It took Google almost two years before it launched a follow-up on the original Chromecast. Our waiting wasn’t put in vain as the tech giant introduced not just one but two—one of which is the Chromecast Audio that lets you stream music from any mobile device or computer to your speakers. Simply put, it has turned your ordinary speakers into a wireless unit that works the same way as those Bluetooth-enabled speakers.

Chromecast Audio became a hit also because of the affordable price. For only $35, you can connect to your speakers wirelessly. It's as if giving a new life to your old speakers. Google has just released a software update that includes two new features. Listening to your favorite music is made even better with hi-res audio support. Chromecast now supports a music file up to 96KHz/24bit so you don't have to worry about losing audio quality. You may be streaming music but audio quality will even be better than CD. It's ideal especially if you have speakers that deliver high fidelity audio.

Google also added a multi-room feature that lets you group several Chromecast Audio devices connected to different speakers. You can now play the same music in several rooms. Feel free to play that wake-up song in every room at home if you really need to wake everyone up. Or when you're at work, you can act like the official office DJ and blast any song that you know your co-workers will appreciate.

Attach one Chromecast Audio to each of the speakers you have. Using the latest Chromecast app installed on your smartphone, create a group. Casting audio is the same as casting videos to any Chromecast device. Choose the song and then press that Chromecast icon and be ready to enjoy the playlist you prepared to help you go through the day.

SOURCE: Google Chrome Blog

When you’re listening to online music streaming services, you don’t just randomly put on stuff that you may not know or may not like (unless you like that kind of thing). So you either go look for playlists or stations that are according to your taste, or if you have a lot of time, you create your own curated playlist. But if you want someone else to do it for you, then you have to rely on automated services like this new one from Pandora called Thumbprint Radio.

As you may have surmised from the name itself, this is a hyper-personalized radio station that is based on what you’ve previously given thumbs up when you were listening to various songs, albums or playlists on Pandora. And it’s not just one static playlist that’s created, but it constantly changes the more you listen to Pandora, and if your musical taste evolves over time, then your station will evolve with you as well.

If you’ve been using Pandora for some time now, you’ll be pleasantly surprised (or not, if you think your taste was horrible back then) because some of the songs you’ll hear are those you’ve thumbs-upped a long time ago. But you also get to hear new songs which their “musicologists” think you’ll like based on what you’ve approved. If you share your Thumbprint Radio with your friends, it will also be as dynamic as your own station. So if you don’t want your friends to know you’re now listening to Justin Bieber, then don’t share it with them.

Obviously, you need to have Pandora if you want to have a Thumbprint Radio. But you also need to have at least four thumbs up in three different stations for them to start building a radio for you. If you don't have it yet, you can download the Pandora app from the Google Play Store for free.

SOURCE: Pandora

First came Spotify, Google Play Music, Rhapsody, and Tidal that were available to stream on Sonos’ world class speakers. The newest music streaming service that can now be streamed onto various speakers in their line is probably something most users didn’t expect, and that is Apple Music. Even though it’s still in beta and there are still a lot of features not yet activated, it’s still good news for those who prefer that music service and already have or ar planning to buy the smart speakers for their house.

What it does have are the basic key features of the app, including the For You section, which makes personalized suggestions based on what you’re listening to; the New section, which is pretty self-explanatory; Beats 1, which sis a 24/7 online radio station broadcast worldwide from Los Angeles, New York, and London; and My Music, where you’ll be able to find all the music that you downloaded and your personal library itself.

What’s not there is the ability to edit your playlists and the search results are still pretty limited for now. You also won’t be able to add songs, playlists, or albums to your library just yet, and you can’t listen to Beats 1 on demand. These features might probably show up eventually in future updates, but for now, you’d have to be satisfied with what you’ve got.

Apple Music will only be enabled on Android devices that are running on 5.0 and above. They’re still working on having it supported by devices running lower OS so that the market will be even bigger (and happier). Apple Music is compatible with all the Sonos speakers, including the new, top of the line Play:5.

VIA: The Verge

As our devices become more advanced and feature-driven, even the peripheral accessories that we have are also getting smarter as well, to the point that some don’t even need a smartphone to function anymore. The new Streamz over-ear headphones has built-in storage and the capacity to stream music services like Spotify, Pandora, etc so it can function without being tethered to another device or to any wires, making it a truly smart headphone.

The Streamz headphones itself runs on the Android OS and has a 1.7GHz quad-core processor. It even has a 128 x 128 OLED color display with keyboard panel so that you can control everything directly from the headset. But you can also use the Android app on your smartphone if you want as it has Bluetooth connectivity as well so you can connect it just like you would any other headphones.

It has 36GB internal storage so you can save a certain number of albums and songs directly on the device. It supports various music files including FLAC, ALAC, MP3, and WAV up to 96kHz/24-bit HD DAC. There are over 150 Chromecast apps that can be streamed over to Streamz so you’ll never run out of music to listen to whether it’s from saved files directly onto the headphones or to streaming music.

But you’d have to hold your musical horses a little while longer. The Streamz headphones will be officially launched at the CES in January. The SRP is $400 and shipping will begin by March 2016.

VIA: Pocket Lint

We've started with our countdown at home already so we can feel the Christmas rush. There's still a lot more of shopping, gift-wrapping, and party planning to do but as you go through those things, play some songs in the background to complete the atmosphere. While it's so easy to just get a playlist off a particular music streaming app, you're not always sure if the one you choose is the right mix.

Spotify aims to bring relevant results all the time. There are playlists available for holiday parties but the music streaming service is releasing the Spotify Party playlists that were mixed by professionals. These are not just playlists shared by other users but they were prepared by DJs who really know party music. This season, leave the party DJ-ing to the pros. Just focus the rest of your efforts on cooking or shopping.

Spotify partnered with Diplo to make the exclusive playlists of songs. There's the right playlist for every mood. Having a cozy, sit-down, and intimate party? Or how about a rocking party? With Spotify Party, you can set the mood and enjoy uninterrupted music. There's also the Play Queue that allows you to edit a playlist by adding, deleting, or rearranging the songs. There are about 120 curated tracks included in the Spotify Party.

A Diplo executive shared, "With Spotify Party, you’re served with loads of beat-matched music that transitions perfectly, which you can easily adapt to whatever your current vibe is. Best of all, you don’t have to do any of the legwork." Choosing a curated playlist will make your life easier. There's no need to spend a lot of time setting up the songs you want to hear if there's already a playlist prepared just for you.

SOURCE: Spotify

It took a while for it to happen, but Beatles fans everywhere (well, everywhere that has Internet and music streaming access) will consider December 24 a very special day as the entire discography of the Fab Four from Liverpool will now be available for the first time on music streaming services, including Google Play Music. While music streaming is still a hot button topic for some, this marks the end for one of the biggest holdouts in the industry.

The whole catalogue of the world’s most celebrated popular music group, which includes 13 studio albums and four essential collections, became available on Google’s music streaming service at exactly 12:01 of December 24. Those using other service like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, Slacker, Tidal, Groove, Rhapsody and Deezer will also now be able to access the more than 200 songs in the catalogue, but of course, depending on the various tiers of each service.

The announcement on the Beatles official website read, “Happy Crimble, with love from us to you.” Some are saying that the availability of their discography might bring even more people to music streaming since they will be able to legally access all these songs for a monthly service fee.

As part of Google Play’s “welcome party” for the Beatles, you can tell your Google app, “Ok Google, play the Beatles,” and something magical will happen. Well, not really magical, but it will actually lead you to your favorite Beatles song or album.

SOURCE: Google

While music lovers were celebrating the arrival of the entire Beatles discography on Spotify (and other music streaming services), some artists were busy preparing a class action lawsuit against the service. According to the suit, the company has “knowingly, willingly, and unlawfully” distributed copyrighted music without obtaining the licenses and compensating the respective individuals and companies who own the copyright to these music. The suit is headed by David Lowery, frontman for the band Cracker and a professor at the University of Georgia.

It is stated in the complaint that Spotify has actually publicly admitted that they have been unable to obtain licenses for certain songs that are available for streaming on their service. In fact, they have allegedly created a reserve fund containing millions of dollars (around $17 to $25 million supposedly) as royalty payments and the plaintiffs say this money is “wrongfully withheld from artists.” They are seeking at least $150 million in damages for several songs, including "Almond Grove" (copyright registration No. PAu003764032); "Get On Down the Road" (No. PAu003745342); "King of Bakersfield" (No. PAu003745341); and "Tonight I Cross the Border" (No. PAu003745338).

Spotify is actually currently in negotiations with the National Music Publishers Assn. over allegations that they are not making mechanical royal payments to music publishers and songwriters. Spotify global head of communications and public policy Jonathan Prince has said that they are "committed to paying songwriters and publishers every penny,” but they are working with incomplete data with regards to determining the proper rightsholders. They set aside the royalty intended for the person/company until they have determined who actually needs to be compensated. He says they are also "investing in the resources and technical expertise to build a comprehensive publishing administration system to solve this problem for good."

Of course this isn’t the first time that Spotify has come under fire for this kind of allegations. Taylor Swift has infamously refused to put her music up on the streaming site because she says their profit sharing is unfair for the musicians and everyone who works on the records. Let’s see if this latest class action lawsuit will find favor in the eyes of the court.

VIA: Billboard

Showcasing new stuff with SoundCloud and Google Cast for audio support is Raumfeld. A slew of new products are ready for demo at the CES floor in Las Vegas. We don't know much about the company but since it's been working on items that can be used for music streaming, it deserves our attention. Afterall, the future is all about streaming media files that we might as well start on improving audio systems.

Aside from the mentioned apps, Raumfeld's products are also available for other similar services like Last.fm, Spotify, TIDAL, and TuneIn. When it comes to Google Cast for audio,  this means other music services can also be streamed directly to the new Raumfeld streaming speakers.

Raumfeld's latest line up of products include new multi-room Wi-Fi speakers that support playback for SoundCloud and Google Cast. Sure, there's already the Sonos line but Raumfeld brings a different experience right from the compatible app. The Google Cast for audio is also convenient to use because it can be accessed directly from a Chrome web browser.

Raumfeld is currently showing off the newest products in Las Vegas. Feel free to check out the multi-room WiFi audio collection. Items will be available next month with a $250 starting price.

Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Boost Mobile has a new offering but don't expect too much because it's just another Lollipop phone. No Marshmallow yet but the LG Tribute 5 is a great entry-level phone if you're on the lookout for a spare handset or something to give a young family member. Its specs are good enough for basic mobile use--worth the $99 price tag.

The LG Tribute 5 is the same LG K7 under the new LG K series from the South Korean tech giant. It comes equipped with a 5-inch IPS touchscreen display, 5MP main camera, 5MP selfie cam with Selfie light and Gesture shot features, Knock Code and Knock On for security, and QuickMemo+. There's also an 8GB onboard storage, 1GB RAM, Qualcomm SnapdragoN 210 1.1GHz quad-core chipset, 3G/4G LTE connectivity, and 2,125mAh battery. Unit runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop.

Phone is now ready at Boost Mobile retail stores and online. Data-free music streaming on Boost Mobile is also available, allowing you to listen to your favorite songs on 8tracks, Samsung Milk Music, Slacker Radio, iHearRadio, 8tracks, and Pandora.

You can also take advantage of Boost Mobile Growing Data especially if you are on any of the Unlimited plans ($30 with Auto-Re-Boost, 35, and $35). Just send in your payments on time and you can get up to 3GB more of high speed data.

SOURCE: Boost Mobile

Most people we know use Spotify for music-streaming service. Some are content with the free version while others don't mind paying a monthly premium. And since it's one of the top streaming services today, Spotify wants to maintain its luster by making updates and adding new features. The latest from the Swedish developers is video content on the Android version of Spotify.

Admit it. That's something you imagined to be since it's such a breeze to search for songs, genres, and playlists on the app. Perhaps there are times that you wish a video would play without having to go to YouTube. Expect the updated Spotify to go live on the Play Store in the US before January ends. The update will also roll out in its native Sweden, Germany, and United Kingdom.

Last year, we learned that Spotify might offer premium-only content by early 2016. We're not sure if the videos and podcasts from content providers like the BBC, Comedy Central, Maker Studios, Vice Media, and and ESPN will be charged but that's likely to happen at launch. After months of beta testing and running videos on the app, Spotify is ready to deliver. Streaming may not be as fast or smooth but the feature is a welcome addition. More content are expected to be available as Spotify waits for more partners and content providers.

The idea is that Spotify would suggest related videos or contextually relevant content that one can easily click. Hopefully, this version of the app will be ready to accommodate all videos. The company noted that showing videos based on the genre or kind of music is effective. It's easier to search for videos now but that means more possible distractions for people. The devs noted that possibility and are now thinking how to categorize video content.

Spotify is more of a music listening app. More people use it to listen to songs. Otherwise, the default app is YouTube where millions of videos are available. We're not sure how many percentage of the 75 millions users are interested in videos on Spotify but we know there are people who've been wanting the said feature.

The video update will only be available for Android mobile devices. Nothing for the desktop or iOS version yet but you can expect some changes to arrive soon. Spotify could be a success but the industry is already saturated. Spotify could also make more money with video content but that should happen later.

At present, Spotify is partnering with more content sources including Condé Nast Entertainment, Turner’s Adult Swim, and TBS and Fusion. Curated video playlists will be provided soon for a better mobile experience.

VIA: WSJ

While there are a lot of music streaming services now available in the market, Spotify seems to still be the word of mouth when it comes to listening to music online, on-demand. But sources are saying that Amazon is looking at taking over that spot by expanding their digital empire to include the subscription music model that seems to be the way that people are choosing to listen to their favorite artists and albums right now.

Several sources have said that there have been several meetings already to actually put things in motion to create this new subscription service that will rival that of not just Spotify but Pandora, Apple Music, and other smaller players that have switched to this digital distribution model. Amazon has already claimed to have conquered the book, TV, and movies industry in terms of distribution. While they say they are the biggest seller of physical music in the US and the second best in digital music, there has been an acknowledged decline, industry-wide in terms of digital downloads.

The $99 a year Amazon Prime shopping service already offers 1 million songs in its database to subscribers. But what they’re looking at now is a stand-alone music streaming service which will have a separate monthly fee. Based on the industry rate, this will probably be at $9.99 per month to be competitive with the others that offer practically the same rate. Although if they do want an edge, they should probably offer something cheaper.

Actually, they will reportedly do it at $3-$4 a month, but that is if you also buy their latest speaker called Echo, which responds to voice commands and acts like your personal digital assistant as well. This has actually been in the market for some time now, but they are pushing it big time by releasing their first ever Super Bowl commercial which will star Alec Baldwin and will reported cost them $5 million.

VIA: NY Post

With a lot of music streaming services out there, the various apps have to step it up in order to become the music app of choice for the users. And one of the things that people are looking for is the ability to choose what they listen to and to discover artists that they might like based on what they listen to. Pandora, one of the most popular ones out there, is introducing a new feature called Browse, which will come soon to Android devices.

According to the chief product officer of Pandora, Chris Philipps, their musicologists who have gone through millions of songs just to help you find the music you love. Browse makes it now easier for you to either put together the songs and artists that you like or to help you find music if you’re looking for something new or more of the same artists that you like. With this new feature, you don’t need to browse through music that have no relevance to you because the app will give you only the artists and stations that you have previously liked or listened to.

But in case you’re also after something new, you’ll have new station recommendations based on the music that you’ve previously listened to. And you don’t have to “commit” to a station immediately. You can take a look at what’s playing so you can decide whether or not you want to add it to your station list. And if you like metrics, you will be able to see how many fans are listening to that station. You can also now find out more about the artists, in case you’re discovering them for the first time.

The app also now has a new look and feel, with a one-tap access to see what you’re listening to and the ability to arrange your stations alphabetically or by those you recently listened to. Browse is already available in other platforms, but it will becoming soon to Android.

SOURCE: Pandora

The trend with apps and app acquisitions nowadays is if it’s not working, don’t hesitate to just discontinue with it and move on to other more lucrative prospects. And messaging app LINE has done just that as it announced that it was shutting down MixRadio, which they acquired from Microsoft, a year and two months after they acquired it from Microsoft. They did not hesitate to expound on why they are discontinuing the music streaming service, and they are also not surprising for those who know the industry well.

Music streaming is not the most lucrative of businesses nowadays as licensing deals and royalty payments have kept even the most popular ones barely afloat. And MixRadio wasn’t that popular to begin with, and so even after its acquisition, it was a challenge to keep it financially stable. And if you buy a company, you’d expect it to either make money for you or to give you great publicity. Neither happened with this service and so LINE is saying bye-bye.

Lest you think it’s only all about the money, another reason for the discontinuation of the service is that the app doesn’t fit anymore in the priorities of LINE. It was June of last year when CEO Takeshi Idezawa said that they will be focusing more on Asia. 65% of their 215 million monthly users are actually from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia and so they have been partnering with localized services and LINE Music actually comes into that picture. But MixRadio doesn’t and so it’s time to let go.

Based on their announcement, it looks like the shutdown is immediate and without much fanfare. But if it’s music you’re looking for within the LINE app or slightly similar to your favorite messaging app, you’ll always have the aforementioned LINE Music app.

SOURCE: LINE

More Chromecast will be given away for free. Aside from the free Chromecast after the 10th tap with Android Pay Rewards promo, here is Spotify becoming more generous than ever. If you sign up for Spotify Premium for three months , you can get a free media streaming stick from Google. This promo has started yesterday and will end on the 28th of February. No question that this is a great deal because one month of Spotify Premium costs $9.99 while the Chromecast is $35. That's pretty tempting and because of the free Chromecast, you can now justify your signing up for the premium music streaming service at least for three months for only $29.97.

Promo is available for Spotify Premium users in the United States and the UK. Both service and product are highly popular in these regions and their combination is deemed to be a success. Spotify supports both old and new versions of Chromecast. This deal actually follows the recent announcement that Spotify Premium users are now able to connect to Amazon Echo.

We're still not sure if Spotify for Android will already include the video content update. As for the latest Chromecast, the Audio version was recently just updated with multi-room feature and hi-res support so expect high audio quality while listening to your favorite playlist on Spotify. It's premium so no more of those annoying ads and interruptions.

Visit Spotify for details on how to redeem the offer in the US and UK.

SOURCE: Spotify