Apple to introduce new ambient music feature with iOS 18.4With the upcoming version of iOS, Apple is set to offer ambient music playlists from directly within the Control Center, each curated for a different mood. By default, it will give access to four categories – productivity, wellbeing, chill, and sleep – but users can customise this to allow access to any playlist from Apple Music.
For those with an Apple Music subscription, this feature will come with additional benefits. Subscribers will have full control over the tracks played, enabling them to skip songs, choose specific tracks, and save their favourite songs into custom playlists.

READ MORE: “This just looks like another wild scam”: Billy McFarland claps back at Mexican tourism board for claiming it has “no knowledge” of Fyre 2 – but people aren’t buying it

However, even without a subscription, users can still enjoy the feature, with Apple’s algorithms selecting and playing the most fitting tracks based on the chosen mood.
Currently, this feature is available in Beta mode, allowing users to test out its functionality and offer feedback before its full release. It’s expected to be officially rolled out in April 2025 with the release of iOS 18.4.
This update is set to include some other major changes to Apple devices, several of which involve new features for Apple Intelligence. For example, Apple Intelligence will now be able to determine which notifications are the most important and display these in a separate section of the lock screen, so only the most relevant notifications get through.
Apple also recently released the new Powerbeats Pro 2, following their first-generation release in 2019. These sporty headphones are designed to offer ten hours of battery life and have active noise cancellation. They are also the first Apple headphones able to monitor the wearer’s heart rate, a useful feature for any sportsperson wanting to keep track of their progress.
Learn more about iOS 18 at Apple.
The post Apple to introduce new ambient music feature with iOS 18.4 appeared first on MusicTech.

GS Music launch Bree6 desktop synth GS Music's second instrument, the Bree6, is a six-voice MPE-capable polysynth that has been designed to offer a straightforward and intuitive user experience with no menu-diving.

Mercury Rev in the Cusp of ZebulonThey're quite lovely, Mercury Rev. For this writer, a Saturday night at Zebulon, Los Angeles, represented the first time witnessing the Buffalo, NY psychedelic outfit in the flesh, and the experience was an eye-opener.Last year's Born Horses is Mercury Rev's 10th studio album, though they only played one song from it at Zebulon (the esoteric "Ancient Love"). Rather, we five songs from 1998's beloved Deserter's Songs.That's fair enough; that album is a bonafide classic and the likes of "Goddess on a Hiway," "Holes," and "Opus 40" are hair-raisingly beautiful. Like peers The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev takes you on a journey that at least feels like its transcending music.Jonathan Donahue's voice is a big factor; emotive, authentic and beautiful, he's a compelling frontman. His musical partner is Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak, the only other mainstay, and Grasshopper's guitar sound is recognizable in a manner similar to Reeves Gabrels. The show, while relatively short with just 11 songs, was incredibly sweet.The post Mercury Rev in the Cusp of Zebulon first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Google co-founder Larry Page reportedly has a new AI startupGoogle co-founder Larry Page is building a new company called Dynatomics that’s focused on applying AI to product manufacturing, according to The Information. Page is reportedly working with a small group of engineers on AI that can create “highly optimized” designs for objects and then have a factory build them, per The Information. Chris Anderson, […]
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Crypto voters could swing New Jersey gubernatorial raceWith roughly eight months until a November election, a Stand With Crypto poll suggested that the organization’s New Jersey advocates could determine who will be the next governor.

Plastic Gear RepairWe’ve seen several methods of repairing plastic gears. After all, a gear is usually the same all the way around, so it is very tempting to duplicate a good part to replace a damaged part. That’s exactly what [repairman 101] does in the video below. He uses hot glue to form a temporary mold and casts a resin replacement in place with a part of a common staple as a metal reinforcement.
The process starts with using a hobby tool to remove even more of the damaged gear, making a V-shaped slot to accept the repair. The next step is to create a mold. To do that, he takes a piece of plastic and uses hot glue to secure it near a good part of the gear. Then, he fills the area with more hot glue and carefully removes it.

He uses WD-40 as a mold release. He moves the mold to the damaged area and cuts a bit of wire to serve as a support, using a soldering iron to melt it into the gear’s body. Some resin fills the mold, and once it is cured, the gear requires a little rework, but then it seems to work fine.
We would be tempted to use some 3D printing resin with UV curing, since we have it on hand. Then again, you could easily scan the gear, repair it digitally on the computer and just print a new one. That would work, too.
We’ve seen the same process using candle wax and epoxy. If you want to see an example of just printing an entire replacement, we’ve seen that, too.

Universal Music Group’s recorded music subscription streaming revenues topped $5bn in 2024, up 9.1% YoYThere was less good news, however, from the world of ad-funded streaming.
Source

Unofficial Guide to Music Tech events during SXSW: Top PicksThe free Unofficial Guide to Music Tech events during SXSW in Austin next week is live and we share out top picks.
The post Unofficial Guide to Music Tech events during SXSW: Top Picks appeared first on Hypebot.

TeMuFra releases Colours, a FREE 8-voice polyphonic synth plugin
TeMuFra’s Colours is a new polyphonic synth plugin aimed at producers of all levels. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to download Colours; I’m running into an error at the Gumroad checkout. I’m not sure if I’m alone in that issue, but it’s working for some others, so I’ll keep trying. KVR Audio lists Colours as available [...]
View post: TeMuFra releases Colours, a FREE 8-voice polyphonic synth plugin

ROSTR adds Radar music industry contact searchLive music industry trade ROSTR has added Radar - a new way to search for contact info on professionals across the music industry.
The post ROSTR adds Radar music industry contact search appeared first on Hypebot.

“This just looks like another wild scam”: Billy McFarland claps back at Mexican tourism board for claiming it has “no knowledge” of Fyre 2 – but people aren’t buying itBilly McFarland, convicted fraudster and founder of the Fyre Festival – which went so spectacularly wrong it earned itself a Netflix documentary charting the disaster – has clapped back at the Mexican tourism board, which recently claimed it had “no knowledge” of a purported second edition of the festival due to take place in three months time.
The second edition of the Fyre Festival – if you can even call the first one the “first edition” – is due to take place from 30 May to 2 June at Isla Mujeres, a tropical island off Cancún, Mexico. Tickets went on sale this week, with prices ranging from $1,400 to $25,000, and premium packages being sold as high as $1.1 million. 
The only issue is both the Mexican tourism board and hotels supposed to be offering accommodation claim they have heard nothing about the event.

READ MORE: Former Fyre Festival investor warns of “red flags” for Billy McFarland’s 2025 reboot: “He knows how to pull people in”

Now, McFarland has posted a lengthy video statement to Instagram in an attempt to reassure those who doubt the legitimacy of his Fyre reboot.
“First, Fyre 2 is real,” he says. “Second, we have incredible partners leading the festival. They’re in charge of all the logistics, productions and operations. This includes an incredible production team in Mexico who does not [fuck] around. There is no way they would ever take on a fake festival.”
McFarland stops short of naming a single one of these “incredible partners”, or the “incredible production team” in Mexico.
He goes on: “Three, we have accommodations. Naturally, this was a huge point of emphasis given the issues surrounding Fyre 1. Our accommodations include contracts with a number of villas, yachts and hotels. 
“It also includes two hotels who were contacted by the media, and in response gave misleading statements saying they’d never heard of Fyre, and they aren’t working with us. After hearing this, I asked my team to terminate those contracts and to focus on the hotels and other partners who are eager to work with and support Fyre.
“Four, we have talent. Artists, athletes and other performers are on board and scheduled for Fyre 2.” Again, McFarland doesn’t mention the names of any of these artists or performers scheduled, despite the event being three months away.
He continues: “Five, restitution is being paid. Since being released 30 months ago, I’ve made 40 payments to restitution. I’ve also made it my mission to do more than legally required. Part of this has been giving a large percentage of Fyre 2’s budget and profits directly to restitution.”
He concludes: “My partners and I have remained in communication with local and state governments to ensure full compliance and a successful event that benefits the local economy, shares the beauty of the Mexican Caribbean with the world, and helps make right for all of the wrongs.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FYRE FESTIVAL (@fyrefestival)

The comments on the post certainly don’t make it seem like people believe him en masse. One user writes: “Billy, pack it up. No one believes you and this just looks like another wild scam.”
Another, who claims to live in Isla Mujeres and owns an events company on the island, says “everything he is saying is a lie”.
“There is not going to be a festival here,” they say. “The hotels weren’t cancelled by him – he never had them to begin with. The government hasn’t been contacted for anything- and now they will not touch this event, and no one here wants this event associated with the island.
“For those who don’t know, the island is five miles long and at its widest point is less than a mile wide. We don’t even have hotels or businesses here that can hold events even half this size. I think this dude literally closed his eyes, pointed to a spot on a map & was like ‘Okay, I landed on Isla Mujeres, let’s run with it.’ This video is laughable!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FYRE FESTIVAL (@fyrefestival)

The post “This just looks like another wild scam”: Billy McFarland claps back at Mexican tourism board for claiming it has “no knowledge” of Fyre 2 – but people aren’t buying it appeared first on MusicTech.

Reverb Machine MinotaurMinotaur is a preset pack designed for Arturia Mini V4, focused on raw, aggressive, and dark sounds. Most of the 80 presets in this collection are monophonic, giving you basses, leads, arpeggiators... Read More

BFD Drums release BFD 3.5 BFD 3.5 boasts a wealth of new kits, mix-ready presets and advanced modelling technology that promises to improve tom resonance and cymbal swells.

New research suggests music with a “groove” is better than ambient music for productivityMany streaming platforms offer ‘functional playlists’, often with calm soundscapes designed to boost productivity while working. However, new research suggests “groovier” music may be a better choice to improve brainpower.
A study, completed at New York University and published in the academic journal PLOS One, involved 280 participants split into four groups. Each group listened to different ‘auditory backdrops’ – office noise, pop music, deep focus and work flow.

READ MORE: Deadmau5 sells his catalogue for $55 million: “We inherit a legacy that changed music forever”

“The ‘work flow’ music we tested was characterised by strong rhythm with simple tonality, broadly distributed spectral energy below ~6000 Hz, and moderate dynamism,” the study’s authors explain. “By contrast, the ‘deep focus’ music that we tested was more minimalistic, with similarly simple tonality, but weaker rhythm, lower and more restricted spectral energy, and more reserved dynamism.”
These participants completed a mood questionnaire before and after the study and were given a “flanker task” to complete while listening to music. This involved repeatedly saying which way an arrow is pointing when surrounded by other symbols, and was designed to measure attention levels and mental processing.
The results showed the work flow music had a significant improvement on mood after the flanker task, and participants responded to the task more quickly over time while listening.
“There was a correlation between how much their mood improved and how fast they were providing correct answers.” Senior study author Pablo Ripollés summarises. “This is just a first study, but we hypothesise that the work flow music had an effect on both mood and speed of [mental] processing because it was liked and groovy at the same time.”
Ripollés also suggested that despite pop music’s potential to improve mood via groove, the lyrics and sudden melody changes may instead be distracting and harm cognitive performance as a result.
Ultimately, while calming, minimalist playlists have become a staple for productivity, new research suggests “groovier” music with stronger rhythms could enhance cognitive performance and mood. By improving focus and boosting mood, this study highlights the potential of upbeat, rhythmic music in optimising how we work and study.
Might it be time to rethink our go-to playlists for better concentration and motivation?
The post New research suggests music with a “groove” is better than ambient music for productivity appeared first on MusicTech.

DistroKid union blasts company over recent layoffs and slow talks: “My perception is that they were not bargaining in good faith”Music distribution service DistroKid remains under fire from its employee union after laying off 37 workers last November.
The company, which distributes around 30 to 40 per cent of all new music globally, claimed that the cuts were part of a larger effort to improve customer service, specifically “by expanding to 24/7 customer service with faster response times.”
At that time, the union voiced its concerns, stating that half of the affected unionised workforce was targeted by the cuts, including five out of seven members of the bargaining committee.

READ MORE: “I don’t f**k with Spotify anymore”: Snoop Dogg to cut ties with Spotify in favour of Web3 platform Tune.FM

Now, union chapter president Bill Bores has spoken to Billboard, criticising the slow progress of collective bargaining talks and highlighting the company’s decision to replace US staff with an outsourced support team in the Philippines, managed by offshoring firm Concentrix.
“My union knows that company very well because they have been involved in providing scabs and people to cross picket lines and thwart union drives,” Bores tells Billboard.
”So not only did they lay off American workers who are unionising, they sent their work to the Philippines to workers there that make very little compared to the workers here in New York.”
Political roadblocks have also complicated the union’s efforts. The National Labour Relations Board (NLRB), typically the arbiter in such labour disputes, finds itself hamstrung after one of its board members was fired by president Donald Trump, leaving it unable to hear complaints or enforce action.
In response to the criticism, DistroKid defends its decision, stating: “Since initiating our ramp-up to 24/7 support late last year, artist response times have improved by 74 per cent over the past three months and 90 per cent year-over-year.”
“Achieving this level of service required making difficult decisions that impacted valued team members, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions.”
One former employee, Wilson Rahn, however, disputes DistroKid’s claims, arguing that the company’s decision was not about improving service but about targeting union supporters.
“My perception is that they were not bargaining in good faith,” Rahn says. “I worked on their customer support funnel, made it faster and more effective and had a record of showing that I was succeeding in that. So my firing is pretty clearly, in my opinion, just because I was vocally supportive of the union.”
With limited legal avenues available, Bores says the union’s only option now is to apply public pressure to force DistroKid to return to talks. While union and company representatives held their first collective bargaining session last July, discussions have stalled due to a supposed lack of availability from DistroKid’s side.
“We finally got something on the calendar with them for October,” Bores recalls, “when the company’s attorney called me and said they’re going to fire half the unit.” The 37 affected employees were initially placed on administrative leave before being officially terminated — many of whom had been vocal in supporting the union effort.
The post DistroKid union blasts company over recent layoffs and slow talks: “My perception is that they were not bargaining in good faith” appeared first on MusicTech.