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Turntable.fm releases Piki app, for music recommendations and streaming
Turntable.fm is one of the many social streaming music sites out there -- it allows you and your friends to stream music and even listen in together to your favorite albums and songs. The company already has its own standalone app for the App Store, but it's trying a new tactic now to grab attention in this increasingly crowded streaming market, releasing a new app called Piki (a misspelling of "picky," I guess) that's centered not just around listening to music, but also around sharing recommendations and favorites. Just like any other streaming app out there (Pandora, Slacker and Rdio are all popular variants on this), Piki lets you pull up radio stations that will automatically fill with music and stream it out to wherever you happen to be. The difference here is that instead of coming from a computer or even a radio producer, these stations are filled with music recommended by your friends and other members of the service. You can provide reactions to the music as well, and then those picks are incorporated in other users' music, too. I know Pandora does use user preferences to rate its various music streams, and while Slacker's big claim is that they're using actual radio producers to pick some playlists, this is definitely an interesting idea, especially if you've got friends using the app with some excellent taste in music. And the fact that Turntable.fm is branding it under a completely different name shows that things are getting hectic in the streaming business. They're doing whatever they can to nail down an audience of listeners. If you're down to put an ear on some new tunes recommended by your fellow listeners, Piki is currently available on the App Store for free.
Rdio introduces social video streaming service Vdio
Online music-streaming service Rdio has announced the launch of Vdio, a new video-streaming service. Vdio is a pay-per-view service, unlike its sister program's "all you can eat" subscription model. The service builds off Rdio's social focus with Sets, playlists for TV shows and movies that make it easy to share and discover new content to watch. Furthering the social theme of the service is the ability to check out what your friends are watching at a given moment and jump into the program with them. A service is only as strong as its content, but Vdio features most of the latest releases from the big screen to network television. Current titles range from movies such as Zero Dark Thirty to The Hobbit and Skyfall, while popular television programs such as Breaking Bad, Homeland and Downton Abbey make up the broadcast front. TV shows are available to stream the day after they air, and subscribing to a whole season provides a discounted price. The service doesn't have a deal worked out with HBO, meaning you'll have to look elsewhere to catch up on Game of Thrones. At the moment the service is only available to Rdio Unlimited subscribers in the US and UK. Current subscribers, or anyone who subscribes in the next 60 days, will receive a US$25 credit towards the service to try it out. Vdio is currently only available on the iPad or online. Other devices and platforms will be added in the future. Curiously, the iPad app does not allow users to rent or download content, but rather only allows for streaming things that have already been purchased.
Rdio introduces streaming site Vdio, provides yet another on-demand video service to online viewers
We'd heard murmurs about Vdio being eventually launched over in the United Kingdom, but, aside from that, details still remained relatively scarce. Well, now we have official word that Rdio's planning to make it its own platform for streaming à la carte video content -- and, frankly, it's no surprise given that Vdio's creator, Janus Friis, is the music service's own co-founder. For starters, Vdio will offer an array of on-demand movies and TV series, including new productions such as Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Skyfall and many more, plus there are also small-screen hits like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and Homeland-- these shows, similar to how they operate on other services, will be available to view the day after they air. The only caveat is Vdio's currently only open to Rdio Unlimited subscribers in the US and UK, and mum's the word on when, or if, Rdio plans to bring its new video streaming service to a broader audience on the web.
Rdio on iPhone now shows which friends are listening, web streaming hits seven countries
Listen enough to Rdio on the desktop and you'll know your friends' taste in music when they're fellow subscribers. As of a fresh update to the iOS app, you'll also appreciate any musical kinship while on the road. iPhone users receive an overhauled playback view that shows just which friends have listened to that favorite album or playlist. They'll also have a more pleasing view in mid-play that blows up the album art and downplays the interface. There's no word on similar treatments for the Android app, but the odds have increased that you'll at least have the web fallback for social listening: Rdio has quietly added web streaming for Austria, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Mexico, bringing desktop access to a total of 24 countries.
Senzari becomes Wahwah, loses web service to go mobile-first
Senzari is a Pandora-like Internet radio service, that allows you to listen to streaming music centered around an artist or genre of your choice. For a little while now, the company has hosted the service on its website, but it recently picked up another service called wahwah.fm, and now is going to streamline its offerings into one, mobile-first app. The new app is going to be called Wahwah, and it will combine Internet radio with the idea of "broadcast stations," where you can send out music on your local iPhone to anyone else using the app. The Wahwah app is set to arrive sometime around SXSW, which will take place starting March 8 in Austin. There are of course quite a few of these streaming music services around -- I like Slacker a lot, and lately I've started listening to Rdio as well. But what's interesting here is that while Senzari is launching the Wahwah app, it's actually taking its web-based service offline completely and solely depending on the iPhone (later, Android and other platforms) for its users. That makes sense from a programming perspective (because dealing with one platform at a time is easier than trying to run a few), but it also speaks to the iPhone's popularity, that Senzari can get a solid audience by only going through an iPhone app. Eventually the web service will relaunch, which Senzari says will happen in two or three months. Most Internet radio services commonly run both a web-based service and a separate mobile app (in addition to custom apps for any other platforms), so it'll be interesting to see how Wahwah does with a mobile-only (and essentially iPhone-only) launch.
Billboard redesign brings charts streaming into the 21st century
Back in the old days, music charts were mostly good for hit single montages in movies about struggling bands. These days, chart-making stalwart Billboard's looking to offer up something more, bring its services into the era of streaming media, with a redesign that harnesses Spotify, Rdio and Myspace functionality, letting users listen to the day's tracks in order of popularity, the way they were meant to be listened to, we guess.
Rdio promises up to six months of free streaming in more countries
What's better than free music? Lots of stuff, probably -- but it's still on the top of our list. Rdio is hoping to get you hooked into its vowel-agnostic music streaming ways with the promise of "up to six months of free music" without ads or credit card numbers. The deal adds a number of countries to the list (of which the US is already a member) -- including the UK, Australia, Canada, France and Spain. There are 15 in total (again, already including the US). Germany and Brazil are sadly still excluded from the free music party. While the offering is ad-free, each month does include a limited number of plays (though Rdio's not giving an exact number at the moment), which will count down on your page. More info on the offering can be found after the break.
Rdio for iOS gets a 2.0 makeover, revamped design
Ever-popular streaming music app Rdio has just received a pretty extensive makeover. As Engadget reports, Rdio's new 2.0 overhaul not only tweaks the app's aesthetic qualities, but also adds a few very welcome new features. Cashing in its old design for a much cleaner, brighter and Apple-esque approach, Rdio's new layout is easier to navigate than ever. On top of that, the app features a new navigation bar that minimizes the need to flip between screens to get where you need to go. Additionally, Version 2.0 introduces what Rdio calls a Unified Player to the iOS app, which syncs your current musical selection across all your Rdio-equipped devices. As always, the app is free to download, but an auto-renewing monthly subscription to Rdio's wide array of music will set you back US$14.99.
Rdio for iOS hits version 2.0: now with all-new design, unified player and more (update: Android too!)
Rdio's done a pretty decent job at often keeping its desktop and mobile apps updated with fresh features. With that in mind, the streaming service has just pushed out v2.0 of its iOS application, which includes a novel and very sleek design that, as you can see above, brings an all-new navigation bar, as well as the addition of a unified player to make syncing across multiple devices easier and a remote control feature to let folks tinker with other Rdio apps. Of course, this new version (2.0.0, to be precise) is compatible with the usual iOS suspects (iPod touch, iPhone and iPad) -- and, better yet, you can grab the updated app now directly from your Cupertino device or via the source link below. Update: Android users haven't been left out, as the updated UI is now officially available on Google Play. Hit the Rdio blog for more details or the source link to grab the app directly.
Rdio posts Android beta app with new sidebar UI, unified playback and remote control
Rdio has spent a large part of 2012 revamping its mobile app, and a new beta shows that it's still full of ideas with two months left to go. The 2.3 test version makes the ubiquitous hidden sidebar even more unavoidable than we've seen before, but those not irked by UI homogeneity will be happy to see Rdio gain some multi-device harmony: along with syncing whatever's being played from desktop to mobile and back, the beta introduces a remote control that lets Android gear either serve as the remote or as a target for other devices. A play-later queue persists across devices, too. Although we haven't been given a timeframe for the finished version pushing out through Google Play, there's nothing stopping avid subscribers from taking a slight risk with the beta and getting a taste of their musical future.
Rdio begins paying artists $10 for every user they attract
Streaming music services have a bad reputation when it comes to paying their artists, who only earn a few cents each play. Rdio is trying to remedy that (and grow its subscriber base) by paying songsters $10 for every user they personally attract that stays around longer than a month. Brendan Benson, Scissor Sisters and Snoop Dogg Lion have already signed up, but it's not just for big names, any musician with an Rdio account can join -- tempting us to upload our Lady Gaga covers played on the Sousaphone in the quest for some of those rockstar riches.
Former Rdio software engineer joins Google's Project Glass team
There's still quite a few months before those lucky early adopters can get their eager hands (and eyes) on Google's Explorer Edition set of wearables, but in the meantime, the company's not wasting any time and is building up its team to have the frames as loaded as can be. One of the latest additions to Mountain View's Project Glass squad is former Rdio and Danger software engineer Ian McKellar -- who'd previously worked on the streaming service's API, among other things. Mum's the word on what exactly he'll be tinkering with at the Project Glass laboratories, though we can't imagine it'll be anything short of amazing. In case you'd like to dive into his thoughts a little more, you can check out his tweet on the matter at the link below.
Frank Zappa music catalog now available on iTunes, could be coming soon to Spotify and Rdio
Freak out (!), because another music legend's starting to bite the iTunes pie. With the well-documented Beatles-on-iTunes saga well behind us, it's time for the late Frank Zappa to become one of the most recent artists to join Cupertino's media repertoire. This means that there's now over 50 of Zappa's albums up for your downloading / listening pleasure inside Apple's renowned application -- some of which have been remastered, and include the likes of Absolutely Free, Uncle Meat, Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and, not surprisingly, the best-selling Sheik Yerbouti. That's not it, however, according to Digital Music News, Frank Zappa's full set of jams could also be headed to streaming services (such as Rdio and Spotify) sometime around October of this year -- though, at this point, nothing's been set in stone just yet. Either way, the good news is you can find the hefty catalog on iTunes as we speak, all you've got to do's give the source link below a quick tap.
Warner Music Group says streaming services now account for 25 percent of digital revenue
We've been seeing plenty of evidence that streaming music services like Spotify, Pandora and Rdio are pulling in more folks than ever, and we now also have a good idea of how that growth is affecting the bottom lines of music labels. In its third quarter earnings report, Warner Music Group revealed that streaming services now account for a full 25 percent of the digital revenue for its recorded music group. As AllThingsD reports, that translates to 8 percent of Warner Music's total revenue for the quarter, or about $54 million in all. What's more, that growth in streaming appears to be a net plus for the company all around, as it's apparently not cutting into traditional sales of digital music (at least, not yet), and is also bigger than the decrease in sales of physical media.
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.
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.
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.
Rdio grows its European presence, hits France and the UK starting at £4.99 per month
The hottest tech news of the day in Europe will undoubtedly be the next Galaxy phone, launching tonight in London. Music fans on that side of the pond woke up to another surprise, however, with the launch of Rdio's online streaming service in France and the UK. Pricing starts at £4.99 (about $8) per month for unlimited web streaming, jumping to £9.99 (roughly $16) when you add mobile support. Ready to rock? Hit up the source link below for a six-day free mobile trial, without any need to hand over those precious credit card deets.
Facebook places 'Listen' button on artist pages, now takes you to your go-to streaming app instantly
If navigating away from a musician's timeline on Facebook to get a quick listen isn't your favorite activity, you're in luck. The folks in Palo Alto dropped a "Listen" button on artist pages today, giving you access to popular tracks instantly. Situated right beside the ever important "Like" button, the new feature first asks if you'd like to open your favorite music-streaming app -- either Spotify, MOG, Slacker Radio or Rdio. If you've yet to link a service to FB, it'll ask which you'd prefer to use. Once prompted in Spotify, for example, the app heads to the band's library and begins playing selections from the Top Hits category. The "Listen" button then becomes a play / pause control and clicking one on another artist's page makes the change in the app in a flash. To grab a look at the new control in action, head to your band of choice to give it a try.
