Got a TV Licence?

You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law.

Find out more
I don’t have a TV Licence.

Live Updates

Kev Geoghegan & Sarah Jane Griffiths

All times stated are UK

Get involved

  1. That's your lot this week

    We're done for another week.

    Scroll down for the best in New Music Friday releases, including Justin Timberlake's track Can't Stop The Feeling, which will definitely be part of our soundtrack to the summer.

    Plus new music from Skepta, Dua Lipa and James Blake.

    Plus you can hear Tom Hiddleston stretching his vocals chords as country legend Hank Williams.

    Join us next week for much more music news. 

  2. De La Soul announce new album

    De La Soul

    Some very exciting news now - De La Soul have announced a new crowdfunded album titled And The Anonymous Nobody.

    According to the press announcement, Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo have recorded more than 300 hours of live music

    Their Kickstarter campaign ran for 33 days in 2015 and raised more than $600,000 (£415,200) in funding.

    The new album's guest stars reads like a Who's Who, including Blur's Damon Albarn, Usher, Snoop Dogg, 2Chainz, Jill Scott, David Byrne, Pete Rock, Estelle, Roc Marciano and Justin Hawkins from The Darkness.

  3. The crazy world of the concept album

    Rick Wakeman

    Concept albums: full of songs that go on for weeks and straggly-haired rockers prattling on about mystical lands and unicorns OR a rewarding experience? 

    That's the subject being explored by a new BBC Four documentary airing tonight and fronted by legendary cape-wearing keyboardmeister Rick Wakeman (pictured above, in one of said capes). 

    The film features interviews with artists including Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull, Laura Marling, George Clinton and Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne - but to get us in the mood, here is a collection of concept albums that actually make sense, from Woody Guthrie to Kendrick Lamar and The Streets.

  4. Pink Floyd to reissue albums on vinyl

    Pink Floyd

    Newer collectors of vinyl will be able to get their hands on Pink Floyd's back catalogue for the first time in over two decades next month.

    The first four albums, released on 3 June, will be The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, the soundtrack from the film More and the 2 LP set Ummagumma. 

    Other albums will be released at dates throughout the year, with "special care" taken to replicate the original packaging.

  5. Bocelli to sing for Leicester City because of their 'beautiful story'

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Andrea Bocelli's been explaining more about how he ended up agreeing to perform for Leicester City fans at the King Power Stadium this weekend ahead of the team's game against Everton. 

    The football-loving tenor told 5 Live Breakfast he had called up Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri a month ago to offer his services to the team, who are now Premier League champions.

    Bocelli said: "I've followed the story of Leicester for months, I love this beautiful story".

    Video content

    Video caption: Andrea Bocelli will perform for Leicester City fans at the King Power Stadium.
  6. James Blake on working with 'wonderful' Beyonce

    Beyonce

    As well as debuting two tracks from his new album (scroll down for more), James Blake also spilled the beans on working with Beyonce while he was on Annie Mac's Radio 1 show last night. 

    He co-wrote the opening track on Beyonce's Lemonade, Pray You Catch Me, and sings on the track Forward too.

    He gave Annie his verdict on their time in the studio: 

    Quote Message: She is wonderful. She's as wonderful in person as I hoped that she'd be. And [it was] an honour to work with her. Maybe I just sang the right thing, I don't know. I didn't know what was going to happen with it, it could have ended up falling into the ether, but it didn't. It ended up on the record and now it's a number one record and somehow my name is floating in amongst the amazing tracks on the rest of that album.

    It seems the track Forward got the seal of approval from Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy too. 

    Blake told Pitchfork: "She was singing along to the song, which was a huge compliment, because kids just don't have any pretense whatsoever."

  7. Where to find new music this summer

    The Independent

    Lady Leshurr

    In the spirit of New Music Friday, the Independent has handily come up with a list of its choice of festivals where you can find new music, including artists like Lady Leshurr (pictured above).

    Consolation indeed if you missed out on Glasto tickets.

    Read more 

  8. X Files Duchovny in a kilt

    Glasgow has been treated to the sight of Hollywood's David Duchovny wandering the streets of Glasgow, having a smoothie, and - it appears - performing in a kilt.

    The X Files star, who released his debut album Hell or Highwater last year, performed at the O2 ABC in a gig on Thursday. He plays at London's Union Chapel on Friday.

    View more on twitter
  9. Dizzee Rascal revisits Boy In Da Corner

    Dizzee Rascal

    Dizzee Rascal's been chatting to US website Pigeons & Planes about his 2003 debut album Boy In Da Corner - ahead of a special show at the Red Bull Music Academy in New York tonight, where he'll perform the album in its entirety for the first time. 

    He says working on the Mercury Prize-winning album as a 17-year old was the most fun he's had making a record - and he's enjoyed revisiting and relearning the tracks.

    Quote Message: The obvious songs like Jus A Rascal, Fix Up Look Sharp and I Luv U, I haven’t stopped performing since they came out. So I’ve been performing them for 14 years. But the others... I'm having to relearn them because I never knew them like that in the first place. I haven’t sat here and listened to Boy In Da Corner for 13 years. It’s an old album, I let it go, I concentrated on making other albums. It’s been good though, it’s almost like listening to somebody else. from Dizzee Rascal
    Dizzee Rascal

    Dizzee also hinted he could bring the show to his home town of London next. 

    Quote Message: To do this show in New York and not do it at home, I understand that wouldn’t be right. I will definitely be up for doing it at home. That is where it came from and it would mean a lot for me to do it in London.

    Watch this space.

  10. Film music 'keeps symphonic music alive'

    Press Association

    Robert Downey Jr, Brian Tyler and Chris Evans

    Brian Tyler, who has composed scores for films including the Fast And The Furious franchise, Marvel movies The Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, has said his craft is helping "keep symphonic music live".

    He is performing as part of the Philharmonia At The Movies series at London's Royal Festival Hall.

    The 43-year-old, pictured above with Avengers stars Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans, has composed scores for more than 70 films.

    Tyler told the Press Association, the field is "bursting" with talented people.

    "I'm not only friends with, but I really admire Hans Zimmer and Michael Giacchino, who have been doing some fantastic work," he said.

    "I listen to their work and it's so impressive and so musical. I think it's really the modern way of keeping symphonic music alive and in the ears of the public by being associated with movies."

    Do you agree? Tweet us @BBCMusic and let us know your thoughts.

  11. JT thanks Trevor Nelson for his support 'through the years'

    We're just a little jealous of this, BBC 1Xtra's Trevor Nelson has been slipped a little something special in his post to mark New Music Friday.

    View more on twitter

    Want it!

  12. Radiohead's bizarre new online teaser

    Heaven forbid we go into the weekend feeling like we know what Radiohead are up to with their new album. Following the release of new track Burn the Witch on Tuesday, they've just posted a surreal new teaser video on their Instagram account. 

    No stop motion this time, just Thom Yorke looking lost and some slightly unsettling, jangly music that wouldn't be totally out of place in a horror movie.

    But what does it mean?! Is he searching for some meaning in an ever expanding universe or has he simply taken the wrong turn on the way to the toilet? 

    View more on instagram
  13. Skepta celebrates Konichiwa release with Tokyo purchase

    Grime artist Skepta is celebrating the release of his long-awaited debut album Konnichiwa with a copy of the CD, apparently purchased in Tokyo Japan.

    View more on instagram

    Tonight on BBC 1Xtra, the full album will be played by Semtex who will break it down track by track.

    View more on twitter
  14. The best worst singer in the world. But why?

    BBC Culture

    BBC Culture

    Florence Foster Jenkins

    Meryl Streep hits the big screen today in the new Stephen Frears film Florence Foster Jenkins, about the woman regarded and even admired as the worst singer in the world.

    She was a socialite and self-style opera star who garnered legions of fans including celebrities such as Noel Coward.

    Clemency Burton Hill has been finding out what made her so popular for BBC Culture.

  15. Dua Lipa debuts heartbreak-inspired track Hotter Than Hell

    This week's New Music Friday also sees the release of London singer Dua Lipa's new track Hotter Than Hell.

    View more on youtube

    Lipa started the year on the BBC's Sound of 2016 longlist, and when she spoke to the BBC back in February she filled us in on the story behind Hotter Than Hell. 

    Quote Message: [It's] about a really horrible relationship - one that went off the rails. It was really bruising my ego, and making me feel like I wasn't worth it. I was heartbroken, but I started to write about that time and I felt I had a lot to say.
  16. Tom Hiddleston: 'Playing Hank Williams was foreign territory'

    Out in cinemas in the UK today is the Hank Williams biopic I Saw the Light starring Bond frontrunner Tom Hiddleston as the tortured US country singer.

    The British thespian had to learn to play the guitar and sing to accurately pass himself off as the Country music legend.

    He told the BBC playing Williams was "truly foreign territory".

    He added: "The film is about the nature of performance. When I read the screenplay, it was a really compassionate reading about someone whose life was about performing and connecting with an audience.

    "Hank is someone who changed the landscape of American music."

    Here he is in the trailer:

    View more on youtube
    Quote Message: It's amazing to scratch the surface of his legacy and find that, without him, contemporary music isn't the same. He inspired Bob Dylan, he inspired Johnny Cash, he inspired Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones.
    Quote Message: I loved exploring the tension in him, between the joy he gave to his fans and his personal demons. He was one of those artists who was afflicted by addiction, he was an alcoholic with a turbulent marriage but all those things in a tragic way added to the power of his music.

    Tom was also a guest on Chris Evans' Radio 2 Breakfast show earlier and gave Chris a few lessons on how to pull off William's signature yodels...

    Video content

    Video caption: Tom Hiddleston gives Chris a lesson in country and western yodelling.
  17. James Blake surprises fans with new album

    James Blake

    James Blake stopped by Annie Mac's Radio 1 show last night to debut not one but two new tracks - also making the surprise announcement that his third album The Colour in Anything would be coming out in a matter of hours.

    The follow-up to 2013's Overgrown features collaborations with Bon Iver and Frank Ocean, who is credited with co-writing the album and was co-produced by Rick Rubin.

    Annie made Radio Silence her Hottest Record and also played I Need a Forest Fire which features Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon. 

    Blake said it was "an honour" to work with Vernon adding: "He just sings gold and it comes out quickly and effortlessly. And that's the kind of person he is."

    Listen to the tracks and interview below:

  18. Who to see at the Proms if you're not a hardcore classical fan

    David Bowie

    Tickets for the BBC Proms go on sale tomorrow morning, but if you're a Proms newbie and feel like classical music is not really 'your thing', there are a few events that could help ease you in.

    BBC Music has rounded up seven of the best - from the First Night to the David Bowie Prom, the Quincy Jones Prom to one of our favourites - the Bold Tendancies Prom in a Peckham multi-story carpark. 

    You'll need to hit the phones at 7:00 BST Saturday morning (7 May) or head to the website now to construct your online Proms planner. 

  19. Red Hot Chili Peppers announce new album

    The Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced their eleventh studio album The Getaway will be released on 17 June.

    For the first time since Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the band has not enlisted the services of super producer Rick Rubin but have have instead brought Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich on board.

    The Peppers have marked the announcement by releasing the album's first single Dark Necessities. 

    View more on youtube