via Apple

Screenshot of the new iTunes library.

The computer giant named after a piece of fruit announced a shiny new iPhone 5 in San Francisco today, one that comes with a .5-inch larger screen, better camera... and blah. Doubtless people are most excited (or not!) about the new iPhone, but for music fans -- at least those of us still bound to vast libraries of MP3s -- some smaller, but still significant news was also dropped today: A new, simplified version of iTunes.

More »

The Limousines' Kickstarter page.

It's a hallmark of the Kickstarter era: musical artists -- like, most famously, Amanda Palmer --- gather donations from their fanbase on the crowdfunding website in order to produce a new album. In exchange, the fans get special swag and recognition from the artists, such as having their names printed in the liner notes, handwritten letters from the artist, custom album packaging, or having the artist perform an intimate show in their town.

Palmer set a record by raising more than $1 million through her Kickstarter appeal earlier this year. But not everyone is a fan of artists using fans to pre-fund their projects -- some say it's a form of welfare for musicians.

Such was the case made by local blogger Matt DeMello in a Twitter exchange and subsequent interview with Eric Victorino, frontman of South Bay electro-pop duo the Limousines. The Limos are using Kickstarter to raise $30,000 for their new album, Hush, instead of going through a label, as the band has done for previous releases. (Their campaign has already raised more than $36,000, with 20 days remaining.)

After Victorino mentioned his Kickstarter appeal on Twitter, DeMello questioned his approach, arguing that such campaigns are unethical, because the band stands to make money on a product that was invested in by fans, while the fans stand to make nothing on their investment. With a record label, DeMello argued in his interview with Victorino, "the consumer knows what it is they're getting."

More »

[Updated, 8/9/12, 3:10 p.m.]

Are you a Pandora user who has become disenchanted with the service? Did you use it to discover new, underground music, and now find yourself hearing mainstream schlock? Are you wondering what the fuck happened?

Well, according to one former employee of the Oakland-based Internet radio station, you aren't alone -- or crazy. In a post yesterday for Buzzfeed's tech blog, the ex-"listener support" email jockey shared the dark side of their job at Pandora: the drunken, angry messages from users, the annoying anti-gay ads that the service had to run, and, yes, the post-IPO changes that this person says have caused the site's fabled algorithm to pump out more music most people have heard of, and less music they haven't.

Contacted for a response, Pandora officials say that the algorithm wasn't changed recently as a result of the company's IPO.

Here, though, is the ex-employee's take:

It used to be that you'd put in Modest Mouse and then hear all these crazy college indie bands. That was how it was created. It was great. But people in the Midwest hated it. Now, you put in Modest Mouse and you hear Maroon 5. It's much more like radio. Some people got angry, but the majority like the changes.

More »

For nascent musicians, Kickstarter and other crowdfunding sites have risen to unprecedented popularity. A vast array of projects are outlined, perhaps accompanied by a video, and anonymous, philanthropically minded individuals dish out varying amounts of cash for inventive rewards furnished by the recipient. At its best, Kickstarter is an innovative fund-raising method for a financially stunted industry used in a classy, effective way by inspired artists. At its worst, lackluster campaigns smack of "e-spanging" by entitled bands that are unwilling to persevere in a milieu that requires financial savvy. With these polar opposite uses in mind, we compiled this list of things that up-and-coming musicians operating in just about any genre should not do when using Kickstarter.

Don't campaign for tour necessities: A vehicle and fuel are the most basic and financially demanding aspects of a tour. For aspiring bands, the reality of a first tour is often not a financially lucrative one, but part of an aspiring band's early curriculum should also be learning how to play paying shows locally. Venues are infested with sharks, but learning the hustle locally is crucial to a band's development. If a band isn't savvy enough to sell some merchandise, book modestly paying gigs, and reserve those funds for tour necessities, they shouldn't be hitting the road in the first place.

More »

Sexy headphones for summer: The Bowers & Wilkins P3

Summer is the season of getting pumped, and that doesn't just mean showing off all the work you put into getting in swimsuit shape. Summer is the season of the pop song, of high energy exploding from every open window, of Carly Rae Jepsen and Japandroids and Rita Ora and Calvin Harris and Passion Pit. It's all about audio that's toned -- but no matter how good a summer jam is, you need the right gear to make sure it's punchy, not paunchy. Thankfully, more audio gear manufacturers are working to make sure the top of the iTunes charts sounds good at both your desktop and the beach.

Less developed as an audiophile sector, the on-ear headphone has seen some true contenders emerge recently to balance convenience, comfort, and clarity. Grado Labs and Sennheiser (and to a lesser extent AKG) defined the category before the Beyerdynamic DT1350 was introduced a couple years ago to redefine the balance of portability and potency. (Note: We do not recognize Beats By Dre as a legitimate entry, as this brand greatly emphasizes bass energy over accuracy). At nearly $300, however, the artfully machined DT1350 remains a luxury item. Those looking for an on-ear headphone that's articulate and more economical have two newer $199 selections: the V-Moda Crossfade M-80, and the Bowers & Wilkins P3.

More »

Because some 52 million Facebook fans and 26 million Twitter followers -- and y'know, absolute cultural ubiquity -- apparently aren't enough, Lady Gaga and her army of publicists now have a new tool for world domination: Their very own social network.

Yesterday saw the public launch of LittleMonsters.com, a social network built by Palo Alto startup Backplane whose fans eat, breathe, sleep, and post the Queen Monster. According to Silicon Valley 411 (whom we'll trust because we're not signing up for this shit), "the site combines elements of Pinterest, Facebook, Google+, and MySpace, and has both chat and blog-like features as well."

More »

Gretchen Robinette

Neil Young performing at the Fox Theater in 2010.

Earlier this year, rock legend Neil Young made some waves in the tech world when he blasted the thin, tinny sound quality of MP3s, arguing that digital music distribution is "degrading music, not improving it."

"The MP3 only has 5 percent of the data present in the original recording," Young said at the D: Dive Into Media conference in January. "The convenience of the digital age has forced people to choose between quality and convenience, but they shouldn't have to make that choice."

Young -- who has long been a stickler for good sound -- said he had spoken with Steve Jobs about the issue prior to the tech mogul's death, and that Jobs was planning to do something about it.

Now, it looks like Young himself has taken on that task: Trademark applications recently uncovered by Rolling Stone seem to be an indication that the singer's high-quality digital music outlet is under development.

More »

Yesterday, Japantown's Hotel Kabuki filled up with hundreds of pale-faced tech nerds wearing blazers-and-jeans combos. These inventors and couriers of music technology spent the day arguing about the perks and pitfalls of various technologies at the 10th SF MusicTech Summit. Two highlights from the day approached the idea of music from opposing ends of the tech spectrum.

The Future of Music: Digital Sales or the Broadway Pit?

Kristin Thomson, education director at the national nonprofit Future of Music Coalition, gave a presentation called "Are Musicians Benefitting from MusicTech?" It was a first look into the findings of FMC's Artist Revenue Streams research project, which examines technology's effect on musicians' incomes. While top employees of game-changing streaming services, promotion platforms, and distributors like Spotify, RootMusic, and Tunecore, gave their own talks elsewhere, Thomson explored how these inventions have changed the game for musicians' bank accounts.

The short answer: They have, sort of. The 5,000 musicians surveyed agreed that emerging technologies made a significant impact on their careers. This means technologies like home recording and selling music on Bandcamp, as well as keeping in touch with fans on Twitter and Facebook. "Musicians' access to the marketplace has greatly improved over the last 10 years," Thomson said. "But how has it impacted their ability to earn money based on their creative output?"

More »

You know what the Internet needs? Another way to tell people what music you're listening to.

No, really. There may be more services competing for your music-sharing attention than there are thinkpieces about Lana Del Rey on the Internet today. (Right now, you can link one of those streaming services to your Facebook, you can Tweet about what you're now playing, or you could share your Last.fm info, just to name a few.) But nothing we've seen yet holds quite the charm of a very simple new site called This Is My Jam.

More »

Douglas Zimmerman

Macworld attendees check out Silent Frisco, the wireless headphones-assisted dance party.

There were more curious wallflowers than hula-hooping dancers yesterday as the wireless headphones-assisted dance party Silent Frisco took over the second floor of the Macworld conference. (It continues today from noon to 6 p.m. with DJs Motion Potion and u9lift). For Sunset Promotions, which takes Silent Frisco to locales like Ocean Beach and Treasure Island and plans an ambitious schedule of events this year, it's a huge opportunity to turn people on to the joys of a dance party, without the elements that can be barriers to entry for many (late night hours, intoxication, loud noise).

Across the hall, in the area dubbed the "Music Studio," students and staff from Berklee College of Music are offering live performances and workshops. Highlights from today's schedule include learning how to build the best project studio for your personal music needs and surveying the best of the current mobile music-making applications. But let's review the real draw for music fans at Macworld -- the gadgets.

More »