Myna is a great new tool to edit tracks in your browser. While it certainly doesn’t match the power of garageband, it doesn’t require a Mac or any sort of download.
It features some pretty powerful tools, including pitch shifting, delay, and fades. I think this is a great way to test basic editing ideas before going into the studio, thus adding efficiency to a band’s studio time. This way, fewer hours could be spent on basic experimentation, and overall, costs can come down while keeping product quality at a high level.
Archive for November, 2009
Edit Audio Files in Your Browser with Myna
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009The End of Free Music Streaming?
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009Today, Techcrunch reported that Myspace Music is close to acquiring Imeem, the 6-year old streaming service that has been clobbered by financial strain. Earlier this year, Imeem recapitalized the company to survive, raising 6 million dollars in fresh capital and renegotiating deals with the record labels. Evidently, it wasn’t enough.
Now, MySpace will likely buy up the company for a pittance, and absorb the management team and general technology. Chances are that Imeem’s end will also spell the end of free music streaming, another step towards what I see as the ultimate win-win: a music streaming model supported in part by audio ads and in part by paid subscriptions.
With Spotify’s launch in the US delayed indefinitely, this could be an interesting opportunity for MySpace Music to seize market share. They already own Ilike, and with Imeem added to that, could look to become a major player quite quickly. Interesting times ahead.
Where the Hell Is Matt?
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009If you haven’t seen it yet, “Where the Hell Is Matt” is an inspiring music video created by Matt Harding to document his travels around the globe. The video features him dancing with people in cities from Kuwait to Auckland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY
The song behind the video is called “Praan.” It is set to a poem by Rabindanath Tagore, a famous Indian writer, and means “stream of life” in English.
Watching this always makes my day.
Comprehensive List of Web Music Applications
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009Last month, Techcrunch published a two-part series called “your guide to music on the web.” The articles featured a comprehensive list of pretty much all the major players in online music, and some analysis on how they compare and contrast.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/22/your-guide-to-music-on-the-web-part-1/
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/26/your-guide-to-music-on-the-web-part-ii/
I noticed a few interesting observations:
1) Most of the sites stream directly from YouTube. If Youtube decides to get rid of music videos, most of these services would immediately need to shut down.
2) None of these services are fundamentally profitable. They struggle with legal issues and revenue models. Even the ones funded by venture capitalists have been forced to adjust in light of the economic crisis.
3) The entry of Spotify into the U.S. market will be very disruptive. Spotify is arguably the strongest player in the music streaming space, with a slick application, buy-in from the major labels, and substantial venture capital money. Their integration with the iphone will help the app spread like wildfire. This application (along with a couple of others), has the potential to become the market leader, thus making the rest of these apps irrelevant.
Thoughts?