APPS

TECHNO BEATS TECHNOLOGY |

CONSUMPTION OF MUSIC HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE YEARS. THREE DECADES AGO MUSICIANS WOULD BE RATED ON THE NUMBER OF ALBUMS SOLD AND TOP 10, TOP 20 AND EVEN TOP 40 CHARTS WOULD BE COMPILED FROM THEM. THESE DAYS IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DOWNLOADS, AS DAVID BOWMAN RECOUNTS.

JOOX MUSIC

A free, easy-to-use music player, JOOX is ideal for any music lover. But it also offers so much more than just the ability to listen to your favourite songs or artists. It’s possible to either stream or download millions of international and local tunes, artists, radio stations, playlists and videos certainly. And it’s also feasible to get the lyrics to enjoy video streaming karaoke with friends!

There’s also exclusive content such as interviews with artists or interesting music documentaries. If having the most up-todate music is your thing, you can pick special playlists or radio broadcasts from JOOX editors to ensure you’re current. Personalise and customise your playlists and find recommended playlists and music for every occasion. Whether it’s for the gym, a road trip or just chilling at home, JOOX has it covered.

SPOTIFY NEW MUSIC AND PODCASTS

Spotify is probably one of the most popular and pre-eminent music apps around. Millions of users globally swear it’s the best way to listen to music and podcasts, on mobile devices, tablets or laptops. With Spotify it’s possible to discover new music, playlists and podcasts which suit your specific genre interests. And it’s free. One of the most popular aspects of this app is the Discover Weekly playlist every Monday. Musical horizons are stretched to accommodate artists, tracks or styles that users might not normally be exposed to.

Another handy feature is the collaborative playlists which can be shared amongst friends. Content can be enjoyed on desktop, PlayStation, speakers or even your TV!

GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC

Google Play music gives you millions of songs and thousands of playlists for any occasion and situation. Powered by Google, music is served up based on your geographic location and why you’re listening. The app gets smarter, more accurate and more useful the better it gets to know your tastes. Subscribe to create playlists, listen offline and get ad-free YouTube music with YouTube Music Premium (where available). Storage and streaming for up to 50 000 songs from your personal collection is free of charge. With a subscription, up to six family members or friends can join the group. SHAZAM Remember the party trick of hauling out your phone when someone wanted to know what song was playing in a restaurant – or a TV theme tune?

Shazam was not only one of the first music apps around, it’s now one of the world’s most popular. Apparently more than 100 million people each month use Shazam to identify music, get song lyrics, and now to discover the music that artists discover themselves ... See what top artists like Drake, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, DJ Khaled are Shazaming.

And if you’ve Shazamed something, the next time a new song by that artist is available, it’ll appear automatically. You can follow new artists with the tap of a button and see what they enjoy. Stay up to date about new singles, albums and videos from your favourite performers.

SOUNDCLOUD

With 200 million tracks and growing, Soundcloud is one of the world’s largest music and audio streaming platforms.

Just like the competition there are top artists, chart topping albums and DJ mixes. It’s important to note that there are free and paid for versions of this App – and, like anything else, you get what you paid for!

It’s possible to connect with friends, share playlists and even make contact with some of the artists directly. Based on your likes and listening habits, Soundcloud will recommend similar music for you – which enables you to expand your musical universe.

AUDIOMACK

One of the biggest positives about Audiomack is what it enables – offline. No wifi is necessary to download favourite songs, thus saving your data! Add the fact that it’s a free music streaming app and it’s a winner all the way. Music is not the only thing available – there are podcasts, playlists and mixtapes for searching and downloading. If you want more or better content, upgrade and pay for the Premium version. Part of the human condition is wanting to know what everyone else is listening to – so there’s a trending page which you can browse, sampling new musicians, mixes and access updates.

UNDERAGE DRINKING STARTS LONG BEFORE IT BEGINS. YOU CAN STOP IT.

#MyFirstDrinkStory

Adults usually enable our first exposure to alcohol, whether they be parents, aunts and uncles or older siblings. This enablement may be explicit or subtle. Many people don't even realise that they're doing it.

Adults influence underage drinking through: • Conditioning (a drink is an answer to all occasions) • Passive permission (allowing child-sipping) • Doing nothing when you know it's wrong

Research indicates that underage drinking may lead to an increased risk of alcohol dependency during adulthood.

When was your first encounter with alcohol? Share your First Drink Story with us on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #MyFirstDrinkStory or leave a story on www.myfirstdrinkstory.co.za