Tag: music streaming

Spotify Tests New ‘Social Listening’ Feature That Lets Users Listen To Music Together

The experience of jamming to your favourite tracks by your favourite artist is much more accessible in this day and age than ever before. Gone are the days of having to search for songs on CDs that were sold in malls or local stores. Multiple online music streaming services are now available such as Spotify, that now seek to make listening to great songs a shared and interactive experience. The Swedish music streaming company is reportedly starting to test a new feature by the name of Social Listening that would let multiple users add songs and make playlists in real time. This is a group feature that will allow users to share and listen to new tracks simultaneously. Spotify is supposedly testing this feature internally within its employees, however, no confirmation has been officially given by the company as of yet regarding the public release of the feature.

The leaked information has stated that ‘Social Listening’ lets users control music together with their own devices using the added function of scanning Spotify Codes or by opening links to pair with other users to begin sharing songs. Screenshots that were leaked show the screens of devices ready to be paired by scanning codes or shared links, in an Android version of the application.

Spotify’s only official response to the feature is that the company is always testing new products and experiences, but have no news that can be shared regarding this function. The company prior to this had revealed its tests on new hardware (a first for the Spotify) ‘Car Thing”, a voice-controlled music and podcast player for cars. The test was only limited to the United States, however, Spotify will invite a few selected premium users for the experience too. Again no confirmations on the company actually releasing the device for consumers.

Also Read: WhatsApp Profile Photos Now Can’ Be Saved, New Album Features

The new social feature that allows group-based interactive playlist feature by Spotify that has just been teased would most definitely be a welcome addition to the social functions within its application.

June 3, 2019
Top 5 Music Streaming Apps In India

If there is one unchangeable fact about Indians, it is their unconditional love for music. From Bollywood music to hip hop, Indian audience has a varied taste when it comes to music. With the launch of multiple music streaming platforms in the country, it’s tough to select one app which can fit all your music needs. The music streaming battle in India heated up when Apple Music, Google Play Music, and Amazon Prime Music stepped into the scene.

Potential users have recurring thoughts regarding the purchase of a dedicated music streaming service. Some users still prefer YouTube to listen to music, but that’s not very convenient as many of them will agree. For instance, you cannot minimize the YouTube app while playing a song. Doing so cuts off the music, so you have to keep the app awake at all times. This means that your battery drain is significant. Also, music applications don’t go very hard on your data plan, whereas 720p YouTube streaming consumes almost 1 GB per hour. Using YouTube for your music needs may be more hassle-free, but certainly not the best possible solution

We have compiled a list of the best music streaming applications available in India as of now. Audiophiles can pick a specific subscription as per their needs and taste. Read on to find what each of these applications has to offer.

1. Apple Music

Let’s not forget that Apple brought iPods into the market, changing the way music was played everywhere. Apple music is built on top of a similar infrastructure that focuses more on the ‘ease-of-use’ aspect than anything else. Agreed, it’s not the cheapest music streaming subscription out there, but it offers much more for the price what people pay.
If you have an Apple ID, you can stream unlimited songs on all your devices. Furthermore, five people can use the Apple Music service at the same time. With one of the most sorted UIs, Apple Music is highly optimized for Android and iOS.

Apple Music has a massive library with over 45 million songs, and hundreds of songs are added every day. The library is especially tailored for Indian audiences, with the inclusion of songs from almost all Indian Languages. High quality music, Apple’s 24-hour radio and the social ‘Connect’ feature are useful features integrated into the app.

Platforms Supported : Android, iOS, Web, MacOS etc.
Price :

Student: Rs. 60 per month
Single Person: Rs. 120 per month
Family: Rs. 190 per month

2. Amazon Prime Music

Amazon Prime Music was primarily launched in India with the motive of an Amazon Alexa integration. Eventually, Prime Music made its way on to newer platforms like iOS, Web, and Android. Amazon Prime also provides services for streaming movies and online shopping worldwide. The music streaming service has a huge music library with over 30 million tracks. Amazon Prime Music is also known for its seamless music playback over its popular voice assistant, Alexa. A person can easily manage playlists, queue songs and play/pause music using just voice commands. Prime music has full Chromecast support, unlike Prime Video.
Also, the web app for Prime music is neatly designed to provide users with a good experience.

Platforms Supported : Android, iOS, Web, Amazon Alexa, Fire TV, etc.
Price: Rs. 999 per year

3. Google Play Music

From a long time, the search giant has been trying to strengthen its foothold in the Indian Music Streaming service. The Google Play Music App is preinstalled on every Android phone, so almost every user notices the app one way or another. With competitive pricing, Google Play Music offers the solution of a single app for both online and offline music. It comes with both free and premium subscriptions, but the free version is limited to only Indian songs and radio stations. Once you start paying for a subscription, you’ll have access to a complete music catalog with a whole lot of international music and content.

The UI of the app follows the same design as the rest of the Google entertainment apps. On the first look, the application seems to focus more on radio station playback rather than music tracks. You can sync your music and playlists over multiple Google devices, which is quite convenient. On top of that, you get a free 14 day trial to experience the premium functions of the app.

Platforms Supported: Android, iOS, Web, Google Home etc.
Price: Rs. 99 per month?

4. JioSaavn Music

Two popular music apps, JioMusic & Saavn Music integrated to launch the JioSaavn app on December 4. The app brought a host of features like interactive lyrics and live events to the user’s device. A lot of people confuse Saavn with an Indian app, but it was actually designed by two Indians in the US.

The music streaming service has a ad-based revenue model, but if you’re interested in downloading songs and getting rid of the advertisements at the same time, you can opt for the premium subscription. It offers an interactive UI with a Facebook integration, allowing you and your friends to see what you are listening to. You can adjust the music streaming quality as per your data connection. The application has a nice language filter which you can use to receive recommendations depending upon your selected region.

Platforms Supported: Android, iOS, Web, Google Home etc.
Price: Rs. 99 per month

5. Gaana

Gaana was one of the earliest music streaming apps in India. Launched in 2010, the app had one of the largest music databases at that time. Over time, the minimal interface of Gaana was taken over by new features like on-screen lyrics and social media integration. Still, to this day, Gaana Music has one of the largest Indian Regional Music databases when compared to similar apps. Sure, it does have a wide selection of International music too, but it isn’t as extensive as its competitors.

Also Read: This Is What The Samsung Foldable Smartphone With Dual Display Will Look Like

The Gaana app has an option to turn off your profile activity if you like your music to be more personal. It also has a load of other features like a night mode, sleep timer, and gapless playback. If you’re a fan of Indian Music, Gaana could be your go-to app.

Platforms Supported : Android, iOS, Web, UWP etc.
Price: Rs. 99 per month, Rs. 999 per year.

February 16, 2019
What Spotify Entering Indian Market Might Mean For Prime Music And Apple Music

Swedish online music streaming service Spotify might launch it’s services in India soon. There is already quite a competition brewing between other music streaming services, with Prime music and Apple music being paid services. Saavn, Gaana Google and other companies also have free streaming that many Indians use, apart from using Youtube for their music needs. Spotify is already a couple of years late in entering the market. Recent news suggests that they plan to establish themselves and launch before the end of this month.

The company has already partnered with T series. T series is India’s largest music label and movie studio. Fans of T series have been in loggerheads to gain the most number of subscribers on Youtube with popular Youtuber Pewdiepie. This partnership will allow Spotify to gain access to T-Series’ catalogue of Bollywood and regional songs. The company is believed to be launching with a catalogue of five languages with more than 160,000 tracks across various genres.

What Others Offer

Apple Music currently provides three months of free trial before one has to subscribe in India. The subscription charges are Rs 60/month for students, Rs 120/month for individuals and Rs 190/month for families. Amazon’s Prime Music on the other hand is available for free for all Amazon Prime users which costs 129 per month or Rs 999 per year. Prime membership also adds certain other benefits such as Prime Videos, free delivery for orders from Amazon and so on. On the other hand, JioSaavn PRO is offered for Rs 99 per month. In a highly competitive market such as this, Spotify needs to up the game if it is to survive and thrive. Being a price sensitive market, the membership fees will be the deciding factor for subscribers.

Till last year Spotify claimed to have the presence in 78 markets across the world. The company also has over 250 partners across televisions, cars, laptops and speakers among others. One of India’s biggest music streaming service, Saavn was recently acquired by telecom behemoth Reliance Industries Limited. Spotify can play to their strengths and look at acquisition of Indian music streaming services as well. This will not only reduce establishment costs but also reduce competition. However, in a stock exchange filing, Spotify reported that it had a dedicated office space in India, with 308 employees. This means that the company is going to have a go at the music streaming business in India very soon. It will be interesting to see how it pans out and how Indians receive the new streaming service option.

January 22, 2019
TIDAL Falsified Streaming Numbers Of Beyoncé, Kanye West’s Albums

TIDAL is a subscription-based music streaming service owned by popular rapper, Jay-Z. The streaming service has come under serious scrutiny over misconduct, allegedly inflating streaming numbers of albums by multiple artists. A new report by Norwegian news outlet, Dagens Næringsliv has accused the streaming service after a year-long investigation.

Dagens Næringsliv worked closely with music research firm Midia and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s Center for Cyber and Information Security (CCIS) to validate the accusations. The albums in question here, are Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Apparently, the reporters from Dagens Næringsliv obtained a hard drive that contained manipulated TIDAL streaming data. They then took that data to Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)’s Center for Cyber and Information Security (CCIS), which analysed it and laid down their findings.

Both Lemonade and The Life of Pablo were released exclusively on TIDAL in 2016. 10 days after TLOP was released, TIDAL announced that the album was streamed over 250 million times. Two weeks after Lemonade was released, the album apparently was streamed over 306 million times. These numbers sounded suspicious to folks over at Dagens Næringsliv, especially considering the TIDAL has only over 3 million worldwide subscribers.

In a statement to Variety, TIDAL said:

This is a smear campaign from a publication that once referred to our employee as an ‘Israeli Intelligence officer’ and our owner as a ‘crack dealer.’ We expect nothing less from them than this ridiculous story, lies and falsehoods. The information was stolen and manipulated and we will fight these claims vigorously.

Buying fake views and subscribers is nothing new. Outlets like Fiverr offer services like these as well. In this case, if the study finds some sort of grounding, TIDAL could be in some serious legal trouble. TIDAL executives could be sued for collusion and/or fraud since streaming rates correspond to royalty payments. Inflating streaming numbers and thus increasing royalty payments is clearly illegal and if proven to be true, Sony and Universal would have to pay back some funds and a penalty.

May 10, 2018
Spotify To Soon Launch In India

Up until a few years ago, music streaming services in India were almost non-existent. However, with the internet becoming cheaper and more accessible thanks to Jio, music streaming has come to the fore. While Apple Music, Gaana, Saavn and now Amazon Prime Music have a great deal of customer base, Spotify has been missing from the Indian market. That is about to change soon, as the CEO of Spotify has conceded that the company will soon launch its music streaming services in India.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, during the Investor’s Day in New York, said:

We are working on launching in some of the biggest markets in the world, including India, Russia, and Africa which has a very rich musical culture.

Signs were already there, that Spotify was planning something for India. It hired a former Google Business Manager to head its Marketing in India and even leased an office space in Mumbai. The company already has 308 employees in Australia, Brazil, Singapore, and others markets, including India.

AmazonPrime Music

Spotify, despite its huge success internationally, will have a hard time in India. It will be a late-entrant and have a hard time trying to make people shift from a service like Saavn that offers a great experience for its free customers. Although the free service has ads, the local music library it possesses is a great advantage.

Spotify And Its Competition

Internationally, Spotify’s only real competition is Apple Music. In India as well, Apple Music has a great customer base. Apart from Apple Music, Saavn, Gaana, Wynk and others have a great foothold in the music streaming service as well. For Spotify to compete, it will have to get its pricing spot on. Apple Music is priced at Rs 120 per month but, it also has a student subscription plan that is priced at Rs 60 per month.

Apple Music

While people have been exposed to Spotify due to the internet, it will have to bring in something extra to sway customers. Thanks to India’s diverse culture, local music is an important feature. If Spotify provides local language music, then the company will have an advantage. Another interesting feature that Spotify possesses its desktop mode. Only Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music have a desktop version right now.

March 19, 2018
Top 5 Free Music Players For Android

Music is the strongest form of magic. Listening to music cheers any soul that requires relaxation. In fact, we have multiple genres of music. Hindustani, Karnatik, Folk are originally from India, whereas Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, and RAP belongs to western countries. Be it the 90s Jazz or the latest I am in love with the shape of you, everyone has a different taste in music.

With the mobile data plans getting cheaper day by day, these music players not only play locally saved tracks but can stream the latest song at free of cost.

Here are the top music players that are available for Android smartphones for free of cost.

Hungama:

Hungama is one of the oldest music player, that exists. The clean user interface is one of the highlights of the Hungama. One can play songs which are locally saved on the smartphone or just search for newer song altogether. The app is free to download, however, one can also choose a premium version which offers ads free user experience with the free MP3 download. In fact, this is the only app that allows the native MP3 download. The app looks a bit dated, with an unpolished user interface. The Hungama Pro plan stars at Rs. 99 per month.

Pros: Free music streaming + offline download

Cons: Boring user interface with annoying ads

Gaana:

Gaana is pretty similar to Hungama, with a few drawbacks. One can stream free music on Ganaa, but one has to subscribe to Gaana+ to save tracks offline. The app is free for download, which plays in-app ads in the free version. If we look at the UI, the Gaana looks more polished than that of the Hungama. The choice of music is unlimited, you can choose from Hollywood to Bollywood. One can experience premium Gaana Plus service for free for the first 14 days, later on, one has to pay Rs. 99 per month.

Pros: Modern user interface

Cons: No option for offline downloads for free

SoundCloud:

SoundCloud is one of the most used music distribution services. The Berlin-based company provides a platform for users to create, record, or to share the originally created music or sound bits. Most of the music found on SoundCloud is created by users. It also gives a platform for the new music creators with free access to the ever-growing library. However, this app cannot play native MP3 files, which makes it a bummer.

Pros: Brilliant UI with unique music collection

Cons: Doesn’t support native MP3 playback

JioMusic:

This is one of the best free music apps for the Android platform. It offers ad-free user experience, free streaming, free offline-downloading. However, the access is limited to Jio network users. One has to have a Jio SIM card with an action plan to use this application. Using Jio Music, one can set caller tune for free of cost at a click of a button.

Pros: Ad-free UI with extensive library of music

Cons: Restricted to Jio network

Wynk:

This music service is run by Airtel. Users of Airtel network will get free access to millions of songs, but the experience is not ad-free. To get ad-free user experience, one has to make get a premium account by paying Rs.99 per month. If you are an Airtel user, then Wynk is a must-have application, which can fulfil all your music needs.

Pros: Open to all with a privilege for Airtel users

Cons: ads playing between the music

February 19, 2018
YouTube To Launch Music Subscription Service In 2018

YouTube is planning to launch a music streaming service in March next year.

Record label Warner Music Group has already signed up while Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Merlin, a consortium of independent labels, are in talks with YouTube as well. According to the report, the service is internally called Remix as of now and it will be interesting if that turns out to be the official name as well.

YouTube hired former Warner Music executive Lyor Cohen last year to help oversee its music operations and serve as a liaison to the record business. Google folded much of the staff for Google Play Music into YouTube earlier this year, and Cohen announced plans to create a new paid service.

The new service could help appease record-industry executives who have pushed for more revenue from YouTube. Warner Music Group, one of the world’s three major record labels, has already signed on, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private talks.

The new service would include Spotify-like on-demand streaming and would incorporate elements from YouTube, such as video clips. YouTube has also reached out to artists to seek their help in promoting the new service.

December 8, 2017
Apple’s iTunes Radio Will No Longer be a Free Service

Apple’s iTunes Radio will no longer be a free streaming service. The company will add the ad-supported streaming service to Apple Music beginning January 29. Apple Music is a paid music streaming service that began last year. After the date, Beats 1, which launched alongside Apple Music, will be the only free music streaming service offered by the Cupertino company.

Apple launched iTunes Radio in 2013 in the United States and Australia. The streaming service lets you create custom stations based on genres or specific songs, much like Pandora and other internet radio services. The service is ad-supported and does not allow on-demand access to music.

Apple sent out emails to customers regarding its new change and also confirmed the same to BuzzFeed. iTunes Radio has already been a part of Apple Music since the latter’s inception, but users were still able to access iTunes Radio streams for free. After the 29th, Beats 1, Apple’s curated live 24/7 radio station, will be the only free music streaming option available.

The news follows and confirms Apple’s decision to discontinue its iAD App Network, the company’s mobile ads product.

January 16, 2016
YouTube Launches its Own Music Streaming App, Challenges Apple Music and Spotify

Watch out Apple Music and Spotify, YouTube Music is here. The world’s largest and most popular free music service has started rolling out a dedicated music app, which includes a paid subscription option.

YouTube has been dominating online video streaming for years and has become a household name today. Now the video giant wants to do what it does best – bring music to the masses. YouTube has stuck to free music videos for years to the dismay of some in the music business. The contention was that YouTube doesn’t generate nearly enough revenue when compared to the number of hits it gets on a daily basis.

The YouTube Phenomenon

Videos are becoming the next big thing for social networking sites. Facebook’s big video push is now providing a real competition to YouTube, and Facebook has also shown interest in music, too with the newly launched Music Stories. But the impact on YouTube has been massive and the video giant knows just how big it is. in their official blog, YouTube said that, “today, any artist can upload a video to YouTube and get discovered by over 1 billion people around the globe. That global exposure has allowed YouTube and Google to pay out over $3 billion to the record industry to date. But it’s also provided an incredible source of promotion for artists, helping fuel ticket sales, move merchandise, and boost album and song downloads. Just this month, Adele’s “Hello” became the fastest rising video of the year on YouTube, while also breaking the record for first week download sales.”

The fact that YouTube is coming out with a standalone app when Google Play Music already exists is a bit confusing. However, those who are subscribers to YouTube Red can avail benefits on both the apps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwj1qFPnhow

How Does YouTube Music Work?

The app works like a standard music service. You search for artists or songs and then YouTube suggests more songs based on your search. It’s unlike Apple Music and Spotify in that while the latter services offer curated songs and playlists, YouTube Music doesn’t. The app lets computers rather than humans pick out songs for you, and will do so once you already have a song in mind.

No matter where you start in the app, the music will never stop. Every song you play or artist you choose will take you on an endless journey through YouTube’s music catalog. A simple tap and you’re on your way, enjoying your favorite music and discovering new artists effortlessly. The home tab will recommend tracks just for you and create personalized stations based on your tastes.

You cannot create playlists, however. Instead YouTube Music creates a daily playlist for you in ‘My mix’, which combines tracks you’ve listened to, tracks you’ve liked and some new suggestions based on both. The app is also unlike Apple Music and Spotify in that it is the first music streaming app that includes videos. You can share and listen to music for free, with ads, or go for an ad free version by subscribing to YouTube Red for a monthly fee of $10.

The YouTube Music app is available only in the U.S as of now and YouTube plans to roll out the service in other countries soon. Let us know what you think of YouTube’s newest app in the comments below.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://youtube-global.blogspot.in/2015/11/a-youtube-built-just-for-music.html”]YouTube[/tw-button]

November 13, 2015
Apple Music has Come to Android But With Glitches

Apple Music has finally arrived on Android. The newest music streaming app is the third Apple app to make its way to Android – the first to being Move to iOS and BeatPill+. Apple Music is something many Android users have been waiting for. It is one of Apple’s better launches this year and one that has pleased music lovers all over.

The Android app looks similar to Apple Music on iOS with only some differences that are particular to Android. The design is pretty much the same and all the Apple Music options are there including Beats Radio. True to Android the app has a left slide-out menu that features the For You, New, Radio, Connect, Playlists and My Music tabs. The For You section is packed with albums and curated playlists based on your taste. The suggestions look just like the iOS.

But those are just the pros to the story. The Android beta version of the Apple Music comes with a host of bugs and glitches that are quite putting off.

The app is far from working smoothly at the moment. Saved playlists and album artworks take a long time to load properly even with fast network connectivity, and you’re left with black spaces and a white background that makes the overall app a dull affair.

Downloading multiple songs or a playlist seem to fail occasionally while single downloads work fine. Since it’s still in beta stage one expects the app to come with some issues. The updated version will look to smooth things out.

Furthermore, the app does not sync with your music folder, which one would have preferred since Android users tend to use their phones like an MP3 player, storing music files for years. Thus, the My Music page will only show songs purchased from iTunes and songs saved from Apple Music. Google Play Music allows streaming as well as downloaded music files so Android users may just stick with that.

Apple Music has a massive library of music and one can pretty much find anything in there. For users in India, this means that there is now a great alternative for popular music streaming apps like Saavn, Wynk and Gaana. To download the Apple Music for Android, head on over to the Google Play Store and try it out. As mentioned above, the app has a 3-month free trial after which you’ll have to pay to stay on.

November 12, 2015
Bose Announces New SoundTouch Wireless Music Systems

Bose has announced its newest range of next-generation SoundTouch wireless music systems with built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The systems cater to the growing trend of music streaming around the world and the company wants to make music streaming at home easier than ever before.

The Bluetooth feature allows you stream any song, playlist, music service and YouTube directly from your Bluetooth-enabled phone or tablet. You can also broadcast your songs to as many SoundTouch speakers as you have via Wi-Fi, or you can use the SoundTouch app to explore a whole variety of options from integrated music services and setting presets to enjoying different music in different rooms. Indeed, the SoundTouch’s big selling point is its presets. Atop each SoundTouch speaker are six numbered buttons. You can set each button for a particular playlist, streaming service, a specific song, or anything else, which you can customize through the Bose SoundTouch Control app.

“SoundTouch systems have always been about delivering the very best way to enjoy streaming music at home,” said John Russels, general manager of Bose Wireless Speakers. “So they’re different than other wireless home music systems. They put all your music in one place, are easier to use than anything else available and now they can play whatever you want, whenever you want. SoundTouch systems like what you like, and the new, little SoundTouch 10 is a great way to get started.”

The SoundTouch Family

SoundTouch 10 wireless music systems is the smallest SoundTouch system, measuring at 8.34-inch tall and 5.56-inch wide. It combines the new Unidome transducer with Bose’s own signal processing. What you get finally is a cleaner, deeper, and louder performance than any other single speaker in its league.

The SoundTouch 20 and 30 Series III systems are updated brother of the SoundTouch 10 system. The SoundTouch 30 Series III is Bose’s best performing one-piece solution while the 20 Series III delivers rich, room filling sound.

Bose SoundTouch 20 Series III

SoundTouch soundbars and home theater system include two soundbars and a 5.1 system, the SoundTouch 520 home theater system.

The SoundTouch SA-S amplifier, lets you take your music outside, too. It powers weaterproof speakers for balconies, patios and backyards.

Pricing and Availability

Bose’s new SoundTouch 10 wireless music system is priced at Rs. 19,013 while the SoundTouch 20 Series III and the 30 Series III are available for Rs. 33,638 and Rs. 57.263, respectively. Bose’s SoundTouch home theater systems are available starting at Rs. 1,10,138. All the latest systems are available at select Bose dealers and Bose retail stores.

October 20, 2015
What We Can Learn From the Taylor Swift-Apple Controversy

Taylor Swift is currently one of the biggest music icons in the world, as evident from the fact that her last album sold more than four million copies worldwide and in all, she has won seven Grammy awards and 22 Billboard awards. So, it matters when one of the most influential music artists in the world says she has a problem with Apple Music, the new streaming service launched by Apple.

In her recent open letter to Apple, Swift explains why she would hold back her new album, 1989, from Apple Music. She wrote, “Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.”

Swift’s open letter points to the statement given by Apple executive Robert Kondrk, who said that the company won’t pay the artists during the three month trial period. The company would later make it up to the artists by paying them higher amounts than its rival, Spotify. A few hours after Swift’s open later was published, Apple VP, Eddy Cue tweeted that the artists will be paid during the three month trial period, which Swift positively responded to.

We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple

— Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015

Swift’s concern is in a right place. Most people nowadays want to access media without paying, which leaves services like Spotify and YouTube with no other option but to provide free streaming with advertisements. As a result, streaming generates less royalties than a CD sale or digital download would’ve generated.

Apple won’t pay the artists during the three month trial period of Apple Music

Although streaming would not affect the music sales of Swift or the likes, as she points out, it is “about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success..about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt.. but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs”.

Artists depend on the royalties generated from the sale of CDs and downloads. Their only source of income get affected due to the amount of money generated from streaming. Hence, artists and record labels are pushing for subscription based music services, which they believe will be more stable when it comes to generating royalties.

This is not the first time artists have spoken out against the streaming services. Recently, rapper Jay-Z launched his own streaming service, Tidal, which is said to be the first artist-owned streaming service. He criticized YouTube and Spotify for not giving enough money to the artists. In November 2014, Swift removed all of her old albums from Spotify over the issue of royalties.

Apple’s recent move is a temporary resolve, since it is in a position to pay the artists during the trial period. The success of Apple Music will be determined when people actually subscribe. To keep the music industry alive, a model has to be devised which would allow people to pay reasonable rates and at the same time allow artists to earn fair royalties in return. Higher rates can lead to piracy, which would again affect the artists. An effort has to be made to persuade people to subscribe to music services and support the artists. Till such things happen, artists have to speak out.

We like how Taylor Swift put it – “We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.”

Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://taylorswift.tumblr.com/post/122071902085/to-apple-love-taylor”]Taylor Swift’s Blog [/tw-button]

June 22, 2015
Apple Finally Introduces its Very Own Music Streaming Service

Apple has always been about building a secure, healthy ecosystem. They’re now bringing this philosophy to their new music streaming service. At the Worldwide Developers Conference, the company announced ‘Apple Music’, a service that seems to have the capabilities to put several successful music companies out of business. Provided it’s successful, of course.

On Apple Music, all the ways you love music can live together.

Here’s how the company plans to do it – with the new app, millions of tracks will be available to stream, and can be saved offline (bye-bye Spotify.) This library will also give recommendations an the playlists would be curated by popular musicians such as Drake, Will I Am and Pharrell.

At the launch, the company emphasised on how they’d like established, as well as emerging artists to interact with the users. For this, Apple introduced ‘Connect’, where artists can share pictures, music and messages with their audience. Fans can then comment, like, or share it via Messages, Facebook, Twitter and email. This feature takes SoundCloud a step ahead.

Lastly, an introduction that seems the most refreshing, is Apple’s new 24/7 global music radio station – Beats 1. With the radio feature, more than 100 countries worldwide will be listening in to programming and stations created by some of the world’s most popular musicians. It will have genres such as Indie rock, Hip-hop classical, etc.

Apple Music will be available 30th June onwards. For the initial three months, the service is available for free. After which, there will be a charge of 9.99$ per month. There is also a family plan providing the service for up to six family members, for $14.99 per month.

June 9, 2015
Jay Z Ropes in the Biggest Music Stars For His New Music Streaming Service, Tidal

Jay Z is one of the royalties of the music industry. He has had a long and eventful career, and his wife Beyonce enjoys a similar status in the music industry. Jay Z is also a successful entrepreneur with a personal net worth of $560 Million with investments in several brands. Now he is using his status in the industry to offer a new music streaming service called Tidal and for this he has invited the who’s who of the music industry.

Tidal is a subscription-based music streaming service that has been in operation since October 2014. The music service combines lossless audio and high definition music videos which are curated by the editors. The most attractive bit about this service is its ownership. The musicians will have the stake in this streaming service, thereby guaranteeing them a return on their creation. This means that the musicians will have direct control over their product on Tidal.

For the announcement of his involvement, Jay Z invited the most notable faces of the music industry. The list includes Madonna, Kanye West, Nicky Minaj, Coldplay lead singer, Chris Martin, Alicia Keys and the eccentric Daft Punk. These celebrities began promoting the service under the hashtag #TIDALforALL on Twitter.

The game changes now. LIVE on http://t.co/EjEyEz1Ety #TIDALforALL pic.twitter.com/8r7cXeLt0r

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 30, 2015

Access to content on Tidal will be available in two subscription plans, $10 a month for a compressed format (the standard on most digital outlets) and $20 for CD-quality streams. Tidal’s parent company had reported last autumn that the service has about 512,000 paying users. That number will significantly rise, thanks to Jay Z’s involvement.

But Tidal has a long climb ahead in the streaming service business which is currently ruled by the likes of Spotify and Pandora. Also, while the artists may be on board, but the distribution rights of the songs are still held by the studios who produce them, so that bit needs to be ironed out. The biggest challenge for the service, of course, is to find consumers who are ready to pay for the music instead of going for the plethora of avenues on the Internet to get music for free. Jay Z may have had 99 Problems, and now this will be a major one.

The concept of Tidal sounds interesting as it would let users listen to the high-quality audio while the revenues generated will directly reach the artists. But the service should also be equally kind to budding musicians who face tremendous pressures to get their art recognized and eventually get paid for it.

Here is the video of all your favourite music superstar coming together for Tidal:

March 31, 2015
Apple Might Be Working on Updating iTunes as a Music Streaming Service

Ever since Apple acquired beats for a massive sum of $3.2 billion, there have been various speculations about what the company intends to do with the company. It is now being reported that the Cupertino-based tech giant might join the forces of iTunes and Beats Music app to create an all new streaming service.

According to a report by Business Insider, the Apple might be secretly working on a new streaming service. This will let the users play the music online for a fee instead of just downloading them as they did with iTunes.

The new service will absorb the powers of curation from the Beats music app and will give users the ability to find easily what they’re looking for. It is also looking to partner with musicians to let them curate its music stream. Apple has already hired BBC radio DJ Zane Lowe to lead the curation service.

Apple needs to come up with a competitive service as music streaming is fast gaining ground with increased access to the internet. Services like Spotify rule the market unchallenged, and a home cooked service from Apple that comes with all its devices might be a formidable contender in the streaming market. We shall wait for the official word on the service from Apple though to reach a final judgement.

February 26, 2015