Tag: Last.fm
Revo AXiS digital radio iPod dock with Last.fm support coming soon from Firebox
If you're a user of the Last.fm music streaming service, you'll already know that it rocks, providing you with personalised playlists from their catalogue of 5 million tracks based upon the artists you select as your favourites. It's a really…
Shazam team up with Last.fm for updated Encore and (SHAZAM)RED apps
Shazam have today unveiled new versions of their Encore and (SHAZAM)RED music discovery apps. Teaming up with Last.fm, Encore and (SHAZAM)RED users can now access geo-tagged tour information for tagged artists, look up the Shazam blog and create Internet radio…
New listeners tuning into Spotify and Last.fm
Online music services such as Spotify and Last.fm are rapidly picking up new listeners, new research has revealed. Rajar, the radio audience measurement body, has seen figures for "personal radio" services hit 4.5 million users in the UK through November….
Myspace Music goes live in the UK
As well as the addition of Myspace Music charts and iTunes download links, the Myspace Music launch will be complimented by a host of exclusive content from the likes of 50 Cent, Alicia Keys and Lost Prophets.
Last.fm launches visual radio
It’s important for Last.fm to do some shouting at the moment to prove there’s more to life than Spotify and Comes With Music. There is, and to prove what an excellent service they still are, they’ve launched a visual radio player.
At the heart of it, it’s still the same beast except now you get pretty pictures in a slideshow of whoever it is you’re listening to. They’ve also added combo stations whereby you can add more than one artist, tag or genre to your radio choice to receive a stream of more specific, more tailored music. So, now there’s no excuse not to listen to 80s, Pirate Metal, featuring Dolly Parton radio apart from the obvious.
Finally, Last.fm has added a history to the radio player so you can see exactly what you have and haven’t been playing. All good reasons to return what is still the best music discovery service on the web.
(via Last.fm blog)
Last.FM subscription service put on hold – radio still free for now
Last.FM has decided to postpone the obligatory subscription to receive their radio streaming service outside of the UK, US and Germany for now.
According to the company blog, they’re going to add some more features to make the package more palatable including the inclusion of third party APIs, which means that although the service will be limited, radio streaming will continue to mobile phones even outside of the UK, US and Germany.
Payment plans and methods have obviously been an issue as Last.Fm is introducing gift subscriptions and SMS services to make it easier for you to cough up the three euros. So, a reprieve it is but for how long, another question.
(via Last HQ)
Last.fm wades into YouTube music video row
In our discussion yesterday about the barney that’s erupted between YouTube and the Performing Rights Society(which collects cash for songwriters), I mentioned Pandora’s exit from the UK market due to hefty PRS fees.
Well, now Last.fm has weighed into the debate with its own take on things. Founder Martin Stiksel says that both sides need to find a resolution – and quick – before less-than-legal alternatives take hold. Stiksel wants cheaper and “less complicated” licenses as a result:
“It is a fundamental problem that we have been facing in that online music licensing is getting more complicated and more expensive. We pay each time one users listens to a song or watches a clip and, while that is more accurate because it makes sure the more popular songs get paid more, it is also very expensive. Terrestial radio pays a fixed minimum and that works out a lot cheaper – we have to find commercially workable rates otherwise illegal services will win and take over.”
Last.fm currently relies heavily on YouTube for its video content, so it has a vested interest in keeping the service going. The service has Last.tv in the works for the future, though, as a way of serving personalized music television to people. That could be interesting when it happens.
PRS and Google are due to meet over the next few days to see if they can find a resolution to the crisis.
Last.fm accused of handing U2 album leak user data to the RIAA
If you’ve been listening to a leaked copy of U2’s “No Line on the Horizon”, then it’s possible that the RIAA know exactly who you are, if you believe Techcrunch who got all in a tizzy on Friday over the suggestion that Last.fm has been handing over listener data to the record company.
Last.fm immediately denied the accusations, saying:
I’d like to issue a full and categorical denial of this. We’ve never had any request for such data by anyone, and if we did we wouldn’t consent to it.
Of course we work with the major labels and provide them with broad statistics, as we would with any other label, but we’d never personally identify our users to a third party – that goes against everything we stand for.
The RIAA followed that up, with:
“[We’re] not sure where that rumor came from. It’s not true.”
So you’re probably safe for now, but given how much personal data many people share on Last.fm, if you’re one of the first with a copy of a leaked album, then you might want to be careful about scrobbling that fact. Just a thought.
T-Mobile adds Last.fm and Wikipedia to its mobile jukebox service
This is potentially game-changing for mobile music. T-Mobile has added music-discovery functionality from Last.fm to its mobile jukebox service. The addition means that users of the service can simply put in an artist’s name, and they’ll receive a list of other musicians that they might like.
With each option presented, you’ll have the option to stream a 30 second preview (why not a full preview?) and then buy the track. Users will also get plenty of biographical info about the artist, thanks to a partnership with Wikipedia.
TD Tips: Where do I go out in the evening? – Top reviews, guides & listings websites
It’s all been a bit cash heavy in the last few weeks with the TD Tips for best mobile phone deals and expensive, stylish laptops. So, this week we bring you some blissfully wonga-free websites to tell you what’s worth doing in, around and nowhere near town at all. I can’t guarantee you won’t spend money when you get wherever you choose to go, but I can promise you five good ways of searching for what to do with your spare time.
So without any further ado, here are our tips for the top reviews, guides & listings websites…
