The AI skills gap is here, says AI company, and power users are pulling aheadAnthropic finds AI isn’t replacing jobs yet, but early data shows growing inequality as experienced users gain an edge, raising concerns about future displacement and workforce divides.

Warmth.dev Reel Deal Magnetic Tape SimulationReel Deal - Magnetic Tape Simulation Plugin Add authentic analog tape warmth to your digital recordings. What It Does Reel Deal simulates the sound of vintage reel-to-reel tape machines. It adds warmth, saturation, and subtle character that makes digital recordings sound more natural and cohesive. This effect is based on an advanced, physical simulation of magnetic tape properties, as a result of our original research. Features Tape saturation with adjustable drive and character. Variable tape speeds (3.75 - 15 ips) for different tones. Input and output gain controls. VST3 + CLAP + AU formats. macOS (Intel + Apple Silicon), Windows, Linux. Sound 15 ips: Bright and clean, minimal coloration. 7.5 ips: Classic warm tape sound. 3.75 ips: Dark and lo-fi. Lower speeds sound darker. Higher speeds are brighter. Stacks with other Warmth plugins Reel Deal pairs well with other plugins in our lineup: Run it with Pale Horse Transparent Overdrive for tape-saturated drive tones. Use it with Keys for instant lo-fi piano. Combine with Tape Wobble for full tape sound. From Warmth - warmth.dev Read More

BTS comeback concert drew 18.4M global viewers says Netflix, as attendance figures spark debateThe group's first live performance since 2022 was streamed from Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square.
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The Most Intricate Of Freeform Digital ClocksDigital clock projects have been with us since the 1970s, when affordable LEDs and integrated circuits became available. In 2026 most of them use a microcontroller, but for the AliExpress fans there’s one that goes straight back to the ’70s with a pile of logic chips. You can make it on the supplied PCBs, but that wasn’t for [ALTco]. Instead, he made the circuit in free form, using six metres of brass wire.
The construction is anchored together by a set of busbars that carry sockets for a set of seven-segment and driver modules. The circuit is typical for the day, with a crystal oscillator and divider chain feeding the counters for the displays. There are a few clever tricks that older engineers might recognize in order to reduce the chip count. In this case that’s negated by an extra set of circuitry allowing the time to be set from a rotary encoder.
We’re impressed by the intricacy of the device, made bit by bit without a plan, it as some wires what thread their way between others. It’s a truly beautiful piece, and it reminds us of our circuit sculpture contest back in 2020.

Live Review: Trueblood and Prestyn Smith at The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CAToday's rising artists Trueblood and Prestyn Smith closed out their tour with two shows at The Observatory North Park San Diego, CA (3/20) and the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA (3/22). This short run of six dates began at Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA last month and followed with the Bowery Ballroom in N.Y.C., The Foundry in Philadelphia, PA, and the Songbyrd Music House in Washington D.C. All shows instantly sold out. These artists are a perfect pairing and had played shows together last year including a sold-out Ventura Music Hall show. Observatory North Park was the biggest show for both artists' careers with the exception of Trueblood playing Wango Tango last year. This sure was a historic night. The fans are very dedicated, with many having traveled from other states and parts of the world. The crowd, delighted as they were, threw homemade bracelets and other items onstage during the show. There was also a Meet and Greet following the Observatory show that lasted over an hour. This Sunday, Trueblood’s “Make It Out,” and Prestyn’s “Yellow Lights” are part of KROQ’s Locals Only playlist.

Seal Beach native Prestyn Smith, one of the greatest voices of this generation and the next big pop star, has been rising across TikTok and Instagram, hitting over 1,000,000 TikTok followers, over 620,000 Instagram followers (almost 700 posts), 547,000 Facebook followers, and 51,000 YouTube subscribers with her acoustic covers and videos playing guitar while riding a skateboard. Over the last few months, her Instagram followers have gone up by around 100,000. Top 10 Spotify plays adding to nearly 850,000. There has also been airplay on legendary L.A. radio stations Alt 98.7 and KROQ 106.7 and the band includes Hermosa and O.C. locals Cash Lane (bass), Ashwin Desai (guitar), and Jackson Daw (drums). Like Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band kicked off with a jam which led into Prestyn running onstage to a bunch of screaming fans. It was an incredible experience to witness. This nine-song set included all originals with the exception of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Because I Like A Boy." The opening song was  “Fell In Love,” which has a Jack Johnson vibe to it, with Prestyn plays acoustic guitar on it. It was the perfect song to open with and it was followed by her second biggest song “Can’t Lie” (105,710 plays). Next was one of her earlier singles (2024) “Angel On My Shoulder,” then “Because I Like A Boy," “I Meant It” (Released January 2025), and second to last was her biggest hit “Can’t Lie,” released this past November and has already accrued 223,074 plays and includes audience interaction clapping during the chorus. The closing song was her latest single “Yellow Light’s” (87,798 plays) which No Doubt’s Adrian Young recorded the drums on. This is an artist truly bound for greatness.

One of the quickest rising bands, San Diego Natives Trueblood consists of teenage brothers Mason (lead vocals/guitar), Dylan (lead guitar), Ethan (bass), and Cameron (drums). Their ages range from as young as 13 to 18 and they have been playing instruments for half their lives. Since November 2024, they've already accomplished hitting 3,000,000+ Instagram followers, 540,000+ YouTube subscribers, and over 15,000,000 top 10 combined Spotify plays. They have amassed a very dedicated fan base and have been bringing songs from artists before their time to the next generation which can be seen when the house music plays before their set—with much of the audience singing along with those songs. During the East Coast run, fans were lined up early in the afternoon in under 40 degree weather—the line stretched nearly a mile long line by the time doors opened. Their setlist kicked off with “Never Let You Down,” and included originals “Flood My Brain,” “Enemy” (performed acoustic), “21 Cents,” “Stuck,” “Paint A Picture,” and “Morning Shade.” For covers they performed Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Can’t Stop,” an acoustic version of Laufey’s “From the Start,” The Weeknd’s “Sweater Weather” (also acoustic), Franz  Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out,” and George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”—which was the final song.

Before the tour, Trueblood performed intimate local shows in Oceanside, San Diego, as well as Anaheim and Los Angeles (plus larger performances at Wango Tango and Soma Sidestage). The next generation of great rock bands is here.

Photos by Alex KluftThe post Live Review: Trueblood and Prestyn Smith at The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Steinberg unveil Nuendo 15 The latest version of Steinberg’s post-production-focused DAW has just arrived, and comes packed with new dialogue editing, sound design and mixing tools, as well as improved automation, simplified multi-channel managements and more. 

Sonuscore introduce Fantasy Vocal Phrases Designed specifically for composers working on fantasy TV, film and game scores, Sonuscore's latest library brings together a collection of vocal phrases sung in an improvised fantasy language. 

Microphone polar patterns explained: how to choose the right one for every recordingMicrophone polar response patterns are simpler than they seem. The polar pattern of a microphone dictates where around the microphone it will pick up and capture sound, affecting the way you should and shouldn’t point the microphone at sources to get the best out of it, allowing you to control bleed from other sources and focus in on what you’re trying to record. You can use polar patterns to great effect to both capture sound when a source is within the polar pattern or reject sound when it’s not.

READ MORE: “What’s currently out there isn’t good enough; we can do better”: Why AKG wants to raise the bar for budget microphones

Thanks to the joys of physics and the phase polarity of a sound wave, different microphones offer distinct polar patterns, meaning different areas of rejection, which in turn assign them to different roles on the stage and in the studio.
There are three main microphone polar patterns: cardioid, figure-of-eight and omnidirectional. An omnidirectional pattern captures sound in a spherical shape around the whole microphone capsule front to back, left to right, up and down, and does so with equal pressure on all sides. A figure-of-eight microphone, however, captures sound from both front and back, but at opposite polarities to each other. Combining these two patterns leads to areas of the original omnidirectional pattern being cancelled where the opposite polarity in the figure-of-eight pattern overlaps, and results in the cardioid pattern.
Cardioid
Cardioid polar response pattern. Image: MusicTech
Best for: Capturing sources in detail and reducing bleed.
Cardioid patterns are widely available on dynamic and condenser microphones, and selected for sources that need isolation from the world around them. For this reason, cardioid mics are widely used in live settings as they’ll pick up a singer’s voice but reject the screaming crowd in front of them, or for a snare drum to pick up the snare’s crack but not the washy hi-hat above it. The (in)famous Shure SM57 and SM58 microphones are dynamic cardioid mics and are widely used live.
Hypercardioid is another common polar pattern, offering more capture behind the mic, but superior rejection to the sides.
Hypercardioid polar response pattern. Image: MusicTech
Varying the level of each pattern causes both more and less cancellation in areas of overlap, creating both supercardioid and hypercardioid patterns. These are as helpful for rejecting sound as they are for capturing it.
Many condenser microphones offer variable polar patterns in this way, allowing you to switch between cardioid, omni and figure-of-eight, some even offering patterns between the patterns for fine tuning. A famous example of this is the AKG C414, trusted for its clear, detailed, dynamic and rich sound. On the other hand, some condensers offer everything you need in a simple, cardioid package, like the Neumann TLM 103.
Despite the original discovery of the cardioid pattern via an omni and figure-of-eight design, many variable microphones use dual cardioid patterns to switch between the polar patterns for a more consistent, reliable and accurate result.
Ultra-directional
Supercardioid polar response pattern. Image: MusicTech
Best for: Detailed sources where mic placement is paramount, such as speaker cabinet cones, rooms, live vocals.
While technically supercardioid and hypercardioid polar patterns fall under this category, they deserve their own recognition. Much like a subcardioid removes a little of the figure-of-eight’s influence and allows a little more rear information, hypercardioid and super cardioid polar patterns feature a little less information at the expense of a little more rear information; mostly ambience and room sound, adding to the natural quality of the resulting sound! Some nicer condensers feature continuously adjustable polar patterns, like those from Lewitt, that’ll slip into and out of super and hyper cardioid as you shift from cardioid to figure-of-eight shapes.
Workhorse live mics like the Sennheiser e906 are supercardioid, not quite as extreme as hypercardioid, but are used for their directionality and rejection to the sides. This is especially helpful on a stage where guitar amps are facing forward, and the rest of the band lies to the left and right.
Figure-of-eight
Figure-of-eight polar response pattern. Image: MusicTech
Best for: Ambience, roominess, natural-sounding recordings where a little bleed isn’t an issue.
The original figure-of-eight microphone captures sound at the front and back of its capsule, but offers superior rejection to the sides than a cardioid, and of course, an omni. This makes it an ideal option for capturing a source and a bit of room sound — a vocal in an isolated space, for example. Another use is for a singer-songwriter style performance, where you can nestle a mic around chest height, with the capsules pointed at the singer’s voice and the other at the guitar, with superior rejection outside of those sources.
Ribbon mics, like the Royer 121 and sE VR1, are almost exclusively figure-of-eight because of their ribbon design. The capsule requires less pressure from both sides so the delicate ribbon can capture detailed sound.
Figure-of-eight can also be combined powerfully with other microphones with different polar patterns, which we’ll discuss later.
Omnidirectional
Omnidirectional polar response pattern. Image: MusicTech
Best for: Capturing space as well as a source, or capturing multiple sources from the centre of a room.
Omnidirectional microphones are one of the best ways to capture the general ambience of a room, and as a dedicated room microphone for drums, orchestras and more. They’re also routinely reliable for speaking and broadcasting, as long as the environment isn’t too noisy.
Because of their ability to capture sound at all angles, omni microphones offer a natural result that helps to put the listener in an acoustic space. There’s always a little noise beneath the main source when using an omni microphone, either the ambience of the room or, depending on how tightly mic’d your sources are, bleed from other instruments.
Omni mics are best used when bleed isn’t an issue, and they’re especially useful for connecting spot mics together on drums or larger bands. Tread carefully when using omnidirectional in a live setting; you’ll get a whole lot of everything. But hey, no risk, no reward.
Subcardioid
Best for: Natural sounds in isolated environments; subcardioid can allow more spill and bleed into the mic.
Subcardioid is just what its name suggests. It’s less, uh… cardioid than cardioid. The influence of the pressure of the figure-of-eight shape is refined to reduce how much cancellation is happening to the initial omni shape. This makes the subcardioid like an off-kilter omni, picking up plenty of sound from the front and side, without as much rejection at the back of the mic. This offers more natural ambience, without capturing as much as an omni mic, offering more direction than an omni mic but less than a cardioid.
You’ll find subcardioid mics commonly in the broadcast world, sometimes attached to the end of goosenecks to easily manoeuvre them towards their source. They’ll capture the full frequency of a voice and the ambience that surrounds it. This makes them effective for acoustic instruments in a nice space, as long as there’s not too much bleed from other instruments to contend with! Subcardioid mics, like the Shure KSM9HS or mics with switchable polar patterns, like the Josephson Engineering C725, are perfect for capturing that blend of focus and ambience. For more focus, though, you’ll want a shotgun mic…
Shotgun
Shotgun polar response pattern. Image: MusicTech
Best for: Film, TV and broadcast. Shotgun mics are also great for pinpointing sources like percussion, hi-hats, ride cymbals and so on.
Shotgun mics combine tight, directional polar patterns, like hypercardioid, and add more directionality with an interference tube. An interference tube acts like the aforementioned vents to shape the polar pattern, instead being a mostly acoustically transparent tube that filters sound more heavily on the sides than the front, allowing the polar pattern to be more directional. The open end of the tube allows in more sound, whereas the tube’s walls filter enough sound for directionality, but not so much that sound is blocked or bounced around entirely.
Shotgun mics work so well that they’re used most often in film, radio and broadcast as they can be positioned above a source at a distance and still have very little bleed and interference with sounds around it — when capturing an actor’s voice, for example.
The small amount that these mics capture from the rear and sides of the mic gives it a little natural ambience and prevents the sound from being too clinical.
While not used as often in music, shotgun mics can absolutely find a place in the studio and on the stage. The Aston Starlight is a small diaphragm condenser with incredibly focused sound, so much so that it features a laser for pinpointing your source. Additionally, RØDE produce some industry-standard shotgun mics for those dipping their toes in.
Combining polar patterns
Combo
Some more complex stereo mic arrangements can yield polished-sounding results with some know-how. As discussed earlier with the polarity relationships between microphones, you can expand on this with both polar pattern and polarity relationship in mind.
Mid-side micing is one of the more intriguing patterns, combining a figure-of-eight microphone and a cardioid mic for one supremely wide yet focused recording. Using a cardioid mic pointed directly at your source, add a figure-of-eight mic positioned sideways with the source at a null point.
In your DAW or on your console, multiply the figure-of-eight mic (console) or duplicate the track (DAW) and flip the phase of one of them. Flipping the polarity cancels out the shared sound, leaving only the difference that creates an extra-wide sound. This leaves you with a Mid track via the cardioid mic, and a Side track to blend to taste.

Blumlein Pair
Continuing with our figure-of-eight friends, the Blumlein mic technique uses two mics off-axis with each other. As opposed to omnidirectional, which captures sound at every angle, the Blumlein technique is two figure-of-eight mics used to fill in the main null points of each mic. The advantage here is that there are still four null points, providing a more focused, but still natural-sounding result. These mics can be aimed at your source or placed off-axis for more diffuse results.
AB, XY and ORTF
AB, XY and ORTF are commonplace stereo micing techniques that expand on the humble cardioid pattern.
AB
AB micing uses two cardioid mics spaced apart but pointed straight ahead, usually placed on either side of an object and delivers a wide stereo spread because of how directional the mics are. For example, AB micing with drum overheads usually has your mics placed somewhere over the top of the hi-hat, with the other mic placed near the ride. AB micing a choir would have mics on either side of the choir but pointed straight ahead.
XY
XY uses left and right mics again, but the mics are placed closer together and crossed over each other. The resulting sound is an equally strong stereo image, but less focus on the centre, making way for a spot mic or two to fill the gap/s.
Two condenser microphones set up in XY recording mode in the studio. Image: Getty/ dejanksrmanovic
ORTF
ORTF uses mics that face away from one another, as opposed to crossing over. The result has more width and retains a more consistent centre and stereo image overall.
Further experimenting
The best way to understand micing techniques is to experiment and see what you like. The classic polar patterns being cardioid, omni and figure-of-eight can get you very far, but a handful of specialist mics, whether intended for use in your field or not, can not only help elevate productions but also make for an easier mix with less bleed, or alternatively, enough life and ambience left in the recordings to leave them be!
There’s no right or wrong in recording, but there’s definitely right-er and wrong-er, so a little know-how goes a long way.
The post Microphone polar patterns explained: how to choose the right one for every recording appeared first on MusicTech.

Beat Magazine releases Sound of Berlin, a FREE 4GB field recording sample pack
Beat, the German music production magazine, has released Sound of Berlin, a free sample pack containing 4GB of field recordings captured around Berlin. The pack was created in collaboration with Zoom using the Zoom H5 field recorder. The cool thing is that sign-up isn’t required in any shape or form. Just click the download link [...]
View post: Beat Magazine releases Sound of Berlin, a FREE 4GB field recording sample pack

Spotify prevents AI music and incorrect releases from appearing on your artist profile with this new featureSpotify is rolling out a feature that lets artists review music releases before they go live on their profile in response to tracks landing on the wrong pages.
Spotify says the rise of easy-to-produce AI tracks has made this problem worse, and that it is making the protection of artist identity a “top priority for 2026”. The new feature, called Artist Profile Protection, is optional, and is now in limited beta.

READ MORE: Spotify’s new Taste Profile lets you tailor your algorithm and review listening data

This tool is a complete first for any music streaming service, Spotify claims, and that gives musicians the ability to approve or decline releases delivered to Spotify from most music distribution providers. Artist Profile Protection prevents errors such as metadata mix-ups, music going to another artist with the same name, or someone maliciously attaching their music to your profile.
It’s important that artists who do activate this new feature remember they’ll need to actively review all releases before they go live, meaning some legitimate releases may be delayed or blocked if you forget to take action, so you’ll need to be comfortable with actively managing your catalogue.
So, how does it actually work? If you’re included in the beta, you’ll see the feature available in your Spotify for Artists settings.  Artist Team Admins and Editors also have the ability to manage the settings. If you turn Artist Profile Protection on, you’ll receive an email notification when music is delivered to Spotify with your name attached. From there, you can review eligible releases and decide whether to approve or decline them.
To help legitimate releases move smoothly, you’ll also be assigned an artist key: a unique code you can share with trusted providers. When music delivered to Spotify includes your artist key at delivery, the release is automatically pre-approved and goes live as normal.
To find out more, go to the Spotify Newsroom. 
The post Spotify prevents AI music and incorrect releases from appearing on your artist profile with this new feature appeared first on MusicTech.

BPB Deal: Karanyi Sounds Wavesurfer multi-FX plugin is $14 until March 27
Karanyi Sounds is offering an exclusive deal on Wavesurfer for Bedroom Producers Blog readers. The plugin normally costs $59, but you can pick it up for $14 until March 27th by entering the coupon code SURFERBPB14 at checkout. I always liked working with multi-processors. It feels more convenient than slapping multiple plugins on a channel [...]
View post: BPB Deal: Karanyi Sounds Wavesurfer multi-FX plugin is $14 until March 27

Kentucky woman rejects $26M offer to turn her farm into a data centerA "major artificial intelligence company" reportedly offered a Kentucky family $26 million to build a data center on their farm.

4TH ANNUAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION AT THE HOTEL CAFEOn a night that felt both passionately celebratory and quietly poignant, the Hotel Café hosted its Fourth Annual Women’s Day Celebration, bringing together a beautifully diverse lineup of female singer-songwriters whose music reflected the spirit of International Women’s Day: creativity, resilience, vulnerability and strength.

The evening also carried an undercurrent of nostalgia. With the recent news that the beloved Hollywood venue will soon close this location, many of the artists acknowledged the space’s importance in the Los Angeles singer-songwriter community. For decades, the Hotel Café has been a place where artists share songs in their most intimate form—voice, guitar or piano, and a roomful of listeners ready to lean in.

That reality lent the evening additional emotional weight. The celebration became not only a tribute to women in music, but also a reminder of the vital role the Hotel Café has played in nurturing emerging artists and songwriting culture in Los Angeles.

That sense of shared musical purpose was palpable throughout the night. Performers lingered to watch each other’s sets, harmonized together onstage, and cheered each other on from the wings. It felt less like a conventional showcase and more like a gathering of artists united by the simple joy of making music.

Presented in conjunction with International Women’s Day, the annual showcase highlights female singer-songwriters from across the Los Angeles music community and beyond. The evening featured a stylistically diverse lineup spanning acoustic folk, blues, indie pop and alternative sounds, each sharing original material in the intimate listening-room environment the Hotel Café is known for.

As the lights softened and the room gradually settled into attentive silence, the evening’s celebration of women’s voices began. One by one, the performers took the stage, each introduced by emcee Lex Aguilar with a brief, colorful bio that offered a glimpse into the stories behind the songs.

The evening began on a lighter note with comedian Nthenya, whose quick wit and relaxed stage presence immediately put the room at ease. Her humor felt conversational rather than performative, like a friend sharing sharp observations with the audience. The ripples of laughter helped break the ice and set a welcoming tone for the night’s deeper musical expressions—reminding everyone that community, connection and a little levity are all part of what makes nights like this special.

The opening performer, Juliet, made an immediate impact, as if to signal that the evening would be both emotional and provocative. She brought her husky, impassioned vocal style and bold sonic palette to songs including the feminist anthem “Love or Die,” which pulsed with urgency and conviction, and “Liberté,” a confident declaration of independence propelled by a thumping groove and fuzzy guitar textures.

Next, Lucy Clearwater’s soothing voice and gentle acoustic style set a more reflective tone. Her song “Love a Friend” unfolded with soulful calm that drew the audience inward, while a preview of her upcoming folk tune “One of Those Things” showcased her gift for intimate storytelling. Another standout, “Liar,” explored the emotional fallout of a relationship with a narcissist, adding a deeply introspective dimension to her set.

Singer-songwriter Mary Scholz offered a slightly gentler but no less powerful presence. With her warm acoustic approach and emotionally direct lyrics, she recalled the storytelling intimacy of artists like Ed Sheeran. During one reflective moment, she observed that the word woman can sometimes feel complicated—but only because people choose to make it so. She also debuted one of the evening’s most visceral moments, a raw and emotionally charged song responding to the recent deaths of 165 Iranian schoolgirls following U.S. and Israeli bombings.

With swagger and attitude to spare—and backed by a delirious swirl of funky pre-recorded retro techno rhythms—husky-voiced teen powerhouse Ava James brought an immediate stylistic contrast to the evening’s largely acoustic flow. Her set demonstrated the wide stylistic range of the lineup, and she clearly relished the moment, duetting on a defiant “FU” jam with her friend, the equally gifted singer Layne Olivia.

After a playful interlude by Nthenya, a special highlight of the night was the appearance of Maisy Owen, who had been flown in for the event. With a gentle swaying stage presence and an angelic vocal tone, Owen captivated the room with “All For You,” a tender acoustic piece that showcased her delicate phrasing. She followed with the soon-to-be-released “On My Way Down,” maintaining a soft, emotionally sensitive atmosphere that perfectly suited the intimate setting.

A personal favorite of the night was multi-talented singer, songwriter and virtuosic guitar picker Abby Posner, who immediately owned the stage sporting an effortlessly cool alt-Americana look—wide-brim hat, casual jacket and acoustic guitar slung comfortably across her shoulder. Delivering one of the evening’s most dynamic and socially engaged sets, her blues-tinged tune “Night Train” carried a lively rhythmic pulse, while “Till We Heal” addressed the slow, often frustrating process of social progress. Reflecting on her work supporting California’s Proposition 8 marriage equality campaign, Posner noted that change can sometimes feel like “five steps forward and three steps back.” Her hopeful anthem “I Do Believe in Love” transformed that sentiment into an uplifting audience clap-along moment, while her closing song “Darkest Hours” featured rich harmonies shared with Scholz and her harmony singer Paula Fong.

Kate Grahn followed with a soulfully grounded yet energetic set suggesting a young Sara Bareilles in the making. Her song “Scot Free” blended melodic charm with lyrical wit, delivered with a confident vocal presence. Perhaps the most atmospheric voice of the evening belonged to closing performer Sofia Gomez, whose airy tone and emotional phrasing evoked the moody intimacy of Billie Eilish. At moments her voice rose into a soaring register, giving her performance a cinematic sense of emotional release that brought the evening to a graceful close.

Throughout the night, what stood out most was the unmistakable camaraderie among the performers. These were not artists competing for attention, but musicians celebrating each other’s voices and stories. In honoring International Women’s Day, the showcase became a reminder that music remains one of the most powerful ways to share experiences, amplify voices and build community.

As the final notes faded, the night felt like a fitting tribute not only to the women who took the stage but also to the venue itself—a space where countless artists have found their voice over the years. For one evening at least, the Hotel Café once again lived up to its reputation as one of Los Angeles’ most cherished listening rooms, filled with songs, stories and the unmistakable feeling of artists supporting artists.The post 4TH ANNUAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION AT THE HOTEL CAFE first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Elektra Magika Phonk DrivePush loudness without compression and sculpt harmonics with our unique soft-clipper. Designed for modern electronic music, Phonk Drive lets you hit harder. Use it as a gentle dynamics tool or absolutely crush your drums, bass and mixes. • Compressionless loudness algorithm. • Musical saturation with soft clipping. • Zero-latency, CPU-efficient DSP. • 2 clipping modes. Read More

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