Spotify to offer 15 free hours of audiobook streaming per month


Spotify has introduced a new feature, allowing users to stream up to 15 hours of audiobooks for free each month.

The streaming platform rolled out the new feature in the UK and Australia yesterday (October 3), and is set to bring it over to users in the US by the end of the year.

It comes after Spotify began introducing audiobooks to its library in September last year, however, they were never offered to users for free, and even premium subscribers had to pay individually for each title.

Now, with the new launch, the platform has confirmed that it will be offering all paying subscribers 15 hours of free audiobook listening each month. It has also introduced more payment plans to its system, meaning that users can pay to extend the 15-hour limit, or pay to purchase the whole book outright.

A large number of literary titles are available on the service, and having struck partnerships with publishing giants such as Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster, Spotify now claims to be the “largest of any subscription-based audiobook streaming platform currently on the market”. Find out more here.

Daniel Ek, Founder & CEO, Spotify, at The Future of Audiobooks Event with Spotify 2023 on October 03, 2023. CREDIT: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

As highlighted by outlets including Consequence and The Hollywood Reporter, the update to Spotify comes amid the brand’s recent disagreement with Apple regarding in-app audiobook purchases. However, with the new feature, it seems that Spotify may have harnessed a loophole in app store regulations.

As THR reports, if Spotify allowed users to purchase an audiobook through their app, then around 30 per cent of the revenue would be given to Apple. That being said, now users can spend 15 hours each month enjoying an audiobook at no extra expense.

The new update for audiobooks is just one of the new features that Spotify has been rolling out this year. Just last month, the platform launched Showcase – a new tool which allows artists to pay to have their music promoted on the site’s homepage.

In other Spotify news, last week the company’s boss, Daniel Ek, weighed in on the controversial debate about the use of artificial intelligence in music – confirming that the streaming service has no plans to completely ban AI-generated content.





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AC Slater x Chris Lorenzo Drop New Fly With Us Single, “Seismic”


Last month, we covered AC Slater & Chris Lorenzo dropping their first official Fly With Us single, “Shrine Banger.” Now the house music legends are back with another song under their Fly With Us moniker, “Seismic.” They also announced that their upcoming Shrine LA show will be moved indoors so it can run later. A victory for all parties involved.

“Seismic” is a track that will seamlessly fit into the Fly With Us set. It’s a tech house heater, but it heavily features the “jock jam” synth that plays over the beat. The drop is pure, unadulterated tech house bliss. The whistling synth that plays over the consistent drum beat is an instant groove. Again, for me, what stands out on this track is the massive synth rhythm that would be at home at any sporting event.

Nala has just been announced as support for the tour date, and instead of playing the Shrine Outdoors, the show has been moved inside. Tickets are still available here. Check out the latest Fly With Us Single, “Seismic”, out now!



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GRiZ to Perform Triple-Header of Denver Sets in a Single Day Ahead of Hiatus

Amid his final run of shows preceding his upcoming hiatus, GRiZ has announced a special slate of festivities for his hometown of Denver, Colorado.

GRiZ’s personal announcement stating he would be taking an indefinite amount of time off from touring arrived in June. At the time he also teased his capstone event, a three-day curated camping festival in Arizona, Ursa Major, which is scheduled for the final week of September.

GRiZ.

Jason Siegel

However, GRiZ isn’t planning on leaving the Mile High City hanging. On October 5th, Denver will see the Rainbow Brain producer perform a triple-header of shows across town. GRiZ is touring major venues throughout the city and leaving it all on the table, with an early afternoon performance at Levitt Pavilion, an evening show at Fillmore Auditorium and a nightcap at Mission Ballroom.

Fans looking to catch GRiZ on his farewell run in Denver have a lot of new music to digest in the meantime after he recently dropped “ID Bible,” mammoth slate of tracks from his live sets.

You can purchase tickets to the upcoming Denver shows here.

FOLLOW GRIZ:

Facebook: facebook.com/mynameisGRiZ
Twitter: twitter.com/Griz
Instagram: instagram.com/griz
Spotify: spoti.fi/3hEXfjz





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AC/DC to open pop-up dive bar in celebration of Power Trip show


AC/DC have announced that they will be opening a pop-up dive bar in celebration of them headlining Power Trip festival.

Located 10 minutes away from the festival grounds in Indo, California – the Empire Polo Club which is the venue for Coachella – the bar will open every day from October 5-8 from 11am PST until 10pm PST. The address for the pop-up is 82971 Bliss Ave.

The band’s headlining set at the festival will mark their first live performance in seven years.

The dive bar was announced via a dedicated Instagram account named “AC/DC Dive Bar” as well as an official website. According to a statement, the bar is “the ultimate way to connect and plug in with fellow AC/DC fans over the weekend and check out iconic AC/DC props and exclusive merch”.

The bar will also be offering free AC/DC tattoos provided by Heatstroke Tattoo. Other features include a beer garden, local food trucks as well as a raffle with the chance to win a Gibson SG Guitar or a Gretsch Malcolm Young Signature Jet.

AC/DC’s last release was 2020’s ‘Power Up’. In a four-star review of the LP, NME wrote: “‘I’m hoping this album will make young kids go out and buy a guitar, learn the riffs and discover the rest of our catalogue,’ Brian Johnson told us. While it remains to be seen if they’ll heed his words, this album proves that it won’t be through lack of trying on AC/DC’s part. This is, all considered, a kick up the arse at a time when we need it the most.

In other news, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden and Tool are also set to headline Power Trip festival. 

The first day of Power Trip (October 6) will be headlined by Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden, with AC/DC and Judas Preist headlining the second night. Things then wrap up on October 8 with sets from Metallica and Tool.





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Sherm and Hood Politics Records Take ADE With Live Industry Panel and Showcase

At this year’s Amsterdam Dance Event, Sherm and Hood Politics Records are helping you make the most of today’s booming moment in tech house.

The Chicago-based producer, A&R and podcast host is set to kickstart his ADE weekend on October 19th with his moderation of a live panel, “The US Tech/House Scene: What’s In It for You?” The special panel will focus on providing music industry professionals with knowledge on how to navigate and break into the flourishing tech house market in North America.

“I hustled my way to hosting a panel at ADE!” the surging house artist gushed.

Sherm.

c/o Press

The panel will feature guest speakers Carissa Szlosek of Prodigy Artists, Hood Politics Founder DJ Susan and Kaysin of Repopulate Mars, among others. With expert insights on label outreach, event organization and more, it’s a discussion tailor-made for global artists, managers and radio pluggers looking to carve their own path.

Then on Saturday, October 21st, the team behind Hood Politics is taking to the decks in collaboration with Bring The Kingdom for an epic showcase at Maïa. High-energy DJ sets from Susan, Sherm, King Topher, Rich DietZ and many more will be the soundtrack throughout the evening.

Amsterdam Dance Event will take place from October 18th through the 22nd.

FOLLOW SHERM:

Facebook: facebook.com/ShermInTheBooth
Instagram: instagram.com/sherminthebooth
Twitter: twitter.com/sherminthebooth
Spotify: spoti.fi/31HVYpt





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Ed Sheeran got so high with Snoop Dogg that he couldn’t see


Ed Sheeran isn’t much of a smoker but he couldn’t resist smoking with Snoop Dogg, the singer-songwriter has revealed.

  • READ MORE: Ed Sheeran – ‘Autumn Variations’ review: a pumpkin-spiced snoozer 

Speaking to Conan O’Brien for the Conan Needs A Friend podcast, the ‘Thinking Out Loud’ singer-songwriter shared that he met Snoop Dogg backstage after performing at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia this March.

Sheeran was introduced to Snoop through another famous friend, Russell Crowe, who happened to be at Sheeran’s Melbourne show. “I’ve sort of got quite close friends with Russell Crowe over the years and he is really close with Snoop Dogg.”

He added: “I don’t really smoke at all but I was in the dressing room and they were just like blunt for blunt for blunt for blunt. I was like, ‘I guess at some point during the night, I have to, just to say I smoked with Snoop Dogg.’”

Sheeran continued: “He was like, ‘Do you want some?’ so I have a bit and I was like, ‘I don’t feel too bad, this is good’. Then I have a bit more, and then I have a bit more, and then I have a bit more. I just remember looking at him and being like, ‘I can’t see right now.’”

Listen to the full episode below.

Ed Sheeran released ‘Autumn Vatiations’, his second album of the year, in late September. In a two-star review of ‘Autumn Variations’, NME said the album “isn’t a flying start to this next phase of [Sheeran’s] catalogue” and “is akin to aimlessly swiping through Instagram, blurry snaps of followers’ leafy happenings whizzing past in a distracted daze.”

Earlier this week, the singer followed-up the newly released album with a live bonus version. Subtitled ‘(Fan Living Room Sessions)’, the bonus project features live renditions of each song on ‘Autumn Variations’, recorded and performed live from the homes of 14 of his fans.





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Nostalgix Teams Up with Rico Nasty for Infectious House Banger “WAR”


Nostalgix is back with another bass house heater for her Monstercat debut, “WAR.” This time the Iranian-Canadian producer/DJ/rapper teams up with Rico Nasty for a certified dance floor banger that features Nostaligix’s trademark production and empowering vocals. Featuring a catchy topline and an undeniable groove and rhythm, “WAR” is sure to be on repeat on your device. Whether getting pumped up for the gym or heading out on a long drive, “WAR” is a catchy as hell tune.

“To me, WAR is the evolution of Nostalgix. It’s the evolution of me as an artist and the evolution of my sound. With WAR, I wanted to make a record that embodied power and drive. I wanted to make a record that you could blast and feel like you can take over the world.” Nostalgix says.

“Like nothing can stop you. When I was producing WAR, I wanted to bring a lot of elements of drama and energy to really bring power to the record. I got into the studio with the talented Rico Nasty and we went in on vocals for the record. I absolutely love Rico, I think what she’s doing is so sick. She’s an artist that is so uniquely herself, she brings such a badass energy with all of her music and her performances.”

Check out the latest from Nostalgix & Rico Nasty, “WAR” out now on Monstercat.



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TRYPBOX and Goshfather Blast Off With Vibrant Disco Track, "In A Ferrari"

TRYPBOX and Goshfather are putting pedal to the metal new collaboration, “In A Ferrari.”

Both key players of this present moment in disco, TRYPBOX and Goshfather have teamed up to release the vibrant track, and it’s all but a stylistic match made in heaven. 

The song takes off to a breezy cruise with colorful chords and dance-inducing grooves. The blissful production is complemented by vocals from Goshfather, who takes the arrangement to euphoric heights as it hits its peak velocity.

Take a listen to “In A Ferrari” below.

The synergistic feel of the production is everything fans could have expected from this particular artistic combination. For Goshfather, “In A Ferrari” marks his second original song of the year and the first in which he’s contributed original vocals in quite some time.

That said, the tenured producer has been hard at work in the studio, perhaps more than ever. He is currently rising to a personal challenge he’s set for himself to release one song per week for a full year. Now in the 38th week of that effort, his destination is within striking distance.

You can stream “In A Ferrari” here.

FOLLOW GOSHFATHER:

Instagram: instagram.com/goshfather
Facebook: facebook.com/goshfatherLA
Spotify: tinyurl.com/5n6wbku4

FOLLOW TRYPBOX:

Instagram: instagram.com/trypbox
Spotify: sptfy.com/P1AQ~s





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Watch Foo Fighters cover ‘Stairway To Heaven’


Foo Fighters have performed a short, impromptu cover of Led Zeppelin‘s ‘Stairway To Heaven’ at Ohana Music Festival – watch fan-shot footage of the cover below.

  • READ MORE: Foo Fighters – ‘But Here We Are’ review: Grohl and the gang work through their grief

While performing at the Ohana Music Festival on October 1, Dave Grohl and co. whipped out a short cover of the Led Zeppelin classic during a break in the set as a member of the audience was receiving medical attention in the pit.

Grohl said to the medical staff attending to the audience member as he played the song’s opening riff: “Did you figure that shit out, or do I have to play ‘Stairway To Heaven’? ‘Cause I’ll fucking play this motherfucker, you know that right?”

The band went on to play the song’s first verse, before they were notified that the audience member was cleared and that they could get back to their set. “Is that situation figured out? Thank God, ’cause that’s a long ass fucking song,” Grohl said before diving into ‘The Best Of You’.

Watch fan-shot footage of the moment below.

Earlier this week (October 2), Foo Fighters announced a 2024 US stadium leg for their ‘Everything Or Nothing’ tour, set to take place next summer. The newly announced leg of the ‘Everything Or Nothing At All’ Tour will see the band take over New York’s Citi Field for a two-night run, marking their return to the stadium since 2015.

The band made their return with their 11th studio album ‘But Here We Are’ in June, marking their first record since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022. The album scored a five-star review, with Ali Shutler writing for NME: “‘But Here We Are’ is a beautiful, noisy celebration of brotherhood and a stark, painful exploration of loss. It is messy, gut-wrenching, ambitious and gorgeous, as the remaining members of Foo Fighters push themselves to their limits and beyond. Through it all, ‘But Here We Are’ is an undeniable reminder of the healing, unifying power of music.”





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LP Giobbi Announces New Record Label Yes Yes Yes and Drops New Single “Time Expands”


LP Giobbi is back with a brand new single “Time Expands” and it is the launch of her new label, Yes Yes Yes, part of the Defected Records Family. “Time Expands” is a wonderful exploration of LP Giobbi’s trademark sound. Built around a grooving synth bassline, there’s just enough weird elements plugged into the track that make it distinctly an LP Giobbi track. No one in dance music so seamlessly incorporates that Laurel Canyon sound into house music the way LP does. “Time Expands” is no different. Featuring a blistering bassline along with a synthesized guitar rhythm, “Time Expands” is a pitch perfect entryway into Yes Yes Yes records.

“I grew up going to this hippie festival in Oregon called the Oregon Country Fair. My parents started going in their 20s, and I have never missed it since the womb. It’s my favorite place on earth because it leans into weirdness, joy, and mind-opening experiences.” LP Giobbi says. “The first thing you see when you walk on site is a sign that just says, ‘Yes Yes Yes’ and it makes me smile ear to ear every single year. This label is not beholden to one genre or one particular sound. It’s simply about good dance music, made for the dancefloor that expands your mind and makes you feel good.”

Check out the latest from LP Giobbi, “Time Expands” the first release on Yes Yes Yes Records.



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