Filed under: Audio

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Photo, Video, News, P2P, Social Software, iPhone, Mobile, Web

Now finally available - ubiquitous media sharing with Orb for Mac

by Dolores Parker Nov 5th 2009

It was pretty exciting news at Download Squad to hear Orb, the "sort of software version of Slingbox," was available for Mac. Orb allows you to broadcast your media to any device that has a web browser. After downloading Orb to your "always on" Mac with a high speed internet connection, you can access all your photos, songs, TV shows, and videos from any device with a browser and media player.

After downloading the app, Orb indexes your media and then prompts you to either log in to mycast.orb.com, or create a log in if you don't have an account. After you log in you can see your dashboard and all your media goodies.

Though my songs appeared immediately, my photos did not. There are various feed settings you can play with and channels to explore. Also, with a simple drag drop interface you can share your media with your friends via email, SMS, widget on your blog, or a public URL.

Checking it out from my home computer is one thing, but would it work on other devices? Success! I was able to access my media from my Dell PC.

A note for iPhone owners: The esteemed and indefatigable Jay Hathaway noted that he received errors when he tried to download the free version of OrbLive for the iPhone, which he tried from both his iPhone and his iTunes account on his Mac. There are 3 flavors of Orb available for the iPhone: OrbLive free, OrbMedia ($4.99) and OrbLive ($9.99)

Note to Orb: Please update your landing page to include PC and Mac, ok?

Tags: iphone, Mac, media sharing, media streamer, MediaSharing, MediaStreamer, mobile, Orb

Filed under: Audio, Internet

Music pirates spend more on music than their legal, law-abiding brethren

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 2nd 2009

The results of a survey, announced yesterday, show that the biggest buyers of music are in fact those that pirate the most. The conclusions come from a poll of 1,000 people between the ages of 16 and 50, with 10% of those admitting they download music illegally -- so it's not a huge slice of the population, and it's by no means conclusive, but I think it just confirms what we already know: it's the music fans that download all the music.

It's the music fans that watch live performances and go the extra mile to get the t-shirts and the posters and track down out-of-print B-sides. The survey shows that the average music downloader spends £77 ($126) a year on music -- while the non-downloader only spends £44.

This probably isn't very big news for you in America -- we all know the RIAA are draconian bitches, nothing new, move along now -- but here in the UK we're about to have a law passed that will allow people to be banned from the Internet if they continue to download music illegally after a written warning. It just stinks of poorly-informed lobbying by the BPI -- the British equivalent of the RIAA.

[via The Independent]

Tags: bpi, music, piracy, riaa

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Apple

Apple TV, amongst other things, now mixes your music!

by Sebastian Anthony Oct 29th 2009

Not only was there an update to iTunes today but there was also a software update for the Apple TV media center box thingee! With it there's a shiny press release and overhauled website.

If you haven't heard of Apple TV, it's their answer to the Windows Media Center -- just plug it into an HD TV, connect to a Mac or PC running iTunes via your local network... and blam! All of those lovely iTunes-bought movies and TV episodes can now be easily streamed to your big screen.

The new functionality being touted with version 3.0 of Apple TV are their two musical technologies: iTunes LP and Genius Mixes. iTunes LP is like some kind of 'immersive experience' -- not only do you listen to your favourite albums through your living room sound system (which is usually the best in the house!), but you also get 'extra footage' displayed on the TV! Presumably this will be liner notes from the album, studio photos and video footage from live concerts.

The update also brings the other new, neat feature of iTunes -- Genius Mixes -- to the Apple TV. Using some kind of match-making algorithm (a la Pandora?), Apple will apparently create smooth-sounding playlists automatically.

Of course, available to you at any time with the Apple TV there's the usual fare of streaming Internet radio and YouTube (though I can't imagine your living room speakers are going to be very kind to YouTube videos...) Also worth mention is the ability to easily get your photos from your hard disk (or Flickr) over to your big TV.

It all comes at a price though -- $230, for a box with a small hard disk and a network adaptor.

At least it's a pretty box.

[via Engadget]

Tags: apple tv, AppleTv, itunes, multimedia, set-top-box, streaming

Filed under: Audio, Video, Windows, Freeware

Convert audio and video files in 2 clicks with Oxelon Media Converter

by Brad Linder Oct 29th 2009

There are dozens of great programs for converting media files from one format to another. Some of our favorites are Super, MediaCoder, and WinLAME, and VirtualDub.But if you're looking for a fast and simple solution, you probably won't find many programs that are as simple to use as Oxelon Media Converter.

Oxelon adds two shortcuts to your Windows context menu: one for transcoding audio files, the other for transcoding video. All you have to do is right-click on any media file in Windows Explorer and select the file format you want to convert it to. Oxelon will open a new window and ask you where you'd like to save the file. You can also change audio and video codecs, framerate, bitrate, and video dimensions as well as other settings. But all you really have to do at that point is hit the "Conversion" button to start converting your file.

The free program does have a few quirks. The most annoying one is that every time you close the program, Oxelon Media Converter will open its homepage in your default web browser. The other is that I had trouble converting some of the video files I had shot with my digital camera. The only way I could get them to encode was by selecting the "no audio" option, although it's possible that if I had spent more time fiddling I could have found another option that would have worked. Admittedly, my digital camera records audio at an odd sampling rate.

Oxelon recommends downloading and installing a plugin file to add support for a wide variety of audio and video formats. You can find a picture of the settings screen after the break.

[via Instant Fundas]

Tags: encode, media, media-converter, multimedia, oxelon-media-converter, transcode

Filed under: Audio, Utilities, Web services

Pandora finally gets social sharing, via Facebook and Twitter

by Jay Hathaway Oct 28th 2009

There's a lot to love about the Pandora streaming music service. If you put together just the right combination of musical ingredients, you've got the modern-day equivalent of the perfect mixtape. Sending your brilliant Pandora station to a friend or 2 (or 200!) just got easier, with the addition of Facebook and Twitter sharing.

Until now, the only option for sharing your streaming radio stations was email. That feature is still around, including personalized "Station Gifting," which is a bit like a Pandora e-card. Twitter and Facebook sharing work with single songs or whole stations, and they place a link (along with any comments you want to add) into your public feed. Unfortunately, you still can't use these features to share with an individual friend via direct message, so you'll have to stick to email sharing for that.

[via CNET]

Tags: facebook, music, pandora, sharing, streaming, twitter

Filed under: Audio, Social Software, Web

We're gonna need a bigger boat: Grooveshark attacks your desktop

by Lee Mathews Oct 27th 2009

Damn you, Grooveshark! I've been doing just fine without any Adobe Air applications installed on my system. But you come along and release a standalone interface, and now I'm hooked.

As Sebastien reported with Waver, the Grooveshark Air app seems to be a bit more smooth and responsive than the browser-based version. Whatever the reason, as a guy that runs on unstable, developer-channel browsers that have a penchant for crashing, it's nice to have my streaming audio running stably in its own app.

The app's system tray icon provides pause, skip, and previous controls, and notifications with album art and track info can also be set to appear in whichever corner you prefer.

Grooveshark Desktop is currently for VIPs only. If you have a $3/month paid account, just sign in and head to your account page (or click here) to download Desktop. Adobe Air is required, but as long as you have the Flash Player plugin the install just takes a couple of clicks and some patience.

So now I've got a great out-of-browser way to access Grooveshark on my desktop. I wonder when I'll be able to do this on my iPod Touch? Soon, I hope.

Tags: adobe air, AdobeAir, grooveshark, music, streaming audio, StreamingAudio, web radio, WebRadio

Filed under: Audio, Beta, Search, Web

Blinkx launches a mediocre music search engine

by Brad Linder Oct 27th 2009

Online video site Blinkx is branching out into music with the launch of Blinkx Music Beta, a search engine for online music videos. The front page is simple enough. You're greeted with a search box, a list of top artists, and the ability to click a letter to see results starting with A through Z. You can search for artists, albums, or songs.

Unfortunately, the search index is pretty sparse. There are a number of songs, artists, and albums that return no results. And the search engine's not that intelligent. While a search for Coldplay returns a fair number of results, searching for Cold Play or Caldplay results in a "no results matching your query" message. So you'd better not include a typo or not know the proper phrasing of your favorite band name. Heck, on a whim, I tried searching for Hootie and the Blowfish and got zero results, which normally wouldn't upset me in the least. But Hootie & The Blowfish actually did return results.

Blinkx doesn't host the videos on its own site. Instead, when you click on a song you'll be taken to the page where the video rests, whether it be on YouTube, Last.fm, or another site. A Blinkx toolbar hangs out at the top of the screen to take you back to where you started or let you begin another search.

A fairly large number of videos I did find were cellphone recordings shot at concerts rather than professional music videos.

That's the bad news. Here's the good news: the Blinkbox online video service keeps getting better. I got an email today letting me know that Blinkbox had added a number of BBC TV shows which are now available to watch for free including episodes from the first two seasons of the original (William Hartnell) Doctor Who as well as episodes of The Young Ones, Hustle, and The League of Gentlemen. Update: It's just been pointed out to me that Blinkbox (which I mistakenly referred to as Blinkxbox at first) is not actually related to Blinkx. I'm still excited about the BBC content though.

[via VentureBeat]

Tags: blinkx, blinkx-music-beta, blinkxbox, music-videos, online-video

Filed under: Audio, Video, Web services

TubeRadio.fm turns YouTube into a powerful music player

by Jay Hathaway Oct 26th 2009

Using YouTube to listen to music is nothing new. Search for a song you want to hear, and you're very likely to find it, even if there's no official music video. YouTube isn't built to listen to music though, and that's where TubeRadio.fm comes in. It's a slick music player that lets you create playlists from YouTube, and can even find entire albums at once, using track listings and album art from Last.fm. The TubeRadio homepage describes the service as "iTunes meets YouTube meets Spotify," and that's not much of exaggeration.

TubeRadio.fm puts more emphasis on the "radio" than the "tube": the videos themselves take up very little space in the UI. More space is devoted to the tabbed info box at the bottom of the screen, which automatically pulls up lyrics and artist bios. TubeRadio does a good job of getting the album versions of songs when you use 'Discography Mode' to grab whole albums, but occasionally it will find a live version instead. Fortunately, there's another mode that searches all of YouTube, and you can manually add the version you want, if it exists.

Tags: itunes, last.fm, music, music player, music videos, MusicPlayer, MusicVideos, playlist, spotify, tuberadio.fm, youtube

Filed under: Audio, Web services, Social Software

MySpace shows artists some love with analytics and music video archives

by Jay Hathaway Oct 23rd 2009

As MySpace has lost ground to Facebook and other competitors in the social networking world, it's increasingly focused on something it's always done well: music. Being a musician on MySpace just got a lot easier, thanks to new analytics features that give you a better picture of who's visiting your site and listening to your music. On top of that, MySpace has also worked out a deal with several prominent record labels to put a huge archive of music videos online.

On the new Artist Dashboard, artists can check out the demographics of their fanbase, including a breakdown of age, gender and location. The Dashboard also includes pageviews and song plays over time, and integrates information from iLike, which MySpace acquired earlier this year.

Music videos are now a much bigger part of MySpace. On top of the new video archive, music videos will show up in an artist's MySpace Player if they're available. Of course, MySpace has found a way to monetize the heck out the video business, including plenty of ads. Still, it's nice to have another large stash of music videos online, and it might include some that you can't easily find on YouTube.

[via TechCrunch]

Tags: analytics, artist dashboard, ArtistDashboard, music videos, MusicVideos, myspace, myspace music, MyspaceMusic

Filed under: Audio, Google

Update: Google "music service" sounds more like an affiliate link program. Yawns ensue.

by Lee Mathews Oct 21st 2009

What was originally dangled by Mike Arrington as a possible iTunes-like streaming and/or download service turns out to be something far less exciting.

No, apparently Google is not planning something that "big." Rather, they're working to add functionality to Google Search. And by functionality, I mean something that sounds like revenue-generating links for Google without the complexity of creating a digital storefront.

According to an update from CNet, One Box will add links to existing digital music services like iLike and Lala. You search for a musician, album, or song title on Google - you get artwork thumbnails, playable audio clips, and links to buy tracks alongside your search results. iLike, of course, already embeds YouTube videos for songs people search for (example), so this is a bit like "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

To me, it also sounds like referral bucks for Google. It's closer to their core competency (search and advertising) than rolling out a full-blown iTunes competitor. And they can always buy iLike or Lala later on if things are going well. Google does love the acquisitions.

I don't know about you, but I'm way less excited about this than the original TechCrunch rumor. What do you think?

Tags: google

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Google

Watch out, iTunes! Google may be getting ready to launch a digital music service

by Lee Mathews Oct 21st 2009

While they've offered music streaming and downloads in China (pictured) for quite some time now, Google users elsewhere have been left wondering "When's it gonna be my turn? (use your best Cleveland voice)"

According to TechCrunch, it may not be that much longer. Take that with a grain of salt, of course, since Arrington and Co. have been known to miss the mark by a wide margin from time to time.

Still, an iTunes competitor makes a lot of sense and now is the perfect time for Google to debut it. With Android starting to pick up steam in the mobile handset market and devices like Barnes & Noble's Nook and Dell Streak popping up with the OS, Google could be planning to strike while the iron is hot.

They've also done their share of negotiating with copyright holders before, so getting content providers on board should be a walk in the park. Putting that experience and existing relationships to work in a music service could be a major win for Google.

After running Google Music China through Translate, I'm thinking my first downloads will be "Sparkling Arouses Love" and "How can you be Willing to Let Me Cry." If this music service turns out to be half as entertaining as Google Translate, I'm all in.

Tags: android, google, itunes, mp3, music

Filed under: Audio, Windows, Apple

So long, iTunes: DoubleTwist now syncs with iPhone and iPod Touch

by Nik Fletcher Oct 19th 2009

If you're searching for a free alternative for iTunes on Windows, DoubleTwist - the handy media player for Windows and OS X - just became even more attractive with today's launch of version 2.4 that includes support for iPhone and iPod touch syncing.

If you're not familiar with DoubleTwist, it's a company founded by 'DVD Jon' Lech Johansen - who reverse-engineered the encryption in DVDs and the iTunes store - that now offers a desktop media player for Mac and Windows.

DoubleTwist just recently announced their plans to add the Amazon MP3 store to their desktop software, and with today's announcement of iPhone & iPod touch support DoubleTwist is fast becoming a worthy - and highly competent - competitor to iTunes.

iTunes has long been an app we all love to hate. It looks like iPhone and iPod Touch users will now have a solid alternative that won't try to slip in a browser, codec, or who knows what else every time it updates.

[Via Lifehacker]

Update: We should also point out that, given Apple's cat-and-mouse game with Palm over the Pre syncing with iTunes, it's highly possible that Apple might break this functionality in a future update to the iPhone / iPod touch OS. Game on....

Tags: doubletwist, iPhone, iTunes, Windows

Filed under: Audio, VoIP, Social Software

Vivox brings voice chat to Facebook

by Jay Hathaway Oct 9th 2009

Vivox is best known for providing voice chat services in online multiplayer games, but now they're looking to get into a different kind of social network: Facebook. By adding the VIvox Voice app and installing a browser plugin, you can use Vivox to talk to your Facebook friends. It supports up to 100 friends talking at once, so you can use it for regular calls or big announcements. People can also call into your Vivox channel by phone, so your friends without Facebook (gasp!) can get in on the action, too.

Our Download Squad test of Vivox went pretty smoothly. Firing up a channel and inviting people only takes a couple of clicks. Vivox currently only works in Firefox and IE on Intel machines, which might keep a big chunk of your friends from adopting it. On the other hand, the phone-in service works really well and doesn't keep you tethered to a computer. Vivox is definitely worth checking out if you have friends who don't want to download Skype, but do have Facebook.

Tags: facebook, vivox, voice chat, VoiceChat

Filed under: Audio, Web

How to Play Ohio like a piano - Time Waster

by Brad Linder Oct 8th 2009

Here's an interesting fact: The state of Ohio has 88 counties. You know what else has 88 components? A piano keyboard. Andy Woodruff was thinking about those two facts this summer and he decided to take the obvious next step and create a map of Ohio in Flash that assigns a musical note to each key.

The result is Ohio is a Piano. Click on any county and you'll hear a musical note.

Of course, a piano keyboard is laid out in a logical fashion making it easy to create music by placing your fingers over the proper keys. Ohio's districts weren't exactly drawn with music in mind, and it's a bit tricky to pluck out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. But the map has a few built in songs that you can trigger like a player ~~Ohio~~ piano. Just hit the play button and each county will flash as its note is played.

You can also rearrange the notes based on various geographic and demographic data including county name, population, age, sex, and so forth. One of the neatest features lets you plot a course from one area of the map to another and listen to the tune that plays as you pass through each county.

Musically, Ohio is a Piano isn't that interesting. But conceptually it's pretty cool and for some reason I can't make myself stop rearranging the notes.

[via Neatorama]

Tags: maps, music, ohio, ohio-is-a-piano

Filed under: Audio, Macintosh

djay for Mac hits version 3, look great, sounds even greater

by Paul O'Brien Oct 2nd 2009

Mac OSX application djay, pitched as 'the world's sexiest DJ software' (I'm inclined to agree), has been updated to version 3.

Featuring a user interface that is likely to make Windows users cry in the corner and a featureset to match, djay reads your iTunes library and turns your Mac into a full on DJ system that is well suited to both beginners and professionals.

djay's range of functions really are too extensive to list here but in essence, djay allows you to drag and drop from your iTunes library and mix them either manually or using an 'automix' function. djay has full beat and tempo detection for seamless mixing, auto volume control and a range of effects you can apply to your tracks. Everything you would do on a set of turntables is here - you can even plug in a set of headphones to pre-cue the next song, and connect a microphone to do a bit of MC'ing!

djay stands out as a great example of an application really tuned for OS X - as well as that gorgeous user interface, multitouch gestures are supported if you are using a Macbook / Pro. MIDI devices can also be connected and mapped to application functions as desired.

Your hot mixes can be recorded from within the application itself for use later.

Check out a video of djay in action after the jump!

Tags: DJ, djay, itunes, mixer

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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