I’ve been listening to the Beatles a lot lately (which is saying something; I was more or less born listening to Sgt Pepper), and I’m struck by how often I’ll suddenly realize the cleverness of a lyric or the tightness of rhyme scheme — even after having heard the song one hundred times over the … Continue reading A random Beatles appreciation post: Two songs that have been sticking with me, lately
I first discovered Spotify on Facebook about five years ago – there was some sort of promotion or link – and now it seems appropriate that Spotify forged a tighter partnership with Messenger by allowing music listeners users to more easily share music through Messenger. I think that this helps both brands in significant ways. Facebook is out … Continue reading Spotify on Facebook Messenger
OK GO’s most recent music video, “Upside Down & Inside Out” is pretty stunning. Seriously, watch it now: What makes the video particularly interesting is the fact that it premiered on Facebook, not on YouTube. In fact, a visit to the band’s YouTube channel yields only a snarky prompt to watch the video on Facebook. Devoted … Continue reading The Stars Aligned with Facebook
I got an email early this morning from Starbucks, announcing that I could now take the sounds of my nearest coffeehouse on the road with me, thanks to the company’s newly-inked partnership with Spotify. As a devotee of Starbucks and an avid Spotify listener, this update means I have one more avenue in which to binge on … Continue reading Starbucks Loves Uber Loves Spotify
In 2003, my father used the CD-RW burner on his computer to make me an MP3 disc of all 217 songs in The Beatles formal canon. “That’s right,” I remember telling my friends, “200 songs, one CD.” I took a distinct pride in my amalgamated collection of the Fab Four’s recordings, scoffing at those who only … Continue reading The Fab Four, Now Streaming
As a die-hard Stones fan, I was thrilled to hear that the band had put out a previously unreleased version of their earbud-shaking “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’,” off of the band’s 1971 ‘Sticky Fingers” album. Stones re-releases and alternate versions can be a lot of fun – think of the newly-released acoustic “Wild Horses,” or the … Continue reading You Can’t Really Hear Me Knocking
Jay-Z recently revealed his plans for Tidal, a high-fidelity music-streaming service. The key differentiators are: Tidal will have no free tier Tidal will have a $10/mo compressed quality option, and a $20 CD-quality option Tidal will offer equity stakes in the company to artists I’m a little skeptical that Tidal will succeed. Spotify and Pandora are … Continue reading Tidal
John Paul Titlow has a neat piece on Fast Company about the conundrum Spotify faces with streaming. It’s hard for the service to afford its hefty payouts to traditional record labels while adequately compensating the up-and-coming artists or indie bands who – ideally, at least – use Spotify to gain exposure. Titlow suggests a potential route:
Silicon Spatula 