Indie

Spotify Confirmed They’re Raising Their Prices And When Exactly It’s Happening Following Months Of Rumors

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Last month, it was reported that Spotify would be raising its prices soon. It turns out the reports were true, as today (July 24), Spotify announced that prices will indeed be going up.

A blog post from Spotify shared today explains:

“Since launching in 2008, Spotify has innovated and invested to build the best audio experience for you and your favorite artists and creators. We have continually revealed new opportunities for fans and creators to connect through the power of our platform, from discovery tools like our new AI DJ, to fan-favorite shared experiences like Blend and the introduction of podcasts and audiobook content.

With 200+ million Premium subscribers, we’re also proud to be the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, giving Premium users access to on-demand and ad-free music listening, offline music downloads, and quality music streaming. The market landscape has continued to evolve since we launched. So that we can keep innovating, we are changing our Premium prices across a number of markets around the world. These updates will help us continue to deliver value to fans and artists on our platform.”

It then outlines the new prices for its various plans in the US: $10.99 for Premium Individual, $14.99 for Premium Duo, $16.99 for Premium Family, and $5.99 for Premium Student. The post also links to an FAQ page with more information, which notes in regards to when the new pricing will go into effect, “Existing Spotify Premium plan subscribers will be notified via email and given a one-month grace period before the new price becomes effective, unless they cancel before the grace period ends.”

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the new prices for all plans are now $1 greater than before, except for Premium Duo, which jumped by $2. The increased prices put Spotify on par with Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music, all of which are also currently $10.99 per month.

Here Are The Fuji Rock Set Times For 2023

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Caution: reading any further will likely induce FOMO.

Fuji Rock Festival 2023 is hitting the slopes of the Naeba Ski Resort within Japan’s Niigata Prefecture from Friday, July 28, to Sunday, July 30, with the likes of Alanis Morissette, Daniel Caesar, Denzel Curry, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, The Strokes, Weezer, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and several more in tow.

The expansive event will unfold across eight stages, plus The Palace Of Wonder, and everything will kick off on Friday at 8:30 a.m. local time. Plenty of acts will warm up the crowd for Caesar (7 p.m.), Curry (8 p.m.), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (8:10 p.m.), The Strokes (9:10 p.m.), and NxWorries (10 p.m.).

On Saturday, July 29, Benee will take the Green Stage at 1 p.m., followed by Morissette (5 p.m.), Ellegarden (7 p.m.), and Foo Fighters (9:10 p.m.). The White Stage will host the likes of Dermot Kennedy (2:20 p.m.), Caroline Polachek (6 p.m.), and Louis Cole (10 p.m.). Attendees can also catch D4vd (2 p.m.) or Weyes Blood (4 p.m.) on the Red Marque stage.

The final day, July 30, will still pack plenty of punch. The Green Stage will finish out with Gryffin (3 p.m.), Yuki (5 p.m.), Bad Hop (7 p.m.), and Lizzo (9:10 p.m.). Weezer will close out the White Stage beginning at 10 p.m., and several acts are scheduled to play into the early hours of Monday morning, July 31.

See the full Fuji Rock schedule and festival map below, and find more information here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

How To See Your N-Gen Spotify 10

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Spotify treats listeners to customized “Spotify Wrapped” lists toward the end of every year, but a company like Spotify doesn’t place an annual limitation on innovation. A few months after Spotify Pie, something called “n-gen” is providing another way to visualize a listener’s listening habits.

The n-gen website explains, “See how your listening habits have evolved over time, and how your favorite artists and genres have changed by creating new artwork from your favorite playlists and your listening habits.”

The four visual examples are a DNA-like strand connecting most-listened-to artists with compatible traits (i.e., Drake linked to energy or SZA to danceability), a “Top Ten” chart to “show off the shape of your top songs and genres,” a flower in bloom created from playlist data, and a pattern derived from chords found in most-listened-to songs.

The steps toward your special “n-gen” art are fairly simple and play directly into most everybody’s appetite for instant gratification.

Once on the website, you’re presented with the option to “Create With Spotify.” Clicking that prompts to connect your Spotify account to n-gen, which allows n-gen-art to access specific Spotify account data as well as Spotify activity. (Access can be revoked at any time within your Spotify account.) Should you grant that access, you’re redirected back to n-gen’s website and can apply your data to the aforementioned four visual templates.

Check it out here.

Barack Obama’s Eclectic Summer 2023 Playlist Includes Hits From J Hus, Janelle Monáe, Rosalía, And More

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Say what you want about the former President; he’s got great taste. Barack Obama has shared his 2023 summer playlist and he’s been listening to some of fans’ favorite new artists this year in addition to a collection of classics. “Like I do every year, here are some songs I’ve been listening to this summer — a mix of old and new,” he wrote on Twitter. “Look forward to hearing what I’ve missed.”

It doesn’t seem like he’s missed much. While he’s been listening to a bunch of stuff you’d expected to hear from a “cool uncle” like Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood (Love Is A Serious Business)” and Toots And The Maytals’ “Funky Kingston,” there are plenty of more recent standouts. Some examples include J Hus and Drake’s “Who Told You,” Janelle Monáe’s “Only Have Eyes 42,” and Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro’s “Vampiros.” Even Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” is here, which… we’ll give Uncle Barry a pass for the nostalgia.

During a recent interview with Hassan Minhaj, Obama denied having help or taking shortcuts in building his legendary end-of-year lists. “People, they believe the books and the movies,” he said. “But the playlists, they somehow think — and this is mostly coming from young people like you — Somehow, y’all think you invented rock and roll. You invented hip-hop. And so the fact that my lists are pretty incredible, people seem to think, ‘Well, he must’ve had some 20-year-old intern who was figuring out this latest cut.’ No, man. It’s on my iPad right now!”

I mean, playing music from an iPad is pretty funny, but we certainly do appreciate the insights into his taste.

You can check out Obama’s Summer Playlist above.

Radiohead Stan Lizzo Belted Out One Of The Band’s Classics At Karaoke After A Concert

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Anytime Lizzo is in the building, she’s guaranteed to kill it — on or off the stage. Last night (July 18), following the Melbourne stop of her Special 2our, Lizzo paid a visit to a karaoke bar. While in the bar, she couldn’t help but deliver a special encore.

In an Instagram photo and video carousel captioned “What does Lizzo do after her shows…???,” there is a video of her singing a ’90s classic. Lizzo is seen belting out notes to one of Radiohead‘s signature songs, “Creep.”

Last year, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Lizzo revealed that Radiohead has always been one of her favorite bands, but she was rather clandestine about her love for the band when she was a kid.

“I kept it hidden, even when I was in a rock band,” Lizzo said, “because I didn’t want to be made fun of by my peers — they’d yell, ‘White girl!’ Also, I was wearing these flared bell bottoms with embroidery down it — and they’d say, ‘You look like a white girl, why do you want to look like a hippie?’”

You can see a clip of Lizzo’s karaoke performance above.

Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Here Are The Splendour In The Grass Set Times For 2023

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Later this week, Splendour In The Grass music festival kicks off in Australia. As the event spans four days, here is everything to know about the set times for this year.

Starting on Thursday, July 20, things kick off at noon with The Gatling Gun performing at Bryon Bay Brewery. Throughout the afternoon, Lila Swain (on the Smirnoff stage) and Kira Sunday (Red Bull Unforeseen) both play at 4 p.m.. Juups follows behind on the Smirnoff stage at 6 p.m., as DJ Cheq (Red Bull) and Nic Holland (Rainbow Bar) start at the same time. On the World Stage, Trouble San DJs play from 5 p.m. until midnight.

However, Friday is when things really kick off. Some acts not to miss on this day include Claire Rosinkranz at 3 p.m. at the GW McLennan Tent, Sudan Archives on the Mix Up Stage from 5:30 to 6:15, J Balvin at the Ampitheatre from 9 to 10, and Lizzo following after him on the same stage — with her performance happening from 10:45 p.m. until midnight.

On Saturday, the Ampitheatre features Benee at 4:15 p.m., King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at 5:45, Sam Fender at 7:15, Yeah Yeah Yeahs at 8:45, and Flume closing things out on the stage from 10:30 to midnight. Other key acts include Jeremy Zucker at 6 and Arlo Parks at 9 — both playing at GW McLennan Tent. There are also DJ acts that continue until 2 a.m. — in case the party doesn’t want to stop.

For the final day on Sunday, Tove Lo takes the Ampitheatre at 6 p.m., followed later by Mumford & Sons at 10:45. Iann Dior plays the Mix Up Stage at 8:45. Over at the GW McLennan tent, fans can also catch 100 Gecs from 10-11 p.m..

Check out the complete Splendour In The Grass schedule here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Here Are The Pitchfork Music Festival Set Times For 2023

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This weekend will see the return of the Pitchfork Music Festival to Chicago’s Union Park. The three-day festival will kick off on Friday, July 21 and run through Sunday, July 23, with headliners The Smile, Big Thief, and Bon Iver. The fest’s organizers have already released the set times, giving fans plenty of time to map out their weekend. The graphic published on Instagram gives the times for all three stages broken down by time slot, which you can check out below. For our past coverage, check out the reviews for the 2021 and 2022 festivals.

Here’s the breakdown by stage:

Green Stage

Friday, July 21

1:00-1:40 — Nourished By Time
2:30-3:15 — Sen Morimoto
4:15-5:10 — Youth Lagoon
6:15-7:15 — Perfume Genius
8:30-9:50 — The Smile

Saturday, July 22

1:00-1:40 — Deeper
2:30-3:15 — 700 Bliss
4:15-5:10 — Panda Bear + Sonic Boom
6:15-7:15 — King Krule
8:30-9:50 — Big Thief

Sunday, July 23

1:00-1:40 — Ariel Zetina
2:30-3:15 — Lucrecia Dalt
4:15-5:10 — Jpegmafia
6:15-7:15 — Koffee
8:30-9:50 — Bon Iver

Red Stage

Friday, July 21

1:45-2:25 — Contour
3:20-4:10 — Grace Ives
5:15-6:10 — Nation Of Language
7:25-8:25 — Alvvays

Red Stage

Saturday, July 22

1:45-2:25 — Palm
3:20-4:10 — MJ Lenderman
5:15-6:10 — Snail Mail
7:25-8:25 — Weyes Blood

Red Stage

Sunday, July 23

1:45-2:25 — Rachika Nayar
3:20-4:10 — Jockstrap
5:15-6:10 — Killer Mike
7:25-8:25 — Kelela

Blue Stage

Friday, July 21

2:45-3:30 — Mavi
4:00-4:45 — Axel Boman
5:15-6:00 — Jlin
6:30-7:15 — Ric Wilson
7:45-8:30 — Leikeli47

Saturday, July 22

2:45-3:30 — Black Belt Eagle Scout
4:00-4:45 — Vagabon
5:15-6:00 — Julia Jacklin
6:30-7:15 — Yaya Bey
7:45-8:30 — Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupil

Sunday, July 23

2:45-3:30 — Florist
4:00-4:45 — Soul Glo
5:15-6:00 — Illuminati Hotties
6:30-7:15 — Hurray For The Riff Raff
7:45-8:30 — Mdou Moctar

Who Owns Coachella?

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Though Coachella quite literally just happened, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s, which hopefully won’t have as much drama. In 2024, it’ll take place from April 12 to 14 and April 19 to 21. Tickets have already been on sale as of last month.

The owner of Coachella has sparked some controversy in the past. His name is Philip Anschutz, who owns the festival through AEG. The billionaire has been considered a polarizing figure because he and his foundation have donated money to organizations that are both anti-LGBT and support climate change denial. However, in 2017, he shared a statement to address the situation.

“Recent claims published in the media that I am anti-LGBTQ are nothing more than fake news — it is all garbage,” he wrote. “I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation. We are fortunate to employ a wealth of diverse individuals throughout our family of companies, all of whom are important to us — the only criteria on which they are judged is the quality of their job performance; we do not tolerate discrimination in any form.”

He continued, “Both The Anschutz Foundation and I contribute to numerous organizations that pursue a wide range of causes. Neither I nor the Foundation fund any organization with the purpose or expectation that it would finance anti-LGBTQ initiatives, and when it has come to my attention or the attention of The Anschutz Foundation that certain organizations either the Foundation or I have funded have been supporting such causes, we have immediately ceased all contributions to such groups.”

TikTok Has Launched Its Own Music Streaming Service, But Only In Two Countries

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For years, TikTok has been one of the main places for music discovery online, from launching the careers of artists like Lil Nas X and Ice Spice to resurfacing years-old hits and driving them to new peaks on the Billboard charts. But now, TikTok wants to be the place where users actually listen to the songs they find through trending sounds and friends’ viral videos. According to Variety, the sometimes controversial company has launched its own “social music streaming service” with music licensed from the “Big Three.”

However, stateside music fans may have to wait a while to get to use it; for now, the new service is only live in Brazil and Indonesia as a premium-only service (this is likely a test to see how it’ll do in markets that are still relatively small but significantly-sized to provide insight into how the service will perform here). Users will be able to sync with their existing accounts to download or share tracks they discover on TikTok. Presumably, if it’s a hit overseas, it’ll only be a matter of time until it’s incorporated into other markets.

Ole Obermann, global head of music business development at TikTok, said in a statement, “We are excited about the opportunities TikTok Music presents for both music fans and artists, and the great potential it has for driving significant value to the music industry.”

Beach Fossils Are Going On Tour With Post Malone, ‘Our Number One Homie’

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Beach Fossils recently dropped Bunny, their first album since 2017, and chatted with Uproxx around its June release. The band admitted that the last show they attended was a Beach Fossils show, but they’re about to attend 26 Post Malone concerts.

“Hitting the road with our number one homie @PostMalone this summer [bunny emoji, peace sign emoji] see y’all there!” Beach Fossils posted on Wednesday, June 5.

Malone announced his North American If Y’all Weren’t Here I’d Be Crying Tour in May and since added international dates.

“i love y’all so very much, and i’m so excited to get out and do some more shows for y’all,” Malone wrote on May 16. “help me put a baby through college, and come on out [beer mugs emoji] some cool new production, new songs, and a very very handsome man up on stage [cool sunglasses emoji] sending love to you and yours.”

Malone hasn’t yet posted about Beach Fossils joining as his opener. He’ll release his Austin album on July 28, sandwiched between his Bristow, Virginia (July 26) and Charlotte, North Carolina (July 29) shows.

The trek is scheduled to kick off this weekend — in Noblesville, Indiana on Saturday, July 8, and Cincinnati, Ohio on Sunday, July 9.

This pairing might be random on the surface, but Beach Fossils and Post Malone enjoyed a good-natured karaoke night together in January 2020.

“Wot U know bout that New York shit?! [Fire emoji] TIMBS ON MY HANDS / TIMBS ON MY FEET,” Beach Fossils captioned an Instagram video at the time.

Austin is out 7/28 via Mercury Records/Republic Records. Find more information here.