Bullfrog synthesizer from Erica Synths Erica Synths' latest instrument has been designed to offer an experience that will captivate and inspire those new to creating electronic music, whilst still being comprehensive enough to appeal to professional musicians.

Jason Ellis joins Armada Music as Global Senior A&R DirectorEllis will also serve as an Acquisition Consultant for BEAT Music Fund
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From the Taylor Swift catalog sale saga to music publishers’ $250m lawsuit against Twitter… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe biggest music biz headlines from the past week, all in one place
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Plugin Alliance Lindell 69 Warm, Rich, and Punchy: The Sound of Classic Rock Helios Type 69 consoles are known for their smooth and harmonic sound, heard on legendary records by the likes of Led Zeppelin,... Read More

Grammys reduce nominees from 10 to 8 in 4 top categories, add AI rulesThe Grammys have reduced the number of nominees in four top categories – Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist –. Continue reading
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Instagram opens Channels to all creators: How to make the most of itInstagram just rolled out Channels to all users. All Instagram creators can now create a broadcast channel to share messages with their followers. These one-to-many communications can include text, photos,. Continue reading
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Bandcamp to hold 4th NAACP Juneteenth fundraiser on MondayBandcamp is holding its fourth annual Juneteenth fundraiser this coming Monday, June 19th, from midnight to midnight PT. During those 24 hours, 100% of Bandcamp’s share of sales will go. Continue reading
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Decyne4 Precyne 1.2 update Precyne has been designed from the ground up to integrate with hardware-based studios, and now features a powerful new sampler and some audio recording facilities. 

Leap Into Yesteryear With The Newly Updated Klevgrand Web Cassette
I will readily admit to loving the trashy sound that came from listening to my tapes on a budget cassette player as a kid. If you’re looking to return to the sounds of yesterday, then you’re in luck! Web Cassette isn’t a plugin, nor is it something you can readily use in your productions. But [...]
View post: Leap Into Yesteryear With The Newly Updated Klevgrand Web Cassette

RME to launch M-32 Pro II converters A total of four new converters are set to replace the original M-32 Pro Series, offering 32 analogue line-level inputs or outputs with MADI and either Dante or AVB network connectivity.

Lyft co-founder Logan Green retains board seat despite shareholder oppositionLogan Green, the co-founder and former CEO of ride-hailing platform Lyft, will remain on the company’s board despite opposition from some shareholders, according to preliminary results from the company’s annual shareholder meeting Thursday.
The SOC Investment Group, and organization that says it holds corporations and leadership accountable for irresponsible and unethical corporate behavior, sent a letter to Lyft shareholders in May urging them to vote against Green’s position on the board. The group said Green “bears particular responsibility for failing to properly address mounting concern over rideshare driver safety.”
The group cited research that found ride-hail drivers have experienced unsafe working conditions such as verbal abuse, physical assault, robbery, carjacking and even murder. Green, as co-founder and CEO, continuously overlooked his responsibility to address these concerns and keep drivers safe, they argued.
SOC also accused Lyft of failing to provide updated information about driver safety and for reporting assaults inconsistently The group pointed to a California Public Utilities Commission report that showed 9,959 assault or harassment cases in 2021, which it says was inconsistent with Lyft’s 2021 community safety report. The latter included a lower number nationally: 4,158 sexual assaults in the U.S. from 2017 to 2019.
“Either safety problems have increased substantially, or inconsistent definitions are making comparisons difficult, indicating the importance of ongoing, annual updates to Lyft’s driver safety disclosure,” SOC Investment Group wrote.
Lyft did not respond in time to comment.
Driver safety wasn’t addressed during the short shareholder meeting Thursday. One shareholder asked about how driver deactivations are managed. Driver deactivations — when Lyft removes a driver’s access to the platform due to rider complaints — is a continual pain point for drivers, who claim to be booted without warning or reason. Drivers of Lyft and Uber say the platforms don’t provide enough transparency into reasons for deactivation, so the drivers suspect false complaints from riders.
“We don’t explicitly describe the standards that were violated when the deactivation happens, and there’s a reason for that,” said CEO David Risher. “For every reported incident, we need to balance providing as much transparency as we can for drivers, but at the same time protect the safety of the reporting party. Now, having said that, we’re working really hard to provide drivers with more clarity into the reasons why they were deactivated when we can and make it easier for drivers to track and support the whole  investigation process from end to end. We’re also working on gathering more information from our riders to identify and reduce false reporting, which can occasionally happen.”
The other two proposals in Lyft’s proxy statement — regarding the appointment of an independent registered public accounting firm and the compensation of named executive officers — were approved, according to preliminary results.
ISS, a corporate governance management company, backed SOC’s letter and added its own concerns, including the “failure to change its classified board structure and for maintaining a multi-class capital structure with unequal voting rights.”
ISS points to Lyft’s governance mechanisms such as staggered director elections and dual class voting rights as a hindrance to ensuring that directors take steps to mitigate long-term risk. Lyft’s dual-class structure empowers Green and John Zimmer, co-founder and former president, long after they leave the company. They both still hold high-voting shares that entitle them to 20 votes per share until both of them are dead. If one dies or becomes incapacitated, Lyft’s sunset clause enables the remaining co-founder to control the votes of the deceased/incapacitated co-founder. And when they’re both dead, a trustee will retain the last living co-founder’s full voting powers for a transition period of nine to 18 months.
“With improved governance mechanisms, the board could be expected to be more accountable and responsive to long-term shareholders, such as those raised by the proponent,” said ISS in a statement.
Lyft co-founder Logan Green retains board seat despite shareholder opposition by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch

Fed, SEC investigate Goldman Sachs over Silicon Valley Bank's securities portfolio: ReportBoth regulatory bodies are inquiring into the activities of Goldman Sachs during its unsuccessful capital raise preceding the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank.

Touring industry responds Live Nation’s ‘all-in’ ticketing pledgeThe touring industry reacted cautiously to Thursday’s White House announcement that Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and SeatGeek will at least partially adopt an “all-in” model that displays the full cost of. Continue reading
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Return of the SPAC? Entertainment and sports-focused ESH Acquisition Corp prices $100m IPOBlank check company may pursue "record labels, music and television streaming services, production companies and publishing houses."
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NAMM Foundation Opens Three Scholarship Opportunities for Career GrowthThe NAMM Foundation has announced that three award programs are now open for application. These programs offer support to attend The NAMM Show for college students exploring careers in music, college faculty creating innovative music business curricula, and mid-career music business professionals striving for career advancement. Information about applying is available at nammfoundation.org. “These NAMM Foundation award programs invest in the future,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of The NAMM Foundation. “They support a life-changing experience — attendance and participation at The NAMM Show — and an introduction to a network of music professionals and innovators who are sure to inspire a lifetime career in music.”

 The Lamond GenNext Award, formerly the President’s Innovation Award, recognizes college and university students who demonstrate excellence in the field of music. The award was renamed this past April in honor of NAMM’s former president and CEO Joe Lamond, who served from 2001–2023. Recipients of the Lamond GenNext Award will receive a travel stipend to attend The 2024 NAMM Show, along with the opportunity to participate in an invitation-only reception, professional development sessions, networking and access to the NAMM exhibit floor. Eligible students can apply to be considered by carefully reviewing these guidelines. Submissions are now open, and the application period will close Sept. 30. Selected applicants will be notified Nov. 1. “The NAMM Show is really important because it allowed me to see all of the different roles and positions that are not talked about enough,” said Angelica Palmore, the 2023 President’s Innovation Award winner and a music technology student at Millersville University. “It helped me to meet many professionals that have given a lot of great advice on how to go about working in the industry.” The Bernice Ash Memorial Award was established in 2021 to honor the remarkable life and legacy of Sam Ash Music’s Bernice Ash and recognize emerging leaders in the music products, sound and entertainment technology industries. The award offers a grant for continued college-level or trade-related studies, a travel stipend to attend The NAMM Show and a one-year mentorship through the NAMM Young Professionals group. Submissions for the Bernice Ash Memorial Award are now open, and the application period will close Oct. 1. Selected applicants will be notified Nov. 1. “Bernice’s story of how she fiercely pursued what she believed in was incredibly inspiring,” said Leanne Chu, Gator’s director of supplier operations and the 2023 Bernice Ash Memorial Award recipient. “To be the recipient of an award that honors her legacy of courage will always remain a source of motivation for me to keep learning and reaching new heights.” The NAMM Foundation-College Music Society Fellows Award supports college, university and community college faculty committed to developing curricula in music business, business leadership and innovation in the fields of music, pro audio and entertainment technology. The program seeks representation from each region of The College Music Society (CMS), including its international members, and preference is given to applicants from institutions that service traditionally underrepresented student populations. Submissions for the award are now open, and the application period will close Oct. 10. Selected applicants will be notified Nov. 1. “The NAMM Foundation-College Music Society Fellows program was built to break down the distance between the higher-education music industry and the fields of music employment,” said Mark Rabideau, president of The College Music Society. “Each year, I’ve witnessed the transformational change music faculty undergo as they are introduced to a vastly bigger world of music, music-makers and music industry professionals during The NAMM Show.” These NAMM Foundation scholarships are made possible through the generosity of NAMM members and donors.

To learn more about the work of The NAMM Foundation, visit nammfoundation.org.