The Newest, Coolest Music Apps

Since the dawn of the recording industry, technology has played a key role in the listening (and creation) of music. So it should come as no surprise that the industry--just like any other in today's world--is going mobile. At the recent NAMM music products trade show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Orange County, California musicians and software developers came out to promote new inventions pertinent to the music world. Among these inventions were an exciting number of apps designed to turn your iPhones, iPads and other tablets into so much more than playback devices.

Yamaha Corporation of America introduced four new apps for the iPad, several of which also work on the iPhone: NoteStar is a free app that allows musicians to play along with songs (while the app itself is free, each song costs $3.99 and comes with accompanying band music, vocals and sheet music); Song Chords helps musicians learn new chords and augment existing chords with new chords by interacting with midi keyboards and providing chords and a chord dictionary right on the iPad's screen--like NoteStar, it is free but there is a fee per song; Piano Diary uses midi technology and allows users to play, record and share (via YouTube) keyboard performances; Page Turner, true to its name, automatically turns the onscreen page for you when your iPad is connected to a Yamaha keyboard.

Another app with a page turner, The Gig Easy, features its own foot pedal so that you can control the turning as you play. It also allows the musician to write their own notes on the onscreen page, just like they would on paper sheet music.

Jammit, meanwhile, now offers an app specially designed for those interested in learning and playing along with today's most popular songs. The free app (per-song fees vary) allows users to isolate specific tracks (ie. guitar, keyboard, drums or vocals) and even lets you loop specific sections of the track, or slow them down (a great trick for learning faster guitar riffs.)

The NAMM convention also introduced the industry to AmpKit, a new iPad app available through Agile Partners. It lets a guitarist emulate the sounds of various amplifiers, virtually taking cumbersome recording equipment out of the studio. Unlike the apps previously mentioned, this one isn't free; its cost depends on the variety of plug-ins and hardware the user chooses to add.


These and other exciting apps new to the market are building upon technology we already have at our fingertips. If you have any sort of tablet or smartphone, we recommend that you do a quick search through your app marketplace for the latest developments. To get you started, here are some great mobile device apps for musicians, songwriters and music enthusiasts:

Shazam
Like having the ultimate music expert in your pocket, Shazam can identify a song within seconds. The user simply presses a button while listening to a song, and Shazam responds by offering the song title and artist. The app can also store your tagged songs for you, and gives the option to purchase it immediately on iTunes. You can share tagged songs via Facebook and Twitter, and even access Shazam's music charts to find new music--all completely free of charge.

Pandora Radio
This must-have app is the mobile version of Pandora, the groundbreaking Internet radio program that allows you to build your own online stations based on songs you like (and don't like.) You can customize multiple stations according to genre or artist, and edit on-the-go via a very user-friendly mobile display. The basic Pandora app is free; there is also an upgraded (read: commercial-free) version available for a monthly fee.

HT Professional Recorder
Any songwriter, musician, poet, public speaker or student with a smartphone can benefit from this app. Not only does the HT Professional Recorder allow you to record ideas, soundbites and entire lectures with the click of a button, it also organizes those files for you into a very user-friendly library. The app also has email, Wi-Fi options and several premium audio recording modes (including ones that let you record from varying distances) so that you are never left hanging when inspiration strikes.

ClearTune
An extremely responsive fine-tuning meter, ClearTune is vastly comprehensive yet easy to use. It utilizes the built-in microphone on a standard iPhone, and it offers support for custom temperaments, notations like solfège, transposition, and adjustable calibration.

Rhyme Time
Here's a simple app that does just what its name implies: provides an extensive, easy-to-use rhyming dictionary on your mobile device. It is definitely a helpful tool for songwriters and poets.

ThumbJam
Mastered air guitar? Consider this the next step up. This fun app lets you pick an instrument, complete with all necessary scales, and jam--even if you've never taken so much as a single lesson. And what's more, you'll actually sound like you know what you're doing. If you do know what you're doing, you can use ThumbJam in a more ambitious capacity: Tilt and shake to add vibrato, tremolo, note bends, volume swells, etc. The app was designed to sound just like the real thing, whether that be a Djembe drum or a string ensemble. You can build your own loops, import songs, layer, whatever--and then export the results as audio files. ThumbJam even lets you connect with other users via Bluetooth, so that you can jam with your friends.

Ocarina
A fun and interesting app built around your smartphone's microphone, Ocarina allows you to create music in a unique way. You can blow into your microphone or manually press holes to make sound, hold down combinations of holes to change pitch, tilt your phone to change vibrato rate and depth, and even change keys and modes. Then automatically record, archive and play back songs. Tap the globe icon, and you can hear other Ocarina players from around the world!

Guitar Toolkit
An all-in-one bundle specially designed for the guitarist, this app has everything you need to get started--a tuner, scales, a metronome, and a gigantic chord library.

Pocket Guitar
For the times you wish you could take your instrument with you but can't, Pocket Guitar offers a solution. The app offers 6 different types of guitars to play on (Acoustic-Electric, Classical, Electric, Electric Bass, Muted, and Ukulele) as well as built-in effects including Delay and Distortion, and Chorus.
Haven't seen what you're looking for yet? You can also browse AppsForSongwriters.com for eBooks and other informative apps, all available for instant downloading today. And remember to keep checking back with us at HillTop Records as we bring you the latest music industry news!

SOPA: What It Is, and Why It Matters

If you've been on the Web today--and you obviously have, because you are reading this blog--you may have noticed that a few things are missing: The colorful, ubiquitous Google logo has been blacked out on the search engine's home page, and even complete websites (including such widely used, community-driven information portals as Wikipedia, Reddit and Craigslist) have been taken down for the day. The day--today, January 18th 2012--may go down in history for marking the first-ever mass government protest conducted online. Companies and individuals have stationed virtual picket signs to vocalize their opposition to a pair of newly proposed bills: SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act) and its similar counterpart, PIPA (Protect IP Act.) Oddly enough, major media outlets--including local and national news stations on ABC, CBS, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC networks--have refused to participate in the debate, which should have begun when the bills were first introduced in October. Since then, these networks have devoted a sum total of zero time during prime evening newscasts to this issue. Their silence has led to the Internet becoming the sole platform for the discussion--which is certainly appropriate, given the issues at hand.

We at HillTop Records strive to keep our readers informed on all current issues pertaining to the music industry. SOPA, which was primarily constructed to protect the interests of copyright holders on the Internet, could drastically effect the way music is purchased and traded online--and we'd like you to have all the facts. What follows is a break-down of the controversial Act, including the reasons why so many people are for and against it.

First: What exactly is SOPA?
The Stop Online Piracy Act was proposed to address the issues of copyright infringement on the Internet by restricting access to sites that host or facilitate the trading of pirated content. Copyright infringement is of course already illegal in the United States, and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act lays out enforcement measures; however, it is no secret that these measures are rarely carried out. Despite a few significant wins for the legislation (remember Napster?), little headway has been made in the battle against piracy. The problem with the 1998 Act is that the U.S. Government has no legal jurisdiction when it comes to websites whose physical address is outside of the country--and these days, the majority of pirated content is being imported.

Take, for example, The Pirate Bay. Just like its name indicates, the website offers a treasure trove of illegal downloads--from hit TV shows to blockbuster movies, even before commercial release. If the website was based in the U.S., it would have been shut down years ago. However, because its servers are physically located in Sweden, the government cannot regulate it. So how to stop "rogue" sites like these, based in foreign countries, from distributing pirated material in America? Well, SOPA tackles the problem by taking U.S. government authority up the chain--to the American sites that facilitate access to these pirating sites. By holding U.S. search engines, advertising networks and other providers (including payment processors, like PayPal) accountable for the content displayed on sites it links to, SOPA hopes to limit access to pirated material.

Both sides of the issue--those pro-SOPA, and those against it--agree that piracy is a serious issue, and that the protection of intellectual (and other types of) property is a worthy goal. However, the debate over whether or not SOPA is the right step to take is becoming increasingly heated.

The Aruguments Against SOPA
The logic behind SOPA is that if Americans cannot find these rogue websites via trusted search engines, or conveniently pay for pirated material online, they won't use them. And that makes sense, right? It also makes sense that someone be held accountable for transporting foreign-manufactured pirated material into the United States. Since Congress can't legislate servers overseas, it must target the websites it can. These websites include online encyclopedias like Wikipedia, ecommerce sites like eBay and Craigslist, and social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace. These websites, as well as many others across the country, have joined forces with powerful figureheads on both sides of the political spectrum (including Rep. Ron Paul, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Al Gore) to denounce the bill. They reason that SOPA intends to regulate the flow of information, thereby violating the public's First Amendment Rights (to date, the U.S. is only one of seven countries that does not regulate the Internet.) They also argue against the bill's broad scope, saying that it puts further limitations than what is necessary to combat sites peddling counterfeit goods. Additionally, the tech world criticizes the bill for its crudely ineffectual tactics; they argue that those behind SOPA do not understand the fundamental architecture of the Internet--and therefore do not understand the bill's possible repercussions.

Silicon Valley's main argument against SOPA comes, however, from an economic standpoint. Most websites--even some of the most major--do not generate enough income to employ the manpower it would cost to enforce the bill's stringent content regulations. Take, for example, YouTube: The popular website publishes millions of user-uploaded videos each week. Under the current law, a copyright holder can send a "takedown notice" (aka, a DMCA warning) to YouTube's administration if he or she comes across a song or video that has not been authorized for publication. The website then has to remove the offending content, and is protected against liability as long as it complies within a reasonable timeframe. When it gets a DMCA warning, YouTube has to also notify the user who uploaded the content--and that user has the right to file a counter-motion, demonstrating that the content does not infringe on any copyrights. However, SOPA places the burden of proof on the accused--thus doing away with this possible back-and-forth. Under SOPA, the reported song or video must be taken down within five days--with the site operators possibly facing a hefty lawsuit. "YouTube would just go dark immediately," Google public policy director Bob Boorstin said of SOPA's effects at a conference last month. "It couldn't function."

NetCoalition, a very vocal anti-SOPA trade group, has also added that the "legislation systematically favors a copyright owner's intellectual property rights and strips the owners of accused websites of their rights."


The Arguments For SOPA
While the voices backing the bill may not be as loud as the opposition's, they are certainly just as powerful. SOPA's supporters (which include Time Warner and the Motion Picture Association of America) dismiss accusations of censorship, saying that the legislation intends to revamp a broken system that does not adequately protect intellectual property or prevent criminal behavior. However, many who originally supported the bill are now publicly admitting to feelings of skepticism--and today, under the obvious pressures of a Web-wide protest, legislators are proposing revisions and amendments so as to better protect website owners. As originally written, SOPA would have required Internet service providers to completely block access to sites that law officials deemed suspect. However, the White House is now saying that their analysis of the proposed laws "suggests that they pose a real risk to cybersecurity," and that they are attempting to alter the bill so as not to mandate a manipulation of the Internet's technical architecture.

It will most certainly take some time, but there is common ground on the horizon. Government officials plan to revise the bill in February, and several politicians have proposed alternative methods for combating Internet piracy. One thing remains clear: Broadcast and major media companies, record and movie producers, and other copyright holders have reached the end of their rope. They will no longer stand idly by as their intellectual and creative works are bootlegged across the Web. While SOPA may still have a ways to go before it meets with public approval, it is a giant step in the right direction. Keep checking back with us here at HillTop Records as we keep you posted on further developments.

The Best-Selling Albums of 2011

Songwriters and other music industry professionals rejoice! For the first time since 2004, the US albums market grew annually in 2011. Although CD sales still went down about 6%, the overall number of music sales increased 1.4% to 330.6 million units. These uplifting figures, recently published by Nielsen SoundScan Data, probably reflect a decreasing prevalence of illegal downloads--and that in and of itself is reason to celebrate. In 2011, the digital albums sector rose by 19.5% to 103.1 million units--which means that downloads comprised over 31% of all album sales during the year.

So, who took home top billing in 2011? Here's a quick break-down of the top-selling albums and singles of this past year:

Top 5 Albums in 2011:

1. Adele, "21" (5.82 million)
2. Michael Buble, "Christmas" (2.45 million)
3. Lady Gaga, "Born This Way" (2.1 million)
4. Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter IV" (1.92 million)
5. Jason Aldean, "My Kinda Party" (1.58 million)

Top 5 Digital Songs in 2011:

1. Adele, "Rolling in the Deep" (5.81 million)
2. LMFAO, "Party Rock Anthem" (5.47 million)
3. Katy Perry, "E.T." (4.83 million)
4. Maroon 5, "Moves Like Jagger" (4.11 million)
5. Pitbull, "Give Me Everything" (3.87 million)

And here are some other year-end statistics you may find interesting:

Top 5 Radio Songs (ranked by airplay audience impressions) in 2011:

1. Pitbull Featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer, "Give Me Everything"
2. Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"
3. Katy Perry, "Firework"
4. LMFAO Featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock, "Party Rock"
5. Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West, "E.T."

Top 5 Rock Songs in 2011:

1. Foo Fighters, "Rope"
2. Cage The Elephant, "Shake Me Down"
3. Foo Fighters, "Walk"
4. Foster The People "Pumped Up Kicks"
5. Seether, "Country Song"

Top 5 R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2011:
 
1. Miguel, "Sure Thing"
2. Kelly Rowland Featuring Lil Wayne, "Motivation"
3. Chris Brown Featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, "Look At Me Now"
4. DJ Khaled Featuring Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne, "I'm On One"
5. Marsha Ambrosius, "Far Away"

Top 5 Country Songs in 2011:

1. Eli Young Band, "Crazy Girl"
2. Jake Owen, "Barefoot Blue Jean Night"
3. Rodney Atkins, "Take A Back Road"
4. Chris Young, "Tomorrow"
5. The Band Perry, "You Lie"

Top 5 Latin Songs in 2011:

1. Prince Royce, "Corazon sin Cara"
2. Don Omar, "Taboo"
3. Fidel Rueda, "Me Encantaria"
4. Don Omar & Lucenzo, "Danza Kuduro"
5. Pitbull Featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer, "Give Me Everything"

To see other rankings by genre--including Jazz, Gospel, Bluegrass and Classical--check out Billboard.com.

Overall digital song sales grew 8.5% in 2011, bringing the total to a record 1.27 billion downloads. Compare that to 2010's then-record of 1.17 billion, and you will agree that this is great news--no matter what musical genre you write. Here at HillTop Records, we are excited for what these numbers may mean. We hope they continue to climb, in 2012 and the years to follow.

Happy 2012! To Celebrate, the Best Music Festivals in January...

It's the first month of a brand-new year, and with it comes the excitement and promise that only January can have. Here at HillTop Records, we will be celebrating the best way we know how--with music. No matter what part of the country you're in, you will be able to do the same. Here are our picks for the best music festivals for January, 2012:

MusicFest (1/5/2012 - 1/10/2012) in Steamboat, Colorado
The 27th annual MusicFest at Steamboat, one of the country's world-class ski resorts, will feature 40 bands over six days. More than 50 shows will be held in and around a large tent surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery. Each year, the gigantic festival draws thousands of ski- and music-loving folks to the snowy slopes of Colorado. This year's headliners will include Chris Knight, Curtis Grimes, the Randy Rogers Band and other legendary examples of Texas and Americana music.

RiverCity Music Festival (1/6/2012 - 1/8/2012) in Portland, Oregon
At the beginning of each year, Portland's community of Jantzen Beach comes alive with music-lovers and revelers. Billed as less like a concert and more like a party, the RiverCity Music Festival encourages participation. So purchase a ticket, bring your own instrument, and jam with like-minded musicians from around the city of Portland and beyond. The event offers workshops led by national bluegrass artists, as well as acoustic and Americana concerts.

GlobalFEST (1/8/2012) in New York, New York
Known as the springboard festival for world music artists on the brink of North American mainstage success, New York's annual GlobalFest is a great place to discover stars on the rise. From French Gypsy jazz to cumbia-fied downtempo Argentine club sounds, Romanian hybrid blues to Senegalese roots reggae, traditional Irish folk music to Central Asian avant rock, the mix of genres celebrates the globe's diversity.

Cherokee Jazz & Blues Festival (1/13/2012 - 1/14/2012) in Cherokee, Iowa
This annual event is so much more than a music festival. Yes, it has plenty of live jazz and blues. However, it also features a brunch buffet, pub crawls, jam sessions, and a music clinic for high school music students. This year's line-up includes Chad Elliot, the Johnnie Bolin Band, and Damon Dotson.

County Bluegrass Winter Festival (1/13/2012 - 1/14/2012) in Caribou, Maine
This tri-annual bluegrass festival takes place each summer, fall and winter in Maine. The wintertime event takes place indoors, at the Caribou Inn & Convention Center. It includes live concerts, workshops and vendors sure to liven up the dreary days of January.

30A Songwriters Festival (1/13/2012 - 1/15/2012) in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
We know that this festival is especially exciting to our HillTop Records songwriters, as it celebrates the profession in multiple venues along scenic route 30-A. More than 100 songwriters from across the country are expected to gather to perform on stage and discuss the craft with like-minded professionals.

Martin Luther King Jr. March and Festival (1/16/2012) in Austin, Texas
To commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., more than 10,000 people march to the historic campus of Huston-Tillotson University. There, they are welcomed with a lively outdoor festival filled with the sounds of jazz, blues and gospel. Along with live music performed by some of the city's finest artists, the festival features vendors selling everything from craft items to food. There are also free shuttles to the campus available, so you do not need to march if you do not want to.

Anchorage Folk Festival (1/19/2012 - 1/22/2012) in Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska isn't letting the cold winter weather dampen its spirits! Instead, it is celebrating the first month of 2012 with its annual folk festival. The event brings together artists from around the world--singers, dancers, storytellers and group acts in the genres of bluegrass, jazz, Celtic, traditional folk, klezmer and more take to multiple stages over the course of three days. Best of all, the festival's concerts and workshops are all open to the public--completely free of charge.

Guitar Geek Festival (1/20/2012 - 1/21/2012) in Anaheim, California
True to its name, the annual Guitar Geek Festival celebrates all things guitar. It includes live performances, a raffle, and a fun-filled jam session.

The San Francisco Tape Music Festival (1/20/2012 - 1/22/2012) in San Francisco, California
Held each year at San Francisco's ODC Theater, this music festival is a truly one-of-a-kind event. It is the only festival in America dedicated entirely to the performance of audio works projected in three-dimensional space. Held over the course of three evenings, the event celebrates classic audio art and new fixed media compositions by 25 local and international composers. Highlights of this year's installment will include an homage to the 100 years of John Cage, and the commemoration of 163 years of recorded sound.

Blythe Bluegrass Festival (1/20/2012 - 1/22/2012) in Blythe, California
Now in its 19th year, the Blythe Bluegrass Festival is one of the most beloved annual events in the Palo Verde Valley. Along with plenty of live bluegrass, the music festival includes booths and vendors, and the Bluegrass Quilters--a quilt show that is becoming such a highlight that it is almost a festival within a festival.

Ann Arbor Folk Festival (1/27/2012 - 1/28/2012) in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Take the rare opportunity to hear great undiscovered artists over the course of two fun-filled evenings in Ann Arbor. This annual festival celebrates the state's rich folk music heritage by giving the stage to the most promising up-and-coming acts. A few performances by internationally acclaimed headliners are also thrown into the mix each year. Past performers include the Indigo Girls, David Jones, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

For more information on upcoming music festivals events, check out Festivals.com. And be sure to keep checking back here with us at HillTop Records as we help you fill the year of 2012 with great music!