November 7, 2009

UK stamps to feature famous album covers

let_it_bleed_ziggy_stardust_0.jpg

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]

emily | 8:41 AM | News, Buzz | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

November 5, 2009

Sony's 1000 ringtones for your iPhone

icons.png 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]

emily | 8:23 AM | Where to download ringtones | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

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.

quotemarksright.jpgAccording 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.quotesmarksleft.jpg

emily | 7:48 AM | Radio Phones | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

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.

quotemarksright.jpgAptly titled The Phone Demos, the collection features songs that will be included in her first full-length album which is scheduled to be released early next year.quotesmarksleft.jpg

emily | 8:45 AM | News, Buzz | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

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.

quotemarksright.jpgThe survey, published today, found that those who admit illegally downloading music spent an average of £77 ($127) a year on music – £33 ($54) more than those who claim that they never download music dishonestly.

... 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.quotesmarksleft.jpg


October 29, 2009

Google Launches Music Search

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Google has just announced the launch of Google Music available only in the US for now, reports the NY Times.

From Google Blog:

quotemarksright.jpgToday, we're rolling out a search feature that does just that by enabling you to search and more easily discover millions of songs, all via a simple Google web search. If you're searching for music, "time to result" is really "time to music."

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.quotesmarksleft.jpg

emily | 8:40 AM | News, Buzz | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

October 27, 2009

Hail to the Chief ringtones

Stumbled on this this morning, Hail to the Chief ringtones. Most of them are free.

emily | 9:54 AM | Where to download ringtones | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

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.

quotemarksright.jpgApparently oblivious to the notion that they could target just such an online fan base with relevant advertising or even increase their popularity, the group, led by Hamburg lawyer Jens Schippmann, is claiming lost income from over 125 million page views on YouTube.

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.quotesmarksleft.jpg

emily | 8:27 AM | Copyright Protection | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

October 25, 2009

The new musical instrument: Your phone

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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.

quotemarksright.jpg... There's been an absolute explosion in [music] production on mobile devices across all kinds of different platforms," said Peter Kirn, editor-in-chief of createdigitalmusic.com.

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.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Click here for 10 cool videos of the iPhone as a music instrument.

emily | 9:58 AM | News, Buzz, cell phone apps | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

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.

quotemarksright.jpgA group of prominent musicians are joining a campaign to close Guantanamo Bay and demanding the release of records about what music was used during the potential torture of detainees there and at other facilities.

... 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.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Read full article

emily | 10:54 AM | Copyright Protection, News, Buzz | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

October 21, 2009

Apple's iTunes Music Store Starts Tweeting

iTunes_Music_bigger.jpg iTunes_Movies_bigger.jpg iTunes_TV_bigger.jpg Apple has opened three new iTunes Twitter accounts, iTunesMusic, iTunesMovies, and iTunesTV.

[via Switched]

emily | 1:09 PM | News, Buzz | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

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.

emily | 1:00 PM | News, Buzz | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

October 20, 2009

MocoSpace to launch mobile music app

logo_moco-alpha.png Fierce Mobile Content reports that Mobile social network MocoSpace will launch MocoSpace Music.

quotemarksright.jpgMocoSpace Music is a new application enabling consumers to discover new releases and featured acts, view artist photo slideshows and video interviews, search for nearby live shows and purchase ringtones.

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.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Read full article.

emily | 4:48 PM | cell phone apps | permalink | http://www.wikio.com

October 19, 2009

Rock Band iPhone app

iTunes.jpg TechCrunch reviews the much anticipated Rock Band iPhone app (not available though in the Swiss iTunes store).

quotemarksright.jpgThe game features a multi-player mode (via Bluetooth), allowing up to 4 players to rock out on the go. While you can also play via single-player mode, you can use the integrated Facebook Connect to invite your friends to join in.

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. quotesmarksleft.jpg

Read full review.

emily | 11:22 AM | cell phone apps | permalink | http://www.wikio.com