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What's next for Spotify? Apps, apparently
We may have to wait until noon ET today to get the official word on "what's next" from Spotify, but The Wall Street Journal has kindly given us an early peak into what we can expect a few hours from now -- namely, apps. The Swedish music streaming service is apparently getting ready to go all Facebook on us, offering up apps galore. When it launches today, the service's "app finder" will include magazine reviews, concert listings, lyrics and the like, so you'll never have to guess at what Tom Waits is saying again.
Spotify wants to show us 'what's next' on November 30th
Hey, we like Spotify quite a bit already, but we're not ones to begrudge a music streaming site for working on bettering itself. The site sent out an invite this morning for an event that will be held on the 30th, presided over by none other than CEO Daniel Ek and "a special guest or two." If the above image is any indication, the big news isn't a new logo. Either way, we'll find out for sure next week.
Kobo partners with Rdio to pre-load app on Vox tablet
Amazon and Barnes & Noble aren't the only companies touting some high-profile apps for their Android-based tablets. Kobo has now also announced a partnership with Rdio, which will see the latter company's app (and access to a catalog of more than 12 million tracks) come pre-loaded on the new Kobo Vox tablet. Of course, the Rdio app is already available for other Android devices, but this is certainly at least a small boon for Kobo, which doesn't offer Android Market access on the Vox tablet.
Logitech Squeezebox gets MOG personalized music streaming
This one's for you, Squeezebox listeners: you can now add the MOG music streaming service to your list of apps and stream 13 million mood-categorized tracks to your system at up to 320Kbps. It's ad-free for $5 per month, you can try it for 14 days before you commit, and installing the app should be easy via the mysqueezebox link below. In our household, the favorite mood seems to be swing.
BBM Music now rocking BlackBerry App World (video)
RIM's BBM Music is now ready for public consumption. The simply titled mobile app is hitting the company's App World today for users in the US, Canada and Australia -- with more areas coming soon, naturally. BBM Music lets BlackBerry owners add 50 songs from a choice of millions and harnesses the social networking capabilities of BBM, giving Premium users access to music from their friends' music profiles. Check out video of the app in action, after the break.
Rdio gets rechristened 'Oi Rdio' while vacationing in Brazil, has plans to visit Germany and Australia
Are you a resident of Brazil and love streaming music? Have a seat, as Rdio's packed its bags and is headed for a little séjour on the South American continent. Launching later this week, the service will be functionally similar to its US and Canadian counterparts, except it'll lose gratis ad-free streaming and get a name change to "Oi Rdio." That joint word-mark is the result of a partnership with Brazil's largest telco, Oi, which should give the service headway with the former's 70+ million subscribers. But it's just an awareness ploy, as non-Oi subscribers can still partake in all the fun. Unlimited monthly access to the 12 million tunes on offer starts at R$8.99 (about $5) for web, or R$14.90 (about $8.50) for those seeking offline-capable admittance on their mobiles. It's all part of an international expansion, as the service plans to visit Australia and Germany in early 2012. Spotify's passport is plumper, but hey -- you gotta start somewhere.
Spotify comes to MeeGo to help keep your N9 company
Looking to bring the gift of song to your new, somewhat limited edition Nokia N9? Good news, Spotify is offering itself up to the MeeGo gods, bringing its music streaming services to the slick handset by way of the Nokia Store. The app is free, but requires the customary Spotify Premium account for you to get any actual enjoyment out of the thing.
Sony Music Unlimited arrives for Android tablets, bearing gifts of unlimited music
It's been a week of upgrades for Sony Tablet S owners. First came news of the PlayStation Store's arrival and now comes confirmation that Sony's Music Unlimited service is available, as well. Yesterday, the company announced that its music streaming service has finally made its way to the Tablet S and other Android slates, a little more than four months after launching on Google-laced handsets. The basics remain the same: $4 per month for a basic subscription or $10 per month for premium service, though Tablet S owners can take advantage of a 180-day free trial, in case they still have their hesitations. Stream past the break for the full PR, or grab the app for yourself at the source link, below.
Boxee Box adds music streaming from Spotify, just press play
Today the Boxee Box becomes the next media streamer in the US (after the WDTV Live and Live Hub) to add support for Spotify's streaming music library. Assuming you have a premium subscription at the ready (free and unlimited passes won't cut it, consider this the same as access on a smartphone) all you need do is log in and your personally curated selections from the company's catalog of sounds is available in your home theater. We gave it a quick try on our own system and found it synced our favorites with no problem, however if you don't have playlists set up there's no way to search or pull in songs from different sources. Still, considering how difficult it is to throw a party with more than one participant around your laptop, this should be the perfect way to take your dubstep playlist to the big speakers. And maybe invite some other people.
Rdio launches free, non-ad-supported streaming for US users, meter to keep you in check
Ad-free, on-demand streaming is coming your way, folks -- and it won't cost you a dime. Rdio has announced the launch of its free service that will give you access to a library of over 12 million songs without being interrupted by pesky Spotify-esque advertisements. The no cost subscription won't require you to give up your credit card info either, but, you will get a "customized meter" that will let you know how much music you can access monthly. No word yet on how much time you'll have, but any amount of time with the Radiohead discography is sure to be of use. You'll be able to listen via the web or desktop app without grabbing a paid membership, but if you want Rdio's tunes on your phone, it'll cost you $9.99 per month. Also, from what we've heard, this is only available in the US -- for now. If you're looking for the full rundown then hit the PR below for all the details.
Spotify streaming hits the living room on the latest $99 WDTV Live, WDTV Live Hub
The latest iteration of the WD TV Live family is here and this micro sized, 802.11n WiFi-equipped, internal storage-lacking, streamer supports the latest version of its UI -- as seen in the already available WDTV Live Hub. Also new to these two boxes is support for Spotify, bringing up to 320kbps music streaming to the living room, as well as Dailymotion to the existing list (Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Facebook etc.) The new WDTV Live is available for $99, check after the break for a pic of the box itself and the press release with all the details.
'Humanity toward others' extended to Windows with Ubuntu One cloud storage
Are you a Windows user in need of yet another cloud storage option? Lucky for you, after a long-running beta, Canonical's Ubuntu One client has officially debuted on Microsoft's platform. First introduced with Ubuntu 10.10, the service offers 5GB of free storage, with file syncing across multiple machines, ala Dropbox. Android and iOS clients are already available. If you need more space, how about 20GB for $29.99 a year or $2.99 a month? And if portable tunes is your game, you can have that same 20GB along with music streaming apps (similar to Google Music Beta) for $39.99 a year or $3.99 a month. Click the source link to engage in some cross-platform storage.
Poll: Spotify tops two million premium subscribers -- are you one?
The competition may be nabbing most of the headlines these days, but Spotify's got some good news of its own to report. We just got word that the streaming music service has passed two million premium subscribers internationally. We attempted to get some clarification on just how many of those are based in the US, but the company doesn't break down such numbers by country. Still, it's a positive note for companies trying to monetize such services in the face of increasing free offerings. So, are you one in two million? Take the poll and tell us why -- or why not -- in the comments below. %Poll-69226%
Pandora rolls out HTML5 redesign to everyone, drops 40 hour listening cap
Remember that Pandora redesign that we told you about, way back in July? Well, it's finally done testing, and is ready to bring its HTML5-based goodness to the Internet radio-loving masses. The revamp offers up a number of new features like improved socialization, easier station creation and additional information about artists, including lyrics, bios and larger album art. Coolest of all is the ditching of the 40 hour music listening limit for non-premium users -- a welcome change in light of similar announcements from MOG and Rdio.
Kazaa rolls out music streaming app for iOS devices
Kazaa may not have exactly caught fire since it ditched its shady past and went the legit route back in 2009, but the company is still around, and it's now finally released its first mobile app. That comes on the form of an iOS app initially (compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch), which itself is completely free and includes a seven-day trial of the Kazaa music service (including unlimited streaming and downloads of "millions and millions of songs"). Once that's up, however, you'll have to fork over $9.99 a month to keep the service (US-only, for now), which places it in direction competition with the likes of Spotify and Rdio. Hit the link below to try it out for yourself.
Rdio rolling out free, non-ad-supported version 'in the very near future'
Rdio knows you work hard for your money. That's why the social networky music service announced its intentions to offer users free access to its massive music library without dropping dollar one, turning over a credit card number or getting served up ads, Spotify-style. The company isn't revealing much in the way of details beyond that, only promising that the offer will be made available to all consumers "in the very near future." The deal certainly sounds like too good to be true territory, but Rdio adds that it's "confident" users of the free version will be enamored with the service enough to pony up and subscribe.
MOG FreePlay brings 11 million songs to the web gratis, makes you work for free tunes
Free? Yeah, we all like free, but when it comes to streaming music, there's always a catch. This time it's a FreePlay "tank," which lets you stream any of MOG's 11 million songs from the web without subscription fees -- well, at least until that looming gauge hits empty. The system adds a rather unique social media twist, filling tanks to different levels based on virtual interactions. And MOG's CEO says many users should never hit empty -- there are a variety of ways to earn free music, such as "interacting with advertisers in meaningful ways." Like Spotify, MOG's ultimate goal is to convert freeloaders to paid subscribers, and forking over $5 (Basic) or $10 (Primo) per month does have its benefits, including hardware integration and mobile access -- both of which won't work with the free version. Now that we have several free streaming options, it ultimately comes down to availability -- having access to 11 million tracks could be great, but only if you can play the songs you want to listen to. So, do you MOG? And no, we also have no idea what that means, but you can check it out when the site goes live tomorrow morning at 9AM ET.
Pandora's song-finding flair comes to Spotify, IHeartRadio via separate initiatives
Ruh roh. That's the sound emanating from Pandora's stock price, which has taken a serious beating in the wake of two separate announcements in the past week. First off, Clear Channel and Echo Nest have teamed up to produce a self-proclaimed "Pandora killer," with a new technology enabling IHeartRadio users to build out customized radio stations right on the app. As you'd expect, folks will be able to construct a custom playlist "based off the selection of a single seed song or artist, both online and on mobile phones," and it'll be featured when the app relaunches in beta form this week. In related news, Echo Nest has also concocted a Pandora-esque streaming radio feature for use in the Spotify app; it's a gem called Echofi, and if you surf down to the source link, you'll be able to give it a whirl. Type in a single artist, mash go, and watch as Spotify is launched and related music is spun until you decide you've heard enough. Here's to competition... right?
Orange / Deezer strike mobile music streaming deal
When it comes to music subscription services, Spotify isn't the only game in town -- but you knew that already. Here in the States we've got Rhapsody and Rdio to name but a couple, and in Europe, Deezer has been making a bit of a name for itself over the past few years. The French service will likely be expanding its reach in the UK, thanks to a deal struck with Orange. Deezer is now available as part of the carrier's Panther plan -- Orange customers on other plans will have to pay £9.99 a month to get their stream on. Press release after the break.
Samsung outs new Blu-ray and media hub drives: dammit, the ODD still lives
You've seen our musings on the continued relevance of optical drives and it seems Samsung agrees entirely: it's just announced two external spinners to keep pace with our "evolving mobile entertainment demands." Er, great Sammy, but how? First off, there's the USB-powered SE-506AB Blu-ray writer depicted above, which will give that awful Pacific boxset one last chance on your ODD-neutered Mac or netbook. But that's not nearly as interesting as the SE-208BW CD/DVD writer, which doubles as a WiFi media hub to stream music and movies to your smartphone, tablet or PC. It works the other way round too: letting you backup content from your mobile device direct to a disc. It even supports Dynamic DNS and can cooperate with a flash drive or HDD to become a "personal cloud server." Still not impressed? This wonder drive additionally functions as a WiFi extender, or it can create an access point from scratch when cabled up to your network. Man, that's ODD OD. The media hub will arrive at the beginning of 2012, while the new Blu-ray drive should be out any time now. No word on pricing, but check out the PR double-shot after the break for the full specs.
