Pandora has updated its iOS app with a new discovery tool called Browse. This feature, which appears at the top of the screen next to My Stations, brings pre-curated discovery into the company’s product suite. Continue Reading
The last time we took a close look at NPR One, the innovative audio mobile app from the public broadcaster, was right at its launch. The app has kicked off the new year with an update that beefs up the browsing and discovery options. Version 1.6 adds a fresh layer of personalization and flexibility to the already excellent app. Continue Reading
We love when Spotify finds cool ways to share data, and the end of the year is often when the streaming service shines. It delivered a Year In Music round-up that details any individual’s music choices from the last 12 months in a beautifully designed package. Continue Reading
Google announced new additions to its push to record great works in 360-degree video, this time focused on the fine arts. The tech giant has partnered with more than 60 performing arts groups around the world to create live, 360-degree experiences. I’ve seen a few experiments with this video tech before, and it has always seemed more interesting in theory than in practice to me. So I was curious to see what this meeting of high-tech and high culture could produce. Continue Reading
Vevo has been on somewhat uncertain ground with YouTube’s plans to transform its video platform into a formal streaming service. But the video service today released a new version of its own iOS app. Here’s a look at what you’ll find in the redesign. Continue Reading
There have been some rumblings about the streaming industry potentially breaking itself into niche, genre-based offerings. Today, another electronic-centered company has entered the field. Ministry of Sound, a house and dance specialist based in the UK, launched a free streaming app with round-the-clock lean-back programming. Continue Reading
With the big boom in podcast popularity, a few new upstarts have emerged to offer related services to listeners. One of the newer platforms is Jabbercast, a mobile iOS app for podcasts that explores new options in building community. Continue Reading
Today we’re taking a spin with the beta launch of a new online property called AudioBurst. The site collects talk radio segments from stations across the U.S. and puts them online in short clips dubbed ‘bursts.’ This is definitely a fun idea for those listeners who are big fans of audio content and want a more streamlined experience, but it does require a lot of interaction. Continue Reading
Many streaming platforms promise tools for personalized listening, but few radio services have explored programming that crosses genre boundaries. The latest to explore this space is iHeartRadio, which launched a new feature called My Favorites Radio. This station collects all of a given user’s favorited and thumbs-upped tracks and artists across all genres to create a single personalized playlist. Both Brad Hill and I took a spin through this feature to hear how things worked. Continue Reading
There’s a new mobile radio app on the horizon. It’s called Mr. Yep, just Mr. It’s the work of Shellanoo, the same company behind the Music Messenger program. The service bills itself as “the world’s easiest to use music radio app.” And technically, that may be accurate. Continue Reading
Spotify has a new feature catering to those listeners who are ahead of the trends. It’s called Found Them First, and the tool scours your listening history to see if you were streaming any artists before they hit the big time. The streaming platform defined breakout artists as act that have surpassed 20 million total streams with a growth rate of at least 2,000% between January 2013 and June 2015. Continue Reading
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