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Spotify app hits Kindle Fire, brings mobile radio and 320kbps listening
Love your Kindle Fire, but find yourself habitually cursing its lack of Swedish music streaming services? Great news, Spotify's now available through everyone's favorite $200 Amazon tablet, bringing with it free custom radio stations, social functionality like the ability to view friends' playlists and 320kbps listening. Interested parties can download the app from the source link below.
Seedio app networks iDevices into loudspeaker, blasts music far and wide
Yearning to break free from earbud-induced isolation and spring towards a music listening experience with a social slant? Seedio for iOS can help. Built by a team of six developers, the app networks local iDevices over WiFi and allows one user to stream music to others. Audio from iTunes or YouTube is queued up by the designated disc jockey, or "seeder," and plays through each device's speakers in unison to create a distributed, makeshift loudspeaker. If the situation calls for a quieter jam session, however, you can forgo the speakers and listen in with headphones instead. Up to 150 devices can connect through a single router, but four is the current limit when relying on an ad hoc network created by an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Seedio isn't the first of its kind to roam the wilds of the App Store, but its creators claim to have nailed syncing audio across gadgets. The app is free for a limited time, but will soon pick up a $2.99 price tag. For those content with merely tuning in and leaving the playlist duty to others, the app will remain free.
Amazon updates Cloud Player with 256 Kbps matched files, faster import, direct delivery (update: Roku, Sonos coming soon)
Amazon's Cloud Player service just scored some major upgrades, including quality and import enhancements. Perhaps most notable is a new 256 Kbps option for matched files, including songs you imported before today. That bitrate, in MP3 format, is available for new tracks and albums added to the cloud -- a process that's been streamlined as well, with Cloud Player scanning your library and automatically offering up matched tracks, rather than requiring manual imports. In addition, music you buy in the Amazon MP3 Store will show up in your Player automatically, including past purchases (in cases where the site has the necessary rights). There's also an option to edit metadata directly, such as artist and album info, along with album art, or you can use the label information already in Amazon's catalog. Cloud Drive will also be less integrated with Player -- previous uploads will be moved to an "Archived Music" folder and won't count against storage caps, but will still be accessible and downloadable, while new imports will be stored in Player directly. You can upload up to 250 songs to Cloud Player for free, or pay a $25 annual fee to bump that cap to 250,000. Full details are at the source link below. Update: Amazon also mentioned that it has secured new licensing agreements with Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, adding that Cloud Player will be available on Roku and Sonos devices soon as well.
Rdio Android app updated with playlist and search improvements, puts new releases in grid view
Much like its desktop counterpart, Rdio's Android app is constantly being tweaked -- adjusting its style, adding features and generally doing the whole mobile update dance. Among a slew of standard bug fixes, the streaming music service's latest app update promises playlist editing improvements, including the ability to jump directly from a song in a playlist to its parent album, clickable activity stream URLs and more complete search results. The update boasts some user interface improvements as well, placing new releases in a grid view. Ready to upgrade? Hit up the Google Play at the source link below.
Onkyo upgrades remote apps for latest-gen receivers, intros music streaming Bluetooth adapter
It's been a little less than a year since Onkyo first entered the software-based remote space, and now the company's ready to give those controls a major boost with the help of a much needed refresh to its iOS, Android applications. To kick things off, Onkyo's Remote 2 app is finally making music streaming capabilities friendly with this year's TX-NR receivers, while other under-the-hood enhancements were made to the various remote zone functions. In addition to these improvements, Onkyo also introduced its $60 UBT-1 Bluetooth adapter, essentially offering the same tune streaming features but "through a hardware gateway" and, best of all, at a much higher quality. Unlike the USB dongle (which is available now), however, the free apps won't be available until sometime "at the end of the month" from Cupertino's App Store, Google Play and Amazon's custom shop. In the meantime, you can keep yourself occupied by checking out the official pressers and UBT-1 picture right after the break.
Bollywood music hit Dhingana launches dynamic adaptive streaming on iOS
India's leading on-demand music service Dhungana has updated its iOS app to be the first app outside of the US that offers Apple's dynamic adaptive streaming for music playback. As we told you about last February, Apple's dynamic adaptive streaming allows mobile users to access their streaming music in a less bandwidth-intensive manner. For example, those with fast Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G connections would hear their streaming music in high-quality stereo while those with slower 2G or EDGE connections would hear their streaming audio in mono. The exciting thing here is that no matter what your mobile data speed is, you'll still be able to hear your streaming audio uninterrupted and without having to manually adjust any settings yourself. Along with dynamic adaptive streaming, the company also announced today that it has more than 2 million mobile users, of which 56% are in the US and Europe. US users alone stream more than 30 million minutes of Bollywood and Indian Pop music per month. When all countries are combined Dhungana's users stream over 60 million minutes per month. The Dhingana app is a free download and it's universal -- so it works both on iPhone and iPad. If you're bored listening to the same tunes you hear on the radio day in an day out, give Dhingana a try. It's a great way to discover new music and now with its dynamic adaptive streaming you'll never miss a beat.
Beats Electronics gets official with MOG acquisition, makes it an honest music streaming service
The writing's been on the wall for some time now, with this having been considered a done-deal back in March, but now the two parties involved are going public. Beats Electronics, the house that Dre built, is acquiring the MOG music streaming service, adding a little content to its brightly-colored can offerings. No word on cost, but MOG is said to have raised $33 million in funding to date, so that might give you a ballpark figure. It's also unclear how or whether Beats-investor HTC might be involved in this new relationship, but if recent happenings are any indication, don't go expecting too much on that front.
Rdio goes minimalist, tries another redesign on for size
Finally get settled into the last Rdio redesign from just a few months ago? Well, we're afraid you've got a bit more adjusting to do. The streaming music service has now rolled out another sweeping visual overhaul of its website and desktop apps -- one that ditches the former iTunes-like appearance for a far more minimalist look, although all of the key elements remain in the same places as before. Naturally, that brings with it yet another software update for the desktop apps, although there's no word on any changes for its mobile apps just yet.
Spotify releases artist-branded apps, Quincy Jones and Rancid pick your music for you
Finding new music can be difficult. And sure, internet radio services like Pandora are all well and good, but can you really trust their algorithms to chose your music for you? What you need is an experienced tastemaker, like Quincy Jones or Tiësto or those dudes in Disturbed, whatever their names are. Thankfully, all of the above and Operation Ivy expats Rancid have signed up to create the first round of Artist Apps for Spotify, which can be downloaded now via the desktop verison's left nav bar.
Spotify brings radio feature to iOS, offers streaming to non-premium users
Swedish music streamer extraordinaire Spotify is updating its iOS app this morning with a key new feature. Radio, introduced late last year for the desktop version of the service, is making its way onto iPads and iPhones in the States for both premium and free users. As with its desktop counterpart, users can generate an unlimited number of Pandora / Slacker-like radio stations using artists, albums, songs and Spotify playlists. The social functionality that Spotify loves so much is intact as well, with both songs and radio stations appearing in friends' Facebook streams. And since the radio feature is available across Spotify's pages, you can make stations based on friends' playlists -- or you can just pick "Create a New Station" from the top of the Radio tab. You can thumb up or thumb down tracks, with songs you dig populating a "Like From Radio" playlist, making those tracks accessible on different devices. Inter-device functionality also means that you can start a radio station on, say, your iPad and pick up where you left off by firing it up on your iPhone. Premium users get an unlimited number of song skips -- when asked how many skips free users get, Spotify simply told us that it would be "industry standard" (ie, the same number you get on competing services). Asked when such functionality will be hitting Android handsets, the company told us, "we think it's core to the mobile experience, and we're looking to bring it to all of the major platforms in due time." In the meantime, iPhone and iPad owners can download the update today. Update: Spotify dropped us a line to let us know that the update apparently isn't quite ready for prime time. Rather than actually dropping today, the latest version of the iOS app "will be available in the next few days."
Spotify users in Germany no longer need Facebook account to register
Spotify users in Germany no longer need a Facebook account to register for the music service, Digital Music News reports. Since Spotify buddied up with the social network last year, users across the globe have had to hand over their Facebook info to create an account and start streaming. Now Germans will have the option to create a Spotify account by providing their email address and creating a username, though the Facebook requirement holds true for all other countries. As TNW points out, that change in policy may have something to do with the fact that less than 30 percent of Germans are on Facebook, compared to more than 50 percent for Americans and Brits -- but we suspect Germany's notoriously heavy emphasis on privacy had something to do with it as well.
Amazon reportedly adding music rights to Cloud Player, could close gap with iCloud
Amazon's Cloud Player app just made its way to the iPhone and iPod touch, but the company's web-based music service still lacks the license deals that make Apple's iCloud a more seamless experience. While iCloud scans a user's hard drive to match songs and stream them from iTunes, Cloud Player requires listeners to manually upload copies of their music to the cloud. According to CNET's "industry sources," Amazon is looking to close that gap by inking agreements with major labels and has already made deals with EMI and Universal Music Group. This story is still very much in the rumor phase, but obtaining those licenses certainly sounds like a logical step for a service meant to make enjoying files across several devices easier.
Spotify Android update hits Google Play today, brings Last.fm scrobbling with it
Remember that Android Spotify app we saw way back in April? After a couple of months, it seems that the music streaming service finally has a version for those who appreciate the more stable things in life. The new Android app is available today, bringing with it a complete redesign, full support for Ice Cream Sandwich, added social functionality, cross-fade and gapless playback, hi-res album art and streaming at 320kps. Improvements over the beta version include a widget to control playback from the home screen, folder support and Last.fm scrobbling. Spotify's offering the fairly noncommittal, "we reckon this might be our best mobile app yet." You can find out for yourself by downloading it from Google Play today.
Voice control comes to MOG's music streaming service with Ford SYNC AppLink
Good news for those who like music on-the-go, Ford had just added a new heavy hitter to its AppLink platform, and this time it comes from none other than MOG. The streaming service boasts a catalog of 15 million tracks, which is available to mobile devices for a monthly subscription fee of $9.99. With the Ford SYNC integration, users may access this vast library either through voice commands or in-dash controls, and as another nice touch, one's music queue will automatically resume from wherever they left off. Voice commands include "artist only" and "similar artists," along with "downloads" for situations when you aren't able to stream and "shuffle favorites." Finally, users may also create presets based on what's currently playing, simply by pressing and holding one of the in-dash preset buttons. This availability is solely for iOS users, but if you'd like to learn more, check the full PR after the break. %Gallery-157259%
Spotify director Sean Parker: Apple tried to keep Spotify out of the United States
Daniel Ek (co-founder of Spotify) and Sean Parker (Director at Spotify) just took the stage here at D10, with Walt Mossberg asking the two about the company's impact in America, negotiations with record labels and -- perhaps surprisingly -- its links with Apple. Outside of confirming that there's still around 10 million Spotify users worldwide (with around three million of those being of the paid variety), the duo also confirmed that it's working daily to improve the catalog. Said Ek: "We're up to 18 million songs, growing at 10,000 or 20,000 songs per day -- it's very much a growing catalog." Walt was curious as to why iTunes had upwards of 30 million tracks, and why all of the services simply don't have the same library, but both players were quick to brush off the topic and pivot directly to the importance of playlists. Ek stated: "If you look at iTunes, the vast majority of songs haven't been purchased by anyone -- it's driven by hits. We see 80 percent of our whole catalog listened to." Following that, Parker contributed: "The playlist is now the CD. It used to be a few songs were wanted by the consumer, and the rest of it was garbage. It's the new mixtape, but accelerated on a massive scale." As it turns out, Spotify actually sells "bundles" (which are glorified playlists) as pay products in Europe, and when Walt asked why these weren't available in America, Parker obliged: "We just haven't released it yet." In other words, they're coming soon.
Samsung's Music Hub launches in UK, France and Germany, offers 100GB storage, unlimited streaming
We already knew Samsung was dipping a toe in the music market, and now it's officially landed. Music Hub will launch with the GSIII in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. It's fair to say the electronics giant will be trampling on a fair number of toes, with Music Hub offering both streaming -- from 7 Digital's catalog of 19 million -- as well as recommendations, and a 100GB iTunes Match-esque cloud service. You'll need to trump up £ / €9.99 (about $16) if you want the premium features (unlimited streaming from the catalog and the online storage of your library,) while the free option will let you listen to matched / purchased tracks anywhere (from your phone or the web interface). Samsung's clearly taking a holistic approach with Music Hub, and it'll be a standard feature on its phones going forward (plus potentially Smart TVs and even Fridges). It might not just be restricted to its own hardware eco-system either, with some talk of it coming to other mobile devices in the future, officially, this time.
Spotify hits Australia and New Zealand, can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
Music fans in Australia and New Zealand are waking up some happy news this Tuesday morning. Spotify announced that it's bringing its streaming services to those markets, starting today, offering up access to some 16 million tracks via PC, smartphone and iPad, bringing Spotify's availability to a grand total of 15 countries. Each new country will also be getting Spotify apps to call their own: Triple J in Australia and NZ Top 40 in New Zealand, both of which offer up curated music access. More information on the launches -- including prices for premium accounts -- can be found in press releases after the break, and a playlist of some of our favorite local jams (and a locally-themed Kinks number) can be heard below.
Sony Music Unlimited comes to iPhone with streaming music app
Android and PlayStation Vita owners have felt the Music Unlimited love on their respective devices for quite some time now, but the Spotify / MOG / Rdio competitor has finally made its way to the App Store, bringing with it yet another option for streaming music on iOS. The free app appears to be optimized for iPhone and iPod touch (though it's also compatible with iPad), and will enable on-the-go jammin' with a $4-per-month Basic subscription over 3G, 4G or WiFi connections. You can pull in tunes from the millions of tracks in Sony's collection, or access songs on your PC using the Music Sync service. The app is currently only available in the New Zealand App Store, but it's expected to hit other Music Unlimited countries soon. For now, you can hit up the source link for the Kiwi App Store preview, or head over to the Music Unlimited site to sign up.
Thefuture.fm launches iPhone app for discovering DJ mixtapes, hopes to steal Spotify's thunder
Internet radio purveyors from Spotify to Rdio keep upping the ante with more playlist features and design overhauls, and the competition for your ears' attention is only getting fiercer. One of the newest players is Thefuture.fm (formerly known as Dubset), which launched last month with a focus on DJ-curated mixtapes. Today the service outed its iPhone app, which includes a "smart search" feature for finding mixes by song or artist and lets users sync their web accounts with saved playlists for listening on the go. Looking for a new online-listening destination? Head past the break for a look at the press.
Rdio redesign goes live for one and all
We took Rdio through its redesigned paces a couple of months back, and now it looks like it's finally ready for prime time. The streaming music service announced today that the new version is now available to everyone, featuring a speedier, cleaner, more socially-minded interface. More info on the redesign can be found in the source link below-dio.
