‘He touched a nerve’: how the first piece of AI music was born in 1956
Long before Auto-Tune and deepfake compositions, university professor Lejaren Hiller premiered a concert recital composed by a computer and became an overnight celebrity
Spotify Wrapped is free advertising that says nothing about the joy of music
The annual roundup of your listening data has become a Black Friday-esque landmark in corporate Christmas, but it’s not snobbery to say this is a shallow experience
The 20 best gadgets of 2021
From smartphones to folding skis, the year’s top gizmos selected by tech experts from the Guardian, iNews, TechRadar and Wired
Spotify hides shuffle button after Adele says albums should ‘tell a story’
Singer highlights importance of track listing and says albums should be listened to as artists intended
Lennie and Jessie Ware’s recipe for podcast success
How do musician Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie get everyone from popstars to politicians to tell all on their podcast? They cook them lunch
Would Schubert have liked cat videos and Squid Game memes? TikTok’s classical music sensations
The platform is full of tips, in-jokes, insights and some great mini-recitals, perfect for demystifying the music world. Our critic even learns how to play the violin hook to Britney Spears’ Toxic
Pen-banging crooners and songs about broccoli: TikTok’s outlandish take on pop
Huge stars like Justin Bieber have made singles designed to go viral on TikTok. Yet the platform’s pop scene is far weirder – from internet drama turned into 40-second tunes, to singers famous for making ‘adorable faces’
20 years of the iPod: how it shuffled music and tech into a new era
In October 2001, the music industry was riven by piracy and had no idea how to solve it. Enter Steve Jobs, whose new device created a digital music market – and made Apple into a titan
PinkPantheress: ‘Music’s been the same for so long. Can we get something else?’
After uploading her tracks online, the UK singer-producer thought the industry was a closed shop. Then she turned to TikTok ...
‘Odds are against you’: the problem with the music streaming boom
As dust from the gold rush settles, big record companies and elite artists emerge firmly on top
UK watchdog concerned over Sony’s takeover of Little Simz label
Indie artist services company has released music by acts including Nick Cave and Finneas
Abba singles race to top of streaming charts in comeback triumph
Swedish pop group shows cross-generational appeal, amassing 5.5m likes on TikTok since 1 September
Discord: why Kanye West turned to chat app’s users for help
Rapper asked for opinions on a new song, highlighting site’s popularity among people ‘sick of Twitter’
The week in audio: Pieces of Britney; Elon Musk: The Evening Rocket; Human Resources and more
Radio 4 series on Britney Spears’s troubles and Elon Musk’s space ambitions highlight society’s double standards
DVLA delays: call for licence extensions as complaints flood in
Government urged to step in and resolve backlog in applications or ensure motorists’ ID is returned