music

Vevo has launched today in Spain, Italy and France, bringing the expansion of the online music service to 10 countries.

The free entertainment platform first appeared in the United States in 2009. Other markets where Vevo is available include the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.

Today's launch means consumers in the new European markets will be able to access over 50,000 tracks and 4,500 music videos currently hosted on the platform.

Germany is still barred from the service, although Vevo is currently looking into ways to launch there. As The Next Web notes, the country … Read more

A large number of artists have signed a letter saying Pandora should not be allowed to "slash musicians' pay."

MusicFIRST, an organization that represents performers and their rights, along with music industry supporter SoundExchange, announced today that 125 artists, including popular band Maroon 5, Missy Elliot, T.I., and the Zac Brown Band, have signed a letter entitled "A Musicians' Perspective On Pandora," that criticizes the music-streaming company for seeking to cut its royalty payments.

"Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely … Read more

Most speaker docks are on the small side, with an eye toward portability. Consequently, they're rarely powerful enough to fill a room with sound.

One option, of course, is a traditional stereo system with a receiver, a pair of speakers, and wires all over the place. What is this, the '70s?

Another option: pack that entire stereo into a single, floor-standing speaker that docks your iPhone or iPod -- no wires required (except for power, natch).

Like this one: for a limited time, you can get the Fluance FiTSD600 2.1-channel tower speaker dock for $249.99 shipped. That'… Read more

Spotify is close to closing a $100 million financing round that would value the company at a little more than $3 billion, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.

The capital would come from multiple investors, including Goldman Sachs, although the Journal did not identify who the other investors were.

CNET has contacted Spotify for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

In a funding round last year, the music-streaming service raised about $100 million from venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Russian investment firm DST Global, to give it a $1 billion valuation. More … Read more

Google is making Google Play's music and movies available in Europe later this month.

From November 13, owners of a Google TV set-top box or enabled television in the U.K., Germany and France will be able to download movies and music from the Google Play store, the company said in a Google+ post.

The movies and music -- previously only available in the U.S. -- won't, however, be available for download to other Google devices such as Nexus smartphones or tablets, but its availability is unlikely too be far behind.

Due to licensing restrictions by Hollywood … Read more

Google is trying an experiment: it's letting armchair musicians shred virtual guitars and bang animated keyboards with a new interactive Web app called JAM, which is on its Chrome browser.

"If you ever dreamed of playing in a band, now's your chance to be a rock star," Google Creative Lab's marketing manager Emma Turpin wrote in a blog post today. "No matter what your level of talent -- from daydreaming air guitarist to music pro -- you can JAM together in real time over the web."

Showing off its ability to draw music lovers to music apps on its Open Graph, Facebook revealed today that its users have played 62.6 million songs 22 billion times in the last 13 months.

Facebook posted the stats of six music apps on the platform's Open Graph, which lets third-party companies build applications for Facebook. Since the graph launched in September 2011, these apps have seen a lot of social referrals, according to Facebook. The company is reminding developers that it has the ability to put apps in front of users who then share them with their friends, … Read more

There was a time not so long ago when MP3 players were a hot and essential technology and Apple's best-selling product was the iPod. Now with smartphones and tablets, though, there are many other devices that make great music players. But even if the MP3 player's best days are waning, there are still a number of great products available. Here are our top picks.

Apple's iPod Touch has been CNET's top-rated MP3 player for five years running. With a base model that starts at $199, it is not an inexpensive product, but the breadth … Read more

When I want to stick something in my ears, here's what I look for: a noise-isolating seal, in-line controls for playback and taking calls, and a clip to keep the cord from making too much of that rubbing noise.

Oh, also, a price tag below $20.

Ta-daaa: today only, and while supplies last, Daily Steals has the Logitech Ultimate Ears 350vi headset for $16.99 shipped. Price at Amazon: $59.99.

Actually, this is a slightly different package than what you'd get from Amazon. The latter includes a hard-shell carrying case and five sets of ear cushions. Here, … Read more