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Android Authority
8 hours ago
- Android Authority
I want Gemini to be my DJ in YouTube Music
Stephen Headrick / Android Authority Imagine having your very own DJ in your pocket, ready to mix your favorite songs at a moment's notice. No, not your dad's 3-5 second crossfade, but instead a completely customized mix that makes the two songs you're transitioning between meld together like they were designed that way by the artists themselves. That's the idea behind Apple Music's upcoming AI-powered AutoMix feature, which is coming with this fall's iOS 26 release. As a former Spotify user and now years-long YouTube Music user, this is the first time I've even batted an eye at one of Apple's few Android apps. I'm not really a big fan of the old-school cross-fade functionality, but this is different. Google is consistently adding Gemini-powered features across all of its verticals — including in the main YouTube app — but so far, we haven't seen much of this AI prowess in YouTube Music. AutoMix is a seemingly small Apple Music feature with big implications, and I have some ideas on how Google can bring its super-powered Gemini experience into its music app. What music streaming service do you use? 1 votes Spotify 0 % Apple Music 0 % YouTube Music 100 % Other (let me know in the comments) 0 % I don't use a music streaming service 0 % DJ Apple, spin that track! Apple first announced AutoMix back in June at this year's WWDC, its annual developer's conference. In its own words, this feature uses 'time stretching and beat matching to deliver continuous playback and an even more seamless listening experience.' Marketing jargon aside, there is a clear difference that you can hear with AutoMix enabled when compared to the standard cross-fade. Details on how the feature works are sparse, but shortly after the iOS 26 developer beta was released, videos of AutoMix in action quickly began circulating on all the major social media platforms. For me at least, I was intrigued the moment I heard it in action. Because AutoMix is not a database of pre-mixed songs and is instead powered by AI, the mixing experience can vary from user to user. Occasionally, the mixes are pretty underwhelming — remember, this is still just a beta software — but more often than not, it doesn't just work, it sounds magical. It adds an entirely new dimension to your music listening experience. I would note here that right now, AutoMix seems to work best when the two songs are from a similar genre or have a similar number of beats per minute. That said, I'd imagine this will only improve in the future. AutoMix isn't an entirely new concept. In fact, Spotify released their own take on this feature years ago under the exact same name. It, too, appears to use beat matching to determine the best way to transition between songs, but from examples I've seen and user commentary I've read, Apple's take appears to be a more advanced version. Perhaps advancements in AI also allow for an overall better mixing experience. YouTube Music needs to join the party I've been a YouTube Music convert for years now, and all in all, I've been very happy with the service. First and foremost, it's included with YouTube Premium, which is one reason I believe Google's subscription is one of the most high-value subscriptions out there. And to Google's credit, YouTube Music has frequently improved its service, adding new features and making the user interface more appealing and user-friendly. Google has added Gemini-powered capabilities to just about every corner of its software universe. From YouTube to Google Workspace to Android devices and most everything between, you will likely find some sort of Gemini-enabled feature. And it's not like we haven't seen Google dabble in the world of music, either. Stephen Headrick / Android Authority Google is adding Gemini everywhere. Is YouTube Music next? Google needs to join the personal DJ party, and this is just the beginning of what they could do with the power of Gemini. AutoMix honestly seems like a small addition as I write about it, but I can't emphasize enough how different it feels to listen to music with this mixing enabled. It makes for such a satisfying listening experience, and I am more than confident in some form of Gemini powering Google's version of this. Let's take this a little further than this relatively small AutoMix feature. How else could Gemini enhance my music streaming experience? Look no further than Spotify DJ, a feature that's already been around for a few years in Spotify land. Essentially, Spotify is using AI to generate playlists according to what you already listen to, and it has helped my colleague discover a lot more new music than he used to. Imagine Google's take on this: a Gemini Live-like DJ that you can talk back and forth with and really fine-tune your taste to find the most relevant music possible. Stephen Headrick / Android Authority YouTube Music already has playlists created by AI, based on your text input. Time to take it to the next level with a Gemini Live-like experience. Here's the thing: Google is already doing most of the heavy lifting that this type of feature would require. It already has a feature in the Google Discover feed called Daily Listen, where two AI-powered 'podcast hosts' serve up a daily short-form podcast with news and information relevant to your interests. And it works incredibly well. Creepy well, if you ask me. And Google already generates playlists based on text input. Gemini could just connect these dots together more efficiently. Since this is a Gemini Live-like experience, why not just hum something into your mic and have DJ Gemini generate a playlist of songs solely based on the vibes of whatever you're humming. That sounds both incredible and incredibly doable with the power of Gemini. I feel like we're only scratching the surface here, and yet, as I already stated, much of this is already being done by Google elsewhere in its services. Now, the YouTube Music team just needs to package this all up for its platform. Is Apple's DJ good enough to make me ditch YouTube Music? Switching music services isn't exactly fun. The app's algorithms take time to learn your preferences, and YouTube Music has years of my listening data now, so it has gotten pretty good at suggesting the right music (and podcasts…yes, I use this app for podcasts, too) at the right time. Is Apple's AutoMix feature enough to convince me to switch? Only time will tell, especially because we don't yet have clarity on whether or not this will be an iPhone-only feature, or if it will eventually make its way over to our green bubble world. Since it's an AI-powered feature, Apple may decide AutoMix can only work on Apple devices and Apple's chips; I'm not saying it's not possible for them to bring it to Android, I just wonder whether Apple will use on-device AI as a reason to keep AutoMix exclusive to its devices. That said, I tested the feature out on an iPhone 14 Pro, which doesn't have access to Apple Intelligence, so I would guess that they'll bring it to their Android app at some point, and maybe even as soon as this fall when AutoMix officially launches. Apple Music on iOS 26 beta, with AutoMix enabled Apple Music on Android 16 beta, with no AutoMix option in sight For now, I'm sticking with YouTube Music. I'm really confident in Gemini at this point, and it's only getting better. Bringing more AI into YouTube Music is the logical next step for the evolution of the platform. I remember when Google first launched Gemini — remember Bard? — I was really unsure what to make of Google's AI. The transition from Google Assistant was really rocky at first, too. But Gemini has gotten really good, and more importantly, the way it has been integrated into Google's services has become extremely powerful. I use it a lot throughout my day. I think it's only a matter of time before we see an AutoMix-like feature introduced in YouTube Music, most likely alongside other more advanced Gemini-based features. Follow
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Today,' ‘GMA' & ‘CBS Mornings' Ratings Show Dramatic Swing
The latest morning news ratings have seen a surprising swing towards ABC News, with Good Morning America landing in the top spot in both total viewers and the key demo for the first time in almost two years. According to AdWeek, citing live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen for the week of July 21, GMA knocked NBC News' Today show from its longtime spot at the top of the ratings charts. GMA averaged 2.625 million total viewers and 481,000 viewers in the coveted Adults 25-54 demo, marking the first time since the week of August 7, 2023, the show has held the top spot in both measured categories. Compared to the week prior, GMA was up 1% in total viewers and 8% in the key demo. The show also held up well compared to the same week in 2024 (the week of July 22), remaining flat in the demo and down just 1% in total viewers. The Today show fell to second place in both total viewers and demo, with 2.297 million total viewers and 474,000 in the demo. Compared to the week before, Today was down 5% in total viewers and 10% in the demo. The show was also down on 2024, with -12% in total viewers and -20% in the key demo. CBS Mornings occupied the third spot with 1.8 million total viewers and 287,000 viewers in the demo for the week of July 21. While the show was down 2% in total viewers on the week prior, it was up 11% in the demo, making it the only network to gain double-digit improvements. However, compared to 2024, CBS Mornings was down 10% in total viewers and 20% in the demo. GMA is hosted by , , , and , with as contributor. Meanwhile, Today is helmed by , (who replaced Hoda Kotb back in January), , , , , and . CBS Mornings is hosted by , , and Tony Dokoupil, with Vladimir Duthiers and Adriana Diaz serving as fill-ins. , Weekdays, 7am/6c, ABC , Weekdays, 7am/6c, NBC , Weekdays, 7am/6c, CBS Solve the daily Crossword
Business Insider
8 hours ago
- Business Insider
How the Black aristocracy of the Gilded Age ushered in a new era of education and freedom
Season three of "The Gilded Age" has continued to explore what it was like for wealthy Black Americans in the late 1800s in New York City. One main storyline in "The Gilded Age" follows Peggy Scott (played by Denée Benton), an author, journalist, and daughter of a formerly enslaved man, Arthur Scott, who is a successful pharmacist and business owner in Brooklyn. Her mother, Dorothy Scott, is an accomplished piano player. Peggy's character was inspired by a few real-life women, including Julia C. Collins, the first Black female author to publish a novel. "The Black elite of the Gilded Age signaled that we, too, have taste. We too have education. We are like other citizens," Carla Peterson, historian and author of "Black Gotham: A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City," told Business Insider. After the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, the Gilded Age ushered in a Black aristocracy. The new class was made up of Black Americans who managed to amass wealth they'd previously been barred from. Industrialization and the railroad boom opened up business opportunities across the US. Many of the Black elite were made up of the "shopkeeping aristocracy" who owned retail and grocery stores and pharmacies, according to Peterson. "After the Civil War, there was an incredible explosion of modern industry, technology, and science, which fueled the money that makes the Gilded Age," Peterson said. "Black families of wealth emerged in this context." For example, Thomas Downing became one of the wealthiest people in NYC and was known as the"New York Oyster King." Thomas Downing, the son of formerly enslaved parents, moved to New York City and became a savvy businessman who popularized oysters, which had once been considered common food. In 1825, he opened the upscale Thomas Downing Oyster House, a restaurant so popular that Downing was nicknamed "the "New York Oyster King." Downing was one of the wealthiest people in New York City at the time of his death in 1866 — a millionaire in today's money, per The Virginian-Pilot. Still, he was prohibited from acquiring US citizenship until the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed, just one day before he died. Or maybe you've heard of Pierre Toussaint. Toussaint was born into slavery in Haiti and was eventually freed in New York City. He became a highly sought-after hairdresser among the society's upper crust, and used his new wealth to support orphans and immigrants to gain education and employment. Women also became more independent and wealthy, such as Mary Ellen Pleasant. Mary Ellen Pleasant became a self-made millionaire after she moved to San Francisco, following the glimmer of the California Gold Rush. While she worked as domestic help, she listened to the wealthy men she served as they exchanged information on making proper investments and managing money. Pleasant used that knowledge to buy up boarding houses, laundromats, restaurants, and Wells Fargo shares, becoming a famous figure in San Francisco in the second half of the 19th century. Some estimates by historians put her wealth around $30 million, which would be almost a billion in today's money. Gaining access to education was one of the ways Black New Yorkers achieved upward mobility. Money alone didn't grant access to the upper echelons of Black society. In addition to having "character" and "respectability," the Black elite emphasized both education and hard work as core values, according to Peterson. "Since Blacks came to this country, education has always been number one," Peterson told Business Insider. "There is a belief that if you had ambition, you could do anything you wanted. And ambition started with education." On February 25, 1837, Quaker philanthropist Richard Humphreys founded the first HBCU in the country, the African Institute — now Cheyney University — in Pennsylvania. The majority of HBCUs originated from 1865 to 1900, the period following the Emancipation Proclamation. Education was key to unlocking the skills to become a doctor or pharmacist, and also led to a flourishing of interests in humanities and the arts, according to Peterson. Scholars like W.E.B. Du Bois advocated for the need for an educated class. "The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men," Du Bois wrote in his essay, 'Talented Tenth." But as the name "Gilded Age" implies, not everyone was raking in wealth. Not everyone lived lavish lifestyles. The Gilded Age was also notorious for having the most significant wealth inequality in American history. The vast majority of workers, especially Black Americans and immigrants, faced extreme poverty and harsh working conditions in factories. "Chattel slavery is dead, but industrial slavery remains," economist and New York mayoral candidate Henry George said in 1886. And racism prevented even the most successful people of color from becoming fully integrated. Even those who did manage to gain wealth faced pervasive systemic inequities. White society largely viewed Black Americans as "a homogenous mass of degraded people," according to historian Willard B. Gatewood in his book, "Aristocrats of Color: The Black Elite." There was, however, a "certain amount of cooperation and interracial alliances between Blacks and whites," Peterson said. Peterson described how professional relationships enabled Black Americans to climb the ranks within businesses. She also pointed to the King's Daughters, a nationwide charity organization where white and Black women worked together to help those in need. Friendships between characters like Peggy and Marian, a white woman, in "The Gilded Age" were not unheard of. Erica Armstrong Dunbar, a professor of history at Rutgers University, told The Los Angeles Times about "the letters of white suffragists, women who had deep relationships with Black women, from the era of abolition up through the early 20th century." Activism of the 20th century would not have been possible without these men and women. Peterson said the emergence of the Black elite is inextricably tied to the burgeoning political and social activism in the 20th century, as exemplified by the 1909 founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the political magazine The Crisis, and the Harlem Renaissance.
