music

Apple could soon take on Pandora and Spotify directly, market-research firm BTIG Research writes in a new report.

The firm today predicts that Apple will launch a streaming-music service at some point in 2013. The research outfit, which says that it came to the conclusion after holding interviews with industry executives, said Apple's iTunes 11 launch yesterday is only further proof the service is coming.

BTIG pointed to the addition of a "Radio" option in the horizontal bar in iTunes 11, saying that while the current offering of stations "is unappealing to most consumers today, we … Read more

A seemingly minor user interface change in iTunes 11 is sure to drive some users crazy.

Apple has removed the the traditional sidebar view from this latest version of iTunes. Previously, if you wanted to switch between your music and movie libraries, you did so in the sidebar. The same went for playlists, the iTunes Store, and connected iOS devices -- all of which were found in the sidebar.

To access the same features in iTunes 11, you'll need to click on buttons along the top of iTunes. The Library and iTunes Store buttons are always present, but the … Read more

After delaying the release of iTunes 11 by a month, Apple has released the much-anticipated update for both Windows and Mac users. The new iTunes is redesigned from the ground up, with a completely new look and feel. Along with the new look comes some new features: deeper iCloud integration, a new MiniPlayer, and a feature called "Up Next."

Up Next is more or less a living playlist within iTunes. You're able to add, rearrange, edit, and delete songs from the Up Next queue at any time.

To get started with Up Next, update to iTunes 11 … Read more

Android smartphones make great personal media players, but because of the lock screen, pausing your music can take a few seconds. EasyMute is an Android app that allows you to quickly pause your music by simply putting your hand over the proximity sensor, even when your phone is locked.

Optionally, you can configure easyMute to lower the volume to a preset level. After installing easyMute, just tap the Enable easyMute button to turn it on.

EasyMute works with most Android music players, such as Google Music and even Pandora.

That's it. Keep in mind that, in order for easyMute … Read more

Band of the Day is an app that works just like the name suggests. Each day the developers upload a new band to their page for some sweet free listening. Runner up for Apple's App of the Year 2011, they carry a variety of genre and each day will offer something different from the last. The cool thing about the app is that it offers listeners the option to learn more about the band beyond the music. Full blown biographies and interview pages are posted along with the soundtrack. We were able to watch some cool video interviews and … Read more

WASHINGTON D.C.--The technology sector is supposed to be one of the new power players in national politics. But you might be wondering what happened to its newfound political capital after watching its hapless attempts to lobby Congress to pass the Internet Radio Fairness Act (IRFA), a bill that would reduce the music royalties paid by Web radio services.

At a hearing yesterday before a House subcommittee studying IRFA, the tech world seemed to be the same amateurs in navigating Washington as they were before January's triumph over the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Pandora and the other … Read more

Apple today released iTunes 11, the latest version of its popular music software following a monthlong delay.

The program was originally slated for a release sometime last month. Just ahead of a self-imposed October deadline, an Apple spokesman told CNET the company "wanted to take a little extra time to get it right."

Users now get the chance to put that claim to the test. The software went out as a free update to current iTunes users on Mac and Windows this morning, and later as a download from Apple's iTunes site.

iTunes 11's headlining feature … Read more

After a month-long delay, the next generation of Apple's popular iTunes music software could launch as early as tomorrow.

iTunes 11 could make its long-awaited debut Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported this evening in a profile of Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue. While not exactly offered as the definitive release date, Thursday is the second to last day before Apple's self-imposed deadline for releasing the new software.

Originally slated for release in October, the program was delayed, a company spokesman told CNET earlier, because Apple "wanted to take a little extra time to get it … Read more

I was probably one of the last people in our great land who regularly purchased CDs. After Spotify landed on our shores, however, I finally stopped the practice of buying them, instead relying on Spotify and Pandora for my listening pleasure. I enjoy both services, and now with a Chrome extension called Pandora to Spotify Playlist Converter, I can get the two talking to one another, to a degree.

The conversation is one-sided. That is, the extension helps you move tracks from Pandora to Spotify. Specifically, it lets you copy links for tracks you've liked on Pandora and paste … Read more