music discovery

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Google may start a same-day delivery service that uses automated vehicles.

- YouTube is the No. 1 source of music for teenagers.

- People also spend more time watching their phones than television.

- 3D printed meat: It's what's for dinner.

- 'The Price is Right' seeking first male model.

Bathroom break video: Why should I be on the Internet?… Read more

Fans of the free music discovery and management program Songbird will soon be able to enjoy that experience on the go--if they have an Android device, that is. The developer recently announced a beta app for the mobile operating system; those who are eager to give the software a spin can download the APK (link) for the next four weeks and submit feedback to Songbird. For people who prefer a more polished experience, the full release is expected to be out near the end of February.

So what can you expect from Songbird for Android? Well, the developer blog isn'… Read more

When most companies offer free versions of premium apps, it's not unusual to see a substantial portion of the feature set fly out the door. Thankfully that's not the case with music-finding app SoundHound. The company, which has changed names and pricing structures throughout the course of its modest lifetime, has wisely left the bulk of its feature set intact while limiting the number of times per month you can access its core feature, identifying (or "tagging") and app.

Unlike competitors that require you to hold the app close to the source of recorded music before … Read more

Music-finding app SoundHound has changed names and pricing structures throughout the course of its modest lifetime, but its philosophy and core functionality remain unchanged. Unlike competitors that require you to hold the app close to the source of recorded music before it can ID your song title, lyrics, and artist information, SoundHound Infinity (the premium version) works even when you sing, hum, speak, or type a request into the stylish interface. Though the app is now faster than before--returning results in as few as 4 seconds--ambient noise may still interfere with accurate results, and typing usually prevailed in the rare … Read more

Like any decent self-proclaimed music discovery slacker should be, I'm a sucker for free services that help me expand my audio horizons. Even better when it's an attractive Web site adorned with bubbles and represented by a pink tuna with a giant googly eye.

Naturally, this means I was quite eager to check out Radio Tuna when a representative for the service contacted me. In the simplest terms, the service is a search engine that is designed specifically to scour Internet radio stations based on a variety of parameters. You have three search options: station name, genre, or … Read more

Gone are the days when this excellent music discovery app was a free experiment. Yet SoundHound's, formerly called Midomi, philosophy and core functionality remain unchanged. SoundHound returns song titles and artist information when you sing, hum, speak, type, or play a request into a stylish, interface. While the input quality may vary depending on ambient noise, our tests were fairly accurate, and typing usually prevailed in the rare case that singing or holding the iPhone up to a speaker failed.

There are music videos to watch, when available from YouTube, and song lyrics, either delivered right to you, or … Read more

I have a love song to write. I don't know yet whether it will be a tragic ballad or an exuberant ode to the triumph of happiness. But it's a love song for sure: I have fallen for Spotify, the latest buzzworthy "free music" service. After months of trying to find a great way to find and listen to music online, I believe I have met my match.

No, Spotify technically isn't available in the U.S. just yet, though the U.K.-based company hopes to bring the software stateside by the end of … Read more

I have to confess that sometimes I get so consumed in the world of my iPod and my MP3 collection that I lose sight of the fact that songs are made by people--real people--many of whom are living, and touring and putting on outstanding shows. Sure, recorded music is convenient, cheap, and accessible, but it's live performances that really make you fall head over heels for a band. No amount of Pandora, Last.fm, or iTunes could make me want to buy a band's T-shirt--but give me a good show, and suddenly I'm putting the band's … Read more

I've been using Pandora, the excellent music discovery service, for over three years now, discovering Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Horses, and other bands in the process. I was therefore dismayed to discover that Internet radio royalty fees threatened to bury Pandora earlier this year.

Fortunately, you can't keep a great service down: Pandora has notched two million users on the iPhone, becoming Apple's most popular iPhone application. As Jack Schofield of The Guardian suggests, this iPhone popularity should ensure Pandora's enduring presence in my life, and hopefully yours.

What still rankles me, however, is … Read more