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Jay Z is calling Tidal users to personally thank them for signing up
In addition to signing on a roster of big name artists to help lure new subscribers, Jay Z is handling some of the customer service duties as well. Mr. Carter is calling folks who signed up for Tidal's music streaming service to personally thank them. It sounds odd, but the company confirmed to us "that's 1000% true." He's not the only one, though, as Tidal executive Vania Schloge told Business Insider that Jack White and others are calling subscribers, too. Using one of the services' features, artists can log in and see exactly who is listening to their music alongside contact info for those people. It's certainly a personal approach, but one can wonder if that star-packed relaunch didn't provide the boost in new subscriptions the company hoped. The company also announced today that it replaced CEO Andy Chen with Peter Tonstad, who was in charge before Mr. Carter & Co. took ownership. Of course, being a part owner of the project is certainly motivation to get more involved. I just wonder if Jay Z used a video phone. [Image credit: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images]
Sonos adds another five music services, including Jay Z's Tidal
You've got your Sonos setup, and you've gushed about how easy it is to use, but (but!) you're itching to stream some Swift -- alas she's not on Spotify anymore. Not to worry, as the speaker company has recently added full (it was in testing before) support for music service challenger Tidal, as well as 22tracks, Saavn and Deezer Elite (again?). The new sources keep coming, too -- Mixcloud (a popular site for DJ sets) was added in "beta" (again, in testing) just today. As you'd hope, Tidal and Deezer Elite will stream high-quality audio to your earholes, while Saavn will satisfy your Bollywood hit needs. Sonos now has a total of 60 different music services compatible with its hardware and software mix -- so many, you'll likely not have heard of half of them. Its universal search still weeds out the artist you're looking for across music platforms, handy, given certain well-heeled musicians continue to pick and choose which services they back.
Tidal's HiFi test rewards audiophiles with half as much free trial (update: now changed)
Tidal windmilled its way into music streaming relevance this week when it relaunched under the stewardship of its new owner, Jay Z. Apart from strong celebrity endorsement, Tidal's main selling point is a $20 premium tier offering lossless (non compressed) audio/music. To convince you over to that pricier package, Tidal has a test: listen to five songs, switch between the regular and high quality versions, and pick which one you think warrants the extra $10 a month. The prize? Two weeks free trial to Tidal. The problem is... you can get a 30 day trial just by signing up?
Apple is reportedly trying to poach artists from Jay Z's music service
The streaming music business is getting particularly cutthroat, it seems. According to Billboard, Apple exec Jimmy Iovine has been trying to lure the first-tier musicians from Jay Z's artist-owned Tidal service (possibly for an upcoming streaming option) by paying them "more money upfront." Jay Z isn't directly confirming the rumor, but he isn't exactly denying it, either. He explains that a poaching attempt just reflects Iovine's "competitive nature" and that the two have talked about their rival offerings. The rapper claims that he's trying to make nice, and that he doesn't "have to lose in order for you guys [at Apple] to win" -- he sees the two sides trying to help artists. That may be true, but something tells us that Apple isn't about to make life easy for a direct competitor... especially one whose emphasis on exclusives and special deals could hurt Apple's bottom line. [Image credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Roc Nation]
Jay Z's version of Tidal is an artist-owned streaming service
The ink on Jay Z's purchase of music-streaming service Tidal isn't quite dry, but that's not stopping the musician/entrepreneur from getting a start on things. The company announced earlier today that it would offer a non-lossless option for half the cost of its original high-definition plan -- down to $10 per month from $20. That's not all. At the official relaunch proceedings this evening, Alicia Keys revealed that a lineup of artists, including Jay Z, Kanye West, Jack White, Deadmau5, Daft Punk, Usher and many others, are all part owners in the endeavor. The goal for Tidal moving forward is to offer a music-streaming option that benefits both artists and listeners alike. With artists becoming increasingly frustrated with compensation from the likes of Spotify and others, it'll be interesting to see how Tidal keeps its musicians happy while offering an attractive slate of both regular and lossless tunes, as well as HD video and editorial content.
Jay Z's first order of business: Cut Tidal subscription fees in half (update)
If the ability to stream Taylor Swift's music has you eyeing Tidal, Jay Z & Co. just sweetened the deal. Ahead of a relaunch event this evening, the streaming service cut it's monthly rate in half. That's right, instead of shelling out $20 for spinning the lossless catalog, you'll now need to commit $10 per month. According to the company's Twitter account, the drop in price doesn't mean that you'll get access to less, either. Subscriptions still include the same content, with high-definition streaming being the key feature. The move allows Tidal to compete with the likes of Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music and others when it comes to pricing. What's more, early reports indicate that exclusive content and artist partnerships are two things Mr. Carter hopes will lure eager listeners to the service. While the finer points are unclear right now, we'll surely get a clearer picture during the event that's set to begin at 5PM ET today. Update: Turns out, that price drop is for an entirely new tier. The $10/month rate is for a regular version, while lossless streaming will still set you back $20 -- similar to Deezer's $5 and $15 options for Premium+ and Elite.
Taylor Swift will be available on Jay Z's Tidal streaming service
Most people still have no idea what Tidal is, but that's likely to change if Jay Z continues playing his cards right. See, the music mogul has just convinced Taylor Swift to give the Norwegian hi-fi streaming service -- that he snapped up -- the right to stream most of her albums. As she's one of the world's best-selling artists, she certainly has the following to help spread the word about the company. But doesn't Taylor dislike streaming services? Well, not exactly. She left Spotify last year, because she wasn't happy with its free, ad-supported tier -- on the other hand, she stayed with Rhapsody and Beats Music, because they don't have a free option.
Jay Z's bid to buy a Spotify competitor is back on (update: done!)
You might be expecting a riff on one of Jay Z's lyrics to preface the news that stockholders have apparently approved Hova's bid for music-streaming outfit Aspiro. Sorry, it's not happening; instead, the excellent photo above will just have to suffice. Anyhow, with today's looming deadline to make a decision, Swedish news outlet E24 reports that Aspiro's minority shareholders have decided it was best to accept the 464 million Krona (roughly $56 million) bid from S. Carter Enterprises' "Project Panther." Next up? Most likely, an official announcement from both parties and then something from a governing trade body saying that the sale's been approved. If you need something to do until then, you could always dig an old Samsung phone out of the drawer, fire up the Magna Carta app and remind yourself of Jay's last streaming move. Update (3/13): Jay Z's Project Panther Bidco announced today that it acquired enough shares to take over Aspiro. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Judge finds Grooveshark employees guilty of mass copyright-infringement
Grooveshark's disappearing and reappearing act looks like it could finally come to an end; permanently. A Manhattan judge has ruled that because Grooveshark employees themselves had uploaded 5,977 songs to the service and infringing on copyrights in the process, the outfit couldn't be granted safe harbor for hosting music from the likes of Jay-Z and Madonna. Meaning, the firm's previous method of compliance under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act was null and void because it wasn't users who uploaded the copyrighted material (which would be subsequently removed upon request), it was in-house staffers including CEO Samuel Tarantino and CTO Joshua Greenberg, according to The New York Times. Reuters notes that there was also evidence of internal communications from Greenberg that told employes to share music as much as possible from outside the office in an effort to foster growth -- all as a condition of employment.
Boston-area Starbucks testing wireless smartphone charging; Starbucks, Google and AT&T back PMA standard
The Duracell Powermat and the Power Matters Alliance are charging forward in their quest to make wireless charging of smartphones all the more ubiquitous, today announcing the appointment of several notable companies to the PMA's shareholder board: Google, AT&T, and Starbucks. Subsequently, said appointments will result in various initiatives involving the wireless charging standard -- select Boston-area Starbucks will get PMA standard-based wireless charging spots, AT&T is selling PMA standard-based charging devices in "select markets," and ... uh ... Google is just kinda throwing its support in. Google's Chief Internet Evangelist (best job title ever?) Vint Cerf already serves as honorary member of the PMA's board, so perhaps that's more than enough. Ah, and of course, if you're into charging mobile devices wirelessly while getting $2,500 Remy Martin bottle service, Jay-Z's 40/40 Club is also supporting PMA-based wireless charging spots. Of course. For a full list of spots, check the PR below the break.
Jay-Z streaming Brooklyn show live tomorrow, in a YouTube state of mind
Between the end of an eight night string of shows, the whole Brooklyn Nets thing and the launch of a new YouTube channel, Jay-Z's got plenty to celebrate. And just to show he cares, he'll be streaming the last of his shows from the Nets' own Barclays Center tomorrow at 9:30 PM ET to celebrate. Sure it's not quite like being there, but at least you don't have to deal with the post-show traffic at the Atlantic Avenue station after the show.
Motorola "Jay-Z" Bluetooth headphones hit the FCC, branches on the ugly tree
Hmm, Hov, you may want to check the fine print on whatever deal you've got with Moto, because these Jay-Z-branded MOTOROKR S7-HD Bluetooth headset aren't exactly big pimpin' -- and compared to Dre's big ol' cans, they look downright sad. Of course, the FCC's legendarily nasty product photography isnt helping here, but even A2DP stereo support and the integrated mic can't salvage this mess -- was this really worth unretiring for?[Via Crave]
