HP reportedly in talks with major labels over cloud-based service originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Does Bitrate Really Make a Difference In My Music? [Ask Lifehacker]
Dear Lifehacker,
I hear a lot of arguing about “lossless” and “lossy” music these days, but I’m having a hard time getting straight answers. Does bitrate really matter? Can most people tell the difference between high and low bitrate music files? More »
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Apple’s iCloud bags last major record label, will cost $25 / year to sign up?
We’d heard that Universal was the only holdout, and now CNET says the deal is done — Apple has reportedly signed all four major record labels for its upcoming iCloud service. We’ll be bringing you all the confirmed details on June 6th, but while you wait, here’s some food for thought: the Los Angeles Times says that Apple will eventually charge somewhere around $25 a year for a subscription to the cloud. That will help supplement the 58 percent piece of the pie it’s planning to take from the music industry for songs distributed though the network, and possibly some ad revenue as well. 30 percent will reportedly go to the labels, and another 12 percent to publishers, who will apparently be signing their own agreements with Apple tomorrow.
Update: There’s actually an interesting discrepancy between the two sources here: the LA Times reports that Apple’s taking that nice, juicy 58 percent, but CNET says that the labels will take 58 percent while Apple claims its traditional 30 percent instead. We’re investigating.
Apple’s iCloud bags last major record label, will cost $25 / year to sign up? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Windows Phone 7-style music player for Android arrives from the developer of LauncherPro
Any Android fans that envied Windows Phone 7’s Metro UI style can have it for their media player (the WP7 launcher has been emulated before, try Launcher 7 in the Market), thanks to this app released by the developer of the popular LauncherPro homescreen replacement. As seen in the video above next to a real WP7 device, the look and functionality of the Zune player is present in a remarkably full featured interface despite its early alpha status, complete with features like scrobbling and playlists. The only thing it’s really lacking so far is a name, and obviously any Zune software integration; while we wait to see if Microsoft has any reaction to this homage you can sideload the APK yourself from the source link.
Update: If you want to see the same app running on Honeycomb (and looking amazing) check out a screenshot after the break. [Thanks @Basil_Knows!]
Windows Phone 7-style music player for Android arrives from the developer of LauncherPro originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple gets cozy with EMI, Universal, and Sony over cloud music licensing
Ah, so it’s all coming together now. Following a report on Warner Music inking a cloud streaming deal with Apple, CNET is back with fresh information that sees three more major record companies jumping on board. Citing “multiple music industry sources,” we’re told that EMI is the latest addition to Apple’s cloud music portfolio, while Universal and Sony are close to sealing the deal to permit this rumored iCloud service. If true, such endorsement will no doubt add pressure on Google and Amazon over their cheeky, license-free cloud streaming offerings — not a bad way to fend off competition, though it’s not clear how much money’s involved. Guess we’ll know more at WWDC next month.
Apple gets cozy with EMI, Universal, and Sony over cloud music licensing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 23:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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MoonPlayer Streams Video Playlists of Your Favorite Music [Streaming Video]
Moonplayer is a free streaming video site that endlessly plays music by your favorite artists using YouTube content. The service takes a Pandora-like approach to playlists, as it only allows the user to choose the artists, not the songs. Unlike Pandora, however, MoonPlayer only plays music by artists you add to the playlist—and it never stops playing unless you pause it. More »
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Screw MTV. YouTube 100 Makes Music Videos Relevant Again. [Video]
YouTube 100 sheepishly materialized this week. The feature itself is minor, a space in their music section listing the 100 most popular music vids. But for the future of the music video, the implications are HUGE. In the best possible way. More »
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How to Sync Android with Windows as Seamlessly as an iPhone [Android]
The iPhone is often praised for having the most seamless desktop-to-phone experience around, but with a bit of extra setup, you can get your Android phone syncing with your favorite Windows programs just as well. Here’s how to do it. More »
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What stalled negotiations between Google and the music industry? (Hint: money)
It’s no secret that negotiations between Google and the recording industry haven’t been going very well. Perhaps even less surprising are the reasons behind the stalemate. According to the Hollywood Reporter, discussions between the two parties have sputtered thanks to three usual suspects: money, file-sharing and concerns over competition. During licensing talks, Google agreed to pay upfront advances to all participating labels, but the major players wanted bigger guarantees. That prompted the indie contingent to ask for similar money, unleashing a snowball of stakes-raising. The two sides also failed to agree on how to handle pirated music, with the industry demanding that Google not only ban illegally downloaded files from users’ lockers, but that it erase P2P sites from its search results, as well.
Hovering above all this bargaining was a thick cloud of destabilizing uncertainty. Some execs welcomed the idea of a new iTunes competitor, while others were less enthusiastic, amid concerns that Google Music wouldn’t deliver new revenue streams. The ultimate question, of course, is how negotiations will proceed now that Google’s already launched the service. The labels were warned that Tuesday’s I/O announcement was coming, but the search giant didn’t do much to mend fences when it effectively blamed the record execs for holding up negotiations. It’s hard to say whether Google’s bravado will help or hurt matters, but according to a source from a major label, “People are pissed.”
What stalled negotiations between Google and the music industry? (Hint: money) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 16:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
First Look at Google Music: Our Favorite Features in Google’s Cloud Music Player [Video]
Google just unveiled their new cloud music service, and we’ve checked out the beta to see how it works. Here’s a tour of some of our favorite features. More »
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Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart
It feels like just yesterday we charted the streaming music landscape, but it’s already changed in a big way — Google is muscling in on the likes of Rhapsody, Pandora and particularly Amazon with its Google Music Beta. Being able to take 20,000 of your personal tunes, stream them over the web and cache them locally on your device isn’t functionality to sneeze at, so it’s time we updated our charts. After the break, see how the big streaming services stack up.
Continue reading Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart
Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Google Music Streams ALL Your Music From the Cloud [Video]
Google Music! It’s pretty much the music service you would expect from Google: Streaming all your songs from the cloud, once you’ve uploaded your own music, and a bit of offline caching. More »
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Google’s Music Service Will Be Announced Tomorrow and Is Expected to Be Similar to Amazon Cloud Drive [Unconfirmed]
AllThingsD is reporting that Google’s long awaited Cloud Music Service will be unveiled tomorrow at Google I/O. That’s not too surprising. What’s a teensy bit surprising is that it’s expected to be pretty much what Amazon Cloud drive already is. More »
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Shazam for Android Update Adds Unlimited Tagging and Social Features [Music]
Android: Music tagging app Shazam now offers Android users unlimited tagging through the end of the year, and tacked on a social service called Shazam Friends that lets you share tagged songs with friends and view theirs. More »
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Shazam for Android Is Better than Shazam for iPhone [Apps]
Shazam is one of those already taken for granted lifechanger apps—never be ignorant of a song's identity, ever again. It's great, but it just got greater—on Android. The new app not only streams full songs your friends have tagged, but will let you ID unlimited songs on your own, free until 2012. You'll have to do with some eBay advertisement, but hey—free Shazaam for the rest of the year. [Android Market via Phandroid] More »
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Editorial: Hey Apple, why does it take an hour to put an album on my iPod?
This one’s been a long time comin’, but the iTunes forced backup / syncing issue is no less real today than it was a decade ago when iTunes began to play a larger-than-life role in the operation of Apple’s iDevices. As it stands, it’s effectively impossible to use an iPhone, iPad or iPod without also using iTunes, and while Apple’s done an exemplary job ensuring that it works with most major platforms (yes, Windows included), there’s one nagging question that just won’t go away: why?
Continue reading Editorial: Hey Apple, why does it take an hour to put an album on my iPod?
Editorial: Hey Apple, why does it take an hour to put an album on my iPod? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Reuters: Apple set to launch cloud-based music service ahead of Google (update)
Update: Peter Kafka, over at All Things Digital, backs up Reuters’ claim with some additional detail. Unlike Amazon’s approach with Cloud Player, Apple is actively seeking to license the music for its streaming service before launching. According to Kafka’s sources, Apple has already secured deals with two of the big four labels and plans to launch “pretty soon.” The deal would allow Apple to store a single master copy of a track on its servers and then share that track with multiple users. As Kafka describes the service, “The idea is that Apple will let users store songs they’ve purchased from its iTunes store, as well as others songs stored on their hard drives, and listen to them on multiple devices.”
Reuters: Apple set to launch cloud-based music service ahead of Google (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google snags PushLife, will probably use it to push music to your Android phone
At last year’s Google I/O we were tantalizingly teased with the idea of music streaming to our mobile devices. Since then, there have been hints and leaks, but nothing official from Google on when or how this new service would be rolled out. Well, now we can add a big piece to that puzzle with the news that Google has acquired mobile entertainment company PushLife, which has been developing a music app of its own for the Android and BlackBerry platforms. PushLife offers one-click purchases from an integrated music store, an overview of tunes you have both on your smartphone and on your computer (with the ability to access both sets on the phone), and automatic playlist syncing with iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries. There’s even more fanciness, such as recommendations based on the song you’re playing, artists bios and photo galleries, plus the inevitable Twitter and Facebook integration. The Canadian startup is believed to have cashed in to the tune of $25 million and will soon be shutting down its independent operations. Also soon: Google I/O 2011. Hint, hint, Google! Demo video after the break.
Continue reading Google snags PushLife, will probably use it to push music to your Android phone
Google snags PushLife, will probably use it to push music to your Android phone originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Rip, Watch and Organize Everything: The Ultimate Media Guide [How To]
Yes, the times are changing. Yes, we’ve cut back on purchasing CDs, DVDs, and BDs lately. Yes, we still have plenty of discs lying around in jewel cases on dusty shelves or in enormous three-ring binders. And yes-most definitely yes-we want to be able to access all these movies and songs from our PC, television, and our shiny new smartphone. More »
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Use Android to Control Your Music Without Getting Out of Bed

Have you ever wished you could make your computer start and stop playing music without reaching for the keyboard and mouse? If you have an Android device, you can do this with just two free applications!

















