Fyre Fallout? Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora Promise Greater Transparency in Influencer Posts

As the stink continues to grow around paid influencer endorsements for Fyre Festival, several UK celebrities have agreed to disclose if they have been paid to promote products on social media. Singers Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora, models Alexa Chung, Is…

Arcade Fire, 200 Canadian Artists Say No More Pipelines on Indigenous Land

More than 200 Canadian musicians have banded together in support of indigenous protestors. Arcade Fire is the latest band to show support for an anti-pipeline protest.  The group is signing a strongly-worded open letter alongside other Canadian groups …

Now You Can #MuteRKelly With a New Spotify Blocking Feature

Spotify has made plenty of changes to its platform to enhance discoverability.  But a new feature lets users block artists. In the latest version of the iOS Spotify app, a new feature lets users select “don’t play this artist.” The feature blocks an en…

Dolby Is Working on an App That Delivers ‘Studio Quality’ Recording

Dolby has quietly been testing a new mobile recording app.  But how good is it? Artists have been recording on their iPhones for years.  But is it really possible to match studio-level recording quality from a smartphone? Enter Dolby, which is now part…

Gibson Unveils Its Chris Cornell Tribute ES-335 Signature Guitar

Gibson has unveiled a new Chris Cornell Tribute guitar that resembles the iconic Soundgarden frontman’s ax. Gibson is re-issuing the model 2013 ES-335 with the addition of Cornell’s signature. The guitar features an Olive Drab satin finish with aged Lo…

Bandcamp Is Opening a Brick-n-Mortar Record Store Next Month

Vinyl sales have been rising in the United States for the past decade, riding a wave of nostalgia and genuine interest in the format. Now, digital service Bandcamp is embracing the trend with a physical location.  The online platform is planning to ope…

LG’s $380 BTS-Branded Smartphone Is Another Easy Sellout

BTS is putting their ultra-successful merchandising strategy into overdrive. LG announced the Q7+ BTS Edition (Q617QA) last September for South Korea, but it’s finally making its way to the United States. The device is up for pre-order on Amazon for $3…

Spotify Is Testing a New ‘Car View’ to Make Its App More Driver Friendly

Spotify has launched a new car view for a simpler Now Playing screen when listening to Spotify over Bluetooth. The new view is available globally to all Android users. The simpler Now Playing view will appear when your phone is connected to your car’s …

Old Idea, New Execution: ‘Radio by Deezer’ Offers 30,000 Radio Stations for Free

Deezer is offering 30,000 free radio stations from around the world to Android users in the UK. Sure, it’s been done before.  But maybe Deezer’s got the timing right — not to mention the on-demand integration. The new app is called “Radio By Deezer,” a…

Netflix Hikes Its Prices Again — Despite Heavy Competition In the Space

Why can’t Spotify grow a pair like this? Netflix’s stock surged on Wednesday after the company announced a price increase across all of its plans. The surprising move comes as Netflix has lost a spate of content.  That includes gems from Disney, which …