100-hour non-stop DJ Marathon to be broadcast from London in support of social mobilityA 100-hour non-stop DJ Marathon is due to take place in London this spring, and will be broadcast live online to raise funds in support of social mobility.
AllSorts Music Festival will be hosting the DJ Marathon, and will broadcast the event live from Mile End in East London. The marathon will be taking place at 11am on 9 April, and is due to conclude at 3pm on 13 April. The AllSorts festival itself will later be running in July in Malvern.

READ MORE: Ed Sheeran pens open letter urging UK government to invest £250 million in music education “to repair decades of dismantling music”

The marathon is also competing to set a Guinness World Record while collecting donations for the Zero Gravity Fund – a “groundbreaking initiative transforming the futures of talented students from low-opportunity backgrounds across the UK”. In particular, this event will support funding for Zero Gravity Scholarships, which remove economic barriers to opportunities.
Over 50 different artists, including well-known professional DJs and AllSorts Festival regulars, are volunteering to perform in shifts during the 100-hour marathon. The Guinness World Record for the longest DJ live stream requires nonstop audio broadcasting for the complete duration of the stream.
Viewers can even take part in audience games during the stream, and learn from guest speakers. Performers include Tommy Villiers (of Piri & Tommy), Kaya Fyah, LOAI and many more.
“We believe that every young person, regardless of their background, deserves the opportunity to succeed,” says Nick Byrne, co-founder at AllSorts of Tunes. “The AllSorts World Record DJ Marathon is our way of contributing to a more equitable future, where education empowers all.”
Shiv Patel, Head of Scholarships at Zero Gravity, adds, “We’re so excited to partner with AllSorts of Tunes on their World Record DJ Marathon to raise funds for Zero Gravity Scholarships. Music has always brought people together and driven change – and this collaboration is no different. Together, we’re backing diverse talent from every corner of the UK and helping them launch into life-changing careers.”
To donate, head over to the AllSorts GoFundMe. You can also find out more information on the DJ marathon, or the Zero Gravity Fund.
The post 100-hour non-stop DJ Marathon to be broadcast from London in support of social mobility appeared first on MusicTech.

Bastille’s Dan Smith on how scalpers hurt artists and fansBastille frontman Dan Smith is not the first artist to call out predatory ticket resellers. But he has done a particularly effective job of articulating how scalpers hurt artists and fans.
The post Bastille’s Dan Smith on how scalpers hurt artists and fans appeared first on Hypebot.

Planning application for a “retrofit-first refurbishment” of Maida Vale officially submitted to councilPlans for Maida Vale’s “retrofit-first refurbishment” are once again in motion, as a planning application for the iconic studios has officially been submitted to Westminster City Council.
Maida Vale, which formerly belonged to the BBC, was sold to Hans Zimmer and others in 2023 for a reported £10.5 million. Plans for its “state of the art” makeover led by the Oscar-winning composer were further outlined in September last year, but at the time, a formal planning application was yet to be submitted.

READ MORE: “At that moment, I thought only an idiot would say no”: How an invitation from Pharrell Williams ended Hans Zimmer’s fear of performing live

Now, as per MusicRadar, a planning application has officially been filed by Mavis Partnership LLC – a group led by Zimmer that includes business partner Steve Kofsky and British film producers Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan – which Westminster City Council will review on 1 April.
As outlined by the Future Of Maida Vale website, the refurbishment plans focus on sustainability, as well as “retaining and enhancing the Edwardian frame and frontage” of the venue,  and “upgrading the existing recording studios to deliver state of the art music studios, film production and editing facilities which meet the demands of today’s creative industries”.
The proposal also suggests that an ‘audio wing’ will house the four largest studio spaces (MV0, MV1, MV2 and MV3), and will feature composer suites, music rooms, control rooms and workspace alongside amenities and food/beverage facilities for staff and visitors.
A second, ‘visual wing’ – the large space at the southern end of the building – will focus on film, and will include a range of high-tech facilities including ADR (Dialogue Replacement Dubbing), Dubbing Stages (Sound Stages), Foley Studio (Sound Effects), a screening room, editing suites, colour grading and flexible workspaces.
“This proposed upgrades will set new benchmarks for excellence in British film and music post-production, fostering the creation of new jobs, driving innovation, and promoting industry investment,” the website reads.
Find out more and read the full vision statement over on the Maida Vale Studios website.
The post Planning application for a “retrofit-first refurbishment” of Maida Vale officially submitted to council appeared first on MusicTech.

Music subscriber market shares 2024: Slowdown? What slowdown?Record label streaming revenue growth slowed to 6% in 2024 but there was no such slowdown in subscriber growth. In our just published ‘Music subscriber market shares Q4 2024’ report, we reveal that the 85 million net* new subscribers added in 2024 was only two million less than in 2023, resulting in 818 million subscribers and growth of 12% i.e., around double label revenue growth. 

So, just what is going on? How could subscriber and revenue growth become so de-coupled? Normally, the answer for music industry questions like this is ‘it’s complicated’ –but this time it is not. It can be boiled down to two key things: Global South and incentivised growth.

On to those in a bit, but first market shares:

Spotify continues to set the pace: Spotify’s market share (32%) is around where it was in 2015 and has remained relatively stable in all the intervening quarters. That might sound like stasis, but it is anything but. Between 2015 and 2024, the global base of music subscribers grew by more than 850%. So, to maintain market share, Spotify has had to grow at a similar rate. During 2024, Spotify added 28 million subscribers in 2024, that is more than the combined total number of subscribers added by the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest DSPs (Tencent, Apple, and Amazon). The simple arithmetic is that when you command a strong market lead, you have to add a lot more subscribers than the rest to maintain your market share. It is easy to take Spotify’s success for granted. Don’t! This is what a highly effective company that retains an obsessive appetite for growth looks like

Tencent Music Entertainment: Even though it operates in China, Tencent  is the 2nd largest DSP globally, with 120 million subscribers. What is more, it grew so strongly that it slightly increased global market share in 2024. Though its key competitor NetEase Cloud Music grew even faster and so gained China market share at Tencent’s expense

Apple Music and Amazon Music: Apple and Amazon held onto 3rd and 4th spots respectively, but both had underwhelming 2024s, adding just six million subscribers between them

YouTube making up ground, fast: In percentage terms, YouTube was the fastest growing global DSP in 2024, growing market share and only missing out on knocking Apple off 4th spot by a margin in the low hundreds of thousands. Spotify and YouTube are the ones setting the global pace and though YouTube is far behind Spotify globally, it is the top DSP in a number of key Global South markets, including India

Now, on to why subscriber growth is so much faster than revenue growth:

1 – The Global South

The Global South (by which we mean regions that are not North America and Europe) is now the music industry’s growth engine. Last year we entitled our music forecasts report ‘Rise of the Global South’ and our view was borne out in 2024, with these regions accounting for 78% of all subscribers added in 2024. Let that settle in for a moment: four fifths of all subscriber growth came from outside of Europe and North America. Of course, those two regions still account for the majority of revenues, but as subscriber growth slows in those markets, it is lifting off elsewhere. This is nothing less than a rebalancing of the global music industry.

Which creates a major uncoupling of growth metrics for Western rights holders. Global South markets have lower ARPU and Western repertoire share is low there. So, Western rights holders see a double discount on subscriber value compared to Western markets.

2 – Incentivised growth

In the first phase of streaming growth, ad supported users acted as the key means of converting subscribers. In mature Western markets, most people on free tiers are there because they like free stuff rather than being prospective subscribers. This is why free trials have become the key tool for driving conversion. In saturated Western markets, it seems that these trials are being used liberally to try to squeeze out the last pockets of subscriber growth. In turn, denting ARPU. 

Consider the case of the US: According to the RIAA’s figures, subscription revenue grew by 5.3% and ARPU growth was 1.9%. Meanwhile US inflation was 2.9% but the streaming price ‘inflation’ rate was 9.1%. So, a $1 price increase resulted in ARPU decreasing by one percentage point in real terms (ie inflation adjusted).

Foundations for more growth

2024 was a great year for global subscriber growth and was a particularly good year for Spotify, YouTube, Tencent, and NetEase. The divergence between revenues and users is clearly cause for concern, but it is better for the long term to be growing subscribers as once you have them monetised you can start focusing on growing monetisation. Hello supremium.

*All growth figures refer to net additions i.e., the difference between the total number of subscribers one year to another. They do not account for churn. The total (gross) number of subscribers added is significantly higher. The net figure thus refers to the total after churned out subscribers have been removed from the totals.

Google makes it easier to log more YouTube Shorts viewsGoogle is changing how it counts YouTube Shorts views and for once its good news for creators.
The post Google makes it easier to log more YouTube Shorts views appeared first on Hypebot.

Topos plug-in from Forever 89 Described as an “all-terrain tone explorer”, Topos combines saturation processing with speaker simulation, providing musicians, producers and sound designers with a wealth of control over their tracks’ tone, depth and spatial presence.

Producer Timbaland thinks today’s music is “bland” and “boring”, calls AI the only thing with a “pure soul” right nowTimbaland has slammed today’s music as “bland” and “boring”.
In a new interview with The Inner Court, the producer – who’s crafted hits songs for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Madonna, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and more – shares his thoughts on the current state of music and AI’s role in it.

READ MORE: Output’s new Co-Producer plugin uses AI to curate the perfect samples for your project – all from within your DAW

According to Timbaland, the music industry has felt the impact of political and social divisions, particularly in the wake of the recent US election, and that disconnect is reflected in today’s music.
“You could feel the pressure of the dividedness, and I hate that. This whole election divided us,” he says. “What I mean by that is it divided the music. The music sounds bland, it sounds boring.”
Timbaland goes on to praise artificial intelligence as a source of “pure”, creative expression in music, saying, “We talk about AI, and that is the only thing that has a pure soul right now. That you can create something and just express your true feelings and it comes out beautiful.”

Timbaland calls today’s music “bland” and “boring,” admits there’s currently no well-known artist whose music moves him, and praises AI by saying it’s the only thing that has a pure soul.
( The Inner Court/Victor Oladipo/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/rquyHrRdCo
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) March 21, 2025

Controversial as they may be, Timbaland’s views on AI are hardly surprising. The producer previously admitted to spending 10 hours a day using Suno AI. And in 2023, he shared an AI-generated track featuring the late rapper, Notorious B.I.G. He later told Business Insider that he’s planning on making an entire posthumous Biggie album using the technology, to the horror of many fans.
Timbaland’s latest comments add to the ongoing debate about AI’s increasingly pervasive presence in music. While some view AI as a tool for democratising music creation and innovation, others like Nick Cave are far more skeptical of AI’s ability to replicate human emotion and artistry.
Major labels are already integrating AI into production, with companies like Sony and Universal Music Group exploring AI-assisted songwriting and vocal cloning. Meanwhile, streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube are introducing AI-powered tools for music creation, which certainly questions about the future of originality in music.
The post Producer Timbaland thinks today’s music is “bland” and “boring”, calls AI the only thing with a “pure soul” right now appeared first on MusicTech.

Best MIDI controllers to buy in 2025: 8 best FL Studio controllers to buyLaunched in 1998 as a simple MIDI drum machine named FruityLoops, FL Studio has become one of the production community’s most beloved DAWs. Its intuitive interface and robust feature set have attracted a diverse user base, from those at the very start of their journey to seasoned pros like Martin Garrix and Metro Boomin.

READ MORE: Best MIDI controllers to buy in 2025: 12 best Ableton Live controllers to buy

No matter what stage you’re at, incorporating a hardware controller into your setup can transform your workflow. Tactile control over effects, more efficient sequencing and arranging, highly expressive performances of virtual instruments — controllers can foster a more intuitive and hands-on production process.
Whether you need a realistic weighted keybed, knobs and faders for dialling in automation, or a pad-based setup for live performance, the right hardware controller will keep you in your creative flow and your eyes off the screen. And to help you find your MIDI controller soulmate, we’ve selected eight of the best options for FL Studio.
The top 8 controllers for FL Studio in 2025:

Novation FLkey – Overall best native FL Studio controller
Akai Fire – Best FL Studio controller for beatmakers
Nektar LX+ mk3 – Best budget FL Studio controller
NI Kontrol S-Series – Best FL Studio controller for keys players
IL Remote – Best mobile app for controlling FL Studio
Yaeltex Custom Controllers – Best modular FL Studio controller
Erae 2 – Best FL Studio controller with MPE support
iCON P1-M – Best DAW control surface for FL Studio

Novation FLkey – Overall best native FL Studio controller
Price: £99 (FLkey Mini) / £199 (FLkey 37) / £229 (FLkey 49) / £279 (FLkey 61)
Novation FLkey Mini
Kicking things off is the FLkey, touted by manufacturer Novation as the ‘ultimate MIDI keyboard for making music in FL Studio’. Available in four sizes from a compact 25-key controller with mini keys to a capable 61-key version, this controller is one of the few that have been designed specifically for use with FL Studio.
With that in mind, there’s plenty of additional functionality on board. All models come with a 2×8 pad grid that’s mapped to FL’s step sequencer, ready for playing straight into the Channel Rack or FPC, or triggering samples in Slicex. There are eight potentiometers alongside, which can control Image-Line plugins out the box. Those opting for the 49- or 61-key variants also get nine faders.
Throw in bells and whistles like transport controls, chord and scale modes, and a host of inspiring bundled software, and FLkey is sure to slide seamlessly into your existing workflow while uncovering new ways to create.
[products ids=”5fzXVyErkRDsNorW0SODOS”]
[products ids=”3BARKnqjyyjrE1UgAy8SlL”]
Read our review of the FLkey 37 & FLkey Mini here.
Akai Fire – Best FL Studio controller for beatmakers
Price: £149

Developed in close partnership between Akai and Image-Line, the Fire will be instantly recognisable to those who’ve spent time with FL’s step sequencer. Mapped one-to-one to what you see on screen, programming beats with Fire is incredibly fast — and you can even chain up to four units for an extended 8×32 grid.
The device has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Drum Mode — akin to Akai’s own MPC — lets you control FPC and Slicex with the first quarter of the sequencer for a more traditional beatmaking workflow, while Performance Mode can be used to launch clips and audio directly from the device.
And while it won’t replace a proper keyboard, Note Mode transforms the pad matrix into three octaves for inputting melodies and chords. To top it off, there are four capacitive encoders and a handy OLED display along the top, with transport controls placed at the bottom of the unit.
While Fire has sadly been discontinued by Akai, it’s readily available on the used market and remains a premier choice thanks to its close-knit integration with FL Studio.
Read our review of the Akai Fire here.
Nektar Impact LX+ – Best budget FL Studio controller
Price: £89 (LX25+) / £138 (LX49+) / £170 (LX61+) / £246 (LX88+)

Nektar’s Impact LX+ keyboards are the perfect entrypoint if you’re looking for an FL Studio controller with a smaller price tag. Since the manufacturer handles hardware-to-software integration in-house, these devices map seamlessly to FL Studio and other DAWs from the get-go — so there are no headaches setting things up.
And while Impact LX+ isn’t going to break the bank, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on capabilities. Alongside its velocity-sensitive keyboard, users get 8 four-colour RGB pads, nine 30mm faders, and a range of handy transport controls.
Nektar unveiled the mk3 version of the LX+ at NAMM 2025, bringing new features like scale and chord modes, two new hold modes for creative legato effects, new loop playback and recording modes, and endless high-res encoders replacing the pots on previous models. They’re keeping schtum about a potential release date, so it might be worth holding off for an official announcement if you need this additional functionality.
Read our review of the Nektar Impact LX49+ here.
NI Kontrol S-Series – Best FL Studio controller for keyboard players
Price: £649 (S49) / £749 (S61) / £1,129 (S88)
Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3. Image: Simon Vinall
Native Instruments’ S-Series controllers have long been top of the pile for those seeking a more realistic feel. Built using high-end Fatar keybeds with polyphonic aftertouch, the 49- and 61-key models are semi-weighted, while the 88-key version boasts fully weighted hammer action.

READ MORE: Native Instruments: “We had to modernise our architecture… We’re now more aligned in new ways to integrate our hardware and software”

Of course, Kontrol is particularly well-suited to producers who are already part of the Native Instruments ecosystem. The controllers are specifically designed to integrate with Komplete software and NKS plugins, with a high-resolution screen and rotary encoders for browsing and editing patches without taking your eyes off your fingers.
Image-Line has officially supported these controllers since early 2024 — so if NI instruments and effects are a core part of your workflow, the S-Series and FL Studio are a match made in heaven.
[products ids=”7rShFnPCb4iz8nkXZCBeVb”]
Read our review of the Native Instruments Kontrol S-Series MK3 here.
IL Remote – Best mobile app for controlling FL Studio
Price: Free

Want to experiment with external control of FL Studio without having to spend a dime or find space for yet another piece of gear? Or maybe you’re just looking for a MIDI controller that fits in your pocket. Image-Line’s free app for iPhone and Android — IL Remote — holds the key, connecting over Wi-Fi for wireless command of your DAW.
Effectively, IL Remote is FL Studio’s answer to the likes of TouchOSC or OSC/Pilot. Highly customisable, you can create your own modular configurations of virtual pads, faders, and knobs to control FL in a way that suits you. To get you started, Image-Line have included default ‘tabs’ for things like transport controls, a MIDI piano, clip triggering in Performance Mode, and dedicated modes for FPC, Slicex, and Gross Beat.
However, once you get familiar with custom layouts, the sky’s the limit. You can even connect up to 15 devices at once. Old phones or tablets lying around, looking for a new purpose? With zero cost to download, we reckon IL Remote is worth a try.
Yaeltex Custom Controllers – Best modular FL Studio controller
Price: Varies
Credit: Yaeltex
Jumping back into the physical world, Yaeltex is another manufacturer providing custom solutions to all your controller needs. Unlike fixed-grid controllers, Yaeltex lets you decide the exact layout of buttons, faders, rotary knobs, LED indicators, and even joysticks. Its web-based editor tool lets you create highly granular mappings for each component, from MIDI note and CC information to individual keystrokes.
If you have no need for a custom controller, you can select from factory models like the Turn, Btmkr, and Miniblock, or preconfigured devices designed by the wider Yaeltex community.
Yaeltex hardware looks the part too — it could easily become the centrepiece of your studio thanks to handcrafted wooden enclosures, a full rainbow of coloured buttons and lights, and the option to add a custom faceplate.
Naturally, you can expect to pay a pretty penny for these pretty devices. You’ll also likely need to spend some time mapping and tweaking scripts. But for power users who want total control over FL Studio, Yaeltex is a worthy solution.
Erae 2 – Best FL Studio controller with MPE support
Price: £809
Credit: Embodme
A rather unique entry on our list, the Erae 2 contains 16,000 embedded force sensors beneath a silicone skin, adding a tactile dimension to your workflow that’s quite literally an extension of your fingers.
Infinitely customisable, the Erae’s surface can be configured to do whatever you need — live looping, a drum pad layout, a sequencer, you name it. Each high-precision sensor outputs X/Y/Z values so you can dynamically bend, slide, and modulate individual notes — perfect for MPE-compatible VSTs in FL Studio.
Although FL Studio’s MPE support is still developing, nothing comes close to Erae 2 for expressive playing. If you need a hand getting started, check out this guide to setting up your Erae controller with FL Studio.
iCON P1-M – Best DAW control surface for FL Studio
Price: £459

Our list wouldn’t be complete without a console-style control surface for taking on mix tasks. And with no dedicated devices offering plug-and-play integration FL Studio, that’s where the P1-M from iCON enters the picture — along with a little bit of work on the user side.
The main focus of the controller is a bank of eight motorized faders that reflect the state of your mix console within FL Studio. A programmable 4-inch touchscreen displays a range of DAW functions, and with a few taps you can set the faders to control other aspects of the console like channel EQ, your FX slots, and stereo separation.
On top, the handy iMap software lets you tweak the functionality to your heart’s content. Check out this video from iCON Pro Audio to set up P1-M with FL Studio.
Why You Can Trust MusicTech
MusicTech reviews hundreds of new products every year, from powerful synthesizers, DAWs and pro plugins through to everyday headphones and portable speakers. Our expert reviewers are producers, engineers and enthusiasts with hundreds of years of collective experience, with a keen ear to the ground on new trends and technologies.
Every guide on MusicTech is created by a producer, musician and tech enthusiast just like you. We understand what you’re looking for when searching for a new MIDI controller, and we want to ensure you purchase genuinely useful products for your craft. So you can guarantee that every product MusicTech recommends to you is a product we’d be happy to have in our studios.
Check out more buyer’s guides on MusicTech here.
The post Best MIDI controllers to buy in 2025: 8 best FL Studio controllers to buy appeared first on MusicTech.

Kanye West hit with copyright lawsuit from German singer who denied sample use due to rapper’s “antisemitic, racist remarks”Kanye West (Ye) is facing a copyright lawsuit from German singer Alice Merton, who alleges he used a sample of her 2022 song Blindside in his track Gun to My Head without permission.
Merton had explicitly denied West clearance, citing his antisemitic statements and refusing to be associated with him.

READ MORE: Fred Again.., Justin Bieber, and Sekou hit the studio – are we getting the collab we never knew we needed?

Filed Monday in federal court, the lawsuit claims that Gun to My Head, a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign and Kid Cudi, features Merton’s vocals singing the line “I sat down with a gun to my head” and loops a melody from Blindside throughout the track. Merton says she first discovered the unauthorised use when West performed the song live at a listening event in December 2023.
According to the lawsuit [via Rolling Stone], West’s team only reached out months later to request clearance – after the song had already been performed. Merton and her label refused, stating that West’s “values are contrary to our values” due to his publicly made “antisemitic, racist remarks”.
Merton, who is of Jewish descent and has family members who survived the Holocaust, says she feels “shocked and humiliated” by the unauthorised use of her work.
Even though Gun to My Head was not included on West’s 2024 album Vultures 1, it was later released as a bonus track on the digital deluxe edition of Vultures 2. Merton also claims that she received “death threats and abuse” from West’s “outraged” fans for not clearing the sample when Gun to My Head did not appear on the initial tracklist for Vultures 2.
“Although defendant’s use of plaintiff’s song could potentially bring in significant revenue, [she] was unwilling to compromise her personal beliefs and wanted not to be associated with Ye in any manner,” the suit adds.
This lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal woes West has faced regarding unauthorised sampling. Last year, the estate of Donna Summer sued West for using an unauthorised interpolation of her 1977 hit I Feel Love, in his song Good (Don’t Die), saying they “wanted no association with West’s controversial history.”
Ozzy Osbourne, too, blocked West from sampling a live version of Black Sabbat’s Iron Man for the Vultures 1 album, citing West’s antisemitic remarks as the reason for the refusal.
Last week, West surprised fans by dropping his new album Bully via X. The record has come under scrutiny for its seemingly liberal use of (possibly uncleared) samples as well, with slowed-down, reworked, or straight-up copied versions of songs like the Carpenters’ Close to You, the Supremes’ You Can’t Hurry Love,and Can’s 1972 classic Vitamin C.
The post Kanye West hit with copyright lawsuit from German singer who denied sample use due to rapper’s “antisemitic, racist remarks” appeared first on MusicTech.

Tomorrowland and Insomniac to host “groundbreaking” festival event, UNITY, at the Las Vegas SphereTomorrowland and Insomniac – the powerhouse creators behind some of the world’s most iconic music festivals, including Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) – have announced a brand-new festival event, UNITY, set to take place at the state-of-the-art Las Vegas Sphere from 29 to 31 August.
Billed as a “groundbreaking audiovisual spectacle,” UNITY promises a fusion of music and storytelling, brought to live by the Sphere’s cutting-edge technology.

READ MORE: 100-strong crowd breaks into Ministry of Sound with bolt cutters, hosts illegal rave and is chased out by security

Attendees can expect a “meticulously curated soundtrack” that bridges dance music’s rich history with “powerful new orchestra compositions and accompaniments”, which together, culminate in an “unparalleled auditory experience”.
Each show will conclude with a surprise one-hour closing set from a “world-renowned artist,” whose identity will be revealed closer to the event.
In a joint statement, the festival creators shared their excitement: “Through the past decades, we both have strived to create festivals and experiences around the world that foster beautiful, unique communities of individuals. Music is our universal language, the dance floor our sanctuary, and every one of you, our family. We can’t thank you enough for being such an integral part of the journey with us.”
“Now, for the first time in history, our worlds become one. In UNITY, we join together to create a brand-new experience that harnesses the magic, love, and awe-inspiring moments within our events — and there’s no better stage on earth than Sphere.”
The upcoming event is also said to be the “first chapter in a series of collaborations” between the two festival creators, with more experiences to come in the future.
Presale tickets through Insomniac and Tomorrowland are available beginning Monday, 31 March at 10am PST, with the general on-sale beginning 7 April. Destination experience company Vibee is also offering a variety of presale and VIP packages from 27 March at 10am PST.

Meanwhile, Tomorrowland has just released over 20 full DJ sets from Tomorrowland Winter 2025 on YouTube. Fans can now stream performances from Afrojack, Alok, Axwell, Kölsch, Miss Monique, Steve Aoki, NERVO, Meduza, Mind Against, and many more.
For more information, visit Unity x Sphere.
The post Tomorrowland and Insomniac to host “groundbreaking” festival event, UNITY, at the Las Vegas Sphere appeared first on MusicTech.

Brazilian individual arrested after uploading 400 fake tracks to Spotify, generating 28 million plays and $65k in streaming revenueBrazilian authorities have arrested and charged an individual for uploading over 400 fake tracks to Spotify.
The tracks have generated over 28 million fake plays on the streaming service and earned the accused over $65K, according to a statement from IFPI, the non-profit organisation representing the recording industry worldwide.
The arrest was made last December by the Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Goias cybercrime unit, Cyber Gaeco, as part of a joint operation supported by IFPI, Pro-Música Brasil, and Brazilian anti-piracy body Association for the Protection of Phonographic Intellectual Rights (APDIF).

READ MORE: “The availability of having anything at your fingertips devalues music”: Rick Beato and Rick Rubin discuss the impact of streaming

More than $400k in assets were seized by authorities; the investigation also uncovered further copyright infringement, with 36 tracks allegedly stolen from local composers via promotional WhatsApp groups.
“These tracks, along with associated fake artist profiles, have been removed from the platform by request of the prosecutor’s office,” says IFPI.
“While not presently included in the criminal charges, the use of artificial intelligence to generate music tracks was also identified during the investigation and may be brought into the case at a later stage.”
In recent years, the use of generative AI by bad actors to mass-create content for the purpose of streaming manipulation has been a sticky issue in the music industry.
“Simply put, streaming manipulation of this nature is theft – stealing directly from artists and betraying fans,” says IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley. “We commend the actions of the State of Goiás prosecutor’s cybercrime unit for their work in this case and will continue to work closely with local authorities in Brazil, but more broadly across the world, to ensure this illegal activity is stopped.”
Paulo Rosa, President of Pro-Música Brasil, adds: “Stream manipulation is one of the biggest concerns of the music sector. We applaud the Public Attorney’s Office of the state of Goiás for this successful operation and will continue to work closely with Brazilian authorities to tackle these fraudulent practices.”
The post Brazilian individual arrested after uploading 400 fake tracks to Spotify, generating 28 million plays and $65k in streaming revenue appeared first on MusicTech.

AudioThing RES-09The RES-09 is a faithful emulation of the Roland RS-09, a lesser-known but beloved analog organ and string machine from the late '70s. Renowned for its lush ensemble effect, rich divide-down... Read More

Nvidia is reportedly in talks to acquire Lepton AINvidia is looking to get into the server rental market. The semiconductor giant is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire Lepton AI, a company that rents out servers that are powered by Nvidia’s AI chips, according to The Information. The deal is reportedly worth several hundred million dollars, according to The Information, which cited unnamed […]

Wyoming's Mark Gordon says state should issue stablecoin by JulyWyoming Governor Mark Gordon said the state’s proposed stablecoin might be ready to launch by July, with the Wyoming Stable Token Commission announcing interoperability protocol LayerZero as a partner for the token launch.Speaking at the DC Blockchain Summit on March 26, Gordon praised the speed and efficiency of the Wyoming state government in embracing blockchain technology. Anthony Apollo, the executive director of the Wyoming Stable Token Commission, also confirmed:"The Stable Token Commission has formally engaged LayerZero as our token development and distribution partner, and we have stable tokens — Wyoming stable tokens — on several test networks."Wyoming, which is represented by pro-crypto Senator Cynthia Lummis, has been planning a state-issued stablecoin for years and has a history of embracing innovation in digital assets.Governor Mark Gordon of Wyoming speaking at the 2025 DC Blockchain Summit. Source: SeiRelated: Yield-bearing stablecoins could kill banking — US Senator GillibrandWyoming Stable Token CommissionWyoming lawmakers introduced the “Wyoming Stable Token Act” in February 2022 to establish a state-issued stablecoin pegged to the value of the US dollar and redeemable for fiat.The bill was signed into law in March 2023, enabling the state treasury to develop a team of professional accountants, auditors, and technical experts to issue and manage the state’s stablecoin supply.Following the passage of the Stable Token Act, the state began staffing its Stable Token Commission with officers and executives to research and develop the state’s stablecoin.The Wyoming Stable Token Act. Source: Wyoming LegislatureIn August 2024, Governor Mark Gordon told an audience at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium that the state was eyeing a Q1 2025 launch window for the stablecoin, which would be backed by short-term US Treasury Bills and repurchase agreements.At the time, Gordon slammed the “too big to fail” ethos of US economics post-2008 financial crisis and called the Federal Reserve Bank a “drag on innovation.”More recently, Anthony Apollo, the executive director of the Wyoming Stable Token Commission, told Cointelegraph that the state's public budget should be onchain to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government spending.Magazine: Bitcoin payments are being undermined by centralized stablecoins

Love’s Arthur LeeMarch 7, 2025 was the birthday of singer/songwriter Arthur Lee. Love’s co-founder.    High Moon Records has slated for 2025 release, Just to Remind You. It’s a compilation album sourced from Arthur’s trove of tapes, recorded during the last fifteen years of his life, most of these songs are being heard here for the first time ever. Arthur asked his wife Diane Lee to issue them after his death. Having been hospitalized for several months, Lee realized he was losing his fight with Leukemia, and asked Diane to oversee the release of a final record of his unreleased songs. Although many of the tracks were in various stages of completion, Lee left some specific musical notes to execute his vision. High Moon Records previously issued Love’s Reel-To-Real and Black Beauty. Guitarist Johnny Echols is the co-founder of Love.   In 2012 and 2017, I interviewed Echols about Arthur Lee and Love, and Johnny’s memories of Love’s Forever Changes.  Portions first appeared in my books Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972 and 1967 A Complete Rock History of the Summer of Love.   HK: How did the concept of Forever Changes begin? JE: We started with kind of an idea after hearing the Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers. And we decided that we wanted to do something that had horns and strings and we knew from the very start how this album was going to be. And what we were going to do and that we were going to try to make this what we would consider our magnum opus. This was gonna be the thing that defined us. And it was either we were gonna take off and just go all the way or something was gonna have to happen. We were going to really leave the three-minute pop song format. We were getting bored of the three-minute rock tune and wanted to push it. We knew with Sgt Pepper’s there was a whole new sonic thing going on. Absolutely.  “The material and concepts of an outline of it were written before we went into the studio. Arthur was not very much of a guitar player. He could play a few chords and basically would sing the songs to me and basically play the outline of them and then I would get together with Kenny mostly and we would work out some structure for the song. Bryan had a way, kind of a counter point that he would do with his finger picking that would work against what we were playing. We would always have the rehearsals with Kenny and me first and then Michael Stuart. We would rehearse with acoustical instruments, or sometimes at a friend of ours who had a house, Joe Clark. He lived in the Valley and we’d go to his place. Sometimes we would rehearse in the daytime at the Whisky. But mostly at one of our houses.  “My role with Arthur and Bryan was basically an ombudsman to kind of keep these two personalities happening. “So, I knew that from the very start to keep. Because they would have been at loggerheads all the time. Because they liked the same chicks, if you listen to some of the songs. That is rock ‘n’ roll. That’s tight, of course, but there was always that strong tension between the two of them and I was always stuck there in the middle kind of keeping the peace but also drawing the best out of them that I could. Because otherwise, you know, Bryan was very much a show tune kind of guy and I knew we could not release show tunes so we had to do a lot of work on his songs to meld then into something that was acceptable to an audience that we were developing.”  For the full interview, visit https://cavehollywood.com/loves-arthur-lee/The post Love’s Arthur Lee first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.