AmpMe syncs smarphones to become a large sound system

The sound of your smartphone may not be much, but have you wondered what it would be like to have all the smartphones of all the friends at your house playing the same music at the same time? That's precisely what you can do with AmpMe - and it now even works with Bluetooth speakers.

Moby gives 4h of relaxing music for free

Moby is an artist that requires no introduction, and he now gives everyone a nice gift: 4h of relaxing music to help you chill.

Syotify turns YouTube into a Spotify "clone"

[19-02-2021] Article removed at request from the service creator.

OnRad.io lets you hear (almost) any music you want for free

Listening to any music for free may sound like something that must involve some kind of illegal activity; however this OnRad.io does it in a perfectly legal manner.

Beatles arrive on streaming this Christmas

After many years in waiting, Beatles fans will finally be able to listen to the fabulous four on music streaming services.

Chewing gum can get rid of "earworms"

Ever had music playing over and over in your head, often when you're trying to sleep, and it seems there's no way for you to get rid of it? That's what's called an earworm, and we can finally exterminate it with chewing gum.

YouTube announces Music Key subscription service

The rumors about a YouTube music subscription service have been around for ages, and finally we get to know what it's all about: YouTube Music Key (in the usual Google branded "beta").

The "Recycled" Music

You've probably noticed that some musics are suspiciously similar to others, allowing you to even sing each other lyrics interchangeably without any problem whatsoever. Does it happen by chance, is it intended, or is it just plain sloppy work from music writers that want to save some time and "copy" what's already proven?

Who know... but there are cases that "good sounding" progressions really do surprise us, as they become the basis for many (and I do mean many) popular songs over the decades - as it was perfectly demonstrated by the "Pachelbel Rant" (which follows below). But today, I also bring you a more modern version by a groups called The Axis of Awesome, that shows us how four simple music chords seem to have been responsible for dozens of hits.




And as promised, Pachelbel Rant follows:

Jam With Chrome

Still stuck on the idea you could have been a rock star? Want to dust off that dream and gather around a couple of friends for some jam sessions online? Google had now made it a lot easier, thanks to this Jam with Chrome.

This Chrome experiment allows you play music live with your friends, allowing you to form a band of up to 4 elements. Each one can choose between a number of different acoustic and electronic instruments, ranging from guitar to keyboards and drums (19 in total). If you haven't practiced lately, this experiment also lends a helping hand, as you can either play the instuments "for real" or use a simplified mode that will make sure you sound great no matter what.

So... what are you waiting for... invite some friends and start jamming.

(In case your technical mind is wondering how this can be done inside your browser Google also explains the technology behind this project with things like the Web Audio API, Web Sockets, Canvas, etc.)

Gtar - A Digital Electric Guitar Anyone Can Play

Admit it, who hasn't thought of picking up an electric guitar and start playing out their favorite tunes? From high-powered rock to soothing ballads and lullabies, the guitar is still one of the most "wished for" musical instruments one would like to image to be able to play. Unfortunately, for most people, that couldn't be further from the truth, as any immediate contact with a guitar will make any audience cringe and run away as fast as they possibly can (ok, maybe trying to play the violin can beat that... ).

But, thanks to the Gtar things are about to change - and indeed they will, as they've already surpassed the minimum required amount on Kickstarter!

With this Gtar, anyone 'll be able to play your favorites tunes, thanks to the brain of the entire system, your trusted iPhone 4/4S (they plan on making it compatible with other devices in the future.) You see... the Gtar isn't a regular electric guitar - in fact, it doesn't even have pickups - meaning you don't even have to tune it. It serves just as a lifelike guitar that sends your playing gestures to the electronic brain, which then handles all the "musical" aspects. So, you can think of it as a much improved and lifelike version of guitar hero. :)

Sure, its $350 aren't exactly "cheap"... but if you're really into music and want to learn how to play guitar in a more modern "iphone-assisted" way... (or simply want to take your guitar hero lessons to the next level)... then it might be worth every penny.

Siri Plays the PIano

We've seen Siri jumping out into the real world before, by setting thermostat temperatures at home, and more... But none can get close to having Siri play a real piano, as we're about to see.

Craig Knudsen is the inventor of the amazing SmartKEY for Yamaha's Disklavier pianos... the ones that can play all by themselves, moving the keys and pedals up and down, just like if it were being played by an invisible pianist.

The system sends a audio file (with embedded MIDI data) via WiFi to an Apple Airport Express mounted underneath the piano, and connected to the analog MIDI inputs of the diskclavier via a standard audio cable.

The result, as you're about to see... is pure magic. And as Christmas is coming... it reminds me that I still have a grand piano MIDI keyboard in my wishlist... for ages!

In Your Arms - Kina Grannis [Videoclip]

Though we're usually accustomed to see video producers using all the available digital "magic" to shorten the time it would take to make something - we can now do in minutes or hours what a decade ago would take weeks or months - there are still cases where one can't stop but be amazed by what can be achieved when a team puts real dedication, and time, into something like this.

Kina Grannis latest videoclip "In Your Arms" uses stop-motion animation, with a animated background consisting of 288,000 jelly beans carefully (and painstakingly) placed for each frame.

And when you consider that it took 30 people 22 months to do it... You can begin to grasp the kind of commitment it took to finish the job. But we're all glad they did, and it indeed looks great.

I just wonder... how many jelly beans were hurt during the making of this video! ;)



E o resultado final é este:

Major Tom Illustrated by Andrew Kolb

Andrew Kolb took one of the most iconic musics ever - the famous Space Oddity by David Bowie - and  created an amazing illustrated space book where we can see our dear Major Tom.

If -like me- you can't help but float away into a dream like state whenever you hear this music's lyrics, and imagine the vastness of space and just how little we are in this vast Universe, I think you'll enjoy it.

Space Oddity by David Bowie illustrated by Andrew Kolb from Simon Victor on Vimeo.

Google Beatbox

Who would have thought... you can use Google translation voice service to make Google beatbox to any rhythm you want! :)

If you want to try out your own beat, here are the secret phonemes that make Google beatbox:

• zk = suspended cymbal
• bschk = snare
• pv = brush
• bk = bass
• tk = flam1
• vk = roll tap
• kt = flam2
• kttp = flam tap
• krp = hi hat tap
• pv = short roll
• th = better hi hat
• thp, ds = instant rimshot

Longest Music... EVER

So, you're into long music, right? Not those "music clips" spanning just 3, 5, or even 7 minutes. You're a fan of long musics that would take an entire album or CD - and we're taking 70 minutes plus!

Well... I'm sorry to inform you... those aren't really long songs.

Let me present you Bull of Heaven.

Their latest song "like a wall in which an insect lives and gnaws" is... -brace yourselves- 50.000 hours long.
No, it's not a mistake... it's really fifty thousand hours long!

That's roughly 2083 days, which translate into over 5 years.

I wonder if any of the band members has actually played it yet! :)

The Secret Behind Shazam

A sure way to impress your friends is to pick up your smartphone, capture a few seconds of music playing, and identify which song it is.

Music recognition programs like Midomi and Shazam are not only useful, they're "must have's" in any modern smartphone.

I imagine everyone has dreamed of such a thing ever since they first heard a music they'd like to find out.
Maybe you were in a coffee shop, or maybe the music was playing during a TV commercial or movie.

Now, we can finally use technology to make that dream com true.

But, how does it all work? How can anyone figure out which music it is based on just a couple of seconds - which often contain ambient and background noise?

Well, it's not easy, and I don't recommend the following link to anyone not wanting to hear things like spectograms, peak intensities, and similar jargon; but if you want to know what "secret" allows Shazam to masterfully recognize nearly any music in existence.... you can read about it here. :)

The Secret Behind Shazam

A sure way to impress your friends is to pick up your smartphone, capture a few seconds of music playing, and identify which song it is.

Music recognition programs like Midomi and Shazam are not only useful, they're "must have's" in any modern smartphone.

I imagine everyone has dreamed of such a thing ever since they first heard a music they'd like to find out.
Maybe you were in a coffee shop, or maybe the music was playing during a TV commercial or movie.

Now, we can finally use technology to make that dream com true.

But, how does it all work? How can anyone figure out which music it is based on just a couple of seconds - which often contain ambient and background noise?

Well, it's not easy, and I don't recommend the following link to anyone not wanting to hear things like spectograms, peak intensities, and similar jargon; but if you want to know what "secret" allows Shazam to masterfully recognize nearly any music in existence.... you can read about it here. :)

Andre MIDI Station

Sure there are a lot of MIDI controllers out there, in all shapes and sizes - and lots others are using the iPad and other tablets to achieve the same effect.

But, for some, there's nothing like the physical experience, interacting with real buttons and knobs.

And then, there is this amazing custom-made MIDI Station controller by Ander.

Rebirth App for iPhone

Good news for every music fan that ever spent hours playing with Propellerhead's ReBirth on their computers. You'll now be able to do it anywhere with this amazing  ReBirth App for iPhone.
Now... just imagine this running on an iPad...

Playing Piano with 6 iPhones

If you think an iPhone simply isn't big enough to properly represent a multitouch piano keyboard... you're right.

That's why Yann Tiersen uses 6 iPhones... and the results is simply amazing: