Music

Compact widgets turn tables into loudspeakers

HANOVER, Germany--For those who want to take their music with them, a more convenient option than lugging loudspeakers is now available: fist-sized, battery-powered devices called vibration speakers.

These chunky widgets transform a table, floor, car roof, or even window into a large speaker. One one end is a tweeter for playing higher-frequency pitches, and on the other a driver that moves the surface to which it's attached, converting it into a giant woofer.

The devices were thumping loudly on the CeBIT tech show floor here as manufacturers tried to drum up customers, distributors, retailers, and business partners. … Read more

Get 100 free MP3s from SXSW 2013

Can't make it to this year's South by Southwest (aka SXSW) conference in Austin? At least you don't have to miss out on the music.

As part of its SXSW: Live from Austin series, NPR is offering The Austin 100 -- a collection of 100 songs by 100 artists, all in MP3 format, all absolutely free.

And I mean really and truly free: There's nothing to register for, no form to complete, and not a single Facebook or Twitter sharing requirement.

Just scroll down a bit until you see the Download the Music box on the … Read more

Beats raises $60M to spin off music streaming service

Beats Electronics, the company founded by hip-hop producer Dr Dre and music mogul Jimmy Iovine, confirmed this evening it had raised $60 million in funding to spin off its forthcoming streaming music service into a separate entity later this year.

Codenamed "Daisy," the service was revealed in January by Iovine at the AllThingsD Dive Into Media conference. Iovine said he had 100 people working on a "curated" music subscription service he expected to launch this summer.

The funding round was led by Access Industries, an investment group founded by billionaire Len Blavatnik), Marc Rowan, James Packer … Read more

Cook reportedly discussed music streaming service with Beats

Tim Cook has held talks with Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine about a potential partnership involving Beats' planned music service, Reuters reports.

The Apple chief met with music mogul Iovine in late February to discuss Beats' "Project Daisy," a music subscription service announced in mid-February, unidentified sources told the news agency. Iovine, who co-founded Beats with hip-hop producer Dr Dre, said at last month's AllThingsD Dive Into Media conference that he expects to launch a "curated" music subscription service this summer.

During their meeting, which sources described as "informational" and as including iTunes chief … Read more

Google strikes deal with Warner Music for streaming services

Google, which is trying to get into the music streaming business this summer, today struck a deal with Warner Music Group, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The deal, first reported by Billboard, gives Google rights for two services it's working on -- one that's part of Google's Android music platform, Google Play, and the other that's part of YouTube.

A Warner Music spokesperson declined to comment. YouTube didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, but earlier in the day, in response to an article in Fortune, confirmed that it was looking at … Read more

Galaxy S4 could have eye-scrolling tech

CNET Update has eye-scrolling superpowers:

Samsung Galaxy S4 reports continue to roll in before the smartphone's big reveal on March 14. The latest report: being able to scroll down just by looking at the bottom of the screen. The New York Times suggests it could be related to Samsung's patent on Eye Scroll and Eye Pause. But this technology isn't far fetched. The Galaxy S3 camera already tracks eye movement to prevent a screen from dimming while users are watching a movie or reading. And at CES, TheEyeTribe demonstrated how easy and affordable it was to install … Read more

YouTube to launch its own music streaming service, says report

YouTube may tune in to the online music world this year with its own streaming service.

The service would likely offer free music streaming paid for by ads as well as an ad-free subscription option, according to Fortune, which says it was briefed by sources in the record industry and by an unnamed person at Google.

A YouTube representative told CNET that "while we don't comment on rumor or speculation, there are some content creators that think they would benefit from a subscription revenue stream in addition to ads, so we're looking at that."

YouTube's … Read more

Enjoy listening to your favorite music with PowerAMP Music Player for Android

Countless different music players are available in the Play Store, but there are only a few that stand out. PowerAMP Music Player for Android is one of them because of its simplicity and solid performance.

Installation and setup of PowerAMP Music Player for Android are fairly simple. This version, however, is a 15-day full-featured trial, and to unlock the full version you have to purchase the PowerAMP Full Version Unlocker for $3.96. The interface of this music player is straightforward and simple. The general layout of the home screen consists of a black background and high-contrast icons. Performance of … Read more

Best music and audio apps for Android

DoubleTwist (free) If there is an adequate iTunes-like music player available on Android, DoubleTwist is it. It is an incredibly simple app that lets you keep your personal collection organized, sync to your desktop, subscribe to podcasts, and even listen to live radio. It can also function as a video player, though it is unquestionably best for listening to tunes.

One of DoubleTwist's most important features, AirSync, lets you wirelessly sync your Android music collection with your desktop PC. This feature is only available as a $4.99 upgrade, but considering the convenience it offers, it is well worth … Read more

Best music and audio apps for iOS

Slacker Radio (free) This is a great option for listening to streaming radio, with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to find what you want quickly. To use Slacker you must sign up for an account or log in with your Facebook credentials.

You can search for artists using a field at the top; check out the Music Guide curated by Slacker; or search by genres, stations you've previously listened to, specialty stations, or news, talk, and sports stations. Each selection on the first screen leads to another list where you can swipe to browse selections to find … Read more