Version 4.0 of WordPress has been announced and is already out in Beta mode. This version follows the musical theme for its name and has been called “Benny” in honour of jazz clarinetist and bandleaderBenny Goodman.

This release includes major improvements to the plugin directory, a much more pleasant environment to write in, with better embed support and an auto-expanding editor, and finally media has been made more functional and beautiful.

WordPress 4.0 is available for download or update in your WordPress dashboard or alternatly ask us to upgrade for you. While 4.0 is just another number for after 3.9 and before 4.1, we feel that the WordPress team has put a little extra polish into it. This release brings you a smoother writing and management experience we think you’ll enjoy.