Available now via iTunes app store is TuneMaker, a new app from Amsterdam-based Makayama. TuneMaker takes a grid-based approach to arranging your songs. You select an instrument draw some dots on the screen, choose another instrument, draw some more dots and build your song up from there. In fact, this app works like a real Yamaha Tenori On. Not only that, it has the look and feel of an 1000 € Tenori On and this in a 79 eurocent iPhone app.

Creating songs on it will be less easy as it can only produce up to 16 bars of music. You can record the tracks via a line out from the headphone jack. In the future you’ll be able to export audio files though.

Share on Facebook

Engadget had this nice message up yesterday which will be applauded by many iPhone and iPod touch users:

We know what you’re thinking, how dare that new iPod nano have features your premium iPhone and iPod touch handhelds don’t? Well, if this 9 to 5 Mac rumor has any merit, Apple is right there with you and has a solution in the works. According to said whispers, a Radio app is in the works to capitalize on the recent models’ latent FM tuner.

It’ll either be standalone or integrated into the iPod app, and either way it’ll be able to work in the background while you browse other, not so fortunate apps. The apparent cause for delay is work on a feature that’ll identify the songs and link you to the appropriate iTunes page for purchase. As always, this is just a rumor, so do yourself a favor and try not to dwell on it too much, k?

Share on Facebook

The iPhone Blog comes with a rather interesting observation. The rumour launched by Gizmodo that Apple is charging the big record labels $10,000 to create iTunes LP packages for them, and refusing to make the service available to the indies, has been refuted, more or less. Gizmodo based its story on a conversation with one such indie, who heard it from their labels digital distribution manager, who claims to have heard it from their iTunes rep.

When Apple announced iTunes LP, they didn’t announce the specific TuneKit implementation as an open format, and they surely didn’t announce an SDK. Also, important to know, they never did say they would be offering it to every artist immediately.

Conclusion from The iPhone Blog:

“It looks to us like this is just a case of Apple being Apple. iTunes LP is an experiment, clearly near-and-dear to them from Steve Jobs on down, and they’re starting with a few, select albums and trying to provide as premium and experience as possible. That kind of development work isn’t cheap, especially when you want to keep the numbers low at first, and it also means it isn’t open to everyone. Heck, it only even works on iTunes on your Windows or Mac PC at this point!”

Share on Facebook

The Sun talked to various developpers of iPhone applications including two UK developers who worked on music related applications. They have both one thing in common, of the 85,000 Apps available, theirs became very successful.

Mark Terry, 37, from Southampton is the first one. He created a range of apps which enable users to make piano, guitar and organ music on their iPhone. The first App he wrote was Pianist, a virtual piano a free App which was downloaded over 250,000 times in the first few months. Staggered by that response he developed Drummer, Guitarist, Organist, Bassist and, finally also Band. Now they sell for between £1.79 and £2.39 via iTunes iPhone App store. From his first year of trading he earned enough to provide a comfortable salary for the next few years so he told The Sun.

Share on Facebook

The media management software company doubleTwist has launched an integrated Music Store, powered by Amazon’s MP3 Store. Unlike iTunes, this application lets you transfer your files to non-Apple powered devices. You can pick eithe full releases are individual songs from Amazon’s catalog of over 5 million tracks plus there’re also plenty of free songs available that are used to promote a band or release.

Looking at it, doubleTwist did not exactly make great efforts to disguise that iTunes served as a big inspiration, if not the only inpspiration. However, while the iTunes application is full of bells, this one is stripped to the core: (legally) download music. Some more features are being developed such as recommendations, artist bios, and song ratings, all pulled from the Amazon store API we presume. Although the application lets you manage your photos and movie files, doubleTwist has currently no plans to offer video downloads.

Share on Facebook

Rock Band is coming to iPhone and iPod Touch. It were our colleagues from Techcrunch who discovered it whilst wandering the halls of the CTIA convention in San Diego on October 7th. In a small kiosk dedicated to Rock Band Mobile they spotted an LCD screen endlessly looping through a demo reel of EA Mobile’s portfolio. Right at the end of the reel the follwing text popped up “is coming to iPhone”.

The application will have premium content. It will also have a 4-player multiplayer through Bluetooth.

Rock Band for iPhone allows iMusicians to choose between vocals, drums, bass, or guitar. The latter three offer game play – tapping the screen on the correct notes. The vocals are also performed through tapping rather than actually singing, as with the console versions of the game.

The game will come with 20 integrated tracks. There will also be other songs available for purchase for a yet unknown amount.

The game has now been submitted to Apple and is pending approval.

Share on Facebook