SIRIUS XM’S GLOBAL BEATLES DAY CELEBRATIONNearly six decades after The Beatles introduced “All You Need Is Love” to an estimated 400 million viewers during the groundbreaking Our World satellite broadcast, its universal message found fresh life at SiriusXM’s Los Angeles studios, where a fortunate group of Beatles Channel listeners gathered for an exclusive Global Beatles Day celebration honoring the band’s enduring influence on music, culture and the ideals of peace and unity.

Hosted by Beatles Channel personality and renowned Beatles historian Chris Carter, the intimate event began with a screening of the Fab Four’s unforgettable 1967 television performance before shifting seamlessly to the afternoon’s centerpiece: an imaginative new interpretation of the classic anthem by rising crossover artists Golda Zahra and Vasil. Following the performance, Carter led an engaging conversation with the singers and producer-arranger Steven Mercurio, offering guests an inside look at the creative process behind the recording before graciously posing for photographs with attendees.

Rather than attempting to duplicate one of popular music’s most iconic recordings, the performance explored new terrain by blending contemporary classical sophistication with rock energy. Zahra complemented Vasil’s rich baritone with a commanding vocal performance, effortlessly moving from warm lower passages to shimmering upper register flourishes in a duet built on warm and genuine musical conversation rather than vocal competition. Performing to orchestral backing tracks, the pair delivered a sweeping interpretation that balanced theatrical intensity with heartfelt restraint while remaining true to the song’s enduring spirit.

Mercurio, whose distinguished career includes collaborations with Andrea Bocelli, Sting and The Three Tenors, fashioned an arrangement that expanded the familiar melody into something larger in scale without sacrificing its essential optimism. The orchestral textures provided an expansive backdrop for the singers while preserving the unmistakable warmth that has made Lennon and McCartney’s composition one of the world’s most cherished expressions of hope.

The audience reflected the multigenerational reach of The Beatles’ legacy. Many proudly wore vintage Beatles T-shirts, while others embraced colorful Mod-inspired fashions that paid tribute to the band’s transformative era. Together they celebrated not simply a landmark recording, but the ideals that continue to resonate with listeners around the globe every June 25, the anniversary of the historic Our World broadcast that inspired the creation of Global Beatles Day.

Though the studio session was brief, lasting less than the announced hour, it immediately inspired an appreciation of how naturally the event connected past and present. Through Carter’s insightful hosting, Mercurio’s inventive musical vision, and the compelling artistry of Zahra and Vasil, SiriusXM created more than a commemorative gathering. It offered an affectionate reminder that while generations, styles and voices may evolve, The Beatles’ timeless invitation to embrace compassion, understanding and human connection continues to speak with remarkable clarity.

The live performance was subsequently scheduled to be featured on SiriusXM’s Global Beatles Day special to premiere July 3rd on The Beatles’ Channel, with encore airings throughout July 4th weekend. The special will also be available on the SiriusXM app. 

The post SIRIUS XM’S GLOBAL BEATLES DAY CELEBRATION first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Get Safari Audio Sun Bear Bus Compressor for $4.99 (96% OFF)
Safari Audio’s Sun Bear Bus Compressor is on sale at Plugin Boutique for $4.99, down from $129. The 96% discount runs until July 31, and Plugin Boutique is also including a choice of free gifts with the purchase. At the time of writing, the available gifts are Cloudmax Breeze Black Edition by Karanyi Sounds, AXXESS [...]
View post: Get Safari Audio Sun Bear Bus Compressor for $4.99 (96% OFF)

iZotope leaves the Native Instruments family after being acquired by Boris FX
iZotope has been acquired by Boris FX. It’s fair to say 2026 has been an eventful year so far for Native Instruments and all involved with the audio industry powerhouse, including iZotope. Recent months have been a time of uncertainty for staff and customers alike, with the future of multiple well-established brands hanging in the [...]
View post: iZotope leaves the Native Instruments family after being acquired by Boris FX

Bella Figura founder Alexi Cory-Smith dies, aged 58Cory-Smith's colleagues at Bella Figura confirm tragic news on social media
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Fancy 100 hard synths in software form? Meet UVI Synth Anthology 5UVI has launched a brand new version of its hard synth software collection, Synth Anthology 5, now boasting a total of 300 hardware synths within it.
The brand describes it as “the largest and most complete edition” of the collection thanks to an additional 100 synths from its previous iteration, spanning “every era, manufacturer, and method of synthesis” in a single software instrument.

READ MORE: GForce Software’s Sequential Prophet-5 is the best Prophet-5 emulation ever, hands down

The sounds within this new version are all curated directly from the original hardware they digitally emulate. Each machine has been sourced, serviced, and captured through “high-end signal chains” before being programmed and edited by the UVI sound design team.
Users can experiment with over 1,000 sound layers, over 16,000 samples, and 300 presets. The software also features controls for analogue drift, a hardware-modelled ladder filter and VCF4023 filter, as well as a polyphonic sequencer mode and per-step sequencer note repeat.
Take a closer look in the videos below:

At the heart of Synth Anthology 5 is new dual-layer architecture that combines any two of the 300 synths into one hybrid voice, with the blend itself fully modulatable. There’s also a built-in proximity explorer that analyses each sound loaded and presents eight related voices to audition and remix.
In other UVI news, earlier this year it unveiled Vintage Casio Legacy, offering software versions of classic Casio synths. As these original synths were often launched at premium prices, the suite was made to bring them into an affordable digital realm.
The package includes six classic Casio machines and is Casio approved. UVI had access to the original hardware and recorded them in multiple sessions to capture their unique characteristics, like tonal variations, voicing, and signal path colour.
Synth Anthology 5 is available now for $89 / 89€ (regularly $149 / 149€) until 20 July. Users of Synth Anthology 4 can upgrade for $49 / 49€ until this date also. Find out more via UVI.
The post Fancy 100 hard synths in software form? Meet UVI Synth Anthology 5 appeared first on MusicTech.

Low End Candy releases The Clap, a FREE crowd-clap plugin for macOS
Low End Candy has released The Clap, a free crowd-clap synthesizer for macOS. The interesting part here is that The Clap does not use samples. It synthesizes handclaps from scratch by modeling everything from the skin smack to the body of cupped palms, and a adding bit of snap for more impact. I often use [...]
View post: Low End Candy releases The Clap, a FREE crowd-clap plugin for macOS

Golden DSP releases Shatter Clip, a FREE visual clipper plugin
Golden DSP has released Shatter Clip, a free clipper plugin for macOS and Windows. If there is one type of plugin I have seen dozens and dozens of over the past several years, it has to be the clipper. There are countless free clippers out there, and I doubt that most producers need another one [...]
View post: Golden DSP releases Shatter Clip, a FREE visual clipper plugin

VSL reveal Synchron Brass (muted) The latest addition to VSL’s ever-expanding sample library collection introduces three new Single Pack instruments to the Synchron Brass series, along with a new bundle that brings together all of their muted brass offerings. 

13 Greates​t Sophomore Albums in Music⁠ HistoryFrom Nevermind to Paranoid, these 13 sophomore albums didn't just avoid the dreaded second-album slump — they became the defining records of their artists' careers.

Thiel Capital’s Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups like Etched through Arizona connectionsSelby's VC firm Copper Sky Capital is currently raising a $300 million second fund, according to a regulatory filing.

Logan Light joins Warner Music Group as Chief of Staff to CEO Robert KynclLight joined WMG in March according to his LinkedIn profile
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GAVIN TEMPANY JOINS KYLIE MINOGUE’S TENSION TOUR ON SSL LIVE L550 PLUSMonitor engineer Gavin Tempany supported Kylie Minogue’s 2025 Tension Tour using a Solid State Logic Live L550 Plus console, managing complex in-ear mixes, and an extensive communications setup across nearly 70 global shows.

The production combined detailed vocal control, integrated comms routing, and full system redundancy to accommodate the scale and technical demands of the tour.

The post GAVIN TEMPANY JOINS KYLIE MINOGUE’S TENSION TOUR ON SSL LIVE L550 PLUS first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

DIY SI5351 Radio Tunes In SW, MW, And MoreThere are plenty of radios you can buy that pick up MW and SW bands if that’s what you’re into. Or, you can follow [mircemk]’s example, and whip one up yourself instead.
The build employs an ESP32 as the brains of the operation. It’s hooked up to a rotary encoder and a small colour TFT screen, which displays an old-school style tuning dial for choosing the desired frequency. This setup is paired with an Si5351—a capable clock generator chip that can deliver just about any frequency from

IMF says tokenization could transform settlement and financial stabilityThe global lender says blockchain-based finance could streamline markets but warns that fragmented standards and regulations may create new systemic risks.

FRCTL Audio releases DLAY Lite, a FREE multi-tap delay plugin
FRCTL Audio has released DLAY Lite, a free multi-tap delay plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. DLAY Lite is a simple delay with two main controls and 12 presets. You can pick a preset, adjust Mix and Wash, and you are basically done. The Wash knob is the main character control. It turns tighter, clearer [...]
View post: FRCTL Audio releases DLAY Lite, a FREE multi-tap delay plugin