Music

Music services these days are a dime a dozen. New ones pop up all the time, and some make it, while others fail. It's a tough business, given the amount of choices available to customers. Now we learn of one more that failed to find the niche it needed to be a successful business.

Ex.fm has announced it will close up shop on May 19th. This didn't come as a major surprise -- the company had given warning signs previously, but managed to keep things afloat a few additional months. However, now a blog post from the company tells the tale.

Where would music be today without Rock 'n' Roll Star or Supersonic? If you are of a certain age, then you likely remember the debut of the classic Oasis album titled Definitely Maybe. It was a landmark moment that introduced Liam, Noel and their colleagues to the world.

Things have been on a bit of a rollercoaster since then, but today marks 20 years since that album hit stores.

You may be surprised to learn this, but I used to be a crate-digger -- someone who frequented record-stores searching for vinyl. I may not look it, but I was massively into hip-hop vinyl collecting in the 90s and early 2000s. Many of my weekends were spent in Fat Beats or Beat Street in New York, just digging through boxes and crates searching for hidden gems or good deals. Sadly, the internet ruined this hobby for me and most record stores have closed. Instead of digging through crates, I now dig through Google Play Music All Access for streaming tunes.

One of my favorite record companies back in the day was Stones Throw. Besides putting out great hip-hop albums like Peanut Butter Wolf's "My Vinyl Weighs a Ton" and J Dilla's "Donuts", it also released obscure music on 7-inch. If you aren't familiar, most records nowadays are 12-inch, so the smaller 7-inch variants stood out and were fun. To celebrate an upcoming documentary on the record label, Rdio is hosting an exclusive playlist.

Spotify has been a bit behind with its Windows Phone features, concentrating mostly on both Android and iOS. But today, the music service has set things right, adding new features to the mobile version of its app for the Microsoft platform.

"Today we’re introducing a new update to our Windows Phone users. The update brings features Discover and Browse, meaning it’s easier than ever to discover new favorites, as well as finding the perfect playlist for every mood and moment", states the company's Channtal Fleischfresser.

TuneIn Radio is one of the hottest music services right now, allowing customers to listen to both terrestrial and internet-based stations. Now the company is implementing a radical upgrade to the way it works.

The service is trying to become more social, a bit like a Twitter for music fans. "TuneIn will connect millions of listeners and broadcasters from all over the globe with new features including a personalized live feed, profile pages, and the ability to share content with the Echo feature", states the company.

Pebble, the upstart smartwatch maker, has been busy so far in 2014, unveiling new apps and products. In the meantime, other companies are working to support the platform, including Pandora. The music streaming service today unveils its support for Android customers, matching what it has already done for iOS.

While this may sound simple -- Pandora was already on Android -- getting the tunes to your wrist is another story, and requires a special adaptation of the app. "We’ve already seen a great response to the first 'wearable' technology device that Pandora is available on, so we’re thrilled to share that the Pebble app is now available for Android smartphone users as well", says Pandora's Mike Grishaver.

As the streaming music business continues to heat up, Spotify is taking another step to stay ahead of the competition. The service is one of the more popular, but staying at the top is not as easy as it seems.

Now Spotify is teaming with mobile provider Sprint to bring a new deal to potential customers -- of course, you'll have to be on the mobile network in order to take advantage of this new offering. "Starting from May 2nd, all existing and new postpaid Sprint customers can get a 3 and 6 month free trial for Spotify Premium. This offer will launch in all channels on all compatible Sprint postpaid devices", says Spotify's Candice Katz.

Warner Music Group (WMG) is looking to expand its horizons and markets, continuing to look into new areas for business opportunities. The latest step is a move into China with the announcement of an acquisition of Gold Typhoon's music catalog and artist roster.

In a press release, WMG refers to Gold Typhoon as "one of the most successful independent music companies operating in the Greater China Region". The label operates in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and hosts some of the most popular pop and rock artists in the region.

What a long strange trip it's been for the music industry. Starting with MP3s and Napster, travelling through iTunes and DRM, to reach where things are today. Now online music services are not only legal, they are the norm, and there are plenty to choose from.

Most sites differentiate themselves by features and number of tracks available, but now Rdio is taking a step towards setting itself apart by streaming audio quality. To do so, the service has teamed up with former Grateful Dead member Bob Weir for an initiative it has dubbed "Artists for Quality".

Internet radio has become quite popular, with an ever growing number of services, including favorites like Pandora and Spotify, as well newcomers such as Beats Music. For the most part customers use these services on smartphones and computers -- thanks to Google Music All Access and a Bluetooth speaker on my desk, my Nexus phone gets me through the day.

But there are also stand-alone products designed just for this purpose. Grace Digital is one of the leaders in the field and the Encore is one of the top-of-the-line offerings from the company.

Bluetooth audio is all the rage nowadays. It can be found in headphones, speakers, automobiles and more. However, this does not mean that non-Bluetooth audio gear is obsolete -- quite the contrary. In fact, there is a very good chance that your older equipment offers better sound and features. It is a shame to discard that tech for a lack of a wireless connection.

Luckily, you don't have to. You see, many manufacturers offer solutions to this dilemma, such as an analog to Bluetooth converter box. The problem is, many of them are unattractive and too large to truly blend in. After all, you do not need to see the thing; ideally you want it out of sight, yet easy to access. Don't worry, Logitech has you covered with the all-new Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter.

Competition in the set-top box market just caught Fire -- hopefully no customers have the Nest Protect smoke alarm. With the challenge thrown down by Amazon, Roku is answering by adding another channel to its lineup, this time allowing customers to rock out in their living room.

Qello will bring concerts and music documentaries right into your home, on-demand. "Whether you’re in the mood to discover something new or want to enjoy a serenade from your all-time favorite band, Qello Concerts and Roku have you covered to stream all genres -- from Beyoncé, B.B. King and Queen to Nirvana, Mumford & Sons and Barbra Streisand", says Roku’s Ziba Kaboli-Gerbrands.

Overnight Monday, I explained how "iTunes slaps DRM handcuffs on my music". Later that day, an Apple representative proactively contacted me seeking to resolve the problem. Someone still reads what I write. That started a process that mostly removed rights protection from my music and identifies several iTunes Match benefits not necessarily obvious but useful to most any Apple music buyer.

Recap: In October 2007, I declared DRM freedom and removed all rights-protected tracks from my library. For some unidentified reason, on Sunday, iTunes presented me with option to fetch from the cloud these previously purchased but deleted songs. Downloading retrieved the long-absent music in the original 128kbps protected-AAC format, not the newer, 256kbps DRM-free files. Now I know why.

Students are sometimes in need of breaks on prices, as school eats into the time required for a job. To that end, many software and hardware makers offer discounts to allow those we consider our future to be able to attain what they need in order to get through classes. But that isn't all that's required, unwinding with some entertainment is also sometimes necessary.

Now Spotify wants to help out, offering discounts for students. The service has announced it is cutting the price in half, slashing $9.99 down to $4.99 for college students.

On Sunday, while perusing my music collection by album, I came across lots of new -- or rather, old and forgotten -- tracks purchased before Apple took iTunes DRM-free. My excitement at discovering, and downloading from the cloud, these long lost songs cannot be understated. That is until finding them not to be what I expected. Rather than crisp, 256kbps DRM-free files, iTunes delivered 128kbps protected-AAC tracks. What the frak? Apple is supposed be done with digital rights management for music.

That iTunes Match provides access to this older music, even if DRM-protected, is a benefit. Thank you, Apple, for providing an affordable means for recovering lost or deleted music. What confuses me: Being given the older, lower-quality, locked files when higher-bitrate DRM-free alternatives are available from Apple's store. I don't have an answer why this morning, but I do have some suspicions. Perhaps you're smarter than me or better at finding solutions in online support forums.