Topic: music streaming
-
Spotify Made Me Notice This YouTube Music Flaw
YouTube Music offers significant value by bundling with YouTube Premium, making it a primary choice for users who consume both video and music content. A key user experience flaw in YouTube Music is the lack of a draggable scrollbar for efficient playlist navigation, which becomes a major accessi...
Read More » -
Ditch Spotify Premium: 3 Cheaper Music Streaming Alternatives
Several affordable alternatives to Spotify Premium exist, offering robust music libraries and excellent features for a lower monthly cost, making it worthwhile to compare services based on budget and listening habits. Apple Music provides significant value through its Apple One subscription bundl...
Read More » -
5 Harsh Realities of Using Spotify
Spotify's free tier is supported by frequent and disruptive advertisements, which can degrade the listening experience and push users toward a paid subscription. The platform's streaming model pays artists very low royalties per stream, making it difficult for independent musicians to earn a sust...
Read More » -
SoundCloud Adds Social Feature to See What Friends Like
SoundCloud is introducing new social discovery tools to help users connect through shared music, enhancing community interaction and competing with services like Spotify. Key features include "Liked By Your Crew" and "Liked By Playlists," which aggregate liked songs and playlists from followed us...
Read More » -
Amazon Music Canada Launches Social Streaming and Chat
Amazon Music has launched a beta feature called Fan Groups in Canada, allowing users to create and join communities based on music genres and artists for social streaming and chat within the app. The feature enables members to post messages, share and save songs, and stream shared music directly ...
Read More » -
Spotify's New Weekly 'Wrapped' Feature
Spotify has introduced a new weekly feature that summarizes your recent listening activity, highlighting top artists and tracks from the past seven days and creating custom playlists based on your preferences. The feature allows users to share their weekly music highlights on social media platfor...
Read More » -
YouTube Music Tests AI DJs That Interrupt Your Playlists
YouTube Music is testing AI DJs that interrupt playlists with commentary as part of its new Labs program to enhance user engagement. The feature, called "Beyond the Beat," provides AI-generated hosts that share stories and trivia during personalized mixes, mimicking traditional radio. Unlike Spot...
Read More » -
Get Your Weekly AI-Powered Playlist on Amazon Music Every Monday
Amazon Music has launched a new AI-generated playlist called "Weekly Vibe" for U.S. subscribers, updated every Monday to reflect recent listening habits and preferences. The feature aims to combat playlist fatigue by analyzing user behavior to mix favorite tracks with new, personalized song recom...
Read More » -
Ditch Your Soundbar: The Best Hi-Fi for Live TV Music
Soaring ticket prices and limited availability are making live music events less accessible, driving fans toward high-quality television and streaming content as a viable alternative. The economic pressures on the music industry, including rising talent costs and audience expectations for premium...
Read More » -
Spotify Aims to Dominate Video Streaming Next
Spotify is launching a major video initiative by integrating music videos into its app, aiming to evolve from an audio-first platform into a comprehensive video service that rivals YouTube and TikTok. This strategic pivot is driven by the need to capture more user attention and improve monetizati...
Read More » -
2025 App Wrapped: Your Year in Review
Personalized year-end summaries, popularized by music streaming services, have become a widespread digital phenomenon where companies use customized data visualizations to create unique snapshots of user activity, fostering personal connections. The trend has expanded beyond music to sectors like...
Read More » -
Nintendo Music Update 1.4.0: Full Patch Notes Revealed
The Nintendo Music app for Switch Online has been updated to version 1.4.0, introducing a feature that syncs Animal Crossing: New Horizons music with the user's real-world time for an immersive experience. The update includes general stability improvements and bug fixes to enhance app performance...
Read More » -
ChatGPT Apps Are Here: Try the First Wave Now
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT-integrated applications, enabling users to control services like Spotify and Zillow directly within the chat interface without interrupting their conversation. Initial integrations include Spotify for music playlists, Canva and Figma for design tasks, Zillow for real e...
Read More » -
Spotify's AI Playlists Now Let You Control Your Algorithm
Spotify is launching a beta "Prompted Playlists" feature that uses AI to create custom playlists based on detailed user text prompts and listening history, starting in New Zealand. This tool offers more granular user control than existing features like Discover Weekly by allowing listeners to dir...
Read More » -
Spotify Lets You Block Kids' Music From Your Recommendations
Spotify is introducing managed accounts for children under 13, available to Premium Family subscribers in countries like the US, UK, and Australia, offering a controlled, music-focused environment within the main app. Parents can filter explicit content, block specific songs or artists, and disab...
Read More » -
Bose open-sources old smart speakers to prevent bricking
Bose is open-sourcing its SoundTouch speaker API and extending cloud support to 2026, aiming to prevent the devices from becoming e-waste. After cloud support ends, a final app update will enable local control, preserving core functions like Bluetooth, AirPlay, and speaker grouping. This rare, pr...
Read More » -
Last-Minute Digital Gifts That Arrive by Christmas
Digital gifts are a convenient last-minute solution for the holidays, offering instant access to entertainment, learning, and wellness experiences. The article categorizes digital gift ideas by interest, including streaming services for film/TV fans, gaming platform subscriptions, and health/well...
Read More » -
Spotify Wrapped 2025: Your Listening Stats as a Game
Spotify Wrapped 2025 introduces **Wrapped Party**, a new social competition feature that gamifies users' annual listening data by comparing stats with friends and awarding playful titles. The recap expands its format by highlighting users' **top albums for the first time**, showcasing preferred a...
Read More » -
8 Essential Android Auto Apps Beyond Music and Maps
Android Auto transforms car dashboards into sophisticated digital hubs, yet many drivers underutilize its potential beyond basic navigation and music apps. Essential apps like Zoom, SpotHero, and PlugShare enhance driving by enabling safe audio meetings, pre-booking parking, and locating reliable...
Read More » -
A Pro DJ's Top Budget Controller Pick for Christmas
The AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 is an affordable, compact DJ controller priced at $189, offering an accessible entry point with a pro-style layout and essential features for beginners. It provides an intuitive, portable experience with good sound quality, creative Smart Color FX, and integration with str...
Read More » -
Last-Minute Digital Gifts for Tech Lovers (2025)
Digital gifts and instant-delivery gift cards are a timely and thoughtful solution for last-minute holiday shopping, offering a personal touch by matching the gift to the recipient's interests. Specific digital gift ideas for tech enthusiasts include game store cards, individual game codes, and s...
Read More » -
ChatGPT Now Integrates Third-Party Apps - Here's How
ChatGPT now integrates with third-party apps like Booking.com and Coursera, enabling users to perform tasks directly within the chat interface through conversational commands. The feature is available globally except in the EU and works across all platforms, with initial partners including Expedi...
Read More » -
Audio Pros Blind Test Headphones: The Shocking Results
While sound quality is the primary benchmark, modern headphones are defined by advanced features like active noise cancellation, wireless connectivity, and companion apps for personalization. A blind listening test was conducted by audio experts in a professional studio to objectively evaluate si...
Read More » -
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Steps Down
Daniel Ek is stepping down as Spotify CEO to become executive chairman, formalizing a management transition that has been developing over recent years. Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, both long-time executives, will take over as co-CEOs, having already assumed significant management and stra...
Read More » -
Nintendo Unveils Breath of the Wild Soundtrack Box Set
Nintendo is releasing its first-ever physical video game soundtrack for sale in the United States, featuring The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a deluxe 8xLP box set available from June 19. The comprehensive collection includes all 130 tracks from the game, specially mastered for vinyl, a...
Read More » -
I Tried the Free Ad-Supported Telly TV for 3 Months
Telly offers a free 55-inch television with a secondary screen that displays constant ads, news, and widgets, which cannot be turned off and requires users to accept ongoing promotions in exchange for the device. The TV collects personal data, including viewing habits and room occupancy, raising ...
Read More » -
YouTube's First-Ever Year in Review: Your Watch History Recap
YouTube has launched its first "YouTube Recap," a personalized year-end summary of users' video watching habits, distinct from its existing music recap. The feature assigns users a personality type based on viewing preferences and highlights top channels and interests, with a global rollout under...
Read More »