Music News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

The phenomenon of a non-musical movie being adapted into a stage musical that then gets adapted into a movie is surprisingly common, as recent films like 2023’s The Color Purple and the 2022 Matilda demonstrate. Some of those adapted movie musicals have even eclipsed the original movie versions in pop culture legacy, like Hairspray and Little Shop of Horrors.

The game director of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has revealed he sang to its developers to make sure all elements followed the same rhythm.

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In the upcoming D.I.C.E awards, Spider-Man 2 takes an early lead by scoring nine nominations. The awards ceremony is scheduled for February 15 this year.

I'm not sure why but Mario Kart's Moo Moo Meadows has become the latest meme to circulate on Twitter - but I can't get enough of it. 

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) has announced the nominations for the 27th annual DICE Awards, revealing that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has garnered the most nominations (9) ahead of Alan Wake 2 (8) and Baldur's Gate 3 (7). Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Character (for Miles Morales), Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design, Outstanding Technical Achievement, Action Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction, and Game of the Year. Alan Wake 2 was listed in the Art, Character (for Saga Anderson), Music Composition, Audio Design, Story, Technical Achievement, Adventure, and Game of the Year categories. Baldur's Gate 3 is running in the Character (for Astarion and Karlach), Story, RPG, Game Design, Game Director, and Game of the Year awards.

CES 2024: Day 3 of the event saw various innovations in the tech industry from top brands and new startups being rolled out. Yes, CES 2024 day 3 has commenced and there are still two more days left to see what companies are planning to launch in the coming months. The year has kickstarted with the introduction of top-notch innovations, and it's astonishing to see what 2024 holds in terms of bringing new tech products and leveraging the capabilities of artificial intelligence.

After skipping a year last year, Riot Games has resumed its trend of launching new League of Legends seasons with the debut of ‘Still Here’ the LoL 2024 Season cinematic trailer.

Naughty Dog and HBO have cast Young Mazino as Jesse for The Last of Us' second season. This follows yesterday's news that Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, No One Will Save You) will play Abby in the show's second season. 

Annual UK video game sales fell behind film revenues last year for the first time since 2012.

The the first time in over ten years, video games is not the UK's biggest entertainment medium.

Toby Fox, creator of the brilliant Undertale, has weighed in on the debate surrounding music rights in the fanmade spin-off Undertale Yellow.

Malenia is meant to be Elden Ring's toughest boss, but that hasn't stopped players from cutting her down with ease in the most challenging of ways, whether that means using their goldfish or busting a move on a dance mat.

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Grand Theft Auto 6's debut trailer has been hilariously recreated in the weird and wonderful Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. 

We seriously dug 2022's headbanging shooter Metal: Hellsinger, and that rhythm based FPS just got some love from its boomer shooter brethren by way of a free DLC featuring nine tracks from Andrew Hulshult's excellent Dusk soundtrack.

AI drives 37% growth in tech M&A, valued at $984 billion by 2030; X Japan's Yoshiki calls for AI legislation to protect artists rights; AI researchers stunned by unprecedented pace of development, survey finds; IBM's Sriram Raghavan forecasts 40% surge in demand for AI specialists- this and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.

Alphabet Inc. has illegally refused to negotiate with a group of YouTube Music contract workers who voted to unionize, the US labor board ruled. The decision, issued by a panel of three members of the National Labor Relations Board, tees up a federal court battle over whether the internet company is legally the boss of subcontracted staff it claims are not its employees. The YouTube workers, who voted 41-to-0 last April to join the Alphabet Workers Union, are hired via the staffing agency Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. Alphabet's Google, which owns YouTube, has consistently denied being their boss, even after NLRB officials last year deemed it a “joint employer” of the workers – a company with enough control over them to be liable for their treatment and obligated to negotiate with them if they unionize.

Seth MacFarlane's filthy teddy bear character Ted and Martin Scorsese's true-crime epic “The Killers of the Flower Moon” are some of the new television, music and movies headed to a device near you.

The first season of Arcane told the origin stories of some of League of Legends’ most popular champions, and introduced new characters to the lore. And our first big preview of the show’s second season, which is set to debut on Netflix in November, is setting up to show us even more of the game’s most best characters.

Just a couple of days after winning the Game of the Year and Best Story-Rich Game prizes at the Steam Awards 2023, Baldur's Gate 3 is once again preparing to clean up the house at the upcoming 13th Annual New York Game Awards. The New York Videogame Critics Circle (NYVGCC) has just announced the full list of nominees during a live stream event and Larian's outstanding cRPG has received six nominations in the Game of the Year, Best Writing, Best World, Best Music, and Best Acting (twice, for Amelia Tyler as the narrator of Baldur's Gate 3 and Neil Newbon as the High Elf Vampire Rogue companion character Astarion) categories.

This week, I discovered a TikToker deliberately developing the worst game of all time—complete with impossible platforming, unskippable dialogue, and a rocket launcher that has to be reloaded 150 times between each shot. I ended that post anxious that creator Everywhere Nowhere might one day release their abomination into the world for people to actually play. I'm afraid that happened sooner even than I feared. 

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising follows the crew of the Grandcypher, an airship with a motley crew of anime stereotypes – and my dream husband, Rackam. After an antagonistic force that the crew thought disbanded attacks a peaceful nation, ship captain Gran and his friends discover that previous allies have not only forgotten them, but are now outright hostile. With a greater threat clearly at large, the Grandcypher sets off to reunite with old friends.

The next lineup of games arriving on Xbox Game Pass has been announced, and with highlights including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and the Resident Evil 2 remake, it’s shaping up to be a pretty bumper month for subscribers.

When it comes to figuring out a formula for a hit game that keeps players coming back year after year, Saxs Persson would know. Now at Epic Games overseeing the Fortnite ecosystem, Persson previously spent 12 years at Mojang building Minecraft into the stratospheric success it is today.

While other manufacturers seem happy to sit on their laurels for a few years at a time, Nacon’s RIG are committed to incremental improvements in the line, steadily upgrading, enhancing and adding to the range. The 600 Pro HS is the latest in their mid-range line-up, bringing wireless connectivity via a USB-C dongle, while packing in Bluetooth as well. It’s a headset that ultimately fits most people’s needs, all at a very tempting price.

Technology continues to evolve rapidly, and the hottest trend is the use of Artificial Intelligence, AI. To start 2024, Square Enix President and Representative Director Takashi Kiryu released a letter sharing his interest in adding more AI processes in developing future games.

It's fair to say, in a game with endless customisation, that we quickly become bored of poor ol' Steve and want look a bit more unique. You can achieve this by trying out the best Minecraft skins you can download in the game right now.

Followers of the movie release calendar just can’t get a moment’s peace: As soon as COVID-19-era disruptions were smoothed out and production pipelines mostly restored in 2023, a lengthy two-guild strike threw everything out of whack again. Delays, shifts, and cancellations galore added to the usual mix of theatrical releases and (fewer, but still notable) direct-to-streaming productions.

It’s the beginning of a new year, and despite being a weaker month usually for releases, there’s a selection of highly anticipated January 2024 games to look forward to. From intense fights in Tekken 8 to the calmer, puzzle-based Another Code: Recollection, there’s something for everyone.

10 best year end deals: As we bid farewell to 2023 and usher in the promising dawn of 2024, it's the perfect time to elevate your auditory experience with the best year-end deals on premium headphones. Whether you seek solace in music, aim for heightened productivity, or simply savour the nuances of sound, headphones have become indispensable companions, offering a private sanctuary amidst the hustle and bustle of life.

Grand Theft Auto 6's first trailer has gone down as one of the best in recent memory, racking up millions of views in the first week, becoming one of the fastest-viewed YouTube videos of all time. With a trailer that iconic, you know full well that it's going to be recreated in some capacity, and GTA fans are passing the time until GTA 6's release by trying to recreate the trailer in as many other Rockstar games as physically possible.

Our Game of the Year coverage continues with the Best PS5, PS4 Story Game of 2023, of which a top four has been put together by the Push Square editorial team. This category highlights the best adventures you can venture on from a narrative perspective on PS5 and PS4. With an intriguing main plot, wonderful characters, and fun distractions of the core path, they'll keep you engaged with their story no matter how long it takes to roll credits.

It's only been a couple of months since the last Synth Riders update, but that hasn't stopped Kluge Interactive from dropping even more content into its sublime VR rhythm title. Available now, the newest track added to the title is a remixed version of a song not from Synth Riders, but from the VR golfing title, Walkabout Mini Golf.

After years of underwhelming mainline Final Fantasy games, Square Enix finally seemed to get its act together for Final Fantasy 16. Spearheaded by the development team behind Final Fantasy 14, this felt like a much more focused project right from the start, and the all-out action RPG that Creative Business Unit III delivered has made an impact as one of the best games of 2023.

The end of the year always results in a downright deluge of list articles. But they can be an absolute blast to both write and read, and they always generate discussion. As such, this is a jumping-off point to discuss the best and brightest PlayStation music we heard in 2023. While it's impossible to touch upon every soundtrack worthy of mention, we've compiled what we think are the best of an already bright bunch. With such an incredible umbrella of sounds and moods to explore, let's get listening! Erm, listing.

The head of Harmonix, the studio behind Fortnite Festival, has confirmed that it plans to add "many hundreds" of free new songs to the mode every year.

Over the years, boAt has made a name in the affordable and mid-range earphone segment for its bass-heavy, and feature-rich products. The company has a distinguished style that resonates with the Indian youth. Earlier this year, boAt released its Nirvana Ion earbuds, true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones, whose biggest claim was 120 hours of playback time (including in-case charging).

2023 was a banner year for anime. From beloved continuing series like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Jujutsu Kaisen to long-awaited passion projects like Pluto and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, there was pretty much something for every type of anime fan. While we’ve already published our picks for the best anime of the year and where to watch them, we also wanted to highlight one of the important yet overlooked elements of any great anime: the opening title sequence.

Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K review: Earlier this year, Redmi collaborated with Amazon to bring its first Smart Fire TV with a 32-inch display which was met with positive reviews and gained popularity among consumers. The success of the television led to the company launching the Redmi Smart Fire TV 4K, with a bigger 43-inch display. This time around Redmi has upgraded the specifications, added a 4K resolution to the smart TV, and most importantly, has also added a mute button.

ABC's multi-city New Year's Eve special and new music from the K-pop act TVXQ are some of the new television, movies and music headed to a device near you.

10 best smartwatches under 2000: The holiday season is ongoing and the new year is around the clock, if you still have not bought a gift for your loved ones then there is still some time left. If you are someone who is looking for budget gifts then you are at the right place. We have curated a list of the 10 best smartwatches under 2000 from top brands such as Fire-Boltt, Noise, Fastrack, and much more to help narrow down your research and struggle to find the right one for your friends and family. Before getting into the list check what you should consider before investing in a budget smartwatch.

10 best smartwatches under 3000: In today's tech-driven era, smartwatches have emerged as remarkable devices, offering a myriad of features that cater to the needs of modern consumers. From an extensive range of watch faces to extended battery life, health monitoring capabilities, and stylish designs, these innovative gadgets have revolutionized the way we interact with technology. We feature in this list the best smartwatches under 3000 that have gone beyond being mere accessories and now are rivaling some of the functionalities of smartphones.

Have you heard? 2023 was the year concert films saved cinema — or at least boosted movie theaters. Normally, it would be difficult to wrangle up enough notable entries to warrant an end-of-year concert movie ranking, but not this year. This year, the concert film ruled. Taylor Swift and Beyoncé sidestepped Hollywood to work directly with theaters for the distributions of their respective box-office champions. Culture-shifting global superstars BTS managed to make waves in theaters, despite being on group hiatus for all of 2023. And Hollywood indie darling A24 re-released 1984’s Stop Making Sense, widely considered to be one of the best concert films of all time.

Ahead of the new year, the popular decentralized social media platform Bluesky has rolled out a new update. The Bluesky update 1.61 comes less than a week after the previous update which redesigned the logo to a butterfly and made the posts public for even those who did not have an account on the platform. Now, with the new update, Bluesky has added a new in-app video and music player for links. This player will function like the native player on X (formerly Twitter) where users do not have to leave the platform to play a YouTube video and can instead watch it on the platform. Alongside, Bluesky has also added a ‘Hide Post' feature that allows users to hide the posts they do not want to see.

Why can’t The Walt Disney Company make the Muppets work? Like, really work? Why do we keep getting TV shows and specials that fail to find an audience? Sporadic nostalgia plays that never quite hit the mark?

9 best smartwatches for women: Fitness and health tracking should be an utmost priority for every individual including women. However, nowadays, smartwatches have started to offer additional features such as menstrual cycle tracking, camera control and music control features specially designed for female users. With such advanced features, women can easily access and stay up-to-date on their health with a tap of their wrists. If you are someone who is looking for smartwatches for yourself or for your female friends and family then we have curated a list of 9 Best smartwatches for women of all ranges to help you pick the best one. Check Noise Pro 5, Amazfit GTS 4, Apple Watch SE, and more.

Ten years ago, Stephen Fry ate balls in the Hobbit films. If that doesn’t ring a bell as something from Tolkien, don’t worry. Not only is it from the second film in the culturally forgotten Hobbit trilogy, but this specific sequence only exists in the Extended Edition.

It's 15 years since Sweden's Spotify Technology SA, co-founded by Daniel Ek, launched its music streaming service as a legal all-you-can-eat middle ground between online piracy or paying $20 for an album. At the time, the music industry was slashing jobs and struggling with the MP3's rise: In the digital domain, “copies are not just cheap, they are free,” technologist Kevin Kelly wrote in 2008. 

It’s finally time: the last new TV of 2023. Whether you’re at work or not, this week tends to be a pretty sleepy one, ideally with plenty of time to catch up on new TV.

Happy holidays, or maybe it’s your birthday — or you simply decided to treat yourself to a brand-new Xbox Series X (or Series S). Now what? Sure, you could peruse Polygon’s list of the 22 best Xbox games, or the 25 best games on Xbox Game Pass. But you don’t have time for that! You’re probably reading this on your phone right now while your new Xbox whirs merrily away installing all of its fancy-new-console updates. The clock is ticking, and I’ve got you.

8 best smartwatches in India: In search of feature-filled and stylish smartwatches to fulfil all your fitness and health goals? Then you are in the right place. While there are multiple smartwatches available in different price ranges and brands, we have curated a list of the 8 best smartwatches in India which will help you understand what you really need in terms of features. However, before investing in a smartwatch or making a mindless purchase, you must consider why you need a smartwatch in the first place and to what purpose you will put it to, to justify the spending. Know how a smartwatch can help focus on your health and fitness.

11 best smartwatches under 5000: Embracing the convenience of staying connected without constantly having to reach for your smartphone has become a reality, thanks to the evolution of smartwatches. These wearable wonders not only facilitate calls on the go but also boast an array of health features, making them indispensable for the health-conscious. For those with budget constraints, the market offers many options, ensuring that functionalities and style need not be sacrificed for affordability. Among the plethora of choices, here are the best smartwatches under 5000 - they promise a harmonious blend of aesthetics and practicality.

Bethesda’s Ghostwire: Tokyo is the latest free game available on the Epic Games Store.

The Bloodborne community is a creative bunch. It's been nearly a decade since the game was released, so they've been left to their own devices which means they've come up with all sorts of unique ways to expand FromSoft's creation. Cue OldTomRaider, who got an early Christmas present this year in the form of custom-made MTG cards imagining a world where Wizards of the Coast teamed up with PlayStation to bring Micolash into the world of Magic.

Inside the wood-panelled auditorium of one of Tokyo's most prestigious concert halls, 24-year-old Kiwa Usami presses just one index finger to the piano and summons the colossal swells of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, accompanied by an orchestra and choir.

Even as we enter the weekend today, December 23, interesting tidbits from the world of artificial intelligence keep coming in. In a shocking development, Infosys has lost a deal worth $1.5 billion with an undisclosed AI firm. The announcement came just days after Infosys Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Nilanjan Roy's resignation. In other news, a group of teachers worked with Yamaha to create an AI-assisted piano that tracks the notes of the music and augments the performance by adding whatever keys are needed but not pressed. And, Arizona creates its own deepfakes to prepare for polls. This and more in today's AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

Christmas Gifts: X-Mas is almost here, and it's all about joy, celebration, and showing love to those who matter most in our lives. Picking the right gift can be a bit tricky, especially with everything going on these days. If you're looking for a modern and meaningful present, consider headphones – a versatile and practical choice that everyone can enjoy.

On November 10, Humane, a 2018-founded startup known for working with AI technology, unveiled its first product called Ai Pin, a clothing-based wearable gadget. The OpenAI CEO Sam Altman-backed company presented the device as a new technology that does not require a user to spend time interacting with it and instead gets the information needed quickly so they can focus on the moment. With a displayless design, which goes against the ethos of most consumer tech products, the company focuses on voice and laser ink technology to show and tell the information through an AI chatbot. The company has now revealed that the product will be shipped to consumers starting in March 2024.

 Artificial intelligence is poised to upend much of society, removing human limitations inherent in many systems. One such limitation is information and logistical bottlenecks in decision-making.

Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when she returns to her apartment at a Florida senior community, the retired office worker often has a chat with a friendly female voice that asks about her day. A few miles away, the same voice comforted 83-year-old Deanna Dezern when her friend died. In central New York, it plays games and music for 92-year-old Marie Broadbent, who is blind and in hospice, and in Washington state, it helps 83-year-old Jan Worrell make new friends.

7 best smartwatches under 35000: The contemporary smartwatch market is a dynamic arena where manufacturers strive to outdo each other by offering cutting-edge features and functionalities to cater to diverse user needs. In this comparison, we will delve into the nuanced details of several prominent smartwatches: the Samsung Galaxy Watch5, Amazfit GTR 3 Pro, Titan Smart Pro, Garmin Women's Smartwatch, Huawei Watch GT 3, Fossil Gen 5, Fitbit Versa 3, and more. From health monitoring to personalized aesthetics, these devices redefine the smartwatch experience.

Today, December 22, the artificial intelligence (AI) space is asking us deep, philosophical questions, as new developments point towards its innovative use cases and its internal nature. A talkative robot called ElliQ, created by Intuition Robotics, is helping senior citizens in the US combat loneliness by offering them companionship. AI for companionship is a hotly explored space, and it is something even Elon Musk has talked about. In other news, a coalition of scientists is raising serious questions about the AI consciousness. They say the answers to these questions will shed light on the ethical usage of the technology as well as help us guide AI safety measures.

Japanese players seem to be enjoying the way Baldur’s Gate 3 depicts nudity or rather the way it doesn’t.

The viral puzzle game hit Suika Game has received a new update on Nintendo Switch, which adds a festive background theme as well as a fresh tune to match and merge fruits to. 

If you've played through Alan Wake 2, you know the scene. It's a ridiculously amusing, unforgettable surprise from way, way left field during an otherwise generally bleak game, and I wouldn't have it any other way. For the unfamiliar, turn back and play Alan Wake 2 (it's worth it) before reading this article, as we will be getting into spoiler territory from here on out.

The New World team is,once again, discussing their methods of storytelling, with a highlight on music and sounds. In prior videos, they’ve touched on the subject, particularly with Brimstone Sands, but now, after four seasonal releases and the first expansion, Rise of the Angry Earth, there’s a lot more to talk about.

This holiday season, while friends and family gather to spread holiday cheer, Blizzard has provided a darkly beautiful backing soundtrack: Emanations of Sanctuary, with music from the Fractured Peaks. This newly released video allows you to experience the frigid wintery wonderland without having to step foot in the cold! With nearly three hours of music from iconic locations in the Fractured Peaks such as Menestad, Nevesk, and Nostrava, listeners can be transported to the snowy crags and dark hamlets of the Fractured Peaks from the warmth and safety of their own homes.

If you’ve never played Geometry Dash, you may find you’re missing out on one of the most engaging games in the rhythm genre. Now, after several years, not only has a new version been released, but it’s caused the concurrent player count to spike to an all-time high.

Alan Wake 2's captured the imagination of the gaming public for a lot of reasons—it's downright gorgeous, but it also has Remedy's penchant for blending genres, deftly mixing comedy and horror. This habit hits a high-point with Herald of Darkness, an in-game track so popular it was performed live at The Game Awards this year. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2 and Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn follow.

Audio accessories brand pTron has introduced its Jazz Series of Soundbars, featuring the pTron Jazz and Jazz Pro models. The statement from the company says these soundbars aim to revolutionize the entertainment experience, whether you're watching movies, gaming, or listening to music. The series offers powerful audio performance that immerses users in every beat and dialogue. With a sleek design and compact size, the soundbars seamlessly fit into any living space.

First launched in 2020, the PlayStation 5 is now one of the most popular consoles of all time and a fan favourite with experienced and newbie gamers alike.

Preparing to play one of the most iconic couples in music history comes with a fair amount of pressure, as Priscilla’s lead Cailee Spaeny knows all too well. Add to this the tight shooting schedules and limited budget of Sofia Coppola’s biopic charting Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s marriage, and the challenge only grows.

Spotify Technology SA's big leap into audiobooks is facing a backlash from US authors who fear they'll be short-changed by the streaming giant. Spotify began offering complimentary audiobooks to millions of customers in October as part of their monthly subscriptions. All of the so-called Big Five publishers signed on, with Penguin Random House LLC saying it was “excited” to place titles on the service. 

Truke, the rapidly growing TWS brand in India, has unveiled its latest addition to the Clarity series – the Truke Clarity Six TWS Earbuds. Priced at INR 1499, these earbuds aim to set new standards in wireless audio experiences with premium features such as Dual Pairing, Six-Mics Advanced Environmental Noise Cancellation, and battery indicators. Available for purchase from December 26th on Amazon, Flipkart, and Truke.in, the Clarity Six TWS Earbuds promise clarity in communication.

In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the final boss is placed enticingly within your reach from very early on. You can fight him basically as soon as you finish the tutorial regions. But whenever you, as the intrepid swordsman Link, approach this hallowed fight, the game subtly warns you of what awaits without forcing you away. Instead of blockading the fight behind plot points or explicitly using a text pop-up saying that a point of no return approaches like in other games, Tears of the Kingdom relies on a myriad of subtle signals to let you know when you are approaching the end. Primary among these is the game’s sound design. As you approach the final platform and the game gives you the option to dive, the creepy choral music that pervades the Depths crescendos, as if to ask: Are you actually ready?

Sony appears to be shifting gears to a ‘multi-platform’ approach.