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Twitter's Music app is dead, final shutdown scheduled for April 18th
It's been months since reports suggested Twitter would shut down its #Music app and service, but now it's actually happening. The service announced its iOS app is disappearing from the store today (download it now for that suddenly vintage feel), although anyone actually using it can continue until the service is shut down April 18th, a year after it originally launched. In a followup tweet, the team mentions it will "continue to experiment with new ways to bring you great content based on the music activity we see every day on Twitter." In October, AllThingsD reported the service's fate was sealed both by "abysmal" download numbers and project head Kevin Thau leaving for a job with Jelly.
Report: Fat lady already singing for Twitter #Music
Twitter is reportedly planning to kill off its #Music service, just six months after launching it, according to AllThingsD. The #Music mobile app was an iOS hit when it first launched, but download levels are now "abysmal," according to AllThingsD's sources. Although Twitter has continued to add features to the music discovery service, which relies on partners such as Rdio and Spotify to actually play music, its fate may have been sealed by the departure of project head Kevin Thau, who left Twitter shortly after #Music was launched to join Twitter co-founder Biz Stone's Jelly startup. According to AllThingsD, "that left the app, a product some have said felt half-baked, in the wind." Twitter has, apparently, already decided that #Music may not be a great source for direct revenue. In the company's recent IPO filing, Twitter, which makes "the substantial majority" of its revenue from advertising, declared that "we do not currently place, or currently plan to place, ads on #Music."
Twitter #Music charts now playing on Rdio
Twitter #Music might've released a Spotify app first, but that doesn't mean it's forgotten you folks on Rdio: you can now listen to all the tracks that rank on the social network's charts from within the internet radio's website or app. The songs are segregated into genre playlists -- just head over to the Twitter #Music station linked below to access and subscribe to them if you're inclined to keep abreast of what's trending. If what's hot with Twitter users don't exactly suit your ears, however, you can always discover new music via Autoplay or take advantage its Station Tuning feature instead.
Spotify gets its own Twitter #Music app
Twitter #Music launched with Spotify streaming as a core feature. It's only fair that Spotify #Music get an app of its own, then, and one has just launched today. The new client very closely mimics its web counterpart, letting members find and play trending music on Twitter from big-name artists, fast-rising newcomers and everyone in given genres. As you'd imagine, the difference rests in how you play music -- it's much faster to start a track or add it to a playlist, and you don't need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber to tune in. If you're interested in learning what the world is listening to, you'll find the free #Music app at the source link.
Twitter #Music for iOS now displays tweets on #NowPlaying feed, lets you interact with them
Hey, remember Twitter #Music? Yes, that Twitter #Music. Well, the jam-focused service is getting a little better on iOS thanks to the latest update. Today's changes aren't as major as the discovery features and additional languages the app gained last month, but #Music power users will most likely still appreciate the new additions. To be more specific, the app squeezes some new features into the #NowPlaying feed, allowing you to favorite, retweet and reply to tracks shared by others. Best of all, now you won't have to stop and switch between Twitter apps to share how you feel when someone's listening to Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop."
Twitter #Music iOS app updated with discovery features, additional languages
Twitter's Music app for iOS just scored a few more features aimed at helping you discover new tracks, and, if you happen to hail from a handful of European countries, allowing you to navigate in your native tongue. Version 1.2 now lets you quickly jump to an artist's top tracks, locate similar tunes, and, as a pretty nifty affiliate perk, jump to the musicians that artists follow on Twitter. There's now also an option to scan your iPhone's music library in order to recommend relevant tracks, and you can quickly access a list of musical groups that you've tweeted about in the past. Finally, the pièce de résistance -- for foreign users, at least -- is an option to use the app in a variety of European languages, including French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Italian. Molto Buono.
Twitter #Music for iOS adds genres for more targeted filtering, thankfully omits rap-rock
Twitter's still tweaking its #Music app for iOS, currently the only mobile platform that's privy to the discovery service. Previously, users could only toggle through four categories (i.e., Popular, Emerging, Suggested and #NowPlaying) to stumble upon artists and tracks of interest. But as of today, Twitter's updating the app's filter, adding genres, like Metal, Country, Dance and all the predictably labeled rest to Charts so you can "get hip-hoppy" (it's in the changelog) or get your Bieb on or make jazz hands to the sounds of that Rihanna. The new version 1.1 update also lets users now authenticate Rdio from within the app -- no more linking out to Safari -- and irons out some known bugs, too. If you've already downloaded the app, then just sit back and wait for it to update. First timers can head to the source below for to test out the Twitter-made music assist.
Twitter #Music adds new chart features
When Twitter launched its music discover service Twitter #Music last month, the service had a lot going for it. Spotify and Rdio support for streaming full songs, music discovery based on what was trending at the moment and the #NowPlaying feature that shows what your friends are listening to added a lot to the service. But it had one major flaw: It lacked specificity. It lacked charts that allowed you to see the top artists in genres, that you cared about. And now, that problem has been fixed. Twitter has added genre charts to its Twitter #Music app in the hopes of helping you better find the music you're looking for. Currently there are 15 charts to browse; 10 genre stations (alternative, country, dance, metal, pop, etc.) and five specialty stations (superstars, popular, emerging, unearthed and hunted). The genre charts are self-explanatory, and don't worry folk fans you're included there too, but the five other charts are worth taking a look at. Superstars and Popular focus on the mainstream music currently at the forefront of pop culture, while the Emerging and Unearthed charts list artists who bubbling under the service. Hunted, a nod to a service called We Are Hunted that Twitter recently acquired, aggregates music popular in blogs at the moment. As of press time the new chart features are only available on the web version of the service. It's expected that the charts will be added to iOS in an upcoming update.
Twitter #Music adds genre charts to aid your musical discovery
Unless you've been living under a proverbial rock, you've at least a passing familiarity with Twitter's #Music service, and today the platform given us another reason to check it out, thanks to the addition of genre charts. When #Music launched a month ago, it provided the means to discover and hear tunes from popular, emerging and suggested artists along with those you and your friends follow. Now those discovery pages have been expanded to include ten musical genre charts (country, hip-hop, rock, etc.), plus five additional charts titled Superstars, Popular, Emerging, Unearthed and Hunted. The Superstar and Popular charts display the most popular songs and new music that's trending, while Emerging and Unearthed are two avenues for finding lesser-known songs and artists. Finally, the Hunted chart displays music that's currently popular in the blogosphere. So, people of Twitter, go forth, use these new charts and find your musical bliss, but only on the web, 'cause the iOS app is without them... for now.
Twitter #Music lead Kevin Thau joins Biz Stone's mysterious Jelly project
If you're not familiar with Kevin Thau, you ought to be: he worked on many of Twitter's early mobile efforts, helped integrate it into major platforms and headed up the Twitter #Music app. That's what makes his newly confirmed move to Twitter co-founder Biz Stone's new firm, Jelly, so interesting. While little is known about Jelly beyond its plan for a decentralized service, Thau will be heading up numerous aspects of business operations at the company while it builds "world class mobile products." We'll have to wait awhile before we see his influence, but his presence hints that Jelly is more than just a casual project.
Twitter #Music app helps you find tunes by who you follow
With so much competition already existing in the streaming music world, the Twitter #Music app faces the same problem as every new service -- how do they set themselves apart from the competition? The answer for Twitter is discovery; more specifically helping users discover new musical artists along the lines of the ones they already follow. It takes a few minutes to learn how to navigate the app, but once you understand the ins and outs you'll be flying. There are four screens: Popular, Emerging, Suggested, and #NowPlaying. Popular features the artists who are currently trending on Twitter. Emerging showcases smaller artists who are building twitter buzz, although at the moment it's not clear how they judge if someone is "emerging" or not. Suggested compiles artists based on who you already follow. And #NowPlaying is based on the music your followers are listening to. Music is displayed on tiles with the artist's picture or logo. Simply click on the tile and hear the song by that artist. It's a little disappointing that you're limited to only one song per artist to listen to, especially if you're using the most basic function where the music is simply an iTunes preview clip. The service allows you to connect your Spotify or Rdio account to listen to full songs however. Using the app with just iTunes clips feels like a waste of time, but when given access to the full song the potential for music discovery increases dramatically. For instance, I had no idea M83 recorded new music for the upcoming film Oblivion and now I do. Thanks, Twitter #Music. #NowPlaying is the most actively social component of the service. It shows you what your friends are listening to and specifically which friend recommended it. Given the limited use of the service right now there weren't a lot of recommendations available for checking out, but it was neat to see what one of the obscure rock bands I like was sharing at the moment. Whether this service strikes you as merely a fun distraction or an exciting new way to discover music will probably depend on how much you use your Twitter feed to discover music. I tested it with two different Twitter accounts, one for a music blog I write for that mostly follows bands, and my own personal account that basically only follows a punk band and rappers I think are funny. The end result is easy to predict. The more artists you follow on Twitter the better the suggestions proposed for you are going to be. Otherwise you're going to find the to-be-expected list of Top 40 and popular indie rock acts you find in every streaming services recommendations. It's also worth noting that suggested songs tend to pick older tracks for some artists. The band Alkaline Trio is represented by their newest single "I Wanna Be a Warhol" while indie rocker Kevin Devine brings up his 2005 song "Cotton Crush." "Cotton Crush" is a great song, but Devine has put out three solo albums since then. On one hand I appreciate including deeper cuts in an artist's discography; on the other it seems strange for a new music discover service to reach that deep when it only offers one song by an artist at a time. Twitter #Music is a clever new way to discover music based on the stuff you already like. It's hard to judge the suggestions too harshly when you take into account they are largely based on the suggestions of mainstream Twitter users. The app more than makes up for it with their personalization based on your own personal use. I'd like to see future updates add the ability to listen to more than one track by a single artist, but even in its current form Twitter #Music is going to be getting a lot of use on my iPhone.
Twitter #Music app hands-on (iOS and web)
Surely no one was surprised when Twitter formally announced the launch of its #Music service this morning (save, perhaps, from the fact that the company used Good Morning America, of all places, to share the big news). Frankly, we're just glad to finally get our hands on the promised big announcement, which rolled out in both browser-based and iOS formats this morning. We've played around with both versions, listening to Taylor Swift, so you don't have to. Check out our impressions after the break.
Twitter #Music to debut later today (Update)
As reported by ABC News, the new Twitter #Music app will officially launch today. It will be available through the Twitter #Music app for iPhone and on the web here. Details are coming in this morning. A post has been published to Twitter's blog with a lot of information. The Twitter #Music app will help you discover music based on what's trending on Twitter, bands and others you follow and music gleaned from tweets. Basically, a music recommendation service based on tweets! According to Twitter, it pulls music from iTunes Rdio or Spotify. Music previews will default to iTunes, and those who subscribe to Rdio or Spotify can log into their accounts and enjoy full tracks as they're available. Twitter notes that other music services will be added in the future. It's going to be fun to play with and we'll have a detailed look at #Music soon. Update: Twitter #Music is available it the App Store now.
Twitter will unveil something 'big' on Good Morning America tomorrow
Forget music halls -- Twitter thinks morning TV talk shows are where it's at for product announcements. It used The Today Show last year to unveil a profile page redesign, and we now know it will rely on Good Morning America this Thursday to unveil something... "big." But what does that cryptic clue mean? While logic would suggest Twitter Music given its semi-official status, we could also see TV in expanded tweets or something entirely unexpected. We'll keep our eyes (and possibly ears) open.
Twitter Music iOS app reportedly launches this month, SoundCloud music discovery for the masses
If you've been wondering why the We Are Hunted music discovery service has gone a little quiet of late, CNET thinks it has things figured out. According to typically-unnamed sources, Hunted has been gobbled up by Twitter and has been working on building an iOS app to launch before the end of the month. According to CNET's report, the app would make music suggestions based on what you're currently listening to and, yes, what music accounts you follow on Twitter. The app itself supposedly won't wade into the particularly murky waters of music streaming, but will instead piggy-back on SoundCloud for the heavy lifting. Current listens will be pushed out to Twitter and, if you were having doubts about this, many We Are Hunted employee Twitter accounts have been showing a conspicuous number of #NowPlaying-tagged tweets -- with links to SoundCloud tracks. We've reached out to Twitter for comment and will update here should we hear anything back.
