02/13, 12:15pm
Jacked wholesale price causes spike on iTunes
Sony Music briefly inflated the price of a Whitney Houston album -- The Ultimate Collection -- only hours after the singer's death on Saturday, a Guardian report notes. The company is said to have initially raised the album's wholesale price at about 4AM on Sunday, causing its price to automatically jump at places like the iTunes Store. At the UK iTunes Store, the cost rose from £5 to £8; the album is actually an old one, a best-of compilation dating back to 1997.
more
02/10, 10:15pm
AirPlay, Bluetooth optons
Two different tech gear companies have announced two new products for music lovers who want small speakers. Gear4 out of El Segundo are launching the AirZone Series 1 home speaker and iPhone/iPod dock that incorporates AirPlay compatibility for remote sounds and control, while iPod accessory maker iHome is offering two different mini-speakers that stream music and more via Bluetooth connections, one including a mic for speakerphone use.
more
02/08, 6:00pm
Artists paid each time user re-downloads song
Most people know that iTunes Match, Apple's latest music-related service that offers to backup and make available whole iTunes libraries online, costs $25 year. While many assume the fee is at least in part a "bribe" to record companies to allow unlimited re-downloading, in fact Apple pays rights holders a fee each time a song is re-downloaded -- and for independent distributors who work with iTunes such as BandCamp, CDBaby and TuneCore, the royalty is a windfall for their artists.
more
02/08, 9:30am
Apple continues evolving use of iTunes
Pop musician Paul McCartney will host a live, streaming concert through iTunes on February 9th at 7PM Pacific time, according to an announcement. The event is being hosted at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, and is meant to promote Kisses on the Bottom, a new McCartney album released on Tuesday. Backing him live will be Tommy LiPuma, as well as Diana Krall and her band, all of which contributed to the record.
more
02/01, 1:00am
Calls Google Music 'an oxymoron'
On his last day as chairman of Warner Music Group, industry leader Edgar Bronfman Jr. sat down for an interview at the D: Dive Into Media conference in Dana Point, California. He was asked about a wide variety of topics, including his thoughts on various technological aspects of music which inevitably includes Apple, Spotify, Google and other players in the digital music scene. While defending the necessity of record labels, he warned of over-consolidation.
more
01/19, 11:30pm
App for iPad a response to customer requests
Music software company MakeMusic kicked off its NAMM industry trade show presence with a pair of announcements: in February, the company will make an as-yet-untitled iPad viewer app available for its Finale sheet-music users that will let them view print and play electronic sheet music. It also announced an improved 2012 version of its ">Finale NotePad.
more
01/11, 7:30pm
Subscription brings Sony, CDBaby music, more
Sony has announced today that it will bring its Music Unlimited subscription service to iOS devices, seven months after the Android app version and a year since its US debut on PlayStations, Bravia TVs, PCs and other connected devices. Sony Entertainment Network head Tim Schaaff told reporters a free universal iOS app would be available this quarter, and that the iOS app will offer up to 5GB of offline caching for premium subscribers to compete with other services like Spotify, reports MobileBeat.
more
12/19, 9:40pm
Composers can capture, hear musical ideas
A new notation editor and playback app, Notion for iPad, offers the ability to write down musical ideas and hear them performed using samples performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The app also features the LSO performing piano samples, together with other instruments and a track mixer. Scores can be customized using a full range of expressions, dynamics and articulations. For a limited time, the debut is being celebrated with a sale price.
more
12/12, 10:25pm
Project achieves Kickstarter funding
Keith McMillen Instruments has received enough Kickstarter pledges to introduce the QuNeo pad controller for musicians. The device integrates 27 pads, sliders and rotary sensors, with each sensor able to distinguish pressure, velocity and the exact location of touch input. Multiple LEDs in several colors are fitted beneath the opaque input locations, providing feedback and reference.
more
12/12, 8:45pm
Users can go back in time up to five hours
The SiriusXM app for iOS devices has been updated to version 2.0, which now features the long-promised ability to listen from the beginning of a show even if the user joins the show at any point. In fact, users can now go back in time up to five hour previous to the point at which they joined the stream in order to hear previous programming. Music channels now automatically start at the beginning of the song during which the user tuned in.
more
12/09, 7:00pm
Latin stars, Apple executives fete opening
A tip from a South American website has suggested that Apple will kick off the launch of its long-awaited full iTunes Store in Brazil on December 15th with a star-studded party at an unnamed hotel in Sao Paulo, featuring both well-known names in the Latin America music scene as well as Apple executives. Performances at the party will be recorded and offered on iTunes itself, according to the rumor.
more
12/09, 11:35am
Car audio brand targets high-end studio market
Pioneer may be best known for its vehicle electronics, however the company has also worked to establish its presence as a high-end brand in the DJ and music-production markets. The S-DJ05 speakers epitomize the expansion, placing the Pioneer brand on a pair of active reference monitors. In our full review, we try out the new speakers and attempt to determine if the offering is worth its hefty price tag.
more
12/07, 10:00pm
2003 chat with Time reporter uncovered
Time magazine reporter Laura Locke has posted a previously-unseen interview she did with Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 2003 on the day he unveiled the iTunes Music Store. In it, Jobs passionately defends the company's use of the sometimes-misinterpreted "Rip. Mix. Burn." ad campaign, denigrates the pre-iTunes download experience, and expresses some uncertainty over whether consumers would embrace the then-nascent iTunes store over piracy.
more
11/30, 12:35pm
Brazil, other unspecified countries on tap
(Updated with AP info) Apple will finally expand the iTunes Music Store to the rest of Latin America on December 8th, moving beyond Mexico, claims Brazilian magazine Veja. The company has allegedly already secured deals with Brazilian music labels. To make a splash in that country, Apple has reportedly secured the rights to songs from Roberto Carlos, who like The Beatles was previously a long-time holdout on digital sales. Beatles albums only reached iTunes late last year.
more
11/22, 11:10am
TopHat Apps Menu, Folder Menu
New details regarding the Music Experience, which will debut at the upcoming Macworld | iWorld conference, have been released. The event will feature special performances and presentations from sonic architect and Public Enemy mastermind Hank Shocklee, the rock group moe., and award-winning electronic artist, producer and technologist BT. The organizers are also currently looking for DJs to compete at the first annual RISE Electronic Music DJ Battle & Bash. Anyone interested in competing must fill out the online registration form before December 19th.
more
11/16, 2:05am
More sophisticated style aims at upscale market
The Monster Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, widely popular with hip-hop, urban and top 40 music listeners but sometimes derided as overly bass-heavy by critics, are expanding the lineup beyond other celebrity-designed earphones to an entire new line aimed at an older and more business-oriented demographic with the new, brushed-metal-finish Executive line. The new headphones offer a brushed-metal styling and auto-shutoff when idle.
more
11/16, 1:00am
Interactive 'docu-apps' go behind the scenes
Two titans of late 20th-century music have released new apps for iOS devices that showcase not the latest music from the performers, but rather analysis and information, interviews, song lyrics and other tidbits from across their respective long careers. Pink Floyd, who first emerged in the psychedelic late 60s, offer a trivia-laden app called This Day in Pink Floyd, while Police frontman Sting celebrates 25 years as a solo artist.
more
11/15, 10:25pm
Trade group demands access to sales records
The Recording Industry Association of America has sent a cease-and-desist letter to ReDigi, threatening to sue the company over its marketplace for "used" digital tracks. The trade group demands that ReDigi shutter its operations, erase references to RIAA member artists from its site, "quarantine" current digital copies and provide access to sales records.
more
11/15, 2:50am
doubleTwist gets major revamp
The team at doubleTwist have released a major update for their music playing app for Android. The new version of the app brings a major overhaul to the user interface as well as a host of new features. Among them is a 'premium' equalizer, however, this function will only work with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) devices.
more
11/01, 10:50am
Music industry blamed
An unofficial app that streamed music from Amazon Cloud Drive has been removed from the App Store, says developer James Clancey of Interactive Innovative Solutions. aMusic was reportedly pulled because of legal concerns involving the music industry. Clancey claims that the removal from the App Store is temporary, but has no date for when the app will be back.
more
10/07, 12:20pm
Music can be exported to computers, SoundCloud
Native Instruments has released iMASCHINE, a new audio production app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The software allows small-scale music production; 16 pads, for instance, can be used to play included drum kits or individual samples, while a keyboard can be used to create elements like melodies, and an audio recorder is meant for singing and sampling. Some 10 projects, 25 instrument kits and 400 individual samples are included by default.
more
09/29, 10:55am
Apple adds bulletpoints for upcoming iPhone event
Apple has dramatically expanded the presence of iTunes in Europe, reports say. In addition to Poland, the iTunes Music Store is now accessible in 11 more European countries. The remainder of the list includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
more
09/28, 3:35pm
Could signify wider Apple TV sales to match
(Updated with Swedish info) Ten more European Union countries should soon be getting access to the iTunes Music Store, according to a music industry source in touch with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita. Only Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are mentioned by name. Apple though is said to be essentially ready to go with the expansion; a separate source suggests an October launch, which could in theory coincide with the company's October 4th press event or follow sometime thereafter.
more
09/27, 7:05am
Spotify responds to backlash over Facebook login
Spotify has issued a statement defending its new Facebook sign-up and login process for access to its streaming music service. Previously, users just signed directly into Spotify itself; now, new users are expected to use their Facebook account, or create one, in order to access the Spotify service. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek claims that users can adjust their privacy settings within Spotify if they do not want to share what they are listening to on the social network.
more
09/16, 11:10pm
Judge 'erred' in challenging constitutionality
A federal appeals court has reversed a federal judge's slashing of damages against college student Joel Tenenbaum, who was found guilty of sharing 30 music tracks on Kazaa -- and reinstated the jury's award of $675,000 in damages, or $22,500 per song, reports Wired reports. The previous judge, Nancy Gertner of Boston, had reduced the jury's verdict to 10 percent, or $67,500 ($2,250 per song). The appeals court ruled that Gertner should have used a different approach.
more
08/23, 9:40am
First example of fully-streamed in-store content
iTunes users can, for the first time, stream an entire album through the iTunes Store. The stream is a preview of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' I'm With You, which can only be preordered at the moment with the exception of one single. The complete download will unlock on August 30th.
more
08/17, 5:35pm
Terms of deal remain unknown
Various music publishers and the National Music Publishers Association have agreed to settle their lawsuit against Google's video sharing site, YouTube. The class-action lawsuit originally claimed YouTube was actively encouraging copyright violations, as users uploaded content that included music videos, album tracks, movies and television programs.
more
07/26, 1:10am
Works with iOS devices, iShred Live app
Popular accessory maker Griffin Technology has brought out a tool for musicians, a programmable multi-function foot controller called the Stompbox that, in conjunction with iOS software, enables a wide range of virtual guitar effects. Designed to work with Frontier Design's iShred Live software, users can change effects with their feet, using the device with other instruments and changing effects without taking their hands away from playing.
more
07/18, 6:50pm
Scan, then annotate and flip sheet music
Deskew Technologies' new app for musicians, Scorecerer, is a desktop and iPad companion app combination that allows performers to scan sheet music (a library of public-domain music is also available), sync it to an iPad and flip pages using either a swipe or an optional Bluetooth foot pedal. The app also allows handwritten annotations and highlights directly on the iPad app, enabling notes to ease difficult passages on the fly.
more
07/12, 8:30pm
Offers onboard and web-driven music, sharing
AOL Music's Play app, originally launched for Android, will be coming to iOS devices tomorrow, TechCrunch's MG Siegler has learned, offering not only compatibility with the device's local iTunes library, but also opportunities to stream full CD releases, share recommendations on social networks and content on the service itself, listen to Shoutcast streaming radio, an exclusive MP3 feed and bonus music from events such as the SXSW festival.
more
07/06, 1:10pm
Will charge for streamed misic as part of a bundle
Virgin Media has signed a deal with
Spotify to add streaming music to its cable content offering in the UK. Virgin's subscribers will be able to buy a bundle which includes access to Spotify's 13 million tracks. Although Spotify does offer a free, ad-supported streaming service, Virgin's subscribers will have to pay a subscription for their songs.
more
06/29, 2:35pm
Virtual interface mimics hardware synth
Yamaha has introduced a new iOS app that serves as a virtual representation of the company's Tenori-On musical arrangement hardware. The app, titled TNR-i, offers the same 16x16 button grid, which is used to control time and pitch of looped samples. Users can simultaneously configure a variety of different sound layers and song patterns, while six different performance modes further change the presentation style.
more
06/21, 11:00pm
Duran Duran, Coldplay, others to perform
Music fans who are also iOS device owners will get an added benefit to their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch via the iTunes Festival London 2011 app (free), which will serve up live and on-demand high-definition streams of the performers from the historic Roundhouse stage. Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Coldplay and Duran Duran will be among the featured acts.
more
05/24, 10:50am
Universal still among final obstacles
Apple and major music publishers are very close to cementing a deal for the former's cloud music services, two sources claim. Described as having "knowledge of the talks," the sources say that only a relatively small amount of money is still separating the two sides. The informers add, however, that because cloud licenses are new and complex, there remain several ways in which Apple's service could be delayed.
more
05/19, 8:15pm
Deal brings access to 15,000 albums
eMusic has announced that it has signed a deal with EMI Music to expand the range of content available through the latter company's subscription-based music service. The deal is said to enable eMusic subscribers to access over 15,000 new albums from a range of artists such as Radiohead, the Beastie Boys, Brian Eno, Hot Chip, and LCD Soundsystem, among others.
more
04/21, 11:50pm
Launch thought to be imminent
Apple may have signed licensing deals with several major labels to secure necessary rights for the company's upcoming media locker. Earlier reports suggested the cloud-based service lacked significant licensing agreements, however unnamed sources have told All Things Digital that the company already has established deals with at least two of the four primary labels.
more
04/15, 2:55pm
Shop retails over 200 gear models
IK Multimedia has launched a v3.5 update to its amp and effects modeling software, AmpliTube, simultaneously introducing the Custom Shop. Accessed from within AmpliTube, the Shop hosts some 200 gear models, covering stompboxes, amplifiers, cabinets, microphones and rack effects. Available brands include Fender, Ampeg, Orange, Soldano, Groove Tubes and Gallien-Krueger.
more
03/30, 9:45am
iTunes LP format failing to catch on, say execs
Universal, EMI, and other entities in the music industry are looking at distributing more albums as iPad apps, according to the New York Times. Universal has already partnered with a company called Eagle Rock Entertainment to do iPad versions of movies about famous albums such as Nirvana's Nevermind, with added social networking; EMI recently published a $10 iPad version of Until One, a new album by the Swedish House Mafia. The app includes photos, documentary videos, and written comments by the band. Icelandic artist Bjork has announced that a project called Biophilia will involve "music, apps, Internet, installations and live shows."
more
03/22, 9:35am
Dispute over blocking Real files from iPods
A federal magistrate judge, Howard R. Lloyd, has ordered Apple CEO Steve Jobs to answer questions in a long-running antitrust dispute over the iPod and RealNetworks audio files, says Bloomberg. "The court finds that Jobs has unique, non-repetitive, firsthand knowledge about the issues at the center of the dispute over RealNetworks software," Lloyd's judgment reads. Jobs is expected to undergo a deposition, although it is not allowed to last more than two hours or stray from the topic at the heart of the case.
more
02/28, 11:25pm
Ringtone business to be handled in separate sale
Thumbplay has reportedly failed to fetch enough subscribers to justify continuing forward, leading the company to sell its music subscription service to Clear Channel Radio. Although the company had better luck with its ringtone business, that too will be sold in a separate transaction that has yet to be publicly tied to a specific buyer.
more
02/14, 1:15pm
Reflects iTunes' industry dominance
For the first time, music recorded specifically for the iTunes Store has won a Grammy award. A Train song, "Hey, Soul Sister," took home the award for Best Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at last night's 2011 Grammys ceremony. The track initially debuted on the band's iTunes Session last fall, although it is now available on Amazon as part of a Grammys compilation.
more
02/11, 6:25pm
Cash injection boosts Slacker services
Slacker Radio is set to launch an on-demand service after receiving a $3 million cash injection in debt funding. "Slacker had a great 2010 and tweaked their business to make it float," a rep told Yahoo! . "The funding will help to further our automotive efforts," meaning that Slacker may soon appear in cars as well. Further, as Slacker has a licence that permits it to cache music, it will gain a competitive edge over services offered by SoundCloud, RootMusic and Pandora as it won’t require a constant streaming connection to work.
more
02/11, 12:10pm
Companies 'held ransom' by Apple, says Ephraim
The CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, Michal Ephraim, says his company is eventually hoping to stop selling music through the iTunes Store. Sony has been globally rolling out a service called Music Unlimited, which differs from the iTunes Store in being based on streaming subscriptions. "If we do [succeed with Music Unlimited], then does Sony Music need to provide content to iTunes?" Ephraim tells Australian newspaper The Age. "Currently we do. We have to provide it to iTunes as that's the format right now."
more
02/02, 7:00am
Plans sale, possibily splitting up EMI
Citigroup has bought EMI in a deal that may see the end of one of the four last major surviving record labels, according to a report. Citigroup already owned EMI’s $4billion debt and excused the debt in exchange for control of its operations. The takeover could signal the end of the 80 year-old company with its rich musical history.
more
02/01, 4:20pm
LOVE, All Together Now available for pre-order
Apple has announced that the iTunes Store will soon be carrying two exclusive Beatles titles, the LOVE album and a documentary called All Together Now; pre-orders begin today. On iTunes LOVE will include previously unreleased versions of "The Fool on the Hill" and "Girl," as well as iTunes LP features like a gallery of the Beatles and the album's namesake stage production. Cirque du Soleil has been performing LOVE in Las Vegas since 2006.
more
01/28, 3:30pm
Box replicates sound from pro-level studio setups
Among the hundreds of Macworld Expo exhibitors, a handful of companies are showing off gear designed for musicians. MacNN previewed Focusrite's VRM box, a small accessory that replicates the sound from reference monitors in professional studios. The system helps to avoid problems that arise when users attempt to mix tracks through headphones, which naturally present a different sound than reference monitors or other types of speakers.
more
01/27, 4:55pm
A fresh look at music education
Macworld Expo has served as the launch venue for a variety of new iOS apps, including a new utility, Jammit, that aims to help musicians learn how to play popular songs. MacNN took a closer look at the upcoming title, which quickly surpassed our meager expectations for a "play along" app designed for music education.
more
01/13, 5:00pm
Features Fender amps, stompboxes
IK Multimedia has announced AmpliTube Fender for the iPhone and iPad. The new apps each simulate five Fender amps, including the '65 Deluxe Reverb, the SuperSonic, the '65 Twin Reverb, the '59 Bassman and the Pro Junior. They also include six Fender stompboxes: Tape Delay, Compressor, Fender Blender, Phaser, Overdrive and Noise Filter.
more
01/06, 12:10pm
Band, label may be getting equal split
In order to secure the Beatles' music for iTunes, Apple agreed to pay the band's company (Apple Corps) directly, according to industry sources contacted by Reuters. The newswire agency notes that under a typical music contract, a label distributes a record, licenses songs from publishers, collects revenue from retailers and then makes royalty payments to the artists and the publisher. In the case of the Beatles and iTunes though, the digital download royalties are said to be going straight to Apple Corps, while the songwriting mechanical royalties are going to Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which owns most of the Beatles' songs.
more
01/05, 9:30am
Should keep complete discography on iTunes
The remaining members of Pink Floyd have reached a settlement in a dispute with record label EMI, according to an announcement. As a part of an agreement which will see Pink Floyd stay with EMI for another five years, the latter party claims that "all legal disputes between the band and the company have been settled." No greater elaboration of what the statement means has been offered.
more
