November 7, 2009
UK stamps to feature famous album covers
Next year, the UK's Royal Mail will sell 1st class stamps that feature images of 10 famous British album covers. Interestingly, no Beatles albums were chosen. Artists represented include Led Zeppelin, The Clash, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, David Bowie, and The Rolling Stones.
[via boingboing]
November 5, 2009
Sony's 1000 ringtones for your iPhone
Sony has launched a CD with 1,000 ringtones for the iPhone.
In their own words:
Personalize your iPhone with custom ringtones. 1,000 Ringtones for iPhone has the perfect sound for every caller in your address book. So simple—just load the disc, pick your ringtone, and synch to your iPhone—no downloading or fees! From Hollywood sound effects to great music clips to a wide variety of spoken ringtones, you're sure to find just the right sounds to fit your style. 1,000 Ringtones for your iPhone—there's no better, cheaper, or faster way to get great ringtones on your iPhone.
[via TUAW]
November 4, 2009
Somali rebels ban musical ringtones on phones
Al Shabaab, a group of Somali Islamists, primarily acting in Somalia, wants to topple the U.N.-backed government and impose its own strict version of Sharia law, including allowing only a Muslim cleric reading the Hadith or Koranic verse as a ringtone.
[Reuters]
November 3, 2009
Increasing Use of Mobile Phones to Listen to Radio Broadcasts
The use of mobile phones to listen to terrestrial radio broadcasts is continuing to increase, reports Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) which monitors radio usage in the UK. Cellular News reports.
According to RAJAR's latest figures which cover the 3rd quarter of the year, radio listening via mobile phone continues to grow steadily among adults aged 15+ with Q3, 2009 posting an increase of 7.5% from 6.4 million in Q3, 2008 to 6.9 million in Q3, 2009.
November 2, 2009
Album recored with a cell phone
Soulful singer Saidah Baba Talibah has just released her latest album using a mobile phone instead of a conventional studio. Cellphones etc reports.
November 1, 2009
UK. Illegal downloaders spend the most on music
People who illegally download music from the internet also spend more money on music than anyone else, according to a new study, reports The Independent.
... An estimated seven million UK users download files illegally every year. The record industry's trade association, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), believes this copyright infringement will cost the industry £200m ($330m) this year.
October 29, 2009
Google Launches Music Search
Google has just announced the launch of Google Music available only in the US for now, reports the NY Times.
From Google Blog:
Now, when you enter a music-related query — like the name of a song, artist or album — your search results will include links to an audio preview of those songs provided by our music search partners MySpace (which just acquired iLike) or Lala. When you click the result you'll be able to listen to an audio preview of the song directly from one of those partners.
For example, if I search for [21st century breakdown], the first results provide links to songs from Green Day's new album. MySpace and Lala also provide links to purchase the full song.
October 27, 2009
Hail to the Chief ringtones
Stumbled on this this morning, Hail to the Chief ringtones. Most of them are free.
October 26, 2009
German musicians sue YouTube, their own fans
TechRadar reports that a group of 25 publishers, producers and musicians are asking that YouTube hand over server logs showing who uploaded, as well as watched, their material.
Whether or not the plaintiffs will actually be able to sue their own fans for that perceived lost money remains for the German authorities to decide before the complaint gets to court.
October 25, 2009
The new musical instrument: Your phone
CNN on the pocket-sized revolution in the music world: Smartphone apps and programs for handheld gaming consoles now let all kinds of people create and remix tunes on-the-go.
Professional musicians are taking smartphones on tour with them for their musical capabilities, too. A video of the band Gomez shows the group using an iPhone as an instrument. The Gregory Brothers, the band formed by the siblings who make the "Auto-Tune the News" video series, have used the I Am T-Pain application to add robot-style vocal effects to their live shows.
Click here for 10 cool videos of the iPhone as a music instrument.
October 23, 2009
Vodafone Symphonia played on 1000 phones with 53 different ringtones
Vodafone NZ hired a production team to orchestrate cellphones into “playing” Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture. The effort took 1000 phones and 53 different ringtone alerts, synchronized to recreate the famous classical piece. [via Mashable]
Watch the video of the performance as well as the making-of in two parts (part 1, part 2)
Not a first though, a collection gathered by American composer Golan Levin initiated the first original «Dialtones Symphony», where the 200 instruments played were the audience's ringing cell phones. The first concert took place on September 2nd, 2001, at the Brucknerhaus Auditorium in Linz, Austria during the Ars Electronica's annual festival. Golan Levin performed his symphony again in the summer of 2002, at the Arteplage Mobile de Jura as a production of the Swiss National Exposition. (Ringtonia)
More on cell phone and ringtones concerts/symphonies.
October 22, 2009
Music Stars Demand Records On Bush Administration's Use Of Music For Torture
Not related to cell phones. Just chilling. From The Huffington Post.
... Hoping to cast further light on the potential illegalities that took place at the detention facility, the group is also working to obtain records about why and how music was used (under laws authorized by the Bush administration) to effectively torture suspected terrorists. The musicians have officially endorsed a Freedom of Information Act request for the declassification of all secret government records pertaining to music utilized during interrogations. At least two members of the coalition, Reznor and Morello, have had their music linked to interrogations.
Read full article
October 21, 2009
Apple's iTunes Music Store Starts Tweeting
Apple has opened three new iTunes Twitter accounts, iTunesMusic, iTunesMovies, and iTunesTV.
[via Switched]
New Google Music Service Launch Imminent
Google will soon launch a music service, we’ve heard from multiple sources, and the company has spent the last several weeks securing content for the launch of the service from the major music labels. One source has referred to the new service as Google Audio.
Read full story in TechCrunch.
October 20, 2009
MocoSpace to launch mobile music app
Fierce Mobile Content reports that Mobile social network MocoSpace will launch MocoSpace Music.
Launching later this fall across multiple U.S. operators and optimized for both smartphones and feature phones, MocoSpace Music promises an extensive library of sample tracks, enabling users to share discoveries with friends--in addition to adding more than 400 new recording artists to the site each day, MocoSpace regularly hosts live video and phone interviews with hip-hop and rock artists from labels like Island Def Jam and Sony Music.
Read full article.
October 19, 2009
Rock Band iPhone app
TechCrunch reviews the much anticipated Rock Band iPhone app (not available though in the Swiss iTunes store).
Rock Band for iPhone allows players to choose between vocals, drums, bass, or guitar. and features 20 tracks from a varied list of artists and musicians.
Read full review.
