music - page 11

How to make your videos more amazing with Clips

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Clips will make your lame videos look super-mega LIT!
Clips will make your lame videos look super-mega LIT!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new Clips app wants to be your go-to for making short, fun videos geared for social networks. Clips is the perfect tool for the social media generation, allowing users to bust out engaging videos in seconds.

While the user interface is pretty simple, Clips packs a bevy of tools that help put a unique spin on your shots. Getting the hang of all the features can take a while, so we’ve rounded up some pointers on how to make the most of the new app.

Follow these Clips tips to make your videos pop.

Apple Music for Android finally gets new iOS 10 design

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music streaming
The latest release also includes Chromecast support.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple Music subscribers on Android got some much-needed love from Apple today in the form of an update that brings a fresh UI to the streaming app.

It’s been nearly a year since Apple unveiled its Apple Music redesign as part of iOS 10 at WWDC 2016, but Android users are just now getting a taste of the interface’s bold, streamlined look.

Apple slashes prices on Beats headphones

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beats solo2
The Beats Solo2 headphones are on sale.
Photo: Apple

If you’ve been wanting to get some Beats headphones on your ears, there may be no better time to buy them from Apple than now.

The online Apple store rarely offers discounts on the company’s own products, but this morning Apple launched a new promo on select Beats headphones and speakers, dropping prices on some items by as much as 50 bucks.

Apple hires YouTube vet to shape video strategy

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Planet of the Apps
Not a high point for Apple.
Photo: Apple

In another sign that Apple is gearing up to make a big push into video, the company has hired former YouTube executive Shiva Rajaraman.

The hire comes as Apple is beginning to launch its own efforts to create original video content for Apple Music subscribers, but the addition of Rajaraman could mean Apple is looking to explore other avenues for its video content too.

Spotify copies Apple Music with Carpool Karaoke knockoff

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T-Pain will be the first rapper to star in 'Traffic Jams.'
T-Pain will be the first rapper to star in 'Traffic Jams.'
Photo: Spotify

The race to create the hottest karaoke show in the U.S. is heating up now that Spotify has revealed it is making a TV show that will feature artists performing while rolling through Los Angeles traffic.

Spotify is calling the show Traffic Jams. And while it has a lot in common with Apple Music’s Carpool Karaoke, Spotify hopes some key difference will set its show apart.

Chance the Rapper reveals how much Apple Music paid for Coloring Book

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Chance The Rapper performing at Wireless Festival Birmingham 2014.
Chance The Rapper performing at Wireless Festival Birmingham 2014.
Photo: Daniel Gregory/Flickr

Apple’s war with Spotify for exclusives can be a great thing for artists, according to three time Grammy winner Chance the Rapper.

In a series of tweets posted this morning, Chance the Rapper elaborated on his music with Apple Music and revealed how much the company paid him for exclusive access to his award-winning album Coloring Book.

iOS 11 concept imagines an all-new lockscreen

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The iPhone's lockscreen could use some changes.
The iPhone's lockscreen could use some changes.
Photo: Matt Birchler

Apple is set to unveil big changes for the iPhone at WWDC 2017 and one feature that could definitely use some improvements is the lockscreen.

In a new concept design that imagines some potential lockscreen upgrades, Matt Birchler shows how a few very simple changes could make the lockscreen feel totally new.

This Marimba ringtone remix will blow your mind

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You've never heard Marimba like this.
You've never heard Marimba like this.
Photo: Seth Kranzler

Apple’s iconic Marimba ringtone has been remixed a countless number of times since the original iPhone came out, but a new remix inspired by composer Steve Reich will leave you totally hypnotized.

Created by artist Seth Kranzler, “Marimba Ringtone Phase” replicates Reich’s style by playing the ringtone on two iPhones ringing at slightly different tempos. The trippy effect puts an all-new spin on a classic tune.

Give it a listen:

Spotify boasts more than double the subscribers of Apple Music

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Spotify
You won't have to listen to music you don't like.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Music’s batch of exclusives haven’t been able to stop Spotify’s impressive growth of paid subscribers over the last year.

Spotify revealed today that it new has over 50 million paid subscribers for its music streaming service, which is more than double the 20 million subscribers Apple Music had at the end of 2016.

Spotify eyes lossless audio to wow your ears

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Spotify
CD quality audio is coming to Spotify.
Photo: James Merithew/Cult of Mac

Spotify appears poised to put the final nail in Tidal’s coffin.

The music streaming service is planning to launch a new feature that will give listeners access to lossless audio streaming, according to a new report reveals the feature is currently in testing.

Apple adds new music tools to Logic Pro X and GarageBand

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Logic Pro X now supports the Touch Bar.
Logic Pro X now supports the Touch Bar.
Photo: Apple

One of the most powerful synthesizers in the world has finally arrived on iPhone and iPad, thanks to a big update for GarageBand that Apple pushed to users this morning.

Both Garageband for iOS and Logic Pro X for macOS received huge new features today, bringing new music creation tools for iPhone and Mac users, as well as support for the new Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro.

Apple Music execs discuss the future of music streaming

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Bozoma Saint John
Bozoma Saint John is in charge of hyping Apple Music.
Photo: Apple

The future of Apple Music will be a lot less focused on music and more about pop culture, according to three of Apple’s top employees working on the project.

Beats One DJ Zane Lowe, marketing guru Bozoma Saint John and Apple Music’s head of content, Larry Jackson, sat down for a three-headed interview to discuss what fans can expect from the streaming service. Music will always be part of Apple Music, but Lowe revealed that other forms of entertainment are coming soon.

Apple’s Carpool Karaoke show will roll with a new host each episode

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Carpool Karaoke
Missy and Michelle be puttin' it down in Carpool Karaoke.
Photo: CBS Studios

Instead of having a single host, Apple’s upcoming TV show Carpool Karaoke will put someone new in the driver’s seat each episode.

The company also plans to add more interview elements to the show, which was created by Late Late Show host James Corden. The show will pair different musicians and celebrities for each of the first 16 episodes during Season 1.

Sennheiser’s new earbuds let you record 3D audio on your iPhone

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These headphones record audio in 3D.
These headphones record audio in 3D.
Photo: Sennheiser

CES2017 At a time when most headphone manufacturers are embracing the wireless earbuds, Sennheiser has decided to unveil one of the smartest pairs of wired earbuds ever created.

Yes, you can listen to your tunes on the new AMBEO Smart Surround earphones and the music will sound great. But what sets the new buds apart from every other pair debuting at CES is these ones come with the ability to record 3D audio using only your iPhone.

Apple drops the beat in its first documentary, 808: The Movie

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The 808 drum machine changed music forever.
The 808 drum machine changed music forever.
Photo: Beats 1

The first documentary from Apple has finally arrived — and it has nothing to do with iPhones or Macs. The film, titled 808: The Movie, chronicles Roland’s legendary TR-808 drum machine and how it influenced the music industry from the ’80s all the way up to today.

Narrated by Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe, the Apple Music exclusive features appearances by Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Rick Rubin, Diplo, Questlove, Phil Collins, Beastie Boys and more.

Check out the trailer:

Apple’s long-awaited AirPods will ship in ‘next few weeks’

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x
After a disappointing delay, Tim Cook says AirPods will land soon.
Photo: Apple

The wait for Apple’s new wireless AirPods is nearly over.

Apple revealed the earbuds alongside the iPhone 7, promising an October delivery date, but anxious customers have not been able to buy a set. But Apple CEO Tim Cook supposedly says they’re being finalized right now.

Woz’s wacky music festival is the focus of new documentary

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Steve Wozniak wax sculpture fake eyes
Remember that time Woz was a concert promoter?
Photo: Madame Tussauds

Before there was the Apple Music Festival, there was the US Festival: a sprawling, Woodstock-style music event hosted by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Boasting performances ranging from the Grateful Dead and the Ramones to The Kinks and Fleetwood Mac, the story behind the epic, money-losing concert is set to be told in a new documentary called The US Generation.

Apple’s monstrous Christmas ad will melt your frosty heart

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An unexpected holiday visitor finally receives the warm welcome he’s always yearned for.
An unexpected holiday visitor finally receives the warm welcome he’s always yearned for.
Photo: Apple

Apple is sending a message of unity this Christmas season with a new ad that features an unexpected guest: Frankenstein’s monster.

The heartwarming ad starts with Frankie in his little cabin in the mountains, recording music on his iPhone. Then the misunderstood monster makes his way down to a little village to unleash a surprise none of the locals were expecting.

Check it out:

Indie rockers Airplane Mode get their spark from Apple

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These guys rock — and design great apps. Bassist Joe Cieplinski, left, and lead guitar and vocalist, Dave Wiskus, of the band Airplane Mode.
These guys rock — and design great apps. Bassist Joe Cieplinski, left, and lead guitar and vocalist, Dave Wiskus, of the band Airplane Mode.
Photo: Airplane Mode

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugThe indie rock band Airplane Mode does indeed get its name from the feature on an iPhone that shuts off wireless transmission.

The name and the resumes of three of the band’s musicians — well-established iOS designers — have led more than a few people to assume they have found a source of cute parody music about Apple culture.

In fact, you won’t find any iPhones, iMacs or odes to Steve Jobs in the lyrics of the tight, hard-charging synth-driven music. However, the band’s roots in Apple culture permeate everything else, from its use of technology and understanding of social engagement to its start-up energy.

And there is one other way: Airplane Mode is making money.

Apple scoops up talent, tech from bankrupt music pioneer Omnifone

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apple music app
Omnifone's tech is already inside Apple Music.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

To beef up its streaming music service, Apple has hired some key employees from Omnifone, a company that was a pioneer of in music streaming industry.

Rumors floated this summer that Apple was looking to acquire Omnifone after the company filed for bankruptcy. Instead of buying the whole thing though, a new report claims that Apple instead bought some of parts of Omnifone’s tech and workforce.