Amazon has updated its Prime Music iOS app with a set of lean-back radio stations. The feature arrived a few months back on the web version, but with mobile listening continuing to rise, bring the fullest service possible to phones is likely to become more and more crucial to a music service’s success. The listening experience is very reminiscent of Pandora, but is it more than a copycat? Continue Reading
Podcast platform Spreaker announced the launch of its Spreaker Studio app on iOS. The Studio app is centered on the production side of podcasting. It features a web-based mixing console, a sound effects library, and live audio broadcasting. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Billboard on global digital music projections; Spotify adds touch and swipe controls on mobile. Continue Reading
A new streaming service called The Overflow has crossed the border from Canada, bringing its database of Christian music to U.S. listeners. For now, it is only available as an iOS app, but Billboard reported that a web version is in the works. The company uses 7digital, which recently embarked on project for higher-quality audio formats in streaming. Continue Reading
Bop.fm rolled out its first mobile app today for iOS devices. I’ve been following this company closely of late because its big claim to fame is syncing up multiple music services under one umbrella. For anyone who listens to lots of music styles across many platforms, the idea is certainly appealing. The new mobile program doesn’t have quite as many streaming options as the desktop version, but it still links up three popular ones: YouTube, Spotify Premium, and Soundcloud. Continue Reading
App Annie has launched a new Index for Music that tracks statistics for musical mobile software. The index combines data from both the iOS App Store and the Android Google Play marketplace for a look at the programs that are most downloaded and generate the most revenue across four subcategories: music listening, music creation, artists and information, and other. Continue Reading
Data from App Annie revealed that music services are among the top performers for in-app purchases in August. The analytics firm found that Spotify, Pandora, and Apple’s music apps were among the leaders for in-app revenue. All three ranked in the top 10 revenue generators for non-game apps. Continue Reading
Apple kicked of its annual Worldwide Developer Conference today with the main event for non-professional Apple-watchers: the keynote. Anchored by CEO Tim Cook, supported by departmental leaders, the keynote traditionally previews Apple’s future products related to its operating systems. Continue Reading
Apple is mulling a subscription music service, reports are swirling that Apple might consider creating an Android app for iTunes, distributing the world’s largest music store outside of the Apple ecosystem for the first time. The news is a significant indicator of Apple’s openness to new business paths. Continue Reading
Currently, iTunes Radio is packed into the default Music app, the icon for which which cannot be removed from the iPhone/iPod/iPad desktop. The iTunes Radio brand is not spelled out anywhere in the system. As a review point of the service and its accessibility, we think iTunes Radio should exist as a separate identity in iOS. Continue Reading
A new report out from Gartner Research reveals that Google’s Android mobile operating system took the market-share lead in 2013 from Apple’s iOS platform. In a startling role reversal, Android jumped from 46 % to 62% of 2013 tablet sales, while Apple’s OS dropped from 53% to 36%. Continue Reading
Rdio updated its iOS mobile apps with two important features that exist already in the desktop experience. With U.S. listening migrating to mobile from the desktop, it is increasingly important for music apps to provide an unbroken feature set across all their installations. Continue Reading