TIDAL

Denon DJ Brings Streaming Music to Standalone DJ Hardware


Prime 4. (Source: Denon DJ)

With their latest firmware update, Denon DJ has brought streaming music to the Prime 4 standalone DJ system. The Prime 4 v1.4 firmware public beta enables internet access via either WiFi or a hardwired connection. Once connected, the controller is able to stream music from TIDAL.

Registered Prime series users and members of the v1.4 public beta will receive a free, 3-month TIDAL HiFi trial subscription.

While streaming is currently limited to the Prime 4, Denon DJ plans on bringing this feature to the SC5000 and SC5000M standalone media players in the near future.

Watch Mojaxx‘s first look below.

Related Post: Review: Denon DJ Prime 4 Standalone DJ System

Denon DJ Announces World’s First Music Streaming Capability in DJ Hardware

Denon DJ

Denon DJ
Source: Denon DJ

Denon DJ has announced that its Prime series hardware will soon be internet-capable and integrated with a variety of music streaming services. That means that, for the first time ever, DJs will be able to stream music directly from DJ hardware without a laptop.

The following streaming platforms will be integrated: SoundCloud Go+, TIDAL, the newly launched Beatport LINK service, as well as Beatport and DJcity’s forthcoming service Beatsource LINK.

Denon DJ’s Creative Director, Paul Dakeyne, said in the press release:

“With both Wi-Fi and physical internet connection now engaged across the Prime Series hardware, plus access to the huge amount of digital music content from the industry’s premier streaming services, DJs no longer need a laptop computer. This changes everything – right here, right now!”

The Beatport LINK integration will also introduce the first-ever service that enables DJs to store tracks directly on DJ hardware and play them offline. Offline storage will be made available as part of two forthcoming plans: Beatport LINK PRO, which will allow DJs to save up to 50 tracks, and Beatport LINK PRO+, which will allow DJs to save up to 100 tracks.

Beatsource is a forthcoming music service from Beatport and DJcity for open-format DJs. It will include an a la carte download service and the Beatsource LINK streaming service, the latter of which will be integrated into Denon DJ’s Prime series hardware.

Denon DJ’s streaming integrations will be rolled out via firmware updates starting in summer.

Related Post: Beatport Announces Beatport LINK Subscription Service for DJs

First Look: Serato DJ Pro 2.1 Beta With TIDAL Integration

Serato DJ Pro

Following their announcement last week, Serato has released the Serato DJ Pro 2.1 Public Beta. This version sees the return of music streaming to the software, among other additions.

With the update, TIDAL subscribers are able to play songs from their playlists within Serato. This feature also works with the Serato DJ Lite 1.1 Public Beta.

Another notable feature in this beta is the Serato Play expansion pack. This builds off of the practice mode feature by enabling control over four virtual decks with pitch sliders, faders, and effects using keyboard shortcuts in place of hardware.

Watch Mojaxx‘s first look at the Serato DJ Pro 2.1 Public Beta above.

Related: Serato to Launch Streaming Integrations With SoundCloud and TIDAL

Serato to Launch Streaming Integrations With SoundCloud and TIDAL

Serato DJ Pro

Music streaming services SoundCloud and TIDAL will be integrated into an upcoming release of Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ Lite, the company has announced.

The streaming tracks will appear in Serato just like regular music files. Additionally, saved playlists on the streaming platforms will automatically appear in the Serato DJ library.

To make use of the integration, DJs will need a subscription to both or either of the streaming services.

SoundCloud offers its Go+ subscription for $9.99 a month, while TIDAL has two tiers of membership: Premium and HiFi at $9.99 and $19.99 a month, respectively. Both platforms also offer 30-day trials.

More details about Serato’s integration with SoundCloud and TIDAL will be announced later.

Related: Serato Releases Serato DJ Pro

JAY-Z Talks Making 4:44, Working With No I.D., Kanye West, and More in Extensive Interview

Rad Radar

Rad Radar
JAY-Z with Rap Radar hosts Brian Miller and Elliott Wilson. (Photo source: Rap Radar)

JAY-Z recently sat down for an extensive interview on the Rap Radar podcast, his first since he released his album 4:44 in June.

The 70-minute conversation, which is exclusive to TIDAL, covered a variety of topics. Among them were Hov’s inspiration for making 4:44, why he chose to only work with No I.D., his marketing strategy for rolling out the album, the reason he added footnotes, entrepreneurship and why he supports Lavar Ball, the meaning of “The Story Of O.J.,” the meaning of “Kill Jay Z,” and his feud with Kanye West.

The interview was conducted by hosts Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller and is labeled part one. It is unclear how many episodes are forthcoming.

Listen to it below (even if you’re not a TIDAL subscriber).

Here is a breakdown of some of the topics covered in order:

– Making 4:44 and his inspiration for it
– Working with No I.D.
– Why he chose to use one producer for the entire album
– His marketing strategy for rolling out the album
– The reason he added footnotes
– The importance of 4:44
– How he recorded the vocals
– Why some songs didn’t make the album
– Empowering black people
– Billboard chart issues and TIDAL criticisms
– Entrepreneurship and why he supports Lavar Ball
– The meaning of “The Story Of O.J.” and its controversies
– His talks with Apple
– Therapy and spirituality
– The Meaning of “Kill Jay Z” and the Kanye West feud
– The elevator incident with Solange.

Related: Watch JAY-Z’s Video for ‘Kill Jay Z’

Why Jay Z Launched His Own Streaming Service

Jay Z
 
Jay Z relaunched his newly-acquired Tidal music streaming service on Monday with help from some of the world’s biggest musicians. Artists such as Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Calvin Harris, Daft Punk, Jack White, and Coldplay reportedly own an equal share of the company.
 
The ambitious project has raised eyebrows, with many wondering how Tidal can compete with behemoths like Spotify and the soon-to-relaunch Beats Music. After all, Spotify has 15 million paid subscribers, and Beats has Apple, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine behind it.
 
However, Jay explained in a recent interview with Billboard that his motives for the relaunch are not solely financial. It turns out that the multi-millionaire rapper has a bigger mission in mind. Here’s what we learned:
 
He believes music is undervalued.

“Imagine your life without music. It’s a very valuable part of your life, and like I said, that’s why we got in this business. It seems to be going the other way. People are not respecting the music, and [are] devaluing it and devaluing what it really means. People really feel like music is free, but will pay $6 for water. You can drink water free out of the tap, and it’s good water. But they’re OK paying for it. It’s just the mind-set right now.”

 
He wants writers and producers, not just artists, to be successful.

“For someone like me, I can go on tour. But what about the people working on the record, the content creators and not just the artists? If they’re not being compensated properly, then I think we’ll lose some writers and producers and people like that who depend on fair trade. Some would probably have to take another job, and I think we’ll lose some great writers in the process. Is it fair? No … I’m just saying the producers and people who work on music are getting left out — that’s when it starts getting criminal. It’s like you’re working hard and you’re not receiving. In any other business people would be standing before Congress. They have antitrust laws against this kind of behavior. It almost seems like when it applies to music no one really cares who’s cheated. It’s so disorganized; it’s so disconnected from reality.”

 
He says that Tidal allows artists to be more creative.

“I know this is going to sound crazy, but maybe [artists] start attempting to make a ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ you know, a song that doesn’t have a recognizable hook, but is still considered one of the greatest songs of all time, the freedom that this platform will allow art to flourish here. And we’re encouraging people to put it in any format they like. It doesn’t have to be three minutes and 30 seconds. What if it’s a minute and 17, what if it’s 11; you know, just break format. What if it’s just four minutes of just music and then you start rapping?”

 
He needs independence.

“We talked to every single service and we explored all the options, including creating a white label with a service. But at the end of the day we figured if we’re going to shape this thing the way we see it then we need to have independence. And that became a better proposition for us — not an easier one, mind you.”

 
However, he believes Tidal and Beats can both be successful.

“My thing with Jimmy is, ‘Listen, Jimmy; you’re Jimmy Iovine, and you’re Apple, and truthfully, you’re great. You guys are going to do great things with Beats, but … you know, I don’t have to lose in order for you guys to win, and let’s just remember that.’ Again, I’m not angry. I actually told him, ‘Yo, you should be helping me. This is for the artist. These are people that you supported your whole life. You know, this is good.'”

 
He says that artists will make more money from Tidal than Spotify.

“Will artists make more money? Even if it means less profit for our bottom line, absolutely. That’s easy for us. We can do that. Less profit for our bottom line, more money for the artist; fantastic. Let’s do that today.”

 
Related: Indie Artists & Labels Offer Streaming on Their Own Terms

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