This app lets you effortlessly send a DAW mix to your mobile device – and record ideas wherever inspiration strikesAs producers and mix engineers, we all know the fatigue that begins to set in after a long session in front of the screen.
It’s routinely recommended by the top professionals to take regular breaks while working with audio in order to keep our ears sharp. But these breaks are often when those golden moments of inspiration actually happen.
That’s why audio plugin brand FKFX has developed DawNote, a new app which allows users to send their current DAW mix to their mobile device, listen to it in real-world situations like walking or commuting, and even capture voice notes or melody ideas via the microphone whenever inspiration strikes.
These ideas are then synced back to the main DAW project, ready to be used directly within the DAW.

READ MORE: RAM shortage may drive up laptop prices – what does this mean for music producers?

Creativity is non-linear; you can be working for hours on crafting the perfect vocal melody in the studio, and then change your environment and come up with a better idea in 5 minutes while walking in the park.
DawNote seems like a pretty neat idea to capture those ideas that may otherwise have been lost to the ether, while offering features which make bringing those ideas into your main DAW project super easy.
The concept behind DawNote is simple: listening outside the studio offers a different perspective, and some ideas cannot be expressed efficiently with text alone,” FKFX says. “Tone, intention, and urgency are often better captured with voice.”

DawNote is currently scheduled for release in early 2026, with a free version available to discover the features.
You can sign up to the FKFX newsletter to receive updates surrounding the launch.
The post This app lets you effortlessly send a DAW mix to your mobile device – and record ideas wherever inspiration strikes appeared first on MusicTech.

Audio Engineer & Podcaster Bobby Owsinski’s 2026 Music PredictionsHypebot's Future Predictions series is back. Join us as we ask the music industry's expert analysts what they think might unfold in the world of music in 2026.
The post Audio Engineer & Podcaster Bobby Owsinski’s 2026 Music Predictions appeared first on Hypebot.

unAbleton releases Volture, a FREE distortion plugin for Windows
Developer unAbleton has released Volture, a free distortion plugin for Windows, available in 64-bit VST3 format only. Volture is a stompbox-style distortion with a bright yellow GUI that clearly nods toward classic overdrive pedals like the SD-1. And the interface looks like it was designed for a guitarist’s pedalboard. But at the same time, the [...]
View post: unAbleton releases Volture, a FREE distortion plugin for Windows

RAM shortage may drive up laptop prices – what does this mean for music producers?Amid a global shortage in DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), laptops are likely to become more expensive, market researcher TrendForce warns, and existing spec sheets may end up being downgraded in order to keep supply chains consistent.
In a new analysis, TrendForce says the DRAM shortage and concurrent high demand is pushing prices way up, and could soon mean the average mid-range laptop will have just 8GB of RAM, as opposed to the higher specs currently found on mid-priced machines. 
It says computers with 16, 32 or 64GB of RAM will continue to be available, but at higher prices amid the period of high demand.

READ MORE: FL Studio is coming to your browser as FL Studio Web

Why is this important for music producers? Depending on the demands of your workflow, you’ll likely be running a significant number of tracks with numerous plugins and virtual instruments all at once. 
RAM is essentially your machine’s short-term memory which allows its CPU to access data quickly. Put simply, the more RAM your machine has, the faster and more smoothly it will carry out tasks. Being a creative endeavour, this is all important for music production; we all know how frustrating it can be to have technological limitations interrupt our creative flow.
8GB of RAM is generally recommended as the minimum for music production. Beginners or less advanced producers may find it’s all they need to put together beats, record instruments and put together their mixes, but producers working with more complex sessions may discover they run into performance issues.
So per TrendForce’s analysis, if you’re a producer looking to ensure your laptop doesn’t technologically inhibit your creative flow, you might soon find yourself paying more for models with 16GB of RAM and beyond.
“While prices may stay stable for now, medium- and long-term adjustments, such as lowering specifications or raising prices, are inevitable,” the company states. “TrendForce forecasts more significant price fluctuations in the PC market by the second quarter of 2026.
“TrendForce highlights that cutting down on specifications or postponing upgrades has become an essential cost-saving measure for smartphone and laptop manufacturers. This is especially true for DRAM, which makes up the largest portion of memory expenses.”
So if you’re loosely eyeing up a laptop upgrade, you might be better off making that purchase sooner rather than later.
The post RAM shortage may drive up laptop prices – what does this mean for music producers? appeared first on MusicTech.

Soundtoys is giving away Little Plate for FREE until December 18
Soundtoys offers the Little Plate plate reverb plugin for free until December 18th as part of the 12 Days of Soundtoys promotion. The free offer on Little MicroShift (my absolutely favorite Soundtoys plugin from the Little lineup) just expired, but the next freebie is equally sweet. If you’ve ever wanted the lush sound of a [...]
View post: Soundtoys is giving away Little Plate for FREE until December 18

Are there too many synthesizers?In late October, some Sweetwater customers received notification that their pre-orders of the Behringer Pro-16 and VCS 3 were suddenly being cancelled. This came after the company exhibited a prototype of the Pro-16 — an emulation of the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 with 16 voices — at its booth at NAMM earlier this year.

READ MORE: Track Record: Shure CEO Christine Schyvinck on the company’s 100th anniversary

Users on a Reddit post about the cancellations guessed that this may be due to market saturation, with too many unpurchased instruments cluttering up warehouses and stock shelves. And with global tariffs, inflation and other economic woes hitting buyers hard in the purse, it wouldn’t be surprising if things had reached a breaking point, users said.
So what’s going on? Are there really too many synthesizers being released? We speak with Moog, Erica Synths, Black Corporation, and Molten Modular, synthesizer manufacturers of varying size, reach and price point, to find out.
A shift in buyer behaviour
First, the good news. “I wouldn’t describe today’s synthesizer market as oversaturated,” says Joe Richardson, the president of Moog Music and COO of InMusic. “What we’re really seeing is a shift in buyer behaviour.”
“With so much information available, buyers are taking more time to understand what sets instruments apart.” Joe argues that customers are weighing their options more than in the past, for example, “evaluating how analogue integrates into digital workflows, considering which effects matter most, and what premium each of these capabilities justifies.” In other words, they’re choosing with more intention.
And there’s never been more variety to pick from. “We’ve never had such a choice of synthesizers as we do now,” says Girts Ozolins, founder of Erica Synths. The price is also much lower than ever, putting previously unattainable instruments within the reach of workaday musicians. For example, “you can find the latest samplers at reasonable prices,” he points out. “Imagine getting a Fairlight 40 or 50 years ago when it came out. For 99.9% musicians, that was an inaccessible dream.”
“This abundance of choice can create buyer paralysis,” notes Joe, “but it also drives healthier innovation. The companies pushing forward, those delivering new ideas, inspired workflows, and genuine musical value, will define the next chapter.”
Competition creates innovation
Innovation is a common talking point. When asked if there are too many synthesizers on the market now, Girts responds: “Define ‘too many.’” Having grown up in the former Soviet Union, he has a unique perspective on the subject.
“If we ask the question, ‘Are there too many synthesizers?’ that means that we must consider some regulating body that will tell us specifically that we need this amount of synthesizers.” Rather, because we have a free market, manufacturers must create new innovations to survive.”
“This leads to a kind of arms race,” he continues, “and synthesizer manufacturers are forced to innovate to get something more unique.”
To illustrate, Girts points out the sheer variety of synthesizers available now compared to the 1970s and 1980s, when development was largely technologically driven. “For instance,” he says, “subtractive synthesizers emerged, and then all of a sudden, a lot of companies started their own subtractive synthesizer development with very few exceptions.” The challenge now, for manufacturers and engineers, Girts says, “is to actually come up with some substantial innovations in sound generation techniques, and unique user interfaces, or weird synthesizers, because the basics are covered.”
Joe points out that Moog’s recent Messenger has been successful precisely because of its innovations. “It was designed to be accessible,” he says, “yet it introduced genuinely new creative tools, like its wavefolding oscillator, expanded FM capabilities, Res Bass lift, and generative arpeggiator. These innovations resonated strongly. Artists and producers immediately adopted it into their setups.”
Holes in the market and new markets
Bob Rogue, the business manager at Black Corporation, is also positive in his outlook about the state of synthesizers. “A saturated market doesn’t exist,” he says. “There are still holes in the market.” Stating that there will always be someone who wants to buy whatever’s being made right now, he points to non-standard synthesizers and novelty as places where the market still has room to expand, such as “different formats like 5U or Eurorack, or making something weird like a 12U.”
Bob also points to Erica Synths’ Bullfrog, the semi-educational hybrid tabletop synthesizer made in conjunction with Richie Hawtin, as an example. “It’s not doing anything new from a synthesis standpoint, but it looks weird.” And that can be enough.
Another element to consider is the opening up of new markets. While 35% of synthesizer sales still happen in North America, emerging markets are already changing that. “Asia is a huge market that’s going up right now, especially in electronic music,” Bob points out. “India is blowing up, Korea is blowing up. Even Thailand’s got a techno scene. All these places are starting to inspire more interest in people wanting to make music.”
Retreat of the clones
One area where there may be saturation, however, is in clones of classic synths. “There are people making clones of things that don’t need to be cloned,” opines Bob. This may be where the Pro-16 ran into trouble. With many Prophet soundalikes already on the market in both hardware and plugin forms, Behringer may have decided that one more was unnecessary.
“We’re feeling the decline in enthusiasm because it’s all become so familiar,” says Robin Vincent of Eurorack channel, Molten Modular. “A lot of people have satisfied themselves with an abundance of synths and sounds, and in some ways that mission is complete.” Through brands like Behringer and others, he says, “people can have all the synths they ever dreamed of, but there’s a finite number of those nostalgic enthusiasts, and I think that Behringer is starting to feel that they’ve hit that number already and are going to end up with warehouses full of old synths.”
The state of Eurorack
Eurorack and modular synths have seen an explosive growth in the past decade. However, as with remakes, the market for new modules is now slowing down. “We were very much spoiled when Eurorack was growing exponentially,” laments Girts. “You could actually put out anything, and it would sell. We were lucky that we could surf on this wave of insane growth. Now [that] it’s slowing down, it’s getting more challenging.”
Bob of Black Corporation sees cloning within Eurorack as an area that’s experiencing less growth particularly. “People are less nerdy [about wanting something to sound exactly like the original now]. As the market of modular stuff grows, the sound-nerd specific group is not growing as fast. There are so many different factors to consider.”
On the other hand, Robin sees fluctuations in Eurorack sales as having reached a kind of equilibrium now. “There was a bump a couple of years ago when it felt like a huge chunk of people just thought ‘sod it’ and sold all their modular to get something more immediately useful like a Digitakt. But I think a more sensible level has been found that’s buoyant enough to keep the industry ticking over. It’s more holistic.”
Where do we go from here?
When asked about the challenges that synthesizer manufacturers are facing in 2025, Girts identifies creativity and accounting. “Creativity for developing a synth that will find its market, and accounting to get it to production. The more companies emerge, the more challenging it is to find the right customer.”
Joe also mentions creativity. “These are the deeper questions about how to design better instruments, anticipate the needs of modern musicians, and turn new ideas into innovative products. Our engineers and instrument designers rally around these opportunities and pressure-test ideas until they become truly great. Our strength has always come from transforming constraints into invention and pushing our craft forward.”
For Robin, the biggest challenge lies in a different direction: “The difficulty we have right now is access.” With traditional places for musicians to try before they buy, like music shops closing, and trade shows few and far between, he’s pushing for a more local approach. “The answer has to be more grassroots, more community-led,” Robin says. With that in mind, he’s started a monthly event in Norwich, UK, called Synth Picnic where people can try synths out and, if they wish, also buy. “I hope that it will inspire and attract new people into hardware synthesis and modular,” he says.
“More Moog synthesizers are being sold today than before,” notes Joe, highlighting just how healthy the market currently is. Ultimately, the message seems to be that there is still room for more synthesizers in the market, just as long as they can match the changing needs of customers.
“The companies pushing forward, those delivering new ideas, inspired workflows, and genuine musical value, will define the next chapter,” Joe says. “The synthesizer market isn’t oversaturated; it’s evolving.”
The post Are there too many synthesizers? appeared first on MusicTech.

Arturia’s AstroLab 37 review: Big sounds, small footprint$699 / €699, arturia.com
Upon its 2024 release, Arturia’s AstroLab was described by company co-founder Frédéric Brunas as “everything we’ve ever wanted to achieve.” Back then, I noted in my cover story for MusicTech that the story of the AstroLab, a keyboard that places presets from the Analog Lab software plugin into a computerless hardware setup, is really the story of Arturia.

READ MORE: Arturia’s AstroLab: The story of an instrument ten years in the making

The France-based developer was initially founded by Frédéric Brun and Gilles Pommereuil as a software-only company, but its offering soon diversified with hardware synths, controllers and more. AstroLab ties them back together.
Now comes the AstroLab 37, a far more modest offering than the original AstroLab, but with all the power when it comes to software. Over 1,800 presets across more than 40 instruments, onboard effects, ten sound-surfing preset buttons— it’s every bit as much AstroLab as its predecessors.
Arturia’s flagship software suite, V Collection, now stands at a whopping 45 instruments — Minimoogs, Mellotrons, Emulator IIs, the lot. Analog Lab pulls presets from across the V Collection range and condenses editing into Macros for quick, broad-strokes editing: Brightness, Timbre, Time and Movement.
Image: Press
Analog Lab is not a place for deep-diving; it’s a place for organising presets for quick recall and for optimising performance. In some ways, that might be enough for you to stop reading here, since this workflow won’t appeal to everybody. But if you’re the right type of player or producer, the AstroLab ecosystem might just be what you’ve been waiting for.
Since the release of the original, another AstroLab model sporting 88 keys has also joined the range. It almost goes without saying that the “future-proof” AstroLab 88 pushed the hardware side of AstroLab even further, maintaining the fundamentals of the workflow with a hammer-action keybed and updated CPU for extended polyphony.
Where can Arturia go from there? The answer is simply the other way: smaller. But rest assured — it’s no less impressive.
AstroLab 37 heralds the range’s diminutive side, proving the adaptability of the Lab ecosystem, from the smallest to the largest scale and from the most plumbed-in studio to the lightest of portable setups. I’ll go out on a limb and assume that while the original AstroLab may have assumed pilot duties, the plan was always to branch out in both directions from that 61-key starting point.
Image: Press
So what’s new? Well, the AstroLab 37 has to make tactical use of its size to prevent performers from feeling congested. It does this extremely well— in fact, it sports almost the entire panel feature set of its bigger siblings.
Build quality is astonishingly good for such a lightweight unit: Firm controls, wood-finish side panels and sturdy. I’m disappointed to find it can’t be bus-powered over USB when connected to a computer (even the titanic Arturia KeyLab 88 can be) but then again, this is not simply a MIDI controller.
The circular screen is still present in glorious technicolour, but the Screen Encoder is replaced by a smaller encoder beneath, which I prefer since it keeps the view of the screen clearer without my hand obscuring things. The eight encoders are here not endowed with light-up rings, but are still capacitive, meaning that just resting a finger on them shows their value onscreen, which is highly useful. As I found with the AstroLab 61, there is still some lag when changing presets, though not to the extent that it becomes truly disruptive.
As for the keyboard itself, for its size, it feels playable and remarkably spacious. However, not all of Arturia’s software instruments lend themselves to the same form factor. Augmented Piano depends on weighted keys, while synths like the Jup-8 V or SEM V need nothing of the sort to feel authentic. An organ equation like the B-3 V, meanwhile, will do well with semi-weighted keys. In this way, I can easily imagine resident users of Analog Lab using two or more AstroLab models at the same time; perhaps a double-tier stand with an AstroLab 88 below and a 37 on top, for keys and synths respectively.
Image: Press
Alternatively, the Lab ecosystem might take on an almost iCloud-like role when it comes to presets, with the same sounds accessible on two keyboards of vastly different form factors, meaning that players really can take their sounds with them, whatever the demands of the session: a large-scale gig or a pop-up songwriting session.
It’s interesting to note the timing of the AstroLab 37’s release. Recent months have seen the unveiling of many similar-sized keyboard instruments and controllers, from the microKorg 2 to Sequential’s Fourm and Telepathic Instruments’ Orchid— even Arturia’s own KeyStep Mk2. While these all occupy different roles, it indicates that more producers are looking for light-on-their-feet setups, which the AstroLab 37 caters to marvellously.
I will say, not least from the vocoder-ready microphone input on its rear, there is something distinctly microKorg-ish about the AstroLab37. And I don’t just mean the unfortunate fact that its— ahem— still un-deletable Artist Tribute presets remind me somewhat of the microKorg panel’s unnecessarily cheesy genre headings (don’t like Bruno Mars? Tough luck!)
Image: Press
But, of course, those Tribute presets, while they irk me, may inspire you. And they are by no means compulsory to use. On the subject of loading presets, the ease of use given by the AstroLab Connect app, which lets you browse and load presets wirelessly from your smartphone, is a boon, particularly in a live setting.
The AstroLab 37’s core currency, like the rest of the growing AstroLab range, is in its deployment of studio-crafted Analog Lab presets, and this it does excellently, with almost no palpable sense of sacrifice on account of its size. If anything, it might be the most impressive AstroLab yet.

Key features

Over 1,800 presets
40+ instruments
37 slim keys with aftertouch
10 preset buttons for quick access and live usability
8 macro knobs
Built-in insert effects, delay & reverb
Vocoder with mono input

The post Arturia’s AstroLab 37 review: Big sounds, small footprint appeared first on MusicTech.

AllMusic Loves 2025Our editors share a wide variety of their personal favorite albums of 2025, featuring some of the year's biggest releases and a wealth of lesser-heard gems.

I hate that I love Riverside’s AI-driven “Rewind” for podcastersRiverside's year-end review is amusing, but it represents a creative culture that's increasingly entwined with AI.

Bob Moog Foundation To Honor Rock Legend Keith Emerson At 2026 NAMM ShowAccording to news on Monday, "The Bob Moog Foundation is proud to announce that it will honor the legendary keyboardist Keith Emerson at the 2026 NAMM Convention, which runs from January 22, 2026 to January 24, 2026. The Foundation will host a Keith Emerson Moog Modular System reissue, one of five ever produced, in its NAMM booth, in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of Emerson’s passing. Various musicians and technologists will be demonstrating the modular throughout the three days. The Foundation will also present a TEC Tracks panel, Celebrating the Legacy of Keith Emerson, on Friday at 4 pm."

"Moog Music’s Keith Emerson Modular System (KEMS) was announced in the spring of 2014 in collaboration with Keith Emerson," a statement reads. "Using original documentation as well as circuit board and art files for nearly every original Moog module, Moog engineers painstakingly recreated the original Keith Emerson Moog Modular System, which came to fame on countless stages around the world with Emerson featuring it with Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. The massive reissue systems originally sold for $150,000 each. The system being featured at NAMM is owned by Orange Coast Modular."

"A technical and historical presentation about the modular will be given at the Bob Moog Foundation NAMM booth by Moog historian Brian Kehew at noon on Friday and Saturday. Musical demonstrations will be given throughout the weekend by gifted modular synthesists Andrew Colyer, Lisa Bella Donna, Rachel Flowers, and Erik Norlander."

“The Bob Moog Foundation is deeply honored to be hosting the Keith Emerson Modular System in its booth at NAMM 2026,” noted Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation. “It is impossible to overstate how important Keith was in bringing the Moog modular synthesizer into the rock genre. He ignited fan’s imaginations with his virtuosic playing, and left an indelible musical legacy.”

"Panelists on the Celebrating the Legacy of Keith Emerson discussion include: Mari Kawaguchi, Emerson’s fiancée, Brian Kehew, Rachel Flowers, Steve Porcaro (TOTO), and Rich Walborn, Emerson’s modular tech in the 1970s. Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation, will moderate.  The panel will take place from 4 pm - 5 pm on Friday, January 23rd, in the Hilton’s California B room."

“As we enter the tenth year since Keith’s passing, having the replica of his modular Moog synthesizer on display at the Bob Moog Foundation’s NAMM booth feels profoundly meaningful – a tribute to Keith’s unique bond with Dr. Robert Moog and the ongoing work of the Bob Moog Foundation,” noted Mari Kawaguchi, Emerson’s fiancée. “What moves me most is that people will be able to experience the instrument up close, standing before the very creation that shaped Keith’s voice and forever changed modern music.”

"Keith Emerson (November 1944 – March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, composer, and record producer. His masterful use of keyboards marked his work in The Nice in the late 1960s. After leaving The Nice in 1970, he became a founding member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP), one of the early progressive rock supergroups. Soon thereafter he acquired a large Moog modular synthesizer, which he continued to build upon. The synthesizer became a hallmark of his virtuoso performances."The post Bob Moog Foundation To Honor Rock Legend Keith Emerson At 2026 NAMM Show first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Giant Neopixel Is Just Like The Regular Kind, Only BiggerNeopixels and other forms of addressable LEDs have taken the maker world by storm. They make it trivial to add a ton of controllable, glowing LEDs to any project. [Arnov Sharma] has made a great tribute to the WS2812B LED by building the NeoPixel Giant Edition.
The build is simply a recreation of the standard 5mm x 5mm WS2812B, only scaled up to 150 mm x 150 mm. It uses a WS2811 chip inside to make it behave in the same way from a logical perspective, and this controller is hooked up to nine standard RGB LEDs switched with MOSFETs to ensure they can deliver the requisite light output. The components are all assembled on a white PCB in much the same layout as the tiny parts of a WS2812B, which is then installed inside a 3D-printed housing made in white PLA. Large metal terminals were added to the housing, just like a WS2812B, and the lens was then created using a large dose of clear epoxy.
The result is a fully functional, addressable LED that is approximately 30 times larger than the original. You can even daisy-chain them, just like the real thing. We’ve covered all kinds of projects using addressable LEDs over the years, from glowing cubes to fancy nature installations. If you’ve got your own glowable project that the world needs to see, make sure you notify the tips line!

Ollie Wards departs as TikTok’s Director of Music for Australia and New ZealandWards' adieu follows hot on the heels of Charlotte Stahl's departure as head of Music Partnerships for the EMEA region
Source

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi 2The Big Muff Pi 2 is an analog fuzz pedal from Electro-Harmonix that resurrects a never-before-released dual op-amp circuit designed by Big Muff creator Bob Myer in the late 1970s. Discovered as a hand-drawn schematic, this design features two dual op-amps, providing a distinct voicing that separates it from the classic transistor-based and later Op-Amp Big Muff models. This pedal is intended for guitarists, bassists, and sound designers seeking a Big Muff variant with a sharper edge and a notably pronounced low-end and midrange frequency response. Its clipping is less refined than other models, delivering a uniquely aggressive texture and high output volume while maintaining the signature, long sustain of the Big Muff line. The unit is housed in a compact nano-sized chassis and features a modern, soft true bypass footswitch with both latching and momentary action modes for versatile performance. Key Features Circuit: Analog Dual Op-Amp Fuzz based on a previously unreleased 1970s schematic. Tone: Characterized by high output, enhanced low-end, and less-refined clipping for an aggressive texture. Controls: Dedicated knobs for Sustain (gain/distortion), Tone (variable filter), and Vol (output level). Bypass: Features silent true bypass switching via a mechanical relay. Footswitch: Offers user-selectable latching or momentary footswitch operation. Chassis: Nano-sized die-cast enclosure with custom artwork. https://youtu.be/SO0bn9O0jQQ?si=yzxARXvq9dQ6FgMK Read More

Shinju on sound design in Serum, the art of imperfections, and more
Read our exclusive interview with shinju, who shares insights on how he crafts his iconic Serum presets, the art of imperfections, and more.

FL Studio is coming to your browser as FL Studio WebImage-Line CEO Constantin Koenche has announced FL Studio Web, a browser-based version of the beloved DAW, FL Studio — better known to many as FruityLoops.
FL Studio Web isn’t a complete port of FL Studio desktop, but it boasts the same workflow, FL Cloud integration, stock FL Studio plugins, and a strikingly similar GUI. Koenche says the DAW is designed as both a “gateway into music production” and a powerful on-the-go companion for experienced users. In practice, that means that you can start a track in the browser, save the project, and access it later at FL Studio desktop, complete with the full suite of Image-Line plugins. At least, that’s the theory — MusicTech hasn’t been given early access to FL Studio Web, nor is it readily accessible.

READ MORE: “FL Studio’s duty is to get more people to stick with music-making”: CEO Constantin Koehncke on FL Studio 2025 and beyond

FL Studio Web is currently in public beta with a waitlist now open to new and existing users. Koenche adds that the app will be built “with [the FL Studio] community. As an early tester, your feedback will shape the future of FL Studio Web.”
Details are scarce, but on LinkedIn, Koenche and Robert Linke (chief product & technology officer at Image-Line) both mention that FL Studio Web is a bid to lower the “barrier to entry” for new music makers.
“We’ve taken the iconic FL Studio workflow and streamlined it for the web, allowing anyone to start creating instantly – no downloads, no complex setups,” says Koenche. He continues to explain the full ecosystem compatibility of FL Studio Web, the instant access to FL Cloud and native FL Studio plugins, and an “interactive onboarding” process that gets new users making music “in minutes.

FL Studio Web is set to join a small number of growing browser-based DAWs, including BandLab, OpenDAW, Moises and Soundtrap. However, this marks the first time a legacy DAW developer brings its desktop product to the web in a meaningful way.
In an interview with MusicTech earlier this year, Koenche alluded to transitioning FL Studio into a cross-platform experience.
“Why should music making, as a whole, be different from graphic design or word processing or gaming, where you pick up from where you left off on different devices?” he said, adding: “We think a lot about the commonalities between gaming and music making in terms of experience and the joyfulness of learning while you’re playing…There are a lot of analogies in our community — words like ‘cheat code’ are used a lot in relation to FL Studio. We see a lot of overlap and commonalities in how people interact with music-making software and specifically FL Studio.”
“We just want to be wherever somebody’s thinking about creating music; it’s about being wherever your users might be.”
You can join the waitlist for FL Studio Web now.
Editor’s note: BandLab and MusicTech are both owned by Caldecott Music Group.
 
The post FL Studio is coming to your browser as FL Studio Web appeared first on MusicTech.