The internet has changed the way we listen to music. While we used to buy our music, now we can find our favorites on a variety of streaming services. These services are gaining popularity among younger generations. As the demand grows for online listening, many major players are entering the marketplace. Some are already successful, while others are still in the early stages.
Apple had a big hand in the creation of iTunes, a product that transformed the way people listen to music. However, it has struggled to find a sustainable business model for digital music. Royalties from digital music services have surpassed licensing revenues from radio broadcasts. This situation has prompted the music industry to take a stand against streaming music royalty payments.
One example is the WebMusic Player. It’s a tool designed to integrate your favorite music services into your desktop. You can create a playlist and stream it from your computer or portable web streaming speaker.
Another example is the Project Playlist. This site features a Flash player and subscription buttons to let users listen to songs in Windows Media Player or Real Player. They also provide a music buzz feature and music blog posts. Users can add the songs to their own playlist or subscribe to a podcast.
A related example is the Spider’s Canvas. This project was part of MIT’s sonification initiative. Researchers layered different elements of science and technology into a spider web. Each element represents a concept or technique involving physics, math, art, or other areas of knowledge. The team then performed a 3-D spider web using sound, allowing the listener to hear each strand of the web.
The Internet has made it possible for us to discover new music without ever having to leave our homes. Spotify, for example, lets users pick from a library of 16 million songs. Most of these songs are small in size. In addition, most streaming services struggle to convert free customers into paying customers.
The best music discovery engine is the one that’s right for you. That’s why Vosskoetter and Vosskoetter launched a prototype of their own player last year. After a few weeks of testing, they found that their player was the best.
Their plan is to launch a mobile application for iOS and to integrate music identification service Gracenote into their app. For now, the music is free, but it may eventually become a subscription-based service. Ultimately, the company plans to invest in hiring and developing their product, while letting heavier users pay for advanced features.
Aside from the music-discovery engine, they’ve also built a platform for artists and musicians to share their music with fans. Eventually, they hope to offer concerts, T-shirts, and other promotional items for sale.
Although they don’t yet work with distributors or record labels, Musicplayr has a strong track record of sourcing the best in music content. Content can come from popular artists on YouTube or local bands on SoundCloud. Unlike most music streaming services, Musicplayr won’t require you to select your preferences. Rather, the software will have a strong sense of what you like, and source the best tracks for you.
