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Showing posts with label 2014 at 12:37PM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014 at 12:37PM. Show all posts
Algoriddim, makers of the popular DJing software Djay , have solved one of the app's biggest problems with a new update out today. Thanks to a new partnership with Spotify, the subscription music service, Djay now offers direct access to Spotify's full music library of more than twenty million songs.



Previously, users could only mix and play songs that were stored locally on their iPhone or iPad, which was fine for professional DJ's using the software, but a significant limitation to users looking to play around at a backyard barbecue.



With twenty million songs at their fingertips, users may feel overwhelmed by the choices at hand -- but Djay and Spotify have a solution to that problem too. Earlier this year, Spotify acquired The Echo Nest, a "music intelligence company" that analyzes songs to recommend songs that would go well together.



As a result, Djay will analyze a currently playing track and make recommendations based on BPM, key, musical style, and how well a song mixes with the current track. There is also an Automix Radio feature that will automatically pick and play songs that go well together, beatmatching them for DJ-style transitions.



Djay + Spotify Match

The Spotify integration, a relative rarity for standalone apps, shows what Apple could be looking for with its rumored Beats music service acquisition. A subscription music service API built-in to iOS could unleash a whole new category of apps to give the iPhone and iPad a unique differentiator from Android, especially if Apple were to bundle the service into the cost of the device itself.

“Having more than 20 million songs instantly at your fingertips is a DJ’s dream come true. It gives djay 2 users endless creative possibilities and elevates the artform of DJing to a new level,” says Karim Morsy, CEO of Algoriddim. “The power of The Echo Nest driving track selection brings a new tool to the DJ that I could not have ever imagined possible. It truly helps to discover, explore, and find great new music that sounds amazing together.”



“Not only can Spotify Premium users DJ millions of songs, but they'll also enjoy real-time, intelligent suggestions on what to play next, powered by The Echo Nest's analysis of all the music on Spotify,” says Sten Garmark, VP of Product at Spotify. “Djay 2 will help DJs and regular music enthusiasts, regardless of their skill level, select the perfect songs for their set - or simply lean back and let djay 2 turn any Spotify playlist into a slick DJ set for parties or private listening."




Djay also revealed that it has more than 10 million downloads across all its platforms, a number that connects nicely to the 10 million global subscribers that Spotify announced yesterday.



Djay owners looking to use Spotify will need to sign up for a $10/month Spotify Premium account, though Djay users will be able to take advantage of a special 7-day free trial even if they have previously used a Spotify Premium trial. Premium includes ad-free music, the ability to download tracks to listen offline, and full mobile support.



To celebrate the new partnership, Algoriddim is offering Djay 2 for iPhone as a free download and Djay 2 for iPad for half-price, $4.99, for a limited time. Both are available from the App Store. Djay for Mac does not include Spotify integration, but the company didn't rule it out as a future possibility. [Direct Link: iPhone, iPad, Mac]


















Sales of Apple's iPad and iPhone remained strong during the holiday season with record quarterly sales reported in Q1 2014. Analyst predictions for Apple's second quarter of its fiscal year suggest iPhone sales may rise slightly, while iPad sales may decline slightly, reports Philip Elmer-DeWitt of Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog.



ipad-sales-quarterly

The consensus estimate from 21 Wall Street professionals and 13 amateur analysts predict iPad sales of 19.3 million, a 0.7 percent decline in Q2 2014. This is a significant change from Q2 2013, which saw a 55 percent year-over-year increase.
The consensus estimate, at 19.3 million, would represent a 0.7% decline, with the pros slightly more optimistic (at 19.4 million) than the amateurs (19.2 million). Dragging down the amateur numbers is the 15 million estimate submitted by the Braeburn Group's Matt Lew. Tugging in the other direction is Horace Dediu's 21.8 million. One represents a year-over-year decline of 23%, the other an increase of 12%.

This dip in sales may only be temporary as Apple is expected to launch updated models of the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display later this year, and may launch a larger-screen iPad Pro sometime in future after production issues are solved.



Apple will announce its earnings for the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) of 2014 on Wednesday, April 23. The earnings release is posted just after 4:30 PM ET following the close of regular stock trading, and the conference call is scheduled to follow at 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific.


















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