Articles about Google Play Music

Google has a diversity problem. Whereas the company's mobile app offerings were once colorful and full of highlights, more recent iterations -- like the newly released version 16 of the Google Play Store -- have been thoroughly and deliberately "whitewashed." Gone is the inclusive rainbow of headers that delineated each app type. In its place, a monochromatic sea of pure whiteness.

The transition is jarring -- and a bit intimidating. As someone who is married to a "person of color" I find the loss of background hue to be disquieting. The notion that it is better to suppress diversity of content in the name of "consistency" or "visual clarity" strikes me as downright bigoted. By ignoring the unique contributions that categories like "Movies" and "Games" have made to the overall Google landscape, you slight those behind the content that drives them.

Continue reading →

If you don't have an account with a streaming music service these days, you simply aren't living your life right. Look, I don't care which service you choose -- Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, or something else -- it is foolish to buy and download songs. If you are still buying CDs, you are probably beyond hope, but I digress. Streaming music is simply the best value in entertainment. For a small monthly fee, you get access to more music than you can possibly listen to in a single lifetime.

YouTube Music is yet another streaming music service, although it is not as popular as, say, Spotify. Google seems intent on growing this eventual Play Music successor, and today, the company announces a huge new feature -- Sonos support. Yes, if you have both a paid YouTube Music account and a Sonos speaker, you can finally use them with each other.

Continue reading →

YouTube's head of music, Lyor Cohen, has confirmed that Google Play Music and YouTube Red are going to merge. Speaking in New York at the New Music Seminar conference, Cohen said that a new streaming service would be created.

Rumors of the merger have been circulating for some time, and the move will see Google consolidating its services into something rather more manageable -- both for the company and for users.

Continue reading →

If you are a big music fan like me, you know how hard it can be to keep up with the latest tunes. Back in the day, it seemed like there were far fewer releases of which to keep track. You bought a copy of Rolling Stone magazine or maybe followed a blog that listed upcoming releases and you were golden. Nowadays, the music comes fast and furious -- it can be a chore to track. Apple Music, my platform of choice, highlights some new releases (usually only popular artists) but not all -- it is easy for some albums and singles to slip through the cracks.

Lately I have been trying to leverage technology to keep up with new releases, especially from my favorite genre, Hip-Hop/Rap. There is a free app called "Record Bird" that alerts me to some new music -- it is OK, but it is not perfect. If you are a user of Google Play Music, however, I am happy to say that there is a new tool for discovering the latest tunes. Called "New Release Radio," it will create a specialized playlist of new music that you might like. Since this is Google, it works by tracking your listening habits, of course.

Continue reading →

To coincide with the launch of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, Google has announced a new partnership with Samsung. The deal means that Google Play Music will be the default music player and music service on all phones and tablets from the Korean manufacturer around the world.

But the partnership has a few bonuses for Samsung users that go beyond just a change in music player. Kicking things off is a boost in free Google Play Music storage: Samsung users will be able to take advantage of double the usual quota.

Continue reading →

Google Play is much more than an app store -- it is also the search giant's digital shop for games, music, videos, and books. While it is primarily designed for Android, purchases can be enjoyed on other platforms too. Quite frankly, Google Play Music, for instance, works brilliantly on desktop browsers for Windows, Mac, and Linux-based systems.

Today, Google Play is celebrating its 5th birthday! Yes, it was on March 6, 2012, that the Android-maker made the store available to the public. To mark the occasion, Google is sharing several all-time "Top Five" lists for various categories, such as albums, books, and games.

Continue reading →

Starting today, Google is rolling out an updated version of Google Play Music, its streaming music service. The company says that the update sees the use of machine learning to create contextual playlists based on where listeners are and what they are doing.

The latest version of Google Play Music is more "assistive" than ever, with Google making much of the personalized playlists it is able to automatically create.

Continue reading →

Any sort of exercise is made a little easier if you're listening to music. With this in mind, Google has teamed up with Runtastic to provide access to curated playlists in Google Play Music for keen runners.

It's a feature that is -- at the moment, at least -- exclusive to Android users, and it makes it easy to choose music that will suit your mood, or the speed at which you're motoring along.

Continue reading →

When people think of desktop computer speakers, their minds likely go to low-quality freebies that came with the machine. My first-ever PC, a Packard Bell, came with speakers that attached to the sides of the included CRT monitor. The sound quality was terrible (they hummed), but this was acceptable at the time; most folks didn't use their computer for listening to music or watching full length-films back then. It wasn't until the mp3 revolution that the PC became the central point of music and other media for some.

Believe it or not, over the years, generic OEM desktop computer speakers have remained fairly average. Of course, in-the-know audio enthusiasts could always upgrade to some quality gear from a company like Logitech. Speaking of that company, today it  announces its latest set of 2.1 speakers, the 'Z625 Powerful THX Sound'. Featuring both RCA and optical inputs, they should prove quite versatile. Whether it is for a desktop, laptop, or even a television. Logitech's latest looks like an affordable winner.

Continue reading →

While there are many great streaming music services nowadays, such as Spotify and Apple Music, the best value is Google Play Music. Why do I say this? Well, it costs $9.99 monthly for an individual, but the real killer-deal is the $14.99 offer for the six-person family plan. The icing on the cake is free access to YouTube Red, delivering an ad-free video-watching experience, plus exclusive content.

Today, Google Play Music on Android is getting even better, thanks to a partnership with TripAdvisor. The popular travel-planning app can now deliver regional playlists, meaning you can hear the music popular with locals when you travel. Best of all? If you do not already subscribe to Google's streaming music service, you will be awarded two months free for just downloading the TripAdvisor Android app. This is absolutely brilliant for the upcoming summer season.

Continue reading →

Here we are, days before Christmas, and you're thinking about last-minute stocking stuffers. I've got an eclectic selection of things I would want to get or give for December 25th. Some of them will demand rushing online to take advantage of last-minute shipping offers. Others require no shipping at all, like music subscription services. Confession: Some items will require a larger stocking but no wrapping.

I present the list alphabetically, and in no order of preference.

Continue reading →

Ho. Ho. Ho. Google gives early Christmas presents this holiday, by focusing on ways that families (or roomies) can better share that which is contextually precious: music, photos, online, payments, and videos. But Big G also trails Apple, which already offers its customers many of the same benefits.

Fresh today: Google Photos Shared Albums, which applies collaborative concepts that Apps users should find familiar. "People receiving the shared album can join to add their own photos and videos, and also get notifications when new pics are added", according to the official announcement. "You can even save photos and videos from a shared album to your Google Photos library, so that you can hold onto them even if you weren’t the one holding the camera".

Continue reading →

Bluetooth speakers are very convenient; they are typically lightweight and portable. Even though some wireless speakers sound great, you are usually better off with a wired connection when possible. For instance, if you want to connect speakers to your desktop or laptop, and they will never leave your desk, Bluetooth is a bad choice -- go wired, bro!

Today, Logitech announces a wired-only 2.1 speaker system that looks great, and is remarkably affordable. The z533 Multimedia Speakers will look beautiful on your desk. Will you buy them?

Continue reading →

One of the most prominent skeptics of digital music, Prince has surprisingly been off the radar on the whole music streaming debate, until now.

The Minneapolis sound pioneer removed all of his songs from Deezer, Spotify, Rdio and Apple Music earlier this week, while keeping music on Google Play and Tidal.

Continue reading →

I love me some music, and I love me some Google Play Music All Access. For real though, I use the search-giant's music service for multiple hours every day. Whether it is on my desktop, smartphone or tablet, I consume many songs with the service. Sure, other services like Beats Music and Spotify are good too, but All Access couples its large selection with an unrivaled visual style that makes the entire experience awesome. Heck, starting today, Android app begins using the super-sexy material design.

Unfortunately, with all streaming music services, media discovery can be tricky, as I often find myself listening to the same songs over and over again. While Google's genre-based and curated stations are a good way to discover, even that can be limiting. Today, Google turns it up to 11 and finally integrates features from its Songza acquisition into All Access. The result? Better discovery, plus music that matches a mood or task.

Continue reading →