend new music
Spotify just added a load of new features with a recent update and now it's looking to help you find new music. To do just that, a new tool called Discover Weekly builds a two-hour playlist of suggestions based on your listening habits and those of folks with similar preferences. What's more, the collection of tunes -- basically a mixtape -- is refreshed every Monday so that you're greeted with new material on the regular. In fact, my collection was updated early this morning. Spotify says the more you use it, the better it'll get, adapting as your musical taste evolves. Soon, Discover Weekly with appear at the top of your saved playlists for easy access. And yes, you can save individual songs you like or share the whole lot with your pals.
8tracks indie music library is a hipster's dream
If your musical tastes are too obscure for Spotify and Pandora, 8tracks' got you covered. The radio-style app averages eight million active members and about 30 million hours of streaming every month. Today, the company is rolling out a library feature that allows members (or DJs) to access 6.5 million tracks from independent music storehouses like INgrooves, CD Baby, Dim Mak and more. Over the last six years since its inception, 8tracks has become a discovery tool for the indie music loving community. Two-thirds of its streams are from independent labels and musicians. With the new partnerships, it strengthens that position and continues to support artists with exposure and royalties.
