Music Archives - Mario Armstrong Media

Music

5 Reasons why Apple (Finally!) Decided to Buy Beats

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It’s official says Brian X. Chen, reporting for the NY Times: Apple, ending weeks-long speculation on the deal, says today that they’re buying Beats for $3 billion. While a little bit less than the $3.2 billion I reported back on May 8th, this is still a huge deal for both companies, and Apple’s largest acquisition since they bought NeXT computer, bringing Steve Jobs back to the company he founded, for $400 million in 1997.

With all the speculation coming to an end, it’s time to examine the question many are still asking: Why did Apple buy Beats anyway? Here are my top 5 reasons I think this acquisition makes sense for both companies.

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We often hear about all the little purchases Apple makes. A mapping company here. An LED manufacturer there. A lot of little stuff but nothing touching their $100+ billion in they’ve got in reserve. Now it sounds like things are about to change in a BIG way.

According to a report by Matthew Garrahan and Tim Bradshaw in the Financial Times, things are about to change and Apple is going to buy Beats. All of it: the music streaming, the headphones, the brand… this is a big deal!

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I’m not just a DJ, I come from a family of musicians! My grandmother, Margaret Armstrong, taught piano for Baltimore City kids and eventually ran educational programs and then most famously founded the Baltimore School of the Arts. My brother Sean is a triple-threat musician! He’s a DJ, Producer, Writer & Artist. He’s the most musically talented out of all of us Armstrongs! His new album and video are bringing real hip-hop to the forefront.

Then you’ve got my Dad, who started a record label when I was 5 years old with his best friend Ernie. Called “Armstrong & Donaldson” they had incredible groups like the Softones and First Class. They wanted to do for Baltimore what Motown did for Detroit (and they almost made it, too!)

They saw the world through touring and I saw the power of making music from hanging with Dad for hours every weekend at the Sheffleids music studio. Every time the band took a break, I’d run in to play the drums!

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On Sunday night I had an amazing opportunity to co-host the official Recording Academy’s official NYC GRAMMYs telecast viewing party!

There are tons more pics, so keep reading!

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Beats by Dre is already legendary for their headphones, but today there’s some really unexpected news—they’re launching a streaming music service called “Beats Music” that truly promises to shake up the competition!

Checking out the hottest new headphones & devices in the Beats by Dre Suite at #CES2014

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At the Beats by Dre suite here at CES, I was able to take some time to check out not just all of the latest headphones from Beats, including the Solos in a variety of amazing colors, the in-ear models, and the hot rechargeable wireless Beats.

Keep reading and check the video!

Tech Gifts for Music Lovers: The Best Online Streaming Service, Speakers for Every Budget and More

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When it comes to tech gifts, there’s no shortage of options for music lovers, from streaming to speakers, and it’s easy to find a gift at any price point.

First up, let’s look at cool speaker systems that will let you take advantage of your phone to give you quality music options either at your house or on the go:

FUSE News: A look at Next Big Sound, the so-called “Moneyball of music”

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What is Next Big Sound?

Next Big Sound is a new company tracking our every like, download, share, tweet and more as they relate to our music listening, shopping, and purchases. Called the “Moneyball of music” by Forbes, Next Big Sound is putting all that data to work—by analyzing the way we find and acquire music and they discover new insights to help musicians from the indies up to the majors to find new ways to market their music to fans.

$35 Google Chromecast device beams music and movies to your TV from your smartphone, tablet or laptop

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Chromecast is a little device you plug into your TV that allows you to seamlessly connect video and audio from your smartphone, tablet or even laptop to your television and home stereo system. And you can buy one for just $35, a price affordable enough to connect up every TV in your home. You can order it today at Amazon, Best Buy, and play.google.com. It will also come with 3 months free of Netflix.

Inside New York City’s Legendary Chung King Studios (Fuse News)

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Dubbed the “Abbey Road of Hip Hop”, Chung King Studios in New York City, founded by John King, earned an incredible reputation in the recording industry in the early days of hip hop. Not only the site where the earliest hits from the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and Run-D.M.C. were are laid down on tape, it was also a breeding ground for the genre’s breakout producers, including Steve Ett, Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. Building on those relationships, Chung King Studios became the de-facto home of Def Jam Recordings for its first four years. On this special segment of Fuse News Mario Armstrong The Digital Lifestyle Expert™ takes us on a walk down memory lane with John King himself.

Music

5 Reasons why Apple (Finally!) Decided to Buy Beats

Is Apple about to buy Beats in $3.2 billion deal?

Comparing the music streaming services, and my own history with music

Here Are Some Great Pics From Sunday Night’s GRAMMYs Viewing Party in NYC!