Vine adds new in-app musical features to looping videos

Social media platform Vine announced an expansion of its audio capabilities. The service, which lets users film six-second looping videos, will now have options for seamlessly adding music to content directly within the app with the optional Snap to Beat feature. You can add music from your phone to videos directly through Vine, or you can browse the newly added Featured Tracks section. Continue Reading

Former ESPN podcaster Bill Simmons will return to air in the fall

Earlier this week, Bill Simmons announced on Twitter that he will be launching a new podcast in the fall. He has a new contract with HBO that begins in October. Simmons’ tweet only promised a “new name, new sponsors” for the upcoming show, and HBO has not provided any other details about what his return to podcasting will sound like. Continue Reading

Billboard industry survey finds love for Taylor Swift and Apple, not so much for Tidal

Billboard conducted an anonymous survey of music industry leaders, gathering expert opinions on everything from the sector’s business outlook to favorite artists. The business questions also revealed intriguing insights, including a view of which music companies are the industry darlings and which are not. Continue Reading

Test Drive: Baboom breathes fresh air into the indie music business

Baboom joined the ranks of of new digital music properties with its launch last week. The company blends several promising ideas from other digital upstarts, such as the direct-to-fan patronage of Bandcamp and the stream/store combination of Beatport. The result is a product that feels new and more promising than most other musical startups. Continue Reading

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Neil Young talks a big game in latest Pono update

Neil Young wrote an update about his hi-res Pono Music company on Facebook. Young gave nods to the other brands Pono works with, both in and out of the music industry, but explained that the company has many partners but “no proven business leader,” in his own words. He added that Pono is working to set up shop in multiple countries despite a lack of resources. Continue Reading