Elon Musk’s X platform files to dismiss music publishers’ $250 million copyright lawsuitX, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has filed to dismiss a lawsuit filed by major music publishers back in June.
The lawsuit accused the platform of wide-scale copyright infringement, and was filed by a coalition of 17 music industry bodies, with plaintiffs including Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Group, Warner Chappell, BMG and more.

READ MORE: Warner Music Group sign licensing deal with TikTok to boost social media revenue

The original lawsuit against X seeks to claim $250 million in damages for “hundreds of thousands” of alleged infringements of approximately 1,700 pieces of music.
As opposed to other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, it was reported at the time of the filing that the platform had not negotiated music licensing agreements with music copyright holders.
The motion to dismiss now filed by X is the first response the platform has made since the original lawsuit was filed.
In the document (via Rolling Stone), it has cited a 2005 supreme court ruling from MGM Studios v. Grokster, and has claimed that the publishers “do not allege that X encouraged, induced, or intended to foster the infringement of Plaintiffs’ works,” further arguing that the music publishers “must allege that the defendant took active steps with the intent of encouraging infringement.”
It also adds, “To the contrary, X’s anti-infringement policies and practices, including its DMCA policy, believe any reasonable assumption that X has induced its users to infringe any copyrights,” and further states, “Even reading the Complaint in the light most favourable to Plaintiffs, no liability can be established on the facts as pleaded.”
David Israelite, CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA),  said in a statement (via Music Business Worldwide) on 15 August that “X’s response is par for the course – another attempt to deny the fact that they have consistently failed to stop or even slow the rampant piracy on their platform.”
View the full motion to dismiss at Music Business Worldwide.
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77% of US festival goers say they plan to use drugs thereAccording to a new survey, 77% of US festival-goers admit they plan to use drugs during their next festival. That’s a very sobering stat for festival organizers in two distinctly. Continue reading
The post 77% of US festival goers say they plan to use drugs there appeared first on Hypebot.

“What do they do up there? Twiddle filter knobs and clap”: Deadmau5 says most DJs play pre-recorded sets at major festivalsElectronic music producer Deadmau5 has said that most DJ sets at major festivals are pre-recorded.
The artist, who’s real name is Joel Thomas Zimmerman, shared that he has played pre-recorded shows himself, explaining that at most big festivals “you have to”.

READ MORE: Deadmau5 on plugins vs. hardware: “For me, fun isn’t struggling on a laptop”

The topic is a divisive one, but Deadmau5 had no problem in being honest and upfront about it. He began discussing the topic of pre-recorded sets during a live stream which has since been posted to YouTube. Responding to a comment that asked if he had “ever faked a DJ set”, he was happy to share that he had played pre-recorded ones due to time restraints.
“If he means a pre-recorded set, yeah, wow, all the time. Most of the time. Does that make you mad? Do I go to jail for that? Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren’t,” he says.
Whilst nonchalantly eating popcorn, he then goes on to make a joke about the FBI knocking on his door: “How dare you play a pre-recorded set due to a strict timeline!”
“[At] most major festivals you have to play a pre-recorded set. Like EDC [Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas], I would be surprised if somebody actually played a set that wasn’t pre-recorded to be honest, because theres such a big deal to the fucking artist in the production schedule and the timeline and all that stuff that they wouldn’t wanna fuck up.
“You know what a dead giveaway is to a pre-recorded set? The visuals, believe it or not. When shit is so immaculately timed that everything is lining up, that means everything is on a playback system,” he explains. “What do they do up there? Twiddle filter knobs and clap, yes absolutely. That’s all you can do.”
Deadmau5 then went on to respond to a comment saying those who play pre-recorded sets are not real DJs, “Okay. Says who? The fucking DJ police?” he scoffs.
Watch the video below:

Tickets to see Deadmau5 live are available through his website.
The post “What do they do up there? Twiddle filter knobs and clap”: Deadmau5 says most DJs play pre-recorded sets at major festivals appeared first on MusicTech.

“Pop will be way more minimal sounding” in the future, Charli XCX predictsElectro-pop and PC Music singer-songwriter Charli XCX has taken to Twitter – now X – to share her predictions about the future of pop music, foreseeing a more minimal sound.

READ MORE: PC Music to stop releasing new music after 2023

“I predict that over the next year pop music will be way more minimal sounding – like 3 or 4 sounds per song plus vocal” the Boom Clap singer wrote yesterday.
After one fan responds to her minimalism prediction by tweeting that pop music should be “highbrow and exciting”, Charli XCX justifies that minimalist music can be “exciting and avant-garde”, not necessarily translating to just acoustic or soft sounds.
“Extreme drama” can be created through minimalism, she writes, found in songs like Peaches’ Fuck The Pain Away and SOPHIE’s Bipp.

“When i say minimal”, she defends, “I do not mean ‘simple’ or ‘lacking complexity’ or ‘small’. i mean that there are only 4 or 5 sounds that make up the entirety of the song – and this choice ends up making everything feel monolithic to me. There is no clutter. Every slight change feels gigantic because you can hear every detail.”
The Crash singer also says that she thinks lyrics will become less metaphorical and “flowery” moving forward and more conversational – “things you’d actually say to your friends on FaceTime”, she writes.

i predict that over the next year pop music will be wayyyy more minimal sounding – like 3 or 4 sounds per song plus vocal
— Charli (@charli_xcx) August 13, 2023

Charli XCX, who has become a cultural icon for the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, was included in the Barbie soundtrack with her track Speed Drive. The soundtrack, curated and produced by Mark Ronson, made UK chart history, with Charli’s track reaching nineteenth in the UK Top 40 charts.
After being added to the soundtrack, she tweeted “Wont lie I did used to behead my Barbies but really happy to be on the soundtrack tho!”
Charli XCX isn’t the only artist to have made predictions regarding the future of music this year. At the BRIT Awards in February 2023, David Guetta said “the future of music is in AI. For sure. There’s no doubt. But as a tool.”
Keep up to date with all things Charli XCX via charlixcx.com.
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Scientists have reconstructed Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall by listening to people’s brain wavesScientists have successfully managed to use people’s electrical brain activity to accurately reconstruct the classic Pink Floyd song Another Brick in the Wall.
The experiment – the first time a recognisable song has been decoded from brain activity [per The Guardian] – is hoped to restore the musicality of natural speech in patients who struggle to communicate as a result of neurological conditions like stroke or ALS.

READ MORE: This new AI music generator can generate over one billion different soundtracks

29 patients were played a three-minute segment from Another Brick in the Wall, with the following brain activity recorded using electrodes placed directly on the surface of their brains as they underwent surgery for epilepsy.
AI technology was then used to take the brain scans and turn them into audible material. Though somewhat muffled, the line, “All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall” was heard, with its rhythms and melodies intact.
“It sounds a bit like they’re speaking underwater, but it’s our first shot at this,” says Professor Robert Knight, a neurologist at the University of California in Berkeley who helped conduct the study.
Knight says by using a higher density of electrodes – the team worked with an average separation of 5mm between electrodes – the results of the experiment may improve.
“Now that we know how to do this, I think if we had electrodes that were like a millimetre and a half apart, the sound quality would be much better,” he says.
Staff at the same laboratory have reportedly been able to decipher speech – and even slightly imagined words – from brain scans, but according to Knight, “in general, all of these reconstruction attempts have had a robotic quality”.
“Music, by its very nature, is emotional and prosodic – it has rhythm, stress, accent and intonation,” he continues. “It contains a much bigger spectrum of things than limited phonemes in whatever language, that could add another dimension to an implantable speech decoder.”

The post Scientists have reconstructed Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall by listening to people’s brain waves appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer’s “super portable” JT-4000 Micro synth officially launchesBudget synth manufacturer Behringer has officially launched its JT-4000 Micro synth, which you can now order with immediate shipping.
The small and portable synth is inspired by the Roland JP-8000 which launched back in 1996.

READ MORE: “We don’t pay to play”: Behringer further outlines policies on supplying free gear to reviewers

Behringer revealed that the product was officially in production back in May this year following chip shortages, and branded it as “the most powerful synth in the smallest package ever.”
The price at this time rose to an estimated $69, up from $49. It now appears that the list price has gone back down to this original listing, as announced by the brand on Facebook.

JT-4000 MICRObit.ly/BE-JT-4000MICROA super portable programmable 4-voice hybrid synth that comes with 2 analog…
Posted by Behringer on Sunday, August 13, 2023

The JT-4000 is a programmable four-voice hybrid synth that comes with two analogue modelling oscillators per voice. Behringer says it is a reproduction of the JP-8000 sound engine with a Supersaw waveform. Further than that, it also has 32 memory presets, and hosts 16 touch sensitive keys.
It has two LFOs, and uses analogue filters coupled with a 12-bit DAC to provide the “warm and natural sound” associated with classic full-sized synths, but in a much smaller enclosure.
Check it out in the video below:

Last month, Behringer also unveiled its Pro VS Mini which replicates the Sequential Prophet VS, a Vector synthesiser which launched in 1986 with a much larger size.
Behringer has been launched new products with a steady flow following global chip shortages which occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Behringer now works with new chip plants in the United States to facilitate manufacturing.
In March of 2022, the brand shared that it was working on over 50 products. These are continuing to be frequently launched, with more product announcements landing on its social media regularly.
Find out more and order yours via Behringer.
The post Behringer’s “super portable” JT-4000 Micro synth officially launches appeared first on MusicTech.

Tascam update Sonicview consoles’ firmware The latest firmware for the Sonicview 16 and Sonicview 24 consoles introduces some new functionality and promises to simplify the operation of both units.

“It feels good”: Saoirse’s shift from DJ to producer has been a long time comingSaoirse’s blue cap is embroidered with the statement: ‘I’m not a DJ’. But she’s one of the brightest DJ exports to come out of Ireland in recent years. Her rich, globally-sourced palate of dance music spans blistering techno and house – new and old – to bass and trance. Saoirse’s sound and style have taken her to the world’s greatest dancefloors, with her recent Fabric Presents mix providing yet another justification for this.
She’s also an event curator. In 2021, she set up Body Movements, an event with a focus on inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community, hosting a night at Printworks and, so far, three one-day festivals.

READ MORE: My Forever Studio: Jungle’s foley and fake horn revelation

However, the former BBC Radio 1 resident is only just gearing up for what’s ahead. Having set up a record label, trUst, she’s beginning to delve into the world of music production, away from the decks. We find out about what Saoirse is using to make music, where she makes it and what advice she has for budding producers.
TRST002 Two Bruised Egos EP by Saoirse
Saoirse, before we get into the details of your studio and how you use it, let’s talk about your life outside of music production. Tell us about Body Movements.
The wheels got into motion about four years ago but COVID held us back for a couple of years. We’re on our third festival edition now after this most recent edition in July.
Our goal with Body Movements was that it was representative of the full – as much as possible – spectrum of the queer community within clubbing culture. It definitely connected with the community, we get a lot of feedback from attendees that say they feel safe and accepted at BM.
What’s one tune you’re playing at the moment that excites both you and the crowd each time you play it?
I’ve been finishing a lot of sets with Leo Pol, Keep dancing. It’s fast, sexy and also really pretty, for those loved-up moments on the dancefloor.

Tell us about your Fabric Presents mix.
Fabric’s had such a big influence on my life. I’ve been on that dancefloor more times than I can actually count and they feel like a family to me. I don’t need to go there with anyone as I know I will have people there always. I’ve learned so much musically about what DJ I want to be from being within those walls. The mix tries to encapsulate all of those years I’ve spent in Fabric.
fabric presents Saoirse by Saoirse
Let’s move on to production. A recent shift?
A long time coming! It feels good. I still have a lot to learn but it’s such a huge release for me writing music. I feel genuinely happy when I’m in the groove in the studio, like being in a little bubble. It’s meditative.
Have you always made music?
Yes but just messing around in my room really, more as a channel for release. Lockdown gave me the freedom to zone in on it, and improve my knowledge and understanding of all my gear. Sleeping in the studio, waking up and cracking on with it until late that night… surely I must be learning something?!
Tell us a bit about the studio.
I share a studio with a friend in Cambridge Heath. It’s cute and actually has windows which is rare!
TST001 Trust EP by SaoirseHow do you use your studio?
Sometimes I start a project on the road, just get a groove down and then I’ll usually bring those stems into my studio workflow and get some synths and effects on it, and of course listen to it really loud.
We have been looking at renting it out as I am away so much but still paying the full rent. But, who can you trust with your pride and joy?
Saoirse in her studio. Image: Caleb Wissun-Bhide
What is your favourite piece of gear?
Probably the Kawai K5000. It’s the layers of texture it has. It has depth and it’s sparkly and spooky at the same time.
What’s the ethos behind your trUst record label and how did your recent Two Bruised Egos EP and upcoming release from Mella Dee tie into that?
trUst is music for the dancefloors, club tools, nothing more, nothing less. Ideally, something you play today and still in 10 years – tool-y music; essential.
Saoirse in her studio. Image: Caleb Wissun-Bhide
What is your dream piece of gear and why?
The Sequential Prophet-5. It is delicious and I will own one… one day.
If you were left on a desert island, what one item would you take with you to make music with forever?
I would take a djembe.
What is your top piece of production advice?
Experiment. Also, when a track is feeling like it has legs but you just can’t get something right… push through it, and spend that extra painful 30 minutes working on it. It will, and often does, click.
Check out all of Saoirse’s music and mixes via her Soundcloud.
The post “It feels good”: Saoirse’s shift from DJ to producer has been a long time coming appeared first on MusicTech.

A Sync Licensing Music Executive is Changing the GameThis week on the New Music Business Podcast, Ari is joined by Jessica Vaughn, Head of Sync at Venice Music and President of Head Bitch Music.

Royer Labs reveal FlexBar dual mic mount The FlexBar features a pair of L-shaped arms that can be locked off at different angles, offering a more versatile microphone positioning solution than many existing stereo bars.

Electrify America-backed 75MW solar farm kicks off operationsElectrify America, the EV charging company created by Volkswagen in the aftermath of its diesel emissions scandal, said on Tuesday that a new, 75 megawatt solar farm in Southern California is now up and running.
Electrify America isn’t operating this solar farm. Instead, the company struck a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with renewable energy developer Terra-Gen. It’s the latest development in Electrify America’s efforts to link itself to renewable energy projects. The firms broke ground on the plant back in February.
Your typical VPPA involves a buyer, which pays a fixed price for whatever energy is generated, and a seller, which generates the energy and sells it via the grid for the buyer at market rates. The buyer assumes some risk, because the seller might wind up selling the energy below the fixed rate. Yet, the buyer could also see the upside if market prices trend above the fixed rate.
In other words: Electrify America is taking on some risk with this deal, and in exchange it gets to say it’s helping clean up the grid while potentially benefiting from rising energy prices.
Renewable energy developers play a crucial role in decarbonizing the grid, but just how far do VPPAs go in mitigating climate change? This seems to be an open question. Even Electrify America’s press release leaves some wiggle room on this front: “This brand new construction contributes to ‘additionality,’ by producing new renewable energy that may not otherwise be available,” the company said in a statement (Emphasis: TechCrunch).
Might another buyer have stepped in if Electrify America hadn’t? Like any offset-related deal, it’s difficult to say whether the agreement is facilitating something that definitively would not have happened otherwise. (If you are aware of any academic studies on the environmental impact of VPPAs, please get in touch: harri.weber [at] techcrunch.com).
For its part, Electrify America’s announcement states that the peak energy its investment will generate is “comparable to the power drawn by 500 EVs charging at once at an average speed of 150 kilowatts.” The solar farm’s annual “production is projected at 225 Gigawatt-hours,” Electrify America adds. In an earlier press release, the firm claimed the outcome of this deal will be “comparable to the carbon sequestered by planting nearly 40 million trees.”
VW subsidiary Electrify America to add Tesla connectors to EV charging network

Bitcoin price action is beginning to mirror BTC’s 2015-2017 pre-bull market cycleBitcoin’s price action and the crypto markets’ structure are beginning to mirror the pre-bull run activity seen in previous years, according to Delphi Digital.

Sequential unveil Trigon-6 Desktop Module More than just a compact version of their most recent polysynth, Sequential's new Trigon-6 Desktop Module also features some newly introduced MPE capabilties.

Universal Audio UAD Ocean Way Mic Collection The Ocean Way Microphone Collection plug‑in for the UA Sphere modeling microphone system gives you the tones of the "best of the best" vintage mics from the world‑renowned Ocean Way... Read More

Donner Releases B1 Synth Update, Introduces 'Song Mode'Chinese musical instrument manufacturer Donner announced the release of the latest firmware update, V1.1.0, for the Essential B1 Bass Synthesizer, their first analog bassline synthesizer with sequencer. This major update brings a host of exciting new features, enhancements, and bug fixes, making the Essential B1 even more versatile and user-friendly.

SONG MODE Unleashes Infinite Creativity

With the V1.1.0 firmware update and the introduction of SONG MODE, a feature that extends the sequencer from 16 steps to an astounding 256 steps, users can now chain up to 16 patterns, creating seamless transitions and expanding the possibilities of music creation. The new SONG MODE can be switched automatically or manually using the 16 designated buttons, providing quick access to 16 favorite patterns.

Other Updates from the V1.1.0

In addition to the groundbreaking SONG MODE, the V1.1.0 firmware update brings several enhancements and bug fixes, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable user experience.

Firmware Version Display

Upon power on, the LED screen now displays the firmware version for easy reference.

Improved Step Editing

The back-lit keypads now indicate the pitch of each step during REC/EDIT mode, facilitating precise adjustments.

Streamlined Parameter Adjustment

Adjusting OCT, GATE LENGTH, and RATCHET for each step is now faster and more intuitive by holding the corresponding button and pressing the↑/ ↓ buttons.

Smart Save Indicator 

Whenever unsaved changes are present in the sequence, the SAVE button will light up, and when switching patterns without saving, the SAVE button will flash briefly for confirmation.

Enhanced Random Note Generator Access

The Random Note Generator is now accessible via PLAY/STOP + REC/EDIT, simplifying the process during sequence playback.

Improved Clear/Rest Function

To clear the pending pattern, use PLAY/STOP + CLEAR/REST instead of PATTERN + CLEAR/REST.

Donnermusic.com