Tag Archives: audio

Audible For iOS Updated With iPad Support, Better Design & Navigation

by on
Leave a comment
An iPad might be better suited to typing and reading rather than listening to music, but a lot of people still use it as an audio player. Apart from music, there are many other things you can listen to on your iDevice. Podcasts have an app of their own, while the most popular vendor of audiobooks, Audible, offers its dedicated client for iOS as well. Until now though, the official app from Audible.com has been iPhone-only, with only a letterboxed version available for iPad and iPad mini. Finally the folks over at Amazon seem to have realized that people listen to audiobooks on tablets as well, and have made Audible a universal app. Apart from iPad optimization, the app’s latest update also brings changes in the UI, a new filter for sorting your collection, and easier ways to log in to your account. Read More

Discover & Listen To Free Audio Books On iPhone With Audiobooks HQ

by on
Leave a comment
Some people consider Audible as the only reliable source of quality audiobooks, and that service takes full advantage of its reputation when it comes to prices (not a lot of freebies there). While it is true that not many services and apps come to par with Audible in terms of database size, fans of audio books still have a few decent alternatives at their disposal. Audiobooks HQ is the latest to join the the ranks of audiobooks apps for iOS. This iPhone app is different from its competitors though, in that all the books it offers are available for free! This is possible because Audiobooks HQ features free, public-domain books that are read by volunteers. Admittedly, the app’s collection hasn’t reached even the mark of 600 yet, but you can still use it for hours of fun if you are not too picky. Read More

Install Popular Audio & Video Codecs On Windows 8

by on
11
Whenever we install a fresh copy of Windows, limited codec support often ruin the initial media playback experience. The limited number of codecs out of the box has always been a major set back in Windows Media Player and apparently, the story hasn’t quite changed in Windows 8 either. Perhaps this is the reason most users avoid using Windows Media Player as their default application to play audio video files. Even if you download your favorite media player off the internet, the problem of missing codec can still occur one way or the other. If you have recently jumped on to the Windows 8 bandwagon and are looking for a way to install all the required codecs to play almost every audio and video format out there, give Windows 8 Codecs a shot. It’s an audio and video codec package for Windows 8 that installs most of the popular codec packs in one go, and the installed codecs work with Windows Media Player, Media Center, and third-party media players. Read More

Manage & Automate Android Sound Profiles With Smart Volume Control

by on
1
Smart Volume Control is a powerful multilingual sound profile management app for Android that vows to be the ultimate solution for your device’s volume adjustment, automation and tweaking needs. Besides supporting hyper-customizable sound profiles, the app brings to the table several features that are hard to find in most similar solutions. For instance, it offers multiple profile presets under a accelerometer-controlled Speed Volume Mode that can be availed to activate personalized sound settings for when you’re out on the road, cycling, or crossing a subway. The app lets you schedule activation of profiles according to desired time, or as per your Google and/or Microsoft Exchange calendar events. Want your device to automatically silence, or redirect incoming calls to Bluetooth when at your workplace? Smart Volume Control’s location-based profile automation has your back. Then there is a fully customizable profile for when your headphones are plugged in to your device. The app’s many thoroughly customizable widgets allow you to play around with the desired sound profiles and settings directly from the home screen itself. Read More

How To Improve Audio Output & Experience In Windows 8

by on
Leave a comment
One of the things most people do after upgrading to Windows 8 is to check whether their devices are in working condition. In most cases, some drivers might be required. While some devices (like Audio) apparently start working without drivers, some might require drivers to be installed before they’re functional. But did you know that Audio is one of the things that require proper drivers in order to perform efficiently? Would you like to know how you can enhance the audio output on your Windows 8 computer? In what follows, we’re going to show you how you can make sure it delivers the best audio experience! Read More

Audiolip Is Like Twitter For Podcasts; Lets You Share 15-Second Audio Recordings [Web]

by on
Leave a comment
Audiolip takes the micro-blogging concept (the one that drives Twitter) a step forward, and allows you to record micro-podcasts up to 15 seconds long, which can then be shared with all your buddies on social networks the likes of Twitter and Facebook. Using the service, you can listen to, share, interact with and add replies to every recorded message available. Additionally, you may add new podcasts and comments directly from the browser, or via a toll-free number if you live in the US or the UK. More after the break. Read More

Flipboard For iOS Updated With SoundCloud & VoiceOver Integration

by on
Leave a comment
We have covered Flipboard for both Android (here) and iOS (here), and not many people can doubt the fact that it is aesthetically the most pleasing news app that has ever been released for either of these platforms. A large number of people already use the app, but after Flipboard's latest iOS update, we are sure that its fan-base will increase manifold. So far, the app’s main focus has been on interface and visual features, but the new iPhone/ iPad update has taken a big step in a completely different direction. Flipboard now offers an Audio menu that lists SoundCloud feeds, lets you share your own recordings with your friends and throws in a nice music collection for good measure. Not only that, Flipboard has added VoiceOver integration for visually impaired users as well. Of course, VoiceOver is a native iOS feature, but now it is possible to make use of it if you want to navigate through the app and listen to your favorite articles. Read More

Audio Pitch & Shift: Add Effects To Songs, Change Their Pitch & Playback Speed

by on
Leave a comment
Last month, we covered BPMinus, an application for Windows that allows you to play and control the speed of music tracks while maintaining their pitch, as well as the sound quality. Even though BPMinus performed excellent in our testing, there was still some change in pitch while manipulating the track speed (the app advertised being able to change all parameters in isolation). Today, we have an open source application called Audio Pitch & Shift, made for the same purpose of changing the pitch and playback speed of songs, but it performs the required function better than a lot of the software currently in the market. When you are changing the speed or pitch of the song, it doesn’t affect the other parameters at all. Other than speed and pitch, Audio Pitch & Shift also allows you to introduce and include different effects in the music track, such as Distortion, Chorus, Ranger, Echo, Reverb etc. It supports a large number of file extensions for pitch and speed manipulation, including MP3, OGG, WMA, WAV, MPEG, FLAC, AAC etc. More on Audio Shift & Pitch after the break. Read More

Stamp ID3 Tag Editor: Manage Your Music Library Better By Editing Song Metadata

by on
1
Often, when you're looking for a song that you know is on your computer, the search fails to return anything because you don’t have the complete file name in your head. This usually happens if the music in your collection is not properly tagged. There are a large number of people, myself included, who like to keep the music in their library properly tagged and organized. If you have the Artist Name, Song Name, Album Name, Year of Release, Genre etc properly entered in the properties of a music file, it has two basic advantages. One, you can easily search for the song in your computer using any of the meta tag information, and second, it doesn’t matter which audio player you are using; if the music is properly tagged, the song titles and artist names will appear in the correct fields in every player, making it easier for you to create playlists and/or transfer songs. Today, we have an application called Stamp ID3 Tag Editor that allows you to edit tags and album art of MP3, WAV and OGG files. More on the application after the break. Read More

Panther: Feature-Rich Media Converter With Audio Compression Feature

by on
1
When we talk about media converters, names like Handbrake, Format Factory or Freemake Video Converter automatically come to the mind. These media converters offer a plethora of features to customize the video and audio conversion process. We have also tested and reviewed various media converter tools in the past - Motion Man, Oxelon Media Converter, Adapter, E-Z Media Converter, just to name a few - which include a limited feature-set for converting video and audio files. However, what makes a media player different from others is the quality of its encoding engine, user interface and ease of use. If the latter factor is what attracts you the most, then you should give Panther Media Converter a try. It is a stylish media conversion application that lets you convert both audio and video files into widely used media formats. Additionally, you can compress your audio files with the built-in media compression option, which according to the developer, compresses the media file without hurting the original audio quality. Read More

HAPaudioTags: Perform Folder Wise Editing Of Music Tags

by on
Leave a comment
If the music in your computer is properly tagged, you will be able to easily search for and locate it when required. Editing tags manually can be a big time consuming and tedious task, since you have to open the file properties of each and every file separately. Previously, we have covered a lot of audio tag editors that allow you to quickly add and edit tags to your music files. Last year, Usman covered Toe Tag, a fast open source multi-tag editor that lets you modify ID3 tags of your music collection by offering two rule-based features to match filename with meta tag information, and then, back in 2010, Aatif reviewed Mp3tag, an easy-to-use audio metadata editor offering a wide range of features and supporting a wide variety of tags, including ID3v1, ID 3v2.3, ID3v2.4, iTunes, MP4, WMA, Vorbis Comments and APE. Today, we have another audio editor for you, called HAPaudioTags, that allows you to change the ID3 tags of audio files, as well as display information about the file. You can add or edit the Cover picture for songs and change between next and previous track in the selected folder from inside the interface. Read More

Automatically Add All Media Files To iTunes Library On Mac [Tip]

by on
Leave a comment
If you often download videos and music files instead of purchasing them in iTunes, you have to then manually add them to Apple's native multimedia behemoth. It isn’t difficult, but if you keep downloading media and neglect adding it to iTunes, you get clutter, and lots of it. A much simpler way of doing so is by pasting your media files directly to the Automatically Add to iTunes folder. By adding files directly to this folder, iTunes indexes them and they appear in their respective category when you launch the software. Bear in mind that this means the file is copied to iTunes, and not just indexed at its original location. Read More

“File Viewer” For 60 Audio, Video, Image, Web & Text File Formats [Mac]

by on
Leave a comment
File formats for just about every file type are numerous, and when it comes down to users on different operating systems, this disparity gets worse. While you can chose what types of files you create and download, you cannot tell someone else which format to send you a file in. This can, more often than it should, result in you sitting with a file on your disk with no means of opening it. File Viewer is a free Mac app that solves this problem for some 60 common formats. It is a file viewer for audio, video, image, text and web files, and supports multiple formats including DOCX, which means your friends, family or co-workers who use Windows and create documents on MS Word can send you files without converting them to PDF. Read More

BeMe: Android IM With Audio Emoticon, Video, Photo & File Sharing

by on
1
Fresh to the Google Play Store, BeMe is an innovative and fun-filled instant messaging Android app with plenty of exciting features. Using BeMe, you can start chatting with other app users from any part of the world, and share texts, photos, videos, audio clips, conventional emoticons, location, contacts, files, or various audio-based emoticons with them over the internet (Wi-Fi/3G/4G). Whether it’s a freshly grabbed photo, video, voice clip, or an existing one from your device’s local storage, the app lets you share all in an instant right from your Android. BeMe is a welcome addition to list of world-famous instant messengers, like WhatsApp, Viber and plenty of others that allow users to share messages and multimedia content with their mates in real-time over the internet. All you need to start indulging with your friends is a valid mobile number and a nickname that the app will use to create a unique BeMe identity for you. Once an account is created, you can start chatting with your friends, and share virtually anything from your Android on the go. The app maintains a detailed log of all your conversations with your friends, as well as the total amount of data shared with contacts via the BeMe chat interface. Read More

Free Media Converter: Convert, Edit, Download And Record Videos

by on
2
Most of the times, free tools are made to perform a specific function. For instance, a software made for converting videos into different formats will only do that. Tools with multiple features that perform a lot of functions are mostly available as paid applications. However, any free tool which stands out from the crowd and gives the users freedom and flexibility to perform various functions, we at AddictiveTips strive to be the first to introduce the software to our readers. One such application, Free Media Converter, is a media management and manipulation tool that allows you convert video and audio files, rip DVDs, download videos, edit videos and record videos from your desktop or webcam. Keep reading to find out more about Free Media Converter. Read More

Beats Audio Ported To Non-HTC Devices Running Android 2.3 Or Higher

by on
1
If you’re not overly amused by the sound quality that your favorite Android music player is offering to you, or if you’re simply looking for a good volume enhancing solution for your device, then you must certainly give Dr. Dre’s famous Beats Audio a try. What, it’s available on just a handful of HTC devices? Not anymore; in fact, the recent announcement of the company regarding the availability of the Beats (software) API to worldwide developers means that we could soon have a third-party Android app that incorporates the Beats technology to enhance the quality of audio on your device. However, if you’re getting too curious to experience the Beats effect on your Android, you must be grateful to XDA member, RockoDev, who has managed to successfully port Beats Audio to non-HTC devices, too. The method involves flashing a zip file on any rooted Android device (running Android 2.3 or higher) using a custom recovery of your choice. Read More

Slideshow Creator: Create Slideshows With Audio & Transition Effects

by on
Leave a comment
Slideshow presentations have become quite mainstream during the past few years. If you go to professionals for getting a slideshow made with music from pictures of a party or a wedding, they usually charge you some serious amount of money. With the amount of time people spend on social networking websites, they have become the main portal for sharing photos with each other. Social networking services like Facebook and Google+, and the now obsolete MySpace and Orkut, have been mostly used for one thing – Photo Sharing. These days, pictures of any event, both important and unimportant, are uploaded to a person’s social account almost in real time. Some days ago, we covered PhotoPixar, a slideshow creator for Windows that lets you create slideshow of photo albums in minute with effects, audio and captions. However, PhotoPixar asked you to add a background frame or image for your slideshow. If you want to quickly create a slideshow without the added frames out of your selected images, along with audio and transition effects, try Bolide’s Slideshow Creator. Not only is it so user-friendly, but also contains sufficient options to create slideshows in a flash. Read on to find out more about the application. Read More

HelloSlide: Add Audio To PDF Presentations via Typed Text [Web]

by on
Leave a comment
Helloslide is a smart service that transforms PDF slides into a rich audiovisual format by letting you add audio to presentations in PDF format. This web application works by adding speech to each slide and then automatically generates the audio. Simply upload a presentation, type the text you want to hear for each side and the audio will instantly be generated for the particular text. With HelloSlide, your slideshow is just like a live lecture. The service allows you to customize slides and add audio for them, which can be listened to instantly. Read More

Voice Share For WP7: Record & Share Sound Clips To Earn Achievements

by on
4
At times, the simplest of apps could prove to be really popular among users, as they provide just the right balance between fun and usefulness. Voice Share for Windows Phone 7 just might be one such app. The concept behind the app is nothing really new, but the developer has combined a lot of different features to create a pretty neat product. The app lets users record voice clips, and then share them with friends via SMS or on Facebook. This might sound a bit boring, as there are many other voice recorders available for Mango as well, but Voice Share has the edge over them in the sense that it lets you add graphical badges to your shares, and has an achievements system of its own, giving it a game-like feel as well. Read More

Lona Converters: Convert Audio/ Video Files One By One Between Several Formats [Mac]

by on
Leave a comment
In the Mac world, you will find gorgeous displays and beautiful buttons, making up the pretty side of a Mac. The slightly ugly side is that you will have to pay up some serious cash whenever you need to download even a mildly useful app. The Mac app world is rich in choice, but it costs to buy those apps. This isn’t to say that you can’t find free apps, but they are just a little hard to find. Lonasoft is a developing company that you can thank if you need to convert either audio or video files but would rather do it for free instead of buying an app for it. Lona Music Converter is an audio converter that allows you to convert audio files between 11 different formats. Lona Converter, however, is a video converter that lets you convert videos into 39 different formats. Both apps are free, and convert files one by one. They both have a pro version available as well, which lets you convert files in batches. Read More