Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2025 Opens for EntriesThe Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) has built a reputation as one of the industry’s most inclusive honors, recognizing music across film, television, streaming, video games, commercials, and emerging media. Now heading into its 16th year, the HMMA has officially opened its call for submissions.A statement from the company discloses that “the 16th Annual Hollywood Music In Media Awards is now accepting submissions.” Categories span a wide range, giving composers, songwriters, and artists opportunities to showcase their work on a global stage.The 2025 ceremony will take place on November 19, 2025, at the Avalon Hollywood, the historic venue on Vine Street that has hosted the event in past years.A statement from the company further notes that “eligibility, guidelines, deadline and other specifics can be found at Submission Info & Voting.” In short, now is the time for creators to prepare their entries.Submissions are being accepted at hmmawards.com/submit-music.The post Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2025 Opens for Entries first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Armada’s BEAT Music Fund acquires entire master rights catalog of Laidback Luke and Olga Heijns’ Mixmash RecordsThe acquisition gives BEAT Music Fund a catalog that has clocked some 200 million streams worldwide
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“High-end studios are not places I feel comfortable making music”: Why Omar+ is still making hits from his bedroomOmar+ has only just released his debut EP, Open Your Eyes, but his audience has been locked in for several years. The London producer, DJ and vocalist has almost two million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, with his 2025 track, Back It Up (made in collaboration with fellow rising star, Josh Baker), sitting comfortably at 20 million streams. His social media accounts tell the same story, with millions of likes on his TikTok and Instagram videos. Such online metrics are impressive, for sure, but the young artist is making waves in the real world, too, with a packed performance at Reading and Leeds festival, a sold-out headline show in London, and a show at Eden Ibiza under his belt. The allure? A buoyant blend of house and R&B that brims with catchy hooks and channels those euphoric moments so sought after in modern dance culture.
In this outing of Studio Files, the Londoner explains why he prefers his home space over established studios, why he’s got an appetite for some analogue gear, and why he thinks the idea of mixing and mastering is “blown out of proportion.”
Omar+! Congrats on your debut EP, Open Your Eyes! How different was the process of creating an EP on your own, compared to your previous releases?
I would say the time that went into it, to be honest. They weren’t quick turnarounds like with other tunes I’ve written. I spent a lot more time delving into music I was really into and how I could recreate those sounds. I was more specific and nitpicked very detailed sonics that I wanted to create in those songs to try and nail the perfect representation of my music taste. It was just much more of an intricate process.
You’ve garnered a decent following and buzz so far, mostly with unreleased tracks —is there a strategy you’re following?
Nah [laughs]. I think it probably looks like that now, especially with how this year’s gone so far — like there’s this formula I’ve kind of cracked — but it’s just happened completely naturally.
You’ve worked on some records with other acclaimed UK artists lately, like Piri and Josh Baker. What have you picked up from those collaborations that has helped you in your own solo work?
I’ve just been able to see so many different people’s workflows, which has kind of inspired my own. In a broader sense, every artist I’ve worked with is really talented in their own right, and it’s just inspiring to be surrounded by them.
Omar+ and Josh Baker. Image: Press
Tell us a bit about your studio.
My studio is very stripped back. It’s literally just a bedroom studio, and that’s the way I like it. I learned last year by going to professional high-grade studios, that it’s actually not where I feel comfortable making music. A lot of the time, I feel most comfortable when I’m just in my own space. I don’t need really expensive equipment or anything like that. As long as I’ve got a laptop, a mic, my monitors and a decent interface, that’s all I need.
What’s been the biggest investment in your studio?
I guess just as a whole, all the plugins I have… I’m sure that’d probably be quite a large investment. I haven’t bought everything at once; it’s been gradual over time. But yeah, I guess plugins, because the more plugins you have, the more sounds you have, and it just constantly opens up new possibilities for your music. Sometimes you can get stuck in a writer’s block if you’re using the same sounds over and over again. So I think it’s a great idea to keep updating your plugins and having new synths to work with, purely because they can spark new ideas.
Image: Press
There’s a lot of old-school influence in the sound palette of Open Your Eyes — how did you tap into those sounds? Were there certain instruments or synths you relied on?
Yeah, definitely. Open Your Eyes has the most 90s house influence that I’ve managed to work into a track. And that just came from, I mean, obviously listening to music from that era and being in places where I’d be hearing classic house. That was definitely the track I spent the most time on in terms of trying to recreate those sounds, but it was all just about the sound design. I want to say I used Omnisphere, because it has the Juno and Prophet recreations on there, and the specific track that inspired that synth was Groove La Chord.
Your music blends a lot of tech-house & R&B sounds; what do you think is the common thread between these two genres?
The common thread is the ambience. House music and R&B are very ambient genres to me. A lot of the time, the best house or R&B songs are actually quite simple, but the production or the vocals create a constant feeling and a vibe throughout the song. They’re actually quite similar … to my ears anyway!
Image: Press
How do you see your sound and studio evolving in the next two years?
I think it’s time to start investing in physical hardware and gear. That’s definitely kind of the next step I want to take to really build and define my sound. In terms of studio space, I do kind of want to keep it at home. I mean, maybe at some point I’ll need to rent out a studio somewhere, but right now I really feel comfortable making music at home. I don’t really want to take it anywhere else.
What’s a music production myth you think needs debunking?
I think the importance of mixing and mastering might be blown out of proportion. People will disagree with me, but I actually don’t think the best tracks have the cleanest, sharpest mix and master. I actually think if you have a basic understanding of it yourself, some of my favourite songs aren’t mixed that well, but they just have this sound, which just feels fresh from the producer, fresh from the home studio. I actually really like that; it gives a track more character.

Before you go, what can you tell us about the story and process behind your track Make Believe with Luke Dean?
Luke sent me the instrumental, and I was sitting with it for a while. I didn’t get back to him straight away, and then I remember I was playing it on my phone in the shower and I just started singing along. A lot of the time, I have the best ideas in the shower because my mind just wanders. I was literally just singing along to it, and a lot of the lyrics and melodies that you hear on the track now were born in that moment. I was just singing them. I jumped out of the shower, set up, jumped on Pro Tools and laid down the majority of the track just like that. It all came about really quickly.
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Elektron announce Tonverk Elektron have unveiled a new instrument which has been designed as both a polyphonic sampler and a flexible sound-processing hub. The Tonverk combines multi-track sampling, modulation and comprehensive effects routing.

Minimal Audio releases FREE Formant plugin for macOS and Windows
Minimal Audio has released Formant, a free formant shifter plugin designed for quick vocal tone shaping on macOS and Windows. Formant is not your typical formant filter that you’d find in a synthesizer, the type that became super popular for making wobbly dubstep basses. Instead of emphasizing vowel-like sounds like “ah,” “oh,” or “oo,” it [...]
View post: Minimal Audio releases FREE Formant plugin for macOS and Windows

Formant is Minimal Audio’s new formant shifting plugin for “modern vocals” – and it’s totally freeMinimal Audio has expanded its plugin library with a new free offering, Formant – an “effortless” vocal tone shaper “built for modern vocals”.
Available to download at no cost at all, Formant is, as you might guess, a formant shifter plugin. But what is formant shifting?

READ MORE: Spotify Lossless audio is finally here – and no, we’re not kidding

As Minimal explains, a formant shifter “moves the resonant peaks of a sound (its formants) up or down in frequency while leaving the fundamental pitch unchanged”. This results in a change in a vocal’s tone or identity, meaning it can sound higher or lower in character without changing its pitch.
Technologically, this works in a similar way to how a singer could sing the same part differently while retaining the same key.

Additionally, Formant is able to adjust the overall spectral balance and darken or brighten a vocal line, opening up “another dimension of tonal shaping”.
Minimal Audio says Formant – while a formidable tool in its own right – could serve as a “gateway” to its upcoming flagship vocal resynthesis plugin, Evoke. There’s little detail on that as it stands, but we’ll keep you updated as we know more.
Minimal also touts Formant’s “extremely simple interface”, which features an XY pad for the exploration of different tonal configurations. It’s also lightweight, with low CPU usage.
Aside from the obvious use case of transforming a lead vocal, for example, Formant can be used to create backing vocals with a separate, distinct character, or you could stack multiple instances to build layered and contrasting vocals.
And the best part? Formant is totally free. If you’re working with vocals in any capacity, it’s probably worth having in your arsenal.
For more info, and to download yours, head to Minimal Audio.
The post Formant is Minimal Audio’s new formant shifting plugin for “modern vocals” – and it’s totally free appeared first on MusicTech.

How KPop Demon Hunters nailed the Formula for FandomKPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched film by representing authentic fandom and K-pop culture. Its blend of real fan insight and universal themes turned a niche into a global hit. Learn how KPop Demon Hunters nailed the formula for fandom
The post How KPop Demon Hunters nailed the Formula for Fandom appeared first on Hypebot.

Reverb UK has reduced its fees for sellersReverb UK is relaunching with lower seller fees – an “all-in” 5 percent on every sale, down 3 percent from before – and new tools for sellers.
Reverb is the largest online marketplace dedicated to music gear so, in addition to private sellers, many UK-based music shops and businesses also rely on the platform to sell stock. This 3 percent drop in sellers fees means more money retained for these businesses and individuals.

READ MORE: Apple AirPods Pro 3: “World’s best” Active Noise Cancellation, Live Translation, next-gen sound design – and everything else you need to know

As well as this fee drop, sellers will now have access to UK-specific market trend data – which they can use to price their gear more effectively – as well as discounted postage labels via DPD, Yodel, and Evri.
These changes, Reverb says, “further empower sellers to get their gear into the hands of musicians throughout the UK and beyond using the music gear marketplace created by musicians for musicians”.
“Since 2016, Reverb has played a key role in the UK’s music-making community by connecting musicians with music gear they love,” says Reverb’s Chief Operating Officer, Tiffany Miller.
Credit: Reverb
“Whether you’re parting with a vintage Telecaster or looking for unique pedals that can reshape your sound, our straightforward fees and key product improvements make selling music gear more rewarding than ever before, giving musicians more time to focus on what really matters: making music.”
The appeal of Reverb in that it connects musicians with their used dream gear at the perfect price stretches both to hobbyist music lovers and professional recording artists alike.
Acclaimed producer, Amy Winehouse collaborator and nine-time Grammy winner Mark Ronson uses the Reverb marketplace to find used gear, and even did so while making the soundtrack to the Barbie movie.
“We were working on the score for Barbie, and we realized that Director Greta Gerwig was in love with the sound of ‘70s and ‘80s analogue synthesisers,” he recalled in an Industry Insights talk at NAMM last year.
“I looked on Reverb for a Yamaha CS-80, and I saw that there was one about an hour and a half away, so we drove out to get it and its sound became a key part of the movie’s soundtrack.”
So if you’re in the UK and have a piece of gear that could use a new owner, you can now make the most of lower seller fees on the world’s largest online music gear marketplace.
For more info, head to Reverb UK.
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Crowdfunding for Independent Musicians: All You Need To KnowWith all the buzz about superfan monetization, alternative funding and royalty advances, it's easy to lose site of the importance and potential of crowdfunding for independent musicians. This guide share all you need to know.
The post Crowdfunding for Independent Musicians: All You Need To Know appeared first on Hypebot.

Spotify Lossless audio is finally here – and no, we’re not kiddingAfter quite literally years of users requesting the feature, lossless audio is finally coming to Spotify, with Premium users being granted access in selected markets in the coming months.
Speculation began to ramp up earlier this year, with rumours of a “Music Pro” tier floating around February time. As it turns out, “Music Pro” is not a thing, but Lossless is finally arriving to all Premium users.

READ MORE: Apple AirPods Pro 3: “World’s best” Active Noise Cancellation, Live Translation, next-gen sound design – and everything else you need to know

With Lossless, Spotify users can now stream tracks in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, meaning greater sonic detail across “nearly every song available on Spotify”.
In terms of when they’ll actually get access to Lossless audio, Spotify Premium users will receive a notification when it becomes available to them.
Spotify is also enabling users to choose their own custom settings for Wi-Fi, cellular and downloads, with quality options for Low, Normal, High, Very High and now Lossless – for “maximum flexibility and control”.
Lossless is available on mobile, desktop and tablet, as well as many Spotify Connect-supported devices including Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser and more. Support for devices from Sonos and Amazon is arriving next month.
“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers,” says Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP Subscriptions, Spotify. 
“We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritises quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our premium users will now have an even better listening experience.”
It’s worth noting that Lossless audio will need to be manually enabled, with a Lossless indicator now appearing in the Now Playing view or bar.
Credit: Spotify
Getting the most out of Lossless audio is also subject to certain bottlenecks relating to hardware, so for the best experience, Spotify recommends you stream on Wi-Fi using wired headphones or speakers on a non-Bluetooth connection.
“Currently, Bluetooth doesn’t provide enough bandwidth to transmit lossless audio, so the signal has to be compressed before being sent,” Spotify explains.
The platform also says some tracks will take a moment to play, owing to the larger audio files associated with lossless audio. “But once it’s cached and loaded, you are ready to listen,” it says.
Spotify says Lossless is rolling out “gradually” to more than 50 markets through October, with Premium users in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK already beginning to gain access.
For more information, head to the Spotify Newsroom.
The post Spotify Lossless audio is finally here – and no, we’re not kidding appeared first on MusicTech.

CEDAR introduce DNS 8S noise suppressor New from CEDAR Audio, the DNS 8S is a noise suppressor designed specifically for live sound and broadcast applications where audio over IP is not required.

Apple AirPods Pro 3: “World’s best” Active Noise Cancellation, Live Translation, next-gen sound design – and everything else you need to knowYesterday saw the latest Apple Event from the California tech giant, and among a host of exciting new announcements – including the iPhone 17, all-new and ultra-thin iPhone Air and upgraded Apple Watch models – was the unveiling of its AirPods Pro 3.
The latest generation of its massively popular in-ear headphones, AirPods Pro 3 bring a plethora of new features, including “world’s best” in-ear Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) – removing up to 2x more noise than the previous generation – as well as improved sound quality, fit and battery life, heart rate sensing and even Live Translation.

READ MORE: Apple Logic Pro 11.2 and 2.2: Stem Splitter, Flashback Capture, ChatGPT and everything else you need to know

The latter – powered by Apple Intelligence – helps users have face-to-face conversations even if they don’t speak the same language as one another.
“With AirPods Pro 3, the most popular headphones take a massive leap forward, providing fantastic sound quality and the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones,” says John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. 
“Combined with an improved fit that provides greater stability for even more people, heart rate sensing, extended battery life, and Live Translation enabled by Apple Intelligence, AirPods Pro 3 take personal audio to the next level.”
Those are the new features of AirPods Pro 3 at a glance, but let’s dive in a little further to take a more granular look at the improvements.
“World’s best” Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
Credit: Apple
Sure, ANC is a pretty common feature on earbud headphones these days, but what makes it the “world’s best” – as Apple promise – on AirPods Pro 3 are both ultra-low-noise microphones and advanced computational audio, paired with new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation. In fact, these buds offer 2x more noise cancellation than the previous AirPods Pro model, and up to 4x more than the original AirPods Pro.
Improved sound design
Apple says AirPods Pro 3 deliver an “exceptional” spatial listening experience, with next-generation Adaptive EQ, which transforms the bass response, widens the soundstage and brings “vivid” vocal clarity across music, shows and calls.
Upgraded fit courtesy of a new in-ear design
AirPods Pro 3 are said to be the “most secure and best-fitting AirPods ever”, courtesy of over 10,000 ear scans and more than 100,000 hours of user research. The internal architecture has been re-engineered to make each bud smaller, while the external geometry of each tip has been aligned to the centre of the body for increased stability.
Additionally, the ear tips now come in five sizes – including a new XXS size – and AirPods Pro 3 are designed for improved durability with IP57 sweat and water resistance.
Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence
Credit: Apple
In what could be the most useful upgrade with AirPods Pro 3, they now come with Live Translation, enabling users to have conversations in real time with people who don’t speak the same language.
Powered by computational audio and Apple Intelligence, Live Translation is designed to help people “easily connect”, and there’s even an option to use an iPhone as a horizontal display, which shows a live transcription of what the other person is saying in their preferred language.
At launch, Live Translation is available in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish, with four more languages – Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (simplified) – coming by the end of the year.
Upgrades to health monitoring
Credit: Apple
AirPods Pro 3 feature Apple’s smallest custom-built photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor – which shines invisible infrared light 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow. It all sounds very sci-fi, but what does it actually mean?
Well, combined with sensor fusion from the AirPods Pro 3 accelerometers, gyroscope and GPS, users can more closely than ever track their heart rate, calories burned and earn rewards in the Fitness app.
Additionally, AirPods Pro 3 bring Hearing Protection to EU and UK users, following certification in these regions. Conversation Boost is now automatic, hearing-impaired users powerful amplification combined with background noise reduction.
Pricing and availability
Priced at $249.99, AirPods Pro 3 available now for pre-order, and will begin shipping 19 September.
For more information, head to Apple.
The post Apple AirPods Pro 3: “World’s best” Active Noise Cancellation, Live Translation, next-gen sound design – and everything else you need to know appeared first on MusicTech.

Algoriffix adds pitch correction to Pitch Perfekt, a free voice-to-MIDI plugin
Algoriffix has updated Pitch Perfekt, its free voice-to-MIDI plugin, with a new pitch correction feature in the latest version 1.7 beta. We previously covered Pitch Perfekt when it launched in 2024, and it was already a handy tool for converting your voice into MIDI in real-time or from audio files. The new update makes it [...]
View post: Algoriffix adds pitch correction to Pitch Perfekt, a free voice-to-MIDI plugin

Future Audio Workshop SubLab is just $10 Until September 29th
Future Audio Workshop is offering the SubLab bass synthesizer for just $10 at Plugin Boutique until September 29th. SubLab is a sub-bass synthesizer built for modern hip-hop, trap, and electronic music producers. The idea behind the synth engine is to create custom bass and kick sounds, especially 808 bass sounds and similar patches. The plugin [...]
View post: Future Audio Workshop SubLab is just $10 Until September 29th

Own a piece of synth history: A restored Minimoog is being raffled for charity – here’s how you can take partA fully restored vintage Minimoog Model D is being raffled to raise funds for the Bob Moog Foundation.
The decades-old synth, serial number 4605, was originally manufactured in Moog Music’s Williamsville, NY factory in the early 1970s. It has since been fully restored by Moog Music engineer Tim Johnston and bears the signature of musician Todd Rundgren, whose pioneering use of Moog instruments shaped his work with Utopia and his solo recordings.

READ MORE: I got lost in Moog Messenger’s massive Res Bass sounds

The raffle launches Monday, 8 September 2025, at 7am EST and closes Monday, 29 September 2025, at 1159pm EST. It is open internationally, with tickets priced at $25 each, five for $100, 12 for $200, and 35 for $500. The winner will be announced on Thursday, 2 October.
Credit: The Bob Moog Foundation
Funds raised will support the Foundation’s key initiatives, including Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has introduced more than 35,000 elementary students to the science of sound, the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, and the Moogseum, which opened in 2019 but continues to recover financially from the impact of last year’s Hurricane Helene.
Speaking on his involvement, Rundgren says, “The Moog modular synthesizer and the Minimoog helped define my sound. I am thrilled to have signed this fully restored vintage Minimoog for the Bob Moog Foundation in support of their educational efforts, including Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which inspires thousands of elementary school students through sound every year.”

Since its introduction in 1970, the Minimoog has become a landmark instrument, distilling the power of Moog’s massive modular synths – like the System 55 – into a more accessible, portable format. Its influence has endured for decades, bridging engineering, artistry, and creativity.
Purchase your raffle tickets today at the Bob Moog Foundation website.
The post Own a piece of synth history: A restored Minimoog is being raffled for charity – here’s how you can take part appeared first on MusicTech.