A few weeks ago, I asked you all what the best song to type to was. And you, dear Gizmodo readers, churned out an awesome list. Between the folks who jumped in on Spotify and the ones who jumped in the discussion
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In the future, streaming radio stations will be so sophisticated that they’ll know based on all sorts of factors exactly what it is you want to listen to. We’re not quite there yet, but Rdio—our favorite streaming radio service
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Are you tired of constantly going through your music and creating a new playlist for every situation? Spotify wants to fix that. They’ve introduced a new feature called Browse that lets you search for specific playlists based on what kind of mood you’re in. These playlists are created by other users and picked out by […]
Spotify rolled out a pretty big update to its iOS and Android applications just last month that brought with it support for the services’ Discover tab while also improving how the Now Playing screen functions. Today, Spotify is releasing another interesting update to both iOS and Android applications that brings recommended playlists. (more…)
Spotify Rolling Out Browse Page With Recommended Playlists On iOS, Android Apps original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Sick and tired of picking your own music to play all the time? Spotify’s been working to up its recommendation game, through the launch of features like social and Discover, now pushing things even further with Browse. The feature brings curated playlists to the music streaming service, starting with a “gradual” rollout on iOS and Android today, followed by the rest of Spotify’s platforms at some point. The playlists, chosen by Spotify staffers, are built around moments, moods and new releases. More info can be had after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Over the next week, Spotify will roll out a few new features to its web and mobile interfaces that’ll make getting to the music you want faster. The coolest of the bunch is that Spotify it will be threading its music sharing features so that it’ll look more like a long conversation on other platforms.
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It looks like Spotify is about to launch an entirely new way for you to browse its catalog with more sophisticated playlists. While the subscription music service hasn’t officially launched the features, they’re live on Spotify’s web player. If like a lot of people you get lost in Spotify’s catalog, you’re going to love what could be coming soon.
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“You can’t deny the math,” Tony Kiewel says, with the slightest hint of defeat in his voice. “The math is bad and continues to get worse for the whole pie.” Sub Pop’s head of A&R’s not particularly bullish when asked about the state of the music industry. It’s been a rough couple of years — decades, really — and the idea of the record label going the way of its brick-and-mortar counterpart doesn’t seem like some far off prediction, as the majors continue to implode under their own unwieldy weight at an impressive clip. But Kiewel’s pessimism is tempered with a note of enthusiasm. All said, things could have been much worse for the legendary Seattle label, which has managed to weather the technological storm largely unscathed. “Our piece of the pie is so much bigger than it was two years ago,” the bespectacled executive adds.
A dozen years ago, around the same time the first iPods, now big, boxy anachronisms, began to find their way into the hands of early adopters, Sub Pop experienced a renaissance, after years spent wandering forests of obscurity. In the ’90s, the label was the epicenter of one of the most important music movements in recent memory, coming a long way from its humble beginnings as a zine published a few hours south of Seattle in Olympia, Wash. For a few heady years, it seemed that every record of note sported the label’s iconic two-tone block label on its rear — but Sub Pop’s reign, like the grunge music it championed, wasn’t long for the charted world.
By the time the early 21st century rolled around, however, something happened. “We didn’t know what the hell was going on,” Kiewel recalls, with audible excitement. “At one point, there was so much [traffic] that it was breaking everything. It was people downloading ‘Such Great Heights,’ the Postal Service song. There were thousands and thousands of kids that had soundtracked their MySpace page with the MP3. It became a debate for years — maybe we should take down that free MP3. We left everything alone and backed away slowly.” Between the Death Cab for Cutie mail-order side project and the haunting indie-pop of Albuquerque’s The Shins, Sub Pop was relevant again — thanks in large part to the magic of social networking.
Filed under: Internet
The artist famed for fronting Radiohead, and not so much for toeing the line, has withdrawn his solo tracks from Spotify and some smaller streaming services in order to highlight the low payments given to new musicians. Thom Yorke explained the decision by re-tweeting his producer, Nigel Godrich, who had complained that “new artists get paid f^@k all,” and that the current streaming model only suits those with an existing back catalog. Yorke added that Spotify shareholders “will shortly be rolling in it,” implying that the distribution of wealth is unfair. Some followers reacted badly to his decision, accusing him of “hurting his fans” with a “small [and] meaningless rebellion,” but others spoke out in support — including electronic artist Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) who said he’d pulled his music off Spotify for the same reason.
Spotify responded to the criticism this morning in a statement provided to TechCrunch, saying that it is “still in the early stages of a long-term project,” and adding that “we’ve already paid $500 million to rightsholders so far and by the end of 2013 this number will reach $1 billion.” The spokesperson further went on to say that “we’re 100% committed to making Spotify the most artist-friendly music service possible, and are constantly talking to artists and managers about how Spotify can help build their careers.” Yorke is hardly the first star to make a stand, but unlike Coldplay, Adele and the rest, his specific focus on industry newcomers (rather than himself) is — we’ve gotta say — quite refreshing.
Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, Internet
Source: The Guardian, TechCrunch
Just in time for the summer concert season, Spotify’s launching a StubHub app to give fans of sweaty, cramped music venues (indoor and out) quick ticket access. Starting today, Spotify users in the US and UK will be able to access the free app using App Finder to search upcoming concert schedules by location and purchase tickets through provided StubHub links. It’s pretty basic stuff, but if you’re the impulsive type, this mini-app could be the best thing for your social life and the worst for your wallet.
Filed under: Software
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