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Mobile Music Therapy: Humm.ly App Will Chill You Out

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This app might be first ever to use professional music therapy, integrated with music and health data, to help your moods and be more mindful
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Oct 24, 2017 - 1:17 pm

Music and wellness are a natural fit. For example, studies have shown that 30 minutes a day at work spent listening to desired music on-demand boosts cognition among I.T. workers. The Humm.ly wellness app, for iOS at iTunes, was designed to integrate many insights like that from consulting music therapists as well as from founder Joanna Yu's previous years in music.

Working in affiliation with American Music Therapy Association certified professionals, Yu brings strong music production chops from her native China and data smarts from her U.S. college degree in applied mathematics. Now studying to be a music therapist herself, Yu expects Humm.ly will help her larger task as an advocate for wellness.

Choosing music to adjust mood for an increased sense of wellbeing seems likely to grow on the scientific and medical side of digital engagement, while on the consumer side, streaming music services increasingly supply a universal jukebox in daily life. Humm.ly could be balanced at just the right point.

Chris Cornell: Music Therapy Program Established In Seattle

United Nations

United Nations

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Human Rights Day Hits Musical High Note With U.N.

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First High Note Music Prize to be awarded next year by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 8, 2017 - 5:43 pm

Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 commemorates the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now a new High Note international partnership including the GRAMMY Museum has come together to commemorate music's power to stand up for the human rights principles of "the equality and dignity of every person."

"We commend The High Note Project and the U.N. Human Rights Office on their launch of The High Note Music Prize, which will place a deserved spotlight on artists using their music and platform for good," said GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Scott Goldman. "Music is a powerful tool, and when used to call out injustice that power inspires goodwill in others and affects change across a broad spectrum of social issues."

High Note Project executive producers David Clark and Chantel Sausedo are helping to organize the first annual High Note Honors Concert in London, Fall 2018, with proceeds benefitting a charity to be chosen by its recipient — a major recording artist with more than a decade of philanthropic efforts — as well as the GRAMMY Museum and the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

GRAMMY Museum Awards $200K For Music Grants

Apple iPhone X

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Analysts Estimate Apple iPhone X Sales As Spectacular

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Apple gear continues as a global mass phenomenon with the 256GB iPhone X surpassing expectations
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Nov 30, 2017 - 1:31 pm

The latest Rosenblatt analysis of Apple iPhone X sales reveals impressive estimates, with 6 million unit sales over Black Friday weekend alone and a total of 15 million sold to date.

In a world where people reach out to one another through technology, Apple's user base continues to see the company as their partner in connecting them to the world. Some observers were concerned that the top 256GB model might be priced high, but the fact that it is selling twice as fast as the 64GB model suggests consumer demand for the high-capacity model.

Because of Apple's corporate position in the marketplace, financial analysts are alert to how well its gear is selling. For the music and media industries, the consequences go way beyond Apple's corporate posture because the cultural and social experience using devices like the iPhone is transforming our collective context. But one record that's hard to ignore is the more than 78 million iPhone units Apple sold in the 2016 holiday quarter.

Once it's time to look back on 2017, the real excitement will be to see how people use their new power to communicate in ways that combine the innovative with the established. Mobile technology leaders generally are literally putting power in the hands of people everywhere. As streaming services keep building out the legit market for music and media, this virtuous circle between manufacturers and consumers could not come at a better time.

Apple Music Exclusive: Watch Classic GRAMMY Performances

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Nielsen Streaming Music Stats Chart Continued Growth

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Nielsen Music 360 survey finds paid subscribers comprise 29 percent of consumers
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2017 - 12:49 pm

Selections from the Nielsen Music 360 2017 U.S. Report have been announced and reported, but Billboard has provided a deeper overview. As streaming expands, music listening and concert attendance are growing too. On the premium side of paid music, the figure 29 percent of consumers gives moderate cause for celebration.

All leading music services benefit when kicking a few bucks to your music service every month becomes normal, and for a big slice of America, it already has. The 45 percent who prefer free streaming includes many tempted by free introductory offers and exclusive releases. Free streaming seems to exist on its own steady tier, as does radio.

Streaming overall increased from 32 percent to 41 percent of overall listening time while radio sustained a 1 percent ding, going down to 25 percent.

Nielsen Music

The topline numbers are that the 90 percent of people who listen to music rose from 86 percent last year and average weekly listening hours have increased from more than 26 to 32 hours. That's good news. The sustained interest in music and social interactions surrounding it appear to be adding to music's presence in daily life.

Nielsen: Radio Reaches 98 Percent Hispanic Listeners Weekly

Deezer

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Deezer Desktop App Promotes Hi-Fi Audio

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Premium+ subscribers have until the end of the year to hear free lossless quality
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Nov 14, 2017 - 3:09 pm

On Nov. 14 Paris' streaming music service Deezer announced the release of a desktop app, accompanied by complimentary "Hi-Fi lossless audio" through the end of the year for Premium+ subscribers downloading the app and selecting 16-bit FLAC under sound settings.

Like other services, Deezer's personalization crunches your data to recommend songs through a personal playlist. Deezer calls theirs "Flow." Content is also localized for users in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Latin America in general. Deezer is available in more than 180 countries and provides a catalog of more than 43 million tracks.

"Deezer's desktop users will now have a new home to play their Flow, discover unknown artists and watch exclusive video content — all within a newly designed, one download app," said Alexander Holland, chief content and product officer. "Furthermore, we are excited to offer Hi-Fi audio to users who want to further enhance the quality of their overall listening experience."

Taking Deezer's upcoming Hi-Fi tier as well as this desktop experience together, the firm is making sure it is competitive with other streaming services such as Spotify or Tidal that have encouraged desktop use and high quality.

While the music industry has been delighted by the royalties from streaming services, their demographics are still being sorted out and listeners who like the best quality are a definite segment.

Music Streaming: Huge Q3 Led By Big Albums, Viral Hits