Articles about Music

VideoLAN today releases the first public beta build of VLC for Windows 10. Now a universal app, it comes with the same core feature set as the Android and iOS apps but also a few platform-specific extras. VLC 2.0.0 is compatible with all the common Windows 10 devices, including smartphones.

The main features that VLC 2.0.0 brings to the table are the vast audio and video format support, the ability to view and download subtitles and synchronize audio and video, and a network sharing browser. Additionally for Windows 10 users, it also plays well with key features like Cortana and Continuum.

Continue reading →

"Son and heir", not "sun and air". Excuse me while I "kiss the sky", not "this guy". If you've ever struggled to interpret the lyrics to a song, you've probably scurried online to look up what is actually being sung. By teaming up with LyricFind, Google just made this much quicker and easier.

No more jumping from site to site. No more ad barrages. Now Google will display song lyrics directly in search results from the world’s largest lyric licensing service. As well as making things easier for searchers, the deal means that artists get paid royalties as their lyrics are viewed.

Continue reading →

Taking more than a little inspiration from Game of Thrones, music streaming service Rhapsody has announced a rebranding. 'Napster is coming', proclaims the Rhapsody blog. This is a name that should be very familiar, particularly to old-school pirates.

Napster is a name deeply entrenched in P2P history, but turned its back on its naughty ways following its acquisition by Roxio and then Best Buy. Five years ago, Rhapsody swallowed up Napster and now the company feels it's time to revive the name.

Continue reading →

If you are looking for an outdoor speaker for this summer then you want something proven to withstand the elements. iHome is a premier maker of such devices and is now announcing a new line that it claims is perfect for outdoor use.

The Weather Tough line is being called "military grade" portable Bluetooth speakers. They were announced back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, but are just hitting the market now.

Continue reading →

The world has lost many greats of late including Prince and Muhammad Ali. Now it loses one more, though perhaps a bit less known to the older generation, but that makes the story no less sad.

Christina Grimmie, who amassed fame on YouTube with over three million followers, and then went on to become a finalist on The Voice working with Adam Levine, was playing a concert last night in Orlando, Florida.

Continue reading →

Wireless speakers are hardly new -- there are probably more Bluetooth variants than people nowadays! If you search on a site like Amazon, you will be hit with a deluge of these speakers, many from no-name companies, and at rock-bottom prices. Many of them are terrible, offering both poor sound and build quality.

To stand out among these wireless speakers is hard, but Grace Digital has managed to do just that, with its all-new CastDock X2. Rather than use Bluetooth, it leverages Google's Chromecast Audio dongle, making it a Wi-Fi speaker.

Continue reading →

Over the past few years Inateck has made a name for itself with good value audio kit including headsets and Bluetooth speakers.

Its latest offerings are in the closely-contested earphone market, so how well do they measure up to more established players?

Continue reading →

Amazon Prime has become hugely popular, and it's easy to see why. For $99 per year, customers get free two-day shipping, streaming video, streaming music and Kindle lending library. Sonos is less adopted because of the price, but if you've invested in it then you have a great whole-house audio system.

Six months ago, the two came together in the US to add to your musical enjoyment and today Amazon Prime Music will be debuting on Sonos in the UK and filling British homes with tunes.

Continue reading →

Back in the 90's, buying CDs was a passion of mine. Not only would I be knowledgeable about all of the release dates for my favorite artists, but I would go to midnight store-openings to buy them. Then, alone in my bedroom, I would listen to all of the discs and drift away.

Nowadays? Not so much. While I still adore music -- especially hip-hop tunes -- physical media is not part of the equation. Streaming media services are my gateway to music, and it is largely very satisfying. Apparently, I am far from alone in my love for streaming. Today, Pandora -- a very popular streaming service -- announces it has generated more than $2 billion in royalties for artists and songwriters. Yes folks, streaming is legit.

Continue reading →

If you're headed to London, or live there, the Rolling Stones have a new exhibit (opened last week) at the Saatchi Gallery. Exhibitionism will be there until early September. After which, the gala moves on to 11 other cities, including New York and Paris. Adults can expect to pay £22 (more than US $30, depending on exchange rate that day). VIP tix are £60.

The memorabilia-filled exhibit is meant to be a nostalgic look at the iconic, aging rock band, which youngest member is (cough, cough) 66. But Exhibitionism is as much about selling collectibles, one of which I can't resist calling attention to: "special edition" MH40 headphones. I reviewed the standard set, which sound exactly the same, on March 29th.

Continue reading →

As someone born in the 1980's, I grew up with MTV. Quite frankly, before I bought my first cassette or CD, I got my music fix by watching these classic music videos. While MTV has since moved away from music videos, websites like YouTube have stepped in to fill the void.

Even though music videos have evolved with innovative cinematography and cool effects, they are still largely the same old thing -- a mix of audio and video. Today, Google Play announces a collaboration with musician Elizabeth Rose to create something more appropriate for tech-focused millennials -- an interactive music video.

Continue reading →

April 1st marks my first-year anniversary subscribing to Tidal, which relaunched the same day last year, under new ownership of Jay Z. I love and loathe the music streaming service, which I cancelled at least five times and always renewed—typically before the billing cycle ticked over. But checking archived emails, I see that my sub completely expired thrice but not since July.

Gotta ask: What fool starts a business on April Fools, and what does the day foreshadow; if anything? Apple did it, 40 years ago today. Many commentators have called Jay Z the fool for buying Tidal, which competes against established players like Spotify and newcomer Apple Music. The service claimed to have 540,000 subscribers when acquired last year. This week, Tidal revealed globally there are now 3 million subscribers. Someone correct my math—456 percent increase, right? If Jay Z's the fool, gimme some of that foolishness.

Continue reading →

Gaming headsets are a strange thing. On the one hand, they can provide a more immersive experience, allowing you to better hear in-game audio and communicate with other respectful players. On the other, it can cause you to communicate with disrespectful gamers too. Racist, sexist and threatening voices can really ruin what should be a fun game.

Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons, as there should be -- hopefully -- more nice people participating in in-game chat than the evil and angry ones. HyperX is already known for its quality hardware -- including its well-respected headsets -- and now it introduces a new one, called Cloud Revolver. This gaming headset should work brilliantly for movies and music too. Not to mention, it looks totally bad-ass!

Continue reading →

Newcomer is the only way to describe Master & Dynamic, which on Dec. 31, 2015 completed its first full year of revenue. Young or not, its audio gear is vintage and refined. Wanna see? You can find the MH40 headphones, which look like something World War II bomber pilots would wear, inside any Apple Store. Distribution partnership of that caliber from a near start-up says much about M&D earphones and headphones—design, price, and sound.

The signature sound is full, which is atypical in a market where booming bass ranks among headphone buyers’ top priorities. But for those listeners who delight in the faintest tap of the symbol, warmest treble, and deep lows that reveal details rather than thump, thump, Master & Dynamic delivers. For Christmas I bought the company’s MW60 wireless headphones, which I will review soon. Today's topic is the MH40, which are wired.

Continue reading →

If you are a vlogger, podcaster, or someone who video chats while on the go, you know that a quality microphone is key. Sure, a good camera or webcam is essential, but if people can't hear you well, their interest will fade quickly.

Today, Samson announces a new laptop-focused portable microphone (it can also work with desktop monitors), called the Go Mic Connect. This should meet the needs of many on-the-go vloggers, podcasters and communicators. Unfortunately, the product is not yet publicly available, as the company is instead leveraging crowdfunding to make it a reality.

Continue reading →