AppleTell » iTunes Music

iRadio negotiations between Apple and Sony delayed by song-skipping

Kaled Ali — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:15:31 +0000

Apple’s rumored iRadio service may be delayed beyond the expected launch during the company’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC). According to a report from CNET, negotiations between Sony and Apple have been delayed over an issue with song-skipping.

Apple’s iRadio service is reportedly closer to Pandora than Spotify in terms of design and usability. However, Apple is expected to change certain features and add new ones,…

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Apple releases iTunes update with new mini-player and multi-disc albums

Kaled Ali — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:18:07 +0000

Apple has released an iTunes update, bringing it to version 11.0.3, with new additions to the mini-player feature that allows users to play music in a compact square from the corner of their screen. Users have full control of their music, and can organize it with the Up Next feature.

With the update, the mini-player also gets album artwork and a progress bar. The songs list now displays album artwork, as well. This is helpful for…

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iTunes Store 10th anniversary celebrated by Apple

Jonathan Pena — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:08:37 +0000

April 28th of this year will mark the iTunes Store 10th Anniversary. And to celebrate a decade of revolutionizing the world of music distribution, Apple has posted a Decade of iTunes micro-page at the iTunes store-front to honor the event. Visitors to iTunes will immediately notice the interactive timeline in front of the iTunes Store, giving fans a quick look at how the music store has matured over the years.

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Apple adds download later option for iTunes purchases

Jonathan Pena — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:43:17 +0000

Apple made a minor update to the iTunes Store this week, giving customers the choice to store music and video purchases for later downloading. The new "Later" or "Download" option window appears in iOS 6 and in iTunes 11 when users purchase music, movies or TV shows. Users will need to have an iCloud account activated to use this feature.

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Commending Apple customer service…even if it does creep me out

Kirk Hiner — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:26:57 +0000

So, I’m at work last week, I’m wondering why God hates the Cleveland Browns so much, when I decided it was time to finally pick up that recent Stan Ridgway release from iTunes. You remember Stan, right? “Drive She Said?” “Camouflage?” That other song he sang with that other band you may remember? Problem is, when I went to listen to the new download, it was already in iTunes. I’d purchased it from another service, listened to it a few times, rated the songs…and went ahead and bought it again anyway.

Senior moment? No, I’m not there yet. We’ll say I was distracted. A momentary lapse of concentration. Too much music, not enough time to memorize it all. Regardless, I’d just spent $6.00 for music I already owned. Not a big deal, of course, but annoying. So, I decided to contact Apple customer service.

Digging around on their website, I found the e-mail link for iTunes customer support and sent them a quick e-mail. “Hello, Apple. How’s it been? Family’s good? Great! Hey, here’s something kind of embarrassing…”

It didn’t sound exactly like that, of course, but I basically told them what happened, claimed responsibility, and asked if they could refund the purchase and deactivate the songs. If not, no big…

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iTunes update v11.0.2 now available

Jonathan Pena — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:33:15 +0000

iTunes update v11.0.2 is now available from Apple with a slew of enhancements and bug fixes. The update makes improvements on how iTunes handles large music files, solving the issue of some users whose purchases weren’t showing up in their iTunes library. In addition, iTune v11.0.2 comes with a new Composer view for Music.

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Apple announces 25 billionth song downloaded from the iTunes Music Store

Arnold Zafra — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:54:17 +0000

Familiar with the song “Monkey Drums” (Goksel Vancin Remix) by an artist named Chase Buch? Honestly, I don’t know this song, but that doesn’t mean it’s without significance. “Monkey Drums” just made history by becoming the 25 billionth song downloaded from the iTunes App Store, as announced by Apple.

Said song was downloaded by…

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How to redeem your iTunes gift card on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Kirk Hiner — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 17:03:37 +0000

Got yourself an iTunes gift card for Christmas? Sweet! So did my daughter. And because I’ve got some experience with these, we redeemed the card right away (before she had a chance to lose it). The money is simply added to your account, after all, and can be used at a later date on apps, movies, music, and TV shows…in the U.S. anyway. Some countries may still restrict what can…

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My very (mostly) alternative Christmas playlist

Kirk Hiner — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 20:07:59 +0000

A lot of people like to complain about Christmas music, but I think that’s because they’re stuck listening to the junk they play at grocery stores and Starbucks. There’s actually some pretty fun, lesser known contemporary Christmas music available to you right on iTunes (once you dig past their predictable and bland splash page recommendations). Here’s an alternative playlist I’ve put together that goes over pretty well with my family (when we’re not listening to John Denver and the Muppets, of course).

Jingle Bells – Barenaked Ladies
My knowledge of this band is limited, but until I heard this schizophrenic take on “Jingle Bells,” I didn’t think it would be possible to find a version that works outside of a singalong. Level up for including the “Batman smells” version.

Snow Day – Bleu
Not a Christmas song, but it’s not hard to recall a time when snow days were the best post-Christmas gift I could receive. And it’s Bleu, who can do no wrong (when he’s not doing something wrong).

Frosty the Snowman – Cocteau Twins
It’s a good thing Elizabeth Fraser stops singing in tongues just long enough for us to figure out this is “Frosty the Snowman,” because you wouldn’t really guess from the arrangement, but that’s why I enjoy it. This song feels like a snowy day, so I hope Bleu knows about it.

Little Drummer Boy – The Dandy Warhols
There are many good versions of this song available, none of which are by metal bands. This one’s “wall of sound” approach takes a heavy but unique spin on it.

Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
This song is everywhere at this time of year, and for good reason; it’s a fantastic pop song that could be played all year…

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Apple celebrates “Best of 2012″ in the iTunes App Store

Jonathan Pena — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:49:08 +0000

As they do every year around the holidays, Apple has published the "App Store Best of 2012." The annual list was previously known as "iTunes Rewind." Apple's staff has chosen their favorite list of winners and runners-up for this year in music, movies, TV shows, books, podcasts and apps.

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