So, what can you do to listen to music in your car? Let’s see your options!

1. Radio

When you think about music in your car, turning on the radio is probably the first thing that comes into your mind. It may sound old-fashioned to you but it remains relevant in the 2020s.

You can’t choose the song to listen to, but instead, you can tune in to multiple radio stations. To put up the signal, you can add hidden antennas to your car. Then, you can pick the radio station that supports your favorite type of music – pop, rock, Latina, disco, or anything else. The radio doesn’t limit you to specific music or songs. You can always change the stations if you feel like it. Feel free to listen to the radio whenever it looks right to you.

2. Bluetooth

The use of Bluetooth is based on the pairing process. You can choose to lump in with a hands-free calling mechanism. By answering several questions, you will make everything done on your handset.

Using Bluetooth is advantageous because it allows you to accept incoming calls through the speakers of your car. You can also check out call logs, messages, and other significant details on the display while listening to music.

By the way, you can use voice commands for calls. If you play music via a Bluetooth connection, you will have to use a certain amount of data. Make sure to keep track of it.

3. Portable Speakers

People often avoid having the audio system in the car. They prefer portable speakers instead. Before being used, these gadgets need to be powered with rechargeable batteries.

When looking for the best portable speakers, you should pay attention to different features. These include the gadget’s brand, size, sound quality, type of battery, and so on. The reason why many people use portable speakers is an opportunity to enjoy music from their smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Moreover, you don’t have to deal with wires that often cause a mess in the car. It takes a few clicks to set the speakers in both small and large vehicles.

4. USB Input

USB connections transfer unprocessed data to the audio system in your vehicle. This keeps a file that’s closer to the initially high quality. Many audiophiles have already been processed through this method.

You can set up a link between your device and USB. Or you can keep your music library stored on a flash drive. Thanks to the fast-paced technological progress, USB flash drives are now available for storing large data files. For example, some full-size sticks can hold up to 500 GB. You can purchase a 40-GB flash drive that wouldn’t be bigger than a box of matches. This will be enough to store hundreds of songs which you can then play in your car.

5. Mobile Phone

If you are tired of the routine required for setting up the USB or Bluetooth, you can simply rely on your mobile phone. After all, many people use their mobile devices to play slot games at https://onlinecasinoaussie.com. So why can’t you listen to music directly from your Android or iPhone? Whether you open a music player, a music app like YouTube, or a website with songs, you will increase the sound volume of the phone speaker to the maximum. And there you go!

6. CD Player

Is there still anyone who listens to CDs? Yes. Old model cars still have integrated CD players. And you know what? They manage to produce a rich, full sound in the car.

If you have music CDs, feel free to use them. Alternatively, you can buy a blank CD to copy your favorite music from home. The main advantage of using CDs is that you can pick the music you want to listen to. Moreover, you can skip and play the same songs as many times as you want. Never mind if someone tells you to throw out your CD player.

Which Listening Method Sounds Better?

As you can guess, the sound quality coming from the above methods varies. They also come with different levels of availability and convenience. The USB input usually promises better sound quality, while the radio offers the least. The connection itself doesn’t ensure optimal sound quality, though. You should have all the necessary equipment that would guarantee quality, flexibility, easy navigation, and affordability wrapped up in a single package.

Look through the most functional ways to play music in your vehicle. The final decision is all on you!

The post Rock Out In Your Ride: The Best Ways to Listen to Music in Your Car appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

With so many digital music services on the market, it can be difficult to make the final choice. Well, difficult doesn’t mean impossible. Once you make your needs and preferences clear, you will be able to narrow down your search. Let’s check out the top digital streaming services and their less-known contenders which deserve your attention.

1. Amazon Music Unlimited
   Amazon is known as a giant in the e-commerce sector. It has recently conquered the digital streaming field as well. Today, Amazon Music Unlimited provides a feature-packed listening experience, with a huge 75-million-song catalog, Hi-Res Audio, and podcast library.
   By default, Amazon Prime subscribers get access to 2 million tracks from Amazon Music. For $8.99, they can use music and higher-quality audio, with lossless and high-resolution tracks.
   Who is it for?
   Amazon is suitable for people who have already become part of the Amazon ecosystem. They can stream crisp audio via a mobile app, web browser, or various Amazon devices, such as the Echo and Fire TV.
2. Spotify
   Spotify is an excellent all-around music streaming service with an intuitive interface, smart social features, and a great collection of music and podcasts. With 350 million users and 150 million subscribers, it has already risen to the top. Its free version comes up with multiple listening options without a monthly subscription fee. A premium plan includes a full-featured desktop app with better-quality content and personalized playlists and recommendations.
   Who is it for?
   Spotify works well for people who want to enjoy a large catalog of music and podcasts. Those who don’t mind ads can use the free version.
   3.
   Apple Music is focused on Apple users by making Android owners look elsewhere. If you’re immersed in Apple’s ecosystem, you will enjoy the local content to the full extent. Even though there is no free tier, Apple Music leads a reasonable pricing policy with a basic plan of $5 per month. To get access to Spatial Audio, Lossless Audio, lyrics, and music videos, you need to switch to Individual or Family plans.
   Whether you are using the desktop or mobile app, you won’t have a problem navigating the interface. The service offers a great job of creating playlists based on smart recommendations.
   Who is it for?
   Apple Music is meant for Apple users only. Its service is surely the most attractive and best-value hi-res streaming service these days.
3. YouTube Music
   YouTube Music provides lossless streaming through a web browser or a mobile app. Subscribers can enjoy songs, live performances, and even podcasts. They can listen to and make playlists from videos that are streaming on the YouTube platform. This can be done for free. With YouTube Premium, the available content gets even more diverse. Premium users can check out the library of 70 million songs, personalized playlists, and music videos. Location-based playlists will even suggest songs for appropriate needs, sports training, meditation, and so on.
   Who is it for?
   YouTube Music is good for anyone who wants to upload their own library and listen to it for free or for an extra charge. If you are tired of ads or want to get more video content at your disposal, you should try a premium version.
4. Tidal
   Tidal is a less popular streaming service but it offers an overly delightful experience. According to the base free plan, it promises sound quality up to 160 kbps with limited ads. Two monthly paid subscription tiers provide quality music content without ads. Moreover, it allows users to enjoy music while offline.
   Apart from music videos, Tidal also offers lossless audio and live-streaming content, including concerts and music festivals. Compared to more competing services, it pays artists more per stream. As a user, you should know that 10% of your subscription cost goes directly to the artists you listen to.

Who is it for?
Tidal is good for musically inclined purists who care about sound quality and new music.
How to Choose the Best Music Streaming Service for You?
If you don’t have any specific needs or preferences for a new music streaming service, you can jump into the very first option on your way. Otherwise, you should take a strenuous effort to find something specific in terms of experience.

Spotify and Tidal are the most intuitive in terms of free features. Apple Music and Amazon Music offer better-quality content. Make your goals clear. So you can get to enjoy the benefits of services that just keep getting better.

The post 5 Most Popular Music Streaming Services to Stick with appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

Some people use music to tune in to work and rest, while others watch colorful videos to relax and forget about momentary worries. We have selected channels on youtube with live broadcasts, which are ideal for the background. Channels are divided by themes: music, nature, and location streams. Choose a background to your liking!

BGM channel
The channel broadcasts relaxing music for business or leisure around the clock. It was founded in 2014 by Japanese musicians who record original tunes in different styles: jazz, blues, bosanova. The tunes are great for cafes and restaurants as well as yoga studios.

Café Music BGM channel
The channel broadcasts quiet, relaxing music for cafes, bars, and coffee shops around the clock. It has been around since 2014, offering original tracks performed by its own musicians. The band that plays for the channel appeared in 2013. It consists of a pianist, a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. The tunes from Café Music BGM create the atmosphere of a pleasant sunny morning, when a gentle breeze easily rustles the curtains on the window, and you can enjoy simple pleasures.

J-Pop Music BGM channel
Channel broadcasts music in the style of J-Pop: Japanese pop tunes. These are original tracks performed by a group of Japanese musicians who record music for business and just for rest, relaxation. The channel has been around since 2014 and has regular live broadcasts.

Green Music BGM channel
This is another project of a Japanese music group that records original tracks for business and leisure. The channel features regular broadcasts of music for sleep, relaxation, yoga and meditation. The resource has been in operation since 2013 and offers tunes that connect with the sounds of nature.

Live Music Radio
The channel broadcasts the world’s best radio stations around the clock. It has been around since 2018. The channel features several genres of music, but the emphasis is on dance and pop tracks. Most often there are tunes and songs that are at the top of the charts in Europe. There is another channel associated with it: Best Radio 1.

HUNTER.FM.
Brazilian channel, which has existed since 2013, broadcasts music in the styles of pop, hip-hop, lounge, Latin. It also offers clips from trendy movies, music videos, and other content suitable as background music for cafes and bars.

Keep It Underground
A popular channel with relaxing music in the lounge and electronica styles. It publishes mixes and broadcasts live since 2008. Through its official website, the channel collaborates with musicians and composers. It broadcasts tunes that are suitable not only for coffee shops, but also for yoga studios, spas and vacation homes.

Ballistic Live
The channel continuously broadcasts tropical and relaxing music. It’s a British resource with 31,000 subscribers and has been publishing music since 2017. The channel also features hip-hop radio broadcasts. Here they post videos that are suitable for a variety of businesses: cafes, restaurants, spas, beauty salons, sports centers and yoga studios.

Silk Music
A popular channel with over 180 thousand subscribers. It has been broadcasting relaxing, calming music in various genres since 2010. The company that runs it is based in Los Angeles and offers music and videos in the genres of trance, progressive, house. Broadcasts are constant.

Tropical House Radio
The channel has 170,000 subscribers and has been around since 2015. The resource broadcasts tranquil background music in various genres around the clock, without interruption. The videos are suitable for cafes and restaurants, salons and spas, yoga and meditation studios. They create a peaceful, pleasant atmosphere. They are “summer” tropical motifs with beautiful video sequences: beaches, tropics, sailors, forests and exotic plants appear on the screen.

The Grand Sound
A music channel with 460,000 subscribers, it has been continuously broadcasting calm music and videos since 2008. The channel officially collaborates with 65 recording studios, specializes in electronic music and genres house, progressive. These are great background videos not only for cafes or spas, but also for everyday activities, relaxation, meditation.

Relax Music
A popular channel with over 700,000 subscribers that specializes in quiet, relaxing music and videos for rest, leisure. He broadcasts videos in the style of “relaxation” around the clock since 2012, it has a lot of jazz tracks. The channel is suitable as a background for salons and cafes, spas and yoga studios. It can also be used as a source of background videos for meditations.

The post Overview of YouTube broadcasts for background video appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

1. Set up auto-loading of best music
   YouTube Music subscribers have access to a special playlist – “Offline Mix”. The service automatically generates it from the songs that the user likes or listens to more often than others, and loads it into the memory of the device. As a result, you get an always up-to-date list of tracks that you can listen to without connecting to the Internet.

To enable “Offline Mix” in the Android version of YouTube Music, go to “Settings” → “Library and Saved Content” and turn on “Smart Download.” Adjust the number of tracks that will be saved automatically using the slider.

On your iPhone, open “Settings” → “Save Content” and enable the “Offline Mix” option. Adjust the size of the mix using the slider.

2. Use the equalizer (only on Android)
   YouTube Music settings have a built-in equalizer, which allows you to adjust the sound of the program to your taste. You can select one of the presets for different styles of music or adjust the audio using the sliders manually.
3. Add your music to the program (only on Android)
   If the YouTube Music catalog does not contain the songs you want, you can add them from other sources.

First, download tracks from your computer or the internet to your smartphone. Then open YouTube Music, go to “Settings” → “Library and saved content” and enable the “Saved files” option. After that, the “Files on Device” tab will appear in the library sections, where the downloaded songs will be displayed.

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4. Find songs by words.
   If you forget the name of a song, try searching for it by a snippet of lyrics. Just type the words into the YouTube Music search.
5. Wake up to your favorite tracks (Android only)
   YouTube Music subscribers can use songs from the catalog as an alarm clock. To do this, you’ll need Google’s Clock app. If it is not installed on your device, download it from Google Play.

Open “Clock” and add a new alarm clock. Tap the bell icon and click the YouTube Music tab. Recently listened to and recommended songs will appear on the screen. Tap any of them and it will become your alarm clock ringtone.

6. Turn off video clips.
   YouTube Music is happy to play video clips as well. But when you have low internet speeds or limited traffic, getting clips into your playlist can be undesirable. For such situations, there is a special mode available only to subscribers, in which clips are played without video clips by default.

To enable this mode, open “Settings” (Android) or “Settings” → “Playback” (iOS) and activate the “Clips without video” option. After that, the program will play the clips as normal tracks. If you wish, you will be able to include video clips in the player menu.

7. Improve the quality of recommendations
   If you notice that the algorithm’s recommendations don’t hit your taste at all, reset them and start with a clean slate. Open “Settings” (Android) or “Settings” → “Playback” (iOS) and tap “Improve recommendations”. The system will then prompt you to reselect the artists you like. Based on this selection, YouTube Music will restart the recommendations.

The post 7 useful YouTube Music features you might not have known about appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

Reports Android Policy that Google gives users the ability to upload their music and play personal playlists using streaming devices.

What is YouTube Music? An explanation of Google’s music streaming service
This update also includes improved integration with Google Assistant This means users will be able to invoke this personal assistant to play YouTube Music playlists with a simple voice command.

Commands such as “Okay, Google, turn on my favorite songs” should be enough to make the tunes sound smooth. Users from all over have reported that they can use different commands to play their songs. It seems to be currently working in the U.K., U.S., Brazil, France, Austria, Czech Republic and other countries. So perhaps it will be available in most countries, or soon will be.

In addition to these changes, Google is also updating YouTube music, adding various new tabs to the home page, updating the chart research tab and adding daily mixes similar to Spotify. These updates are distributed in 57 countries, and Google is constantly improving.

The post YouTube Music now allows you to stream music without a subscription appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

WHAT IS BANDCAMP
Bandcamp is a music service through which artists and labels can sell their records and merch themselves (without the help of distributors). Bandcamp ideology and business model is radically different from most other streaming services: in fact, a Spotify subscriber does not own music, but only gets access to a catalog of records, whereas a Bandcamp user buys songs and other content. According to Bandcamp founder Ethan Diamond, buying digital or physical goods builds the strongest possible bond between artist and listener – a true fan is always willing to support their favorite musician financially if given a convenient interface.

In fact, Bandcamp offered every artist in the world a multiplication of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” case (in 2007, the musicians put the album on their own site, offering fans to buy it under the “pay what you want” scheme). And it worked: the platform quickly became popular among independent musicians and four years after its launch, in 2012, it reached the break-even point (in comparison, Spotify showed its first ever profit only in the third quarter of 2018, and technically this profit was due to an investment in Tencent Music).

Bandcamp provides musicians with a simple but very straightforward service. The artist creates their own page, uploads their own releases, puts merchandise on display and sells it, automatically receiving money into their PayPal account. Bandcamp’s commission is 15% on digital merchandise and 10% on merchandise, and the money arrives in the artist’s PayPal wallet 1-2 days after payment. In March 2020, at the very beginning of the prolonged concert industry crisis caused by COVID-19, Bandcamp announced the Bandcamp Friday initiative: the first Friday of every month, the service would charge no commission for goods sold for 24 hours. This campaign rallied the community of independent musicians around Bandcamp even more.

BANDCAMP KEY MECHANICS AND BENEFITS
Even though Bandcamp became a part of US publisher and developer Epic Games in 2022, the core idea of the service has not changed. In 14 years, no other music startup has offered such a universally accessible and balanced solution for any independent artist to set up a “music store” on their own.

MUSIC WITHOUT LOSS OF QUALITY
Customers on Bandcamp can buy music in any format – not only MP3, but also WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, and more – so they can get music without compression, which is very important to audiophiles and artists alike. Spotify subscribers, for example, do not have this option because the streaming service’s Hi-Fi function has not yet been launched.

FREE PRICING
The artist sets the price of his product independently. Bandcamp marketplace does not affect the price of the product in any way: you can offer users to download your track for a dollar or ten, or you can give it away for free. By shopping on Bandcamp, the customer sees a minimum price, but can pay more – and often puts extra money in the artist’s wallet (on average, Bandcamp customers pay 10% more than the artist asks). An artist can give away a track for free altogether, charging a price of zero dollars, but requiring listeners to leave their email address, for example (which can be used in the marketing campaign for the next release).

COMMUNITY BUILDING
Bandcamp is largely inspired by the concept of classic record stores: it’s not just a business story, but also a community of geek collectors and desperate music lovers. Alternative music fans from all over the world gather here, they take a close look at the liner notes on the records, discuss them among themselves, review them, and are proud of their rare purchase. Bandcamp users are, as a rule, open to everything new, are solvent, and have a habit of buying records.

MORE INFORMATION
Record producers have long said that streaming apps don’t allow artists to tell their listeners the story behind a song. The interface of many apps is limited to the soundtrack and release artwork and does not provide any data about songwriters, lyrics, recording members or other important aspects. With a digital release on Bandcamp, artists mimic the vinyl edition of an album as much as possible. In the description of your recording, you can include full liner notes (a list of the recording participants, what instruments someone played, in what studio and in what years the track was recorded, say thanks to friends and parents), add lyrics for each song, and publish a manifesto or press release. Moreover, you can insert a real multi-page booklet into your release by simply adding a PDF file to the zip-archive with the tracks. The latter option is actively used by modern composers, who distribute sheet music of their compositions through Bandcamp.

MERCH
Half of Bandcamp’s total gross revenue comes from a variety of merch. The service has been lucky enough to catch the wave of vinyl fashion and, observing the rising demand for physical media, Bandcamp has even launched a crowdfunding service: any artist can pre-order a vinyl edition of their work and if they collect at least 250 pre-orders for their LP in 30 days, Bandcamp will print and gently distribute their vinyl to all customers. Besides vinyl, you can sell literally anything – CDs, t-shirts, posters, bracelets, stickers, poetry collections, and so on.

TRENDS
Bandcamp actively follows the trends – during the pandemic, the developers opened up the possibility for artists to hold online concerts directly on the platform and launched the option Artist Subscriptions (analog of Patreon).

At the same time, in some ways, the service remains a “thing in itself” and turns away from the mainstream too radically. Perhaps a deal with Epic Games will solve a number of accumulated problems (e.g., a clearly outdated website) and add new features and capabilities to the Bandcamp toolkit.

TOP TIPS FOR MUSICIANS
Musicians who are going to open their own store on Bandcamp should take a close look at the detailed (and sometimes ironic) instructions for artists – using this guide you will find answers to all your questions and will not experience any problems with the personal account interface. We’ll focus on the most basic recommendations, neglecting which can seriously reduce the potential success of your release.

Think about visual communication

Think well about the entire design. As with any streaming service or regular music store, Bandcamp users look at the cover art of the release first. Also, think about the design of your store, all of which will add to the appeal of your “storefront”. Pay special attention to physical product images.

Subscriptions are really important here.

Clicking the “follow” button on an artist’s page engages the user in a much stronger communication with the artist than on any other social network. The Bandcamp app subscription feed is not algorithmic, but chronological; you can follow not only your favorite artists and labels, but also genres, cities, and any other hashtags. And you can also subscribe to a Bandcamp user and keep track of what music purchases they’ve made this week.

Hashtags are really important, too

Hashtags are a basic principle of music cataloging in this never-ending music store. Musicians assign their own tags and determine the genre of their music, Bandcamp doesn’t adhere to the conventional (and rather rigid) list of genres in streaming. Bandcamp allows you to tag your music as “doomer,” or “drill,” and through such hashtags your album will reach a more niche and targeted audience than if you shelve your music as “alternative rock” or “hip-hop” (as would happen with a streaming service).

Fill out all the data fields

Write a short description of your music project, provide links to your social networks, add your concert schedule (via Songkick integration), add lyrics, mention recording participants, and hashtags. Bandcamp gives artists the freedom of data management that’s worth taking advantage of.

Make a release on Bandcamp part of your campaign.

Bandcamp is often referred to as the “anti-spotify,” but artists can integrate the service into a classic release campaign for their record on more popular streaming platforms. Just like Spotify with Apple Music, Bandcamp allows you to pre-order a record, a link to which you can add to your presave link. When the release comes out, don’t forget to add the Bandcamp link to your smartlink priority list.

Get behind the counter.

Musicians don’t often stand behind merch themselves at concerts, don’t know much about sales, and they rarely even think about retail marketing – Bandcamp provides a great opportunity to practice that art.

The post Guide to the Bandcamp Service appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

These are intelligent online music libraries with a variety of useful features, which instantly provide material of any genre. Streaming services allow you to play music on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or other similar gadget. There is no need to download albums to HDD, all music is available for a small subscription fee in a network library in a convenient form.

Spotify
Sweden’s Spotify is the leader among online music services. Founded by Daniel Eck, formerly of μTorrent, the service was launched in 2008.

Spotify offers streaming music, podcasts, radio and playlists tailored to the user’s tastes. Any platform is supported: Windows, Android, iOS, OS X, Linux, PlayStation, Symbian, etc. The Spotify library has more than 30 million tracks. Music can be searched by artist, album, genre, playlist, or record label. We have Twitter, Last.fm, and Facebook integration, so you can share tracks and make playlists with other users.

Aplle music
Launched five months ago, Apple’s streaming service is considered a close competitor to Spotify. In addition to streaming access to the catalogs of the online store iTunes Store (37 million tracks), in the disposal of users gets web-radio Beats 1. Themed playlists are compiled by experts from leading publications including Rolling Stone and DJ Mag. The For You section includes recommended music, and My Music shows downloaded tracks for offline playback and available streaming content. To contact Apple Music, iPhone owners can use the Siri voice assistant.

Google Play Music
Features of Google Play Music, announced in 2011, are a convenient interface, working with audio-streaming (320 kbps) and the ability to download music to the cloud online storage (up to 50 thousand tracks). Streaming content from a vast catalog of 35 million tracks is available in All Access paying mode (189 rubles per month), taking into account the geographical area of the user.
The service is “friendly” with Android, iOS, can work in a web browser and is supported by many media players.

Tidal
Tidal was launched in October 2014 by Aspiro (Norway/Sweden). It was soon acquired by Project Panther Ltd, led by rapper Jay Z. Besides Jay Z, Tidal is co-owned by a host of stars, including Beyonce, Madonna, and Daft Punk.
Tidal is good for fans of quality sound. Tidal has a library of more than 40 million songs and 90 thousand music videos available. Tidal Premium version ($ 9.99/month) allows you to play tracks with a bitrate of 320 kbps (AAC). Tidal HiFi version costs twice as much and is designed for audiophiles: it plays tracks in FLAC format, comparable in sound quality to CD. In March of this year Tidal had 580,000 subscribers, 17,000 of whom used Tidal HiFi.

Pandora .
Pandora Media Inc. was founded 15 years ago in California. The service is based on the automated recommendation system Music Genome Project. A trick of Pandora is a careful selection of audio content according to the tastes of the user, who is offered to evaluate the proposed tracks. The service takes into account up to 400 characteristics: syncopation, tonality, vocal harmonies, etc. Performers are selected based on this data. In November 2014, the service’s catalog consisted of more than 1.5 million tracks.

SoundCloud
This is a special project that’s not so much about listening to music as it is about uploading it to the network. In December 2014, there were 175 million SoundCloud listeners. The catalog of the service has 100 million tracks and is the largest among similar resources.
Where does so much music come from? SoundCloud is a great resource for young artists to upload their material and share the audio tracks they create with other users. The service connects easily with Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. Each track gets a unique URL code to advertise on the networks.
Registered users can upload up to 180 minutes of audio to their profile and use SoundCloud widgets on their websites and blogs. You can comment on any part of the track displayed as a graphical sound wave. A paid subscription ($59/year) increases downloaded music time to 6 hours and opens up unlimited download access at a $145/year fee.

The post Music on the Net appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

GNUMP3d – GNU MP3 streaming/media server
Platform: *nix, Windows, OS X
Browser/Client Player: Client
Supported formats: MP3, Ogg Warbis
Configuration: Text file

So far, I think GNUMP3d is my favorite simple music streaming application. According to the website, it works on Windows as well as the UNIX type systems you would expect from GNU. I only tested it on Linux, and it was easy.

To install GNUMP3d, you simply download and extract the tar archive from the GNUMP3d website and run

Setup is done via a plain text file, the instructions are on the website.

Once it’s up and running, you type in the web browser with the address you set up (e.g. http://localhost:8888) and you should see a screen similar to the screenshot above. From here you can click on directories or individual tracks. Each click will cause the server to create a playlist file (.m3u), which your host computer will open in whatever media player you have configured for M3U files. I tested it through VLC, but the website notes that others, such as WinAmp and XMMS, work as well.

Another handy feature found in GNUMP3d, which seems rare for this type of software, is that it allows not only streaming but also simple downloading of music files. You can download MP3s as easily as you can stream them.

One thing I felt was missing from GNUMP3d was user access control. I wanted to be able to set permissions so that only those with the correct username and password could access my music collection. The README stated that a similar functionality was present in the previous release, but was removed because it didn’t really do anything to improve security. It did, however, allow me to restrict connections based on IP address. This worked well for me, as I intend to stream my home music collection from work, so I set it up to only accept connections from my employer’s IP address range.

Web Streamer
Platform: Windows (also reported to work via Wine)
Browser/Client Player: Browser
Supported formats: MP3
Configuration: Graphical

Atmosphere is the music streamer I’ve tested most on Windows. Like GNUMP3d, it runs a mini web server that gives you a viewable list of available music files. Unlike GNUMP3d, it is set up with the usual Windows GUI program.

One feature I really liked about Vibe was that it was very easy to set up the server so that it would only accept connections from those with the correct username and password. It doesn’t seem to use HTTPS, so I can’t claim how much that really improves security, but it’s a nice feature. At least it would prevent someone from accidentally accessing my server and using my bandwidth.

Icecast
Platform: Windows, Linux, BSD, Solaris
Browser/Client Player: Client
Supported formats: MP3, Ogg Warbis
Configuration: XML file

Of the software I reviewed for this article, Icecast was the most difficult to configure. The configuration is done through an XML file using a lot of unfamiliar terminology. I read documents on the website that clarified a few options, but a lot I had to figure out on my own.

Icecast streams music like a regular radio station, with a specific set of music streamed around the world. You don’t have the control over music selection that you have with the other options I reviewed here. This is good on the server side, since you only need to send one stream that all listeners will hear.

Apache
Platform: Almost all
Browser/Client Player: Either
Supported formats: Anything
Configuration: Apache configuration is a BIG topic which is better addressed elsewhere.

That’s right, a good old fashioned Apache Web server is all you really need for streaming/downloading music. It’s probably not the BEST option in most cases, but it will help. You just install Apache according to the instructions for your operating system and put your music files in a web folder. That’s it. You won’t have nice graphics, playlist support, nothing special, just a list of files you can click to download or stream, depending on your client/server configuration.

The post 4 easy ways to stream music online appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

This guide to using music in live broadcasts looks at the legal requirements for background music and the best places to find free music for live broadcasts.

Why you need music in live broadcasts
Music increases the production value of your live broadcast. Viewers pay more attention to broadcasts with music , and you can set the tone of your broadcast with music. A fun pop song can create excitement, a slow piano solo can evoke sadness, and a little EDM will make your viewers feel ready to party.

Adding music at just the right moment will add another layer to your broadcast. Even if you or your guests are very engaging speakers, the right music will make your live broadcast extreme.

How can you use music during a live broadcast?

Play a tune at the beginning of the broadcast to cement your brand in the minds of your viewers.
Add music before the start of the broadcast to set the mood for the rest of the broadcast.
Assign a “musical theme” to the guests who appear on your show.
Your live broadcast provides endless possibilities for adding music. You just need to make sure that you add music that you have the rights to. Copyright infringement can get your broadcast shut down and get you in serious trouble.

What kind of music can I use?
If you want to add music to your live broadcast, you have three options:

Music in the public domain.
Music without royalties
Original music
Music Licensing Explanation

Many streamers mistakenly think that if they bought a song or have access to it through a streaming subscription service, they have the right to play it on their streams. Buying the song gives you a license for personal use only ; playing it live is considered public. So even if you paid for the song, you still need permission to play it live.

1. the public domain
   How do I know if a song is in the public domain or if I have to pay a license fee to use it? Songs in the public domain are available for anyone and everyone to use at any time. Popular Christmas carols such as “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells” are in the public domain.
2. royalty-free and synchronized license
   A royalty is a fee you pay once for the right to use a song in your broadcast. This is also called a sync license. When producers want to add songs to commercials, TV shows, movies, or YouTube videos, they need a sync license. The license allows you, as the content creator, to “sync” the music to your video content. If the song is copyrighted and you don’t pay royalties or get a sync license, you can’t play it live.

When you pay royalties to purchase a song for use on the live broadcast, the original creator may impose restrictions on its use . Some artists also allow you to use their songs for free, but they may still restrict their use or require you to specify it.

3. original music, covers, and remixes
   Of course, you can play original music you’ve created live. But what counts as an “original”? A cover is a version of another song that doesn’t use elements of the original. You can use covers that you created entirely on your own, but you still have to pay royalties to the owner of the original song . This type of license would be a mechanical or cover license.

A remix is a modified version of an existing song. If you download the song and edit it on your computer, you are creating a remix, not a cover. To use a remix legally, you would have to negotiate a licensing agreement directly with the copyright holder. If you create a remix or cover without the copyright holder’s permission, it’s a smuggled copy, and it’s illegal.

The post How to add music without license fees to live broadcasts appeared first on Wust 11-2.0.

Virtually all online music services can be divided into two categories. In the first freely settled Apple Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, Deezer, which have huge catalogs of legal music, pay all the necessary royalties, but for full use require users to make a small monthly fee. In the second category are dozens of small sites, which have a very limited selection of music, not always legal, but completely free.

SoundCloud occupies a place roughly in the middle; it has successfully combined the advantages of both large groups. Let’s look at how this is possible.

The SoundCloud service was originally launched as an online platform for independent musicians to publish their work, share experiences with peers, and interact with fans. To this end, each registered user is given the opportunity to upload up to three hours of their own music, with the possibility of increasing this value by purchasing a paid account.

Thanks to the efforts of its founders, one of whom is a professional sound producer and the other one is a musician, SoundCloud set a rather high standard of quality from the very beginning and managed to avoid turning into a usual music dump full of low-quality and pirated content. An interesting community of independent musicians was formed around the service, and its catalog quickly filled with unique content. It is not surprising, therefore, that just a few years after its launch, SoundCloud cheerfully reported ten million subscribers. Now the service is used by more than 175 million monthly listeners.

So what attracts all these people to SoundCloud?

First of all, here you can find absolutely unique music, which you will not hear anywhere else. A convenient filtering system allows you to sift songs by artist, genre, time of addition and popularity. Yes, there are also likes, through which users express their attitude to the tracks. Thus, the main judges in SoundCloud are the listeners, and you can’t cheat them.

Even if you don’t have much confidence in young talent, SoundCloud will still find something to interest you. The fact is that the lion’s share of content here is tracks that are remixes of popular songs and tunes. Sometimes the remixes are so talented that they are as much fun to listen to as the original tracks.

And the third component to SoundCloud’s success is the large number of mixes that can serve as a great soundtrack for reading, programming, studying, strength training, jogging, and more. If you’re looking for the perfect background music for literally any activity, this is the place to go.

As I wrote above, listening to tracks on SoundCloud is free and doesn’t even require you to register. However, if you take a few minutes and create an account, you’ll be able to add the tracks you like to your favorites, make your own playlists, and subscribe to updates from your favorite musicians. In addition, you’ll be able to get recommendations of the service based on your listening history, explore playlists of other users, join groups, share your favorite music in social networks and much more.

Getting started with SoundCloud is easy. Just open the main page and enter a genre, a musician or even your mood into the search bar. In the ensuing scattering of tracks you’re sure to find something that will make you say “Wow!”, add the artist to your favorites, and quickly put together a track list to listen to. And after that, you’ll just have to install one of the mobile apps of this service. After all, you won’t be able to part with this music even for a minute.

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