UnitedMasters is once again assisting the independent artist, this time by dropping a new iOS app to assist in the distribution process of their music.
“The goal of UnitedMasters is to help artists operationalize independence and own their future,” CEO and Founder Steve Stoute said in a statement. “The app puts all of that freedom and control in the palm of their hand. Our team has worked hard to create a product that is fast and easy to use so that a new generation of artists can grow and advance their careers straight from their phone.”
The new app will allow for artists to distribute their music to the major music streaming outlets like Apple Music, TIDAL and Spotify, while also allowing the work to be published with cover art from phone files and more.
Allowing for artists to maximize what their releases can do, the app will also allow for placement on the radio and with brands and paying artists through a royalty program with PayPal.
We still roaming the wild, wild west in Red Dead Redemption 2, that hasn’t stopped fans for salivating for the next installment in the famed GTA franchise. A Reddit user caused quite a stir on the internet by leaking alleged details for Grand Theft Auto 6
Over the weekend, Reddit user JackOLantern1982 had social media buzzing when he posted a bunch of features he claimed would be in GTA 6. He claims he acquired the information from a person he knows at online video game publication Kotaku and a “friend” who works Rockstar Games, the studio behind the popular but always controversial title. According to JackOLantern, the next installment has been in development since 2012, will take us back to Vice City and a new fictional location based on Rio de Janeiro and is set in between the 70s-80s.
Rumored GTA 6 details:
Been in development since 2012 Codename is PROJECT AMERICAS Set in both Vice City and a new fictional location based on Rio de Janeiro Set in 1970s-1980s You play as a drug lord-wannabe named “Ricardo” Inspired by Netflix’s Narcos#GTA6#GTAVIpic.twitter.com/2oH9v1i0Bn
The leaks also suggest players will control a character named “Ricardo” who is described as a “wannabe drug dealer” with the rumored plot of the highly-anticipated game being “heavily inspired” by the hit Netflix original series Narcos. Other interesting tidbits he shared include is GTA 6 only allowing you to control one character, possible in missions in both Liberty City and supposedly Cuba and somehow the AIDS epidemic being worked into the story.
But there is cause for pause with these details. Forbes caught up with video game insider and journalist Jason Schreier he threw cold water on the hot news saying the list is most likely fake. He reasons that the details sound too realistic, while GTA does tackle most relevant pop-culture issues the game does so in a mocking way. He also points to the fact Rockstar hasn’t given any indication it is working on GTA 6, and with Red Dead Redemption 2 still being the main focus of the studio we shouldn’t be expecting any Grand Theft Auto 6 announcements anytime soon.
Besides, Rockstar Games keeps everything it does close to the vest, and we would be shocked if details about GTA 6 did leak out. Not for nothing, it was exciting to read those details, we don’t expect any news about a new Grand Theft Auto game to surface until Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles hit the market.
Spotify’s nearly year-long experiment of letting independent artists upload original music is coming to an end. Spotify announced on Monday that they’ll be ending the beta program at the end of July.
The music streaming service also revealed new plans to better serve independent artists that came about through feedback during the beta program.
Over the past year, we’ve vastly improved our work with distribution partners to ensure metadata quality, protect artists from infringement, provide their users with instant access to Spotify for Artists, and more,” Spotify said in a press release. “We have a lot more planned here in the coming months.”
According to Spotify, more than 300,000 creators have used their Spotify for Artists service as an option to gain new insight into their audience. They have also made the playlist submission tool which Spotify reports have been used by more than 36,000 artists to get playlisted.
Spotify has made a plethora of changes to their service including hundreds of millions of dollars invested into podcasting and a change of their premium service as was reported by CNN. According to this report, Spotify currently has more than 100 million paid subscribers.
2K revealed today (July 1) that six-time NBA All-Star, Three-time All-NBA First Team, three-time NBA All-Defensive Team, and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Anthony Davis will be gracing the Standard and Deluxe Editions of the game. This marks Davis’ second time grabbing cover honors, he alongside James Harden and Steph Curry previously shared the honor on NBA 2K16.
Speaking on his first solo cover, Davis added:
“I’m honored to be back representing NBA 2K. Being picked as the face of NBA 2K20 means the world to me, and I’m excited for the fans to experience the best sports simulation in the world this Fall.”
Recently retired Miami Heat swingman, Dwyane Wade will be this year’s Legendary Edition cover. Past NBA greats who were featured include Kobe Bryant (NBA 2K17), Shaq (NBA 2K18) and LeBron James (NBA 2K19).
Source: 2K / Visual Concepts
This marks the first time Wade has graced the cover, and he is doing it in a very legendary way ever.
“I’ve been blessed to spend 16 years of my life playing the game I love at the highest level, and to culminate my career by joining NBA greats as an NBA 2K Legend Edition cover star makes me incredibly proud. My family and I love NBA 2K, and I’m truly grateful to all of the fans who have watched me, and played as me, throughout the years.”
Alongside the new covers, 2K also shared a first look trailer that gives fans a small glimpse at what to expect like WNBA teams, current superstars as well as the next generation of NBA greatness.
Source: 2K / Visual Concepts
NBA 2K20 arrives on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC platforms on September 6, 2019, and is available for pre-order now. Google Stadia owners can expect to get their hands on the game later this year.
There have been rumblings that BET was planning on launching its own streaming service. Today (June 24) the Viacom owned network has confirmed that BET+ is indeed coming this fall and Tyler Perry, as well as other big names, are on board to supply original content.
The news of Perry’s studio involvement with the service comes fresh on the heels of receiving the Ultimate Icon Award at last night’s 2019 BET Awards. When BET+ launches this fall, potential subscribers can look forward to tons of African American-focused-on-demand content. The service will include a “curated” library of videos from the network as well as new online-only originals like a new White House focused drama The Oval that will debut under the director’s multi-year content partnership with BET.
Speaking on his new partnership with BET, Perry added:
“In our industry, the way people consume content is constantly evolving. I’ve paid attention to my audience and what works for them and, for that reason, I’m very excited not only about the idea of partnering with BET to create new and exciting content but also about the idea of giving people a personalized experience through the ability to curate the content they love to consume. On a personal level, this will also be the first time I’ll be working in areas like unscripted and variety television, which will afford me the opportunity to work in fresh, creative ways with new voices and to discover new talent.”
Perry is not alone, Girls Trip screenwriter Tracy Oliver will be developing the first BET+ original, a 10 episode scripted modern television remake of the film First Wives Club that will launch with the service. The show will replace the stars of the 1996 film which included Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Daine Keaton with Jill Scott(Why Did I Get Married), Ryan Michelle Bathe(This is Us, Empire) and Michelle Buteau(Isn’t It Romantic).
Also onboard is Will Packer the man behind the blockbuster movie franchises like Ride Along and Think Like A Man on top of BET’s deep library of shows, and documentaries that weren’t available on streaming services.
Pricing details have not released, but you can look for BET+ on Android and iOS devices like the Samsung Galaxy, iPhone, and iPad this fall. Are you excited for another streaming service? Let us know in the comment section below.
Tesla Cars can already do a bevy of things regular vehicles cannot, speaking with Bethesda Games, Todd Howard at E3, Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk confirmed the Tesla owners will be able to play games, watch YouTube and use more apps in their electric cars on the ample built-in touchpad screen.
Musk revealed that drivers will be able to play Fallout Shelter, Bethesda’s free mobile game based on the popular Fallout franchise that was released in back in 2015. The game will be joining the list of already confirmed titles which includes the insanely challenging platformer Cuphead, Atari Classics such as Missile Command, Asteroids, Lunar Lander, and Centipede which all arrived in the vehicle last August.
Not a gamer, no problem, Musk also confirmed that the popular video streaming app YouTube will also be coming to his Tesla vehicles as well. He flexed creative muscle, even more, when he revealed that drivers will be able to play a game called Buggy Racing 2 by using the car’s steering wheel, accelerator, and brake showing off the fantastic capability in a clip.
Other things Musk spoke on during the panel included his next big launch and even a weird”hits blunt” moment where he suggested that human existence could be someone’s video game and we are all the characters in the game.
No word on when the updates will arrive in the Tesla cars but when they do we will definitely update you on it. You can watch the entire panel featuring Musk below.
Square Enix had itself a solid E3 showing and finally gave us a first look at its upcoming and highly-anticipated Avengers game. Of course, video game enthusiasts across social media had thoughts after viewing it, and it was not the positive reaction the studio was hoping for.
The game itself has nothing to do with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe and is an entirely original story. Outside of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: Black Order that’s set to arrive on Nintendo Switch, Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers looks like it will finally deliver a game to fans that accurately capture the feel of the blockbuster films.
But there is one GLARING issue according to video game Twitter, and that is the characters in the game look like the stunt doubles of the actors from the blockbuster films. It’s so noticeable in fact that it has seemed to suck out of all of the joy from those who were waiting to see what the game looked like since it was first announced.
Still, the game does assemble what the equivalent of the Avengers in the form of voice acting is. Square Enix/Crystal Dynamics bringing together Nolan North (Iron Man), Troy Baker (Bruce Banner), Laura Bailey (Black Widow), Jeff Schine (Captain America), and Willing Blam (Thor) and from the looks of the trailer delivers on the action we have come to expect from the film, the bland character models are just hard for some to stomach.
We can’t front Captain America does look mid as hell, but we are still excited to play the game. But the reactions are hilarious as hell, you can see all of them in the gallery below.
Google shook the video game world’s table back in March at the Game Developers Conference when it officially announced its new gaming streaming service Stadia which does away with the use of a console altogether. Unfortunately, we did not get that many details about it but that all changed yesterday (Jun.6) when the company let the chopper go spilling all the beans on the new service.
With E3 2019 right around the corner, it looks like Google is trying to stay ahead of leaks before any formal announcements at the gaming convention. We now know that when Stadia launches in November, it will be sort of a gradual one limited to you or a friend for the first few months, reportedly until 2020 if you invested in the $130 Founders Edition of the service. As a reward for your early participation, you will be given a limited edition “Night Blue” controller, a Chromecast Ultra, a unique Stadia name minus the filler numbers, a copy of Destiny 2 with all of the current and upcoming DLC as well as access to Stadia’s library of titles. Oh and if you happened to play Destiny 2 on Xbox One or PC your data could be transferred over thanks to crossplay functionality, don’t worry PS4 owners its definitely in the works for us as well, Google has stated as much but has not made an announcement yet.
When the service kicks off there will be no shortage of games either as Google is boasting 31 games will be ready at launch and they include some solid titles such as:
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, DOOM Eternal, DOOM 2016, Rage 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Destiny 2, Get Packed, GRID, Metro Exodus, Thumper, Farming Simulator 19, Baldur’s Gate 3, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Football Manager, Samurai Shodown, Final Fantasy XV, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K, Borderlands 3, Gylt, Mortal Kombat 11, Darksiders Genesis, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Just Dance , Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint , Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 , Trials Rising, and The Crew 2.
Big name studios such as EA and Capcom also are slated to have some games on the way for the service as well. Now for the million dollar question, and that is how will this work? Well depending on your internet connection and Google is banking on that you have a good one you will be able to play the titles instantly through your Chrome browser on either your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3a phone, television via Chromecast and other supported devices soon.
As far as price is concerned Stadia subscriptions are concerned, there will be two tiers. There will be a free base subscription that does allow you to keep any game you buy and play at a resolution of 1080p at 60 frames per second. If you decided to pay $10 for the pro subscription you get the same benefits as the base, but you get free games every month plus you to get to enjoy them at 4K, 60fps, with HDR and 5.1 surround sound. If this service sounds familiar to you its because it’s basically the same as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold that grants its users similar perks. Now again, this all depends on your internet connection and what it can handle.
While this sounds revolutionary, Google is taking a big gamble here by hoping gamers are ready to move away from physical discs, and no indication suggests that is the case…YET. Also, not everyone has super fast internet speeds to fully immerse themselves in what Stadia is offering. So if you’re interested in the service, it would be wise to make sure your internet connection is up to par so you can use Stadia to its full potential. BUT we must say we are definitely intrigued by the idea, Stadia can definitely change the video game world rather quickly if it is successful.
We are looking forward to more information about Stadia as it comes out and be sure to keep it locked on Hip-Hop Wired as we will be keeping you up to speed on all the latest video game news that comes out E3 2019.
After 18 long years of existence, Apple is finally getting rid of iTunes. Bloomberg reports the company is phasing out the tool that Mac users have utilized to help manage their music, watch movies, and TV shows.
The decision to trash iTunes is on par with Apple’s new vision for its future when it comes to its gadgets. Now there will be separate apps for users to listen to music, watch movies and TV and listen to podcasts. You will still be able to manage your Apple gadget through the music app. The announcement of the move came on the heels of Apple’s upcoming WWDC where the company is expected to confirm the decision and announce how it plans to move going forward.
Per Bloomberg:
iTunes has been the way Apple users listen to music, watch movies and TV shows, hear podcasts, and manage their devices for almost two decades. This year, Apple is finally ready to move into a new era. The company is launching a trio of new apps for the Mac – Music, TV, and Podcasts – to replace iTunes. That matches Apple’s media app strategy on iPhones and iPads. Without iTunes, customers can manage their Apple gadgets through the Music app.
Well if you were looking to blow the dust off your iTunes to help manage your new iPod Touch, then you won’t receive this news too well. 18 years is a long time for an app, so the app is rare air when it comes to outlasting the competition.
Back in April, we reported on the eye-opening scheme involving two Oregon students who somehow exposed Apple’s struggle return policy and scamming the company of nearly a million dollars. Now one of those students has pleaded guilty for his part in the operation.
Quan Jiang, a Chinese national and former engineering student copped to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods that hoodwinked Apple out of 1,500 iPhones. Jiang spilled the beans to investigators breaking down how he was regularly sent 20-30 broken handsets and then taking them to Apple to trade them in either in person or online for working units claiming they won’t power on abusing the company’s warranty program.
Jiang would then ship the working iPhones back to China where they would be sold for hundreds of dollars and get a cut of the take. The money would be given to his mother where she would deposit the funds into his account. Despite using different aliases to carry out his dubious scheme, according to court documents, Apple noticed that Jiang actually used either his name, email address, mailing address, or IP address on 3,069 warranty claims.
Out of those 3,069 claims 1,576 of them were denied, Jiang was still able to obtain a jaw-dropping 1,493 replacement iPhones from Apple. If you do the math, each handset costs $600, and that comes out to $900,000 in losses to the company that Steve Jobs built.
Jiang is looking at up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine or twice the money he scored while carrying out the scheme depending on which is more significant. As part of his plea, he must also pay back Apple $200,000 in restitution for swindling the company. He is scheduled to be sentenced in late August, we bet he wished there was an app that could make this all go away right now.
Been in development since 2012
Thank you 
– 
