Warner Music appoints Lo Ting-Fai as President of Asia-PacificLofai’s appointment fits into Robert Kyncl's plan to strengthen Warner’s presence in the region’s fast-changing music scene
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zazz Radio RackEffect chain to simulate radio effect. Read More

Dystopian Waves releases Spectral Wobbler, a FREE Max for Live modulation plugin
Spectral Wobbler is a free Max for Live plugin released by developer Dystopian Waves that is compatible with Ableton Live Suite 11 and 12 (macOS and Windows). Max for Live is Ableton’s visual programming environment, allowing users to extend the functionality of Ableton Live. With Max for Live, users can create custom instruments and audio/MIDI [...]
View post: Dystopian Waves releases Spectral Wobbler, a FREE Max for Live modulation plugin

Spitfire Audio capture Strawberry Studios’ iconic Steinway B – played by Elton John and David Bowie – with Château Piano pluginBack in the ‘70s, the sound of Strawberry Studios’ 1901 Steinway B piano dominated the charts. From Elton John to David Bowie, plenty of superstars utilised Strawberry’s Steinway B – and, thanks to Spitfire Audio, you can now capture the sound of the legendary piano from the comfort of your own DAW.
Spitfire Audio’s new Château Piano plugin meticulously samples the iconic 1901 Steinway B, allowing users to replicate the magic of the piano with ease. The sampling was also recorded on site at in the 18th-century French castle, Le Château d’Hérouville, that houses Strawberry Studios, meaning it sounds truly authentic.

READ MORE: Oasis fans to watch more than 12 minutes of each show through their phone, new study claims

Recorded in the studio’s George Sand live room, the sampling was captured via a collection of valve and condenser microphones. Most significantly, the recording set up even employed some Neumann U67 condenser mics in exactly the same positioning as Elton John used during his original recordings of cuts like Rocket Man, Goodbye, and Yellow Brick Road.

The Château Piano plugin allows you to blend eight individual signals, as well as allowing you to toy with a plethora of effects like analogue tape effects, compression, chorus, high and low-pass filters, reverb, and more.
There’s also 37 presets to experiment with, ranging from distorted, overdriven textures to capture a grittier sound, or more rich, lush tones if you’re after something warmer.
With its beautiful location and curious tales of ghost hauntings, Strawberry Studio quickly became the hot-spot for ‘70s superstars. It’s since become known as ‘France’s Abbey Road’, beloved by many artists that once graced its grounds.

Bowie’s 1977 record Low was partially recorded at the castle, while Elton John in particular couldn’t get enough of the place. The acclaimed pianist recorded three records at Strawberry, even naming 1972’s Honky Château after the studio.
“They all told us, if they had made this record elsewhere, it wouldn’t have been the same,” studio owner Thierry Garacino explains. “They wouldn’t have written these arrangements – it was the Château that inspired them.”
Speaking on the new plugin, Garacino insists its the real deal. “You play three chords and straight away… that’s the sound of Elton John,” he says.
Spitfire Audio’s Château Piano is available now and is is compatible with macOS and Windows. It’s currently available at a discounted price of £103, which will soon hop up to £129.

The post Spitfire Audio capture Strawberry Studios’ iconic Steinway B – played by Elton John and David Bowie – with Château Piano plugin appeared first on MusicTech.

Swedish House Mafia have made it easier than ever to submit demos to their label, SUPERHUMANEver wanted Swedish House Mafia to hear your mixtape? Well, the EDM titans have just made it easier than ever to send demos into their label, SUPERHUMAN.
The Swedes have launched a dedicated new portal to submit your demo tracks, with a new Instagram reel showcasing the improved submission process. “The world doesn’t need more tracks,” the video asserts. “It needs something SUPERHUMAN.”

READ MORE: Oasis fans to watch more than 12 minutes of each show through their phone, new study claims

Instead of sending demos through to studio@superhuman.music, artists can now upload MP3 or WAV files directly to the simple microsite. Alongside your track, you also need to include your artist name, confirm whether you used any samples, and there’s also space to include a brief message.
“At SUPERHUMAN, we recognize that there’s a lot of talent and creativity out there, but not always an easy way to get it heard,” the label explains in a statement with EDM. “We’ve developed a DemoDrop feature and added it to our website to make it easier for artists to send music directly to us.”

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A post shared by SUPERHUMAN MUSIC (@livesuperhuman)

While the Swedes began sharing music on the SUPERHUMAN label back in February 2024, the gang officially began welcoming artist submissions back in April. The group encouraged the influx of demos with adverts across the globe, plastering “I’m a superhuman” across the sides of cars and up on billboards.
The label website asserts that its goal is to provide “a space for ideas” and “a platform for those who create”. The mission is to “innovate boldly and redefine the standard” of the music industry.

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A post shared by SUPERHUMAN MUSIC (@livesuperhuman)

So far, the label has only released music from Swedish House Mafia, as well as any solo work from the Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingross trio. One track released by the label most recently includes Ingrosso’s A New Day, a track that samples Celine Dion.
“Thank you Celine for letting me bring this into a new shape,” the artist wrote in an Instagram post back in July.
You can submit your demos to SUPERHUMAN now.

The post Swedish House Mafia have made it easier than ever to submit demos to their label, SUPERHUMAN appeared first on MusicTech.

How to report setlists to PROs after shows and why you shouldPerforming Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI and SESAC collect fees from venues that play live or recorded music and distribute them to Artists. Learn how to report setlists to PROs and increase your chances of getting your share.
The post How to report setlists to PROs after shows and why you should appeared first on Hypebot.

Marketing music and going viral on Instagram just got easierMeta just added features that will make marketing music and going viral on Instagram a lot easier.
The post Marketing music and going viral on Instagram just got easier appeared first on Hypebot.

Spitfire Audio release Château Piano Said to be more than just another piano library, the latest arrival to the Spitfire Audio range has been captured at the iconic studio behind hits from Elton John, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and The Bee Gees.

Is Universal Audio’s Anthem more than just virtual analogue novelty?$199 perpetual license
Free for UAD Spark subscribers
uaudio.com
Anthem is a powerful addition to Universal Audio’s vast, growing range of soft synths. In keeping with UA’s reputation in analogue modelling, Anthem stays on brand, with a classic sound palette and design aesthetics.

READ MORE: MusicTech’s favourite plugins of 2025 — so far

Looking back at some of the legendary monosynths of the 1970s and early 1980s, Anthem encapsulates the feel of classic subtractive synth architecture. Although its interface isn’t based solely around one particular synth, you can easily approach Anthem the same way you would an ARP Odyssey, a Moog Prodigy, or a Sequential Circuits Pro One. However, the paraphonic and unison modes coupled with intuitive sequencer and effects sections allow Anthem to overlap slightly into Korg MS-20 territory. But is its virtual analogue prowess alone enough to justify its price?

The Anthem approach
I find Anthem’s interface delightfully simple at first, with a two-oscillator (and single sub-oscillator) sound engine, a resonant low-pass filter section (with secondary high-pass filter), independent filter and amp envelopes, and a basic LFO. Upon closer inspection, though, each section has a few deeper controls that unlock more expression, character, and tonal range.
As an instrument, Anthem provides an impressive level of creative immediacy. If you’re an accomplished keyboardist, you’ll love how realistically analogue Anthem feels to play, with natural-sounding glide and detune. Also, with an easily-accessible MIDI learn function, you can take control of any parameter with ease to help your sounds come alive, but be sure to check the default MIDI CC assignments, as this may save you time.
Alternatively, if you prefer taking a more rhythmic approach using the step sequencer, you’ll be amazed at the range of sounds that is possible with such a limited set of controls. The sequencer section functions in a similar way to a user-programmable arpeggiator, and is MIDI triggered, which lets you quickly transpose basslines into longer progressions with the Retrigger mode activated.
The global sequencer controls allow you to change the feel completely by adjusting the grid divisions, swing, note length, and playing direction of the pattern. Also, a key feature lets you link or unlink the gate, pitch, and velocity sequencer lanes so you can create patterns that are independent in length for interesting polyrhythmic results. However, possibly the most exciting part of the sequencer is the legato slide function that lets you create acid basslines just like the TB-303 or SH-101.
Image: Press
Deeper features and effects in UAD’s Anthem
Once I’ve familiarised myself with the basics, I start to notice that Universal Audio has cleverly worked in more advanced features to give Anthem an edge over the stock analogue synth plugins in your DAW. If you look at the oscillator and filter sections, there are a few dual-purpose controls with an outer and inner pot. The first one that really catches my interest in the sound creation process is the versatility of the waveform controls on each of the two oscillators.
Anthem’s waveform shapes are variable, so you can choose familiar triangle, saw, and pulse waves or a range of intermediary shapes. Then, using the outer ring control and the selector switch below, you can modulate each waveform with either the LFO or the filter envelope. This allows you to animate in your two main sound generators, for subtle or more vibrant, rhythmic results.
The Warp control directly below has the same interface, but here you are either syncing the second oscillator to a hidden, third oscillator by varying degrees, or adding ring modulation. Both warp modes have expansive tonal range, immediately giving your sounds a 1970s sci-fi edge.
The effects section is simple, but it’s been designed to streamline rather than waylay the creative process. Here, you can stack a mono or stereo chorus with a choice of four different modulation effects, as well as spatial effects including classic tape echo, spring, and hall reverbs. As you flip between effects, you’ll notice that your settings are stored, which is a useful touch. Another particularly interesting addition is the LFO Tilt control. This lets you vary the LFO shape, which is especially effective when being automated.

Is UAD Anthem your next go-to soft synth?
Anthem sounds phenomenal and authentic. Its fantastic presets, different voice modes and well-modelled filter let you take a sound from irresistibly smooth and pleasant to raspy and rambunctious in seconds. However, despite the filter’s Drive and Growl controls, I feel that Anthem is missing a distortion processor of sorts, which is well within the UA wheelhouse.
As a perpetual license holder, or UAD Spark subscriber, you can run Anthem as a UADx plugin, but the Native version barely moved the needle on my M2 MacBook Air, so using Apollo DSP isn’t essential. Although Anthem is among the best synth plugins I’ve used for beginners, its $199 price tag, makes it inaccessible for the average user.
Alternatively, if you’re looking at Anthem as an experienced producer, you probably already own either Arturia Pigments or u-He’s Diva, both of which offer far more advanced synthesis capabilities in the same price range. In today’s market, realistic analogue-modelling synth plugins aren’t hard to find. In fact, there are some stellar stock options in the form of Ableton’s Analog, Logic Pro’s Retro Synth, Reason’s Polytone, and Bitwig’s Polymer.
This makes Anthem something of a novelty, and I feel that rather than looking only at the architecture of legendary analogue synths, the developers could have expanded Anthem’s capabilities further with features found in classic virtual analogue synths like the Nord Lead 3, Roland JP-8000, and Access Virus.
I’m hoping that future updates will bring increased sound-shaping options, especially in the modulation department, where Anthem is rather limited.

Key features

Native UADx plugin, VST3, AU, and AAX
Analogue sound and feel
Paraphonic and unison voice modes
Vintage effects
Multi-lane sequencer

The post Is Universal Audio’s Anthem more than just virtual analogue novelty? appeared first on MusicTech.

Crypto salaries triple in 2024 as stablecoins dominate payrolls: ReportCircle’s USDC accounted for 63% of salaries paid in crypto in 2024, outpacing USDt despite its trading dominance, according to Pantera’s global compensation survey.

TCHAIKOVSKY SPECTACULAR WITH FIREWORKS at the HOLLYWOOD BOWLBy Jonathan Widran and Jessica TaylorAs Gustavo Dudamel’s long tenure as Music & Artistic Director of the LA Phil enters its final year, anticipation was high during the Hollywood Bowl’s Forever Summer schedule for his first appearances as conductor in early August. This meant July was a grand opportunity for the city’s classical music fans to experience the grandeur, grace and adventurous excitement of guest conductors from various countries across the globe, who brought their unique styles and cultural aesthetics to lead the orchestra through the enduring works of many beloved composers. These include Carlos Miguel Prieto, a Mexican conductor making his second appearance at the Bowl (after last year’s Ballet Folklórico de México) leading the annual audience favorite Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks and Tabita Berglund from Norway, making her debut with the LA Phil for a program of Brahms & Grieg. Starting with the lighthearted and lilting, Rome-inspired 15-minute fantasy for orchestra “Capriccio Italien Op. 45,” the multi-faceted Tchaikovsky program presented a high contrast in dynamics between the sweet, graceful and timeless storytelling of Swan Lake (featuring members of the San Francisco Ballet) and the familiar boisterous crescendo of the closing 1812 Overture. During this segment, the LA Phil was joined by the USC Trojan Marching Band as the vibrant fireworks display lit up the sky behind the band shell. Conducting these works, Prieto showcased the range of his refined and sophisticated artistry, also allowing us to feel the joy and passion of his heritage.  

As much as the crowd anticipates and loves the fireworks, nothing on this night was as magical and uplifting as the opportunity to experience the fluid, dreamlike interplay between the LA Phil and the SF Ballet as they presented three of the most compelling segments of Swan Lake – the White Swan Pas de Deux, Act II, Black Swan Pas de Deux Act III and Dance of the Cygnets, Act III. In the Pas de Deux (a dance for two), the male dancer showcases the beautiful ballerina, making her look light and ethereal, particularly during the lifts and spinning pirouettes. He is strong but makes lifting her seem effortless, allowing her angelic nature to shine and making it appear she is floating through the air, then assisting her as she lands with perfection.    The White Swan, the female lead of the ballet symbolizing good, danced with grace and heavenly beauty, transcending to the magnificence of a swan with solo harp accompaniment. Her male counterpart was the prince falling in love with the princess who had been transformed into the white swan. A gentle violin accompanied them as they danced together. In the second Pas de Deux, the Black Swan, representing evil, used her stylish moves to try to trick the prince and make him fall in love with her instead. Contrasting with the gentle movements of the White Swan, the Black Swan’s dramatic dance, full of jumps and turns, reflected her demands for more of the prince’s attention. The orchestra’s blend of softly charming passages and more emphatic, percussive strings perfectly reflected the seduction.  

It's likely that no other dancer or athlete can display elegance in motion as well as ballerinas performing Swan Lake, a notion most perfectly displayed on one of the ballet’s most renowned piece of choreography, “Dance of the Cygnets.” In synch with the high spirits and great whimsy of the orchestra, it featured four ballerinas (white swans) dancing together in unison, breathtakingly imitating the way petite swans huddle and move together with perfection for protection. The swimming effect created as they danced across the stage hid the hard work it takes to move in such perfect synch, much like we don’t see the intense movement of a swan’s legs under the water because they make it look so smooth on the surface. The need for the precise timing between the music and the cygnets’ movements was so great that Prieto would often look over his shoulder to make sure the orchestra was on point with them. While perhaps not the marquee event the Tchaikovsky Spectacular was, the Bowl’s presentation a few nights earlier of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor Op. 15 (the composer’s first performed orchestral work) and Grieg’s Peer Gynt was majestic and inspiring in its own special way. Besides the opportunity to hear these grandeur-filled works, perhaps the greatest revelations of the night were the elated and elegant conducting of the exuberant, internationally acclaimed Norwegian Tabita Berglund and the stunning, flawless and richly complex playing of French piano virtuoso Hélène Grimaud. Bringing much needed, insightful and intuitive feminine energy to a realm whose roles are traditionally filled by male conductors and soloists, Berglund and Grimaud regaled the audience with alternating moments of both softness and extreme intensity as they shared the ageless classical wonder of Brahm’s three movement concerto.Not surprisingly, the highlight of the post-intermission presentation of Peer Gynt was its most famous piece, “Morning Mood,” which Grieg composed to depict the rising of the sun in the Moroccan desert in Act 4 of Henrik Ibsen’s play (also named Peer Gynt). Beginning with subtle clarinets, flutes and a single lyrical oboe, it built on a symphony of multiple violins, which often convey a more solemn feeling, but here were extraordinarily uplifting, like seeing the first sunrise after God created his beautiful earth. Photo credits: Elizabeth Asher, courtesy of the LA Phil.The post TCHAIKOVSKY SPECTACULAR WITH FIREWORKS at the HOLLYWOOD BOWL first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Substack isn’t the right model for music. But there’s still a future to believe in.MBW Views is a series of exclusive op/eds from eminent music industry people… with something to say. The following comes from Matt Jones, CEO of Medallion and former CEO of Songkick. Jones has spent over 15 years building direct-to-fan platforms and has facilitated hundreds of millions in artist revenue through various fan engagement models. Substack … Continued
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5 simple pitch shifting plugins (free and paid)
We've rounded up five essential pitch shifting plugins that every producer should know, ranging from industry favorites to hidden gems.

Upwork is buying its way into corporate staffing beyond freelancersThe company will merge Bubty and Ascen with its existing enterprise business to form a separate entity later this year.

A Robot Controller With The Compute Module 5The regular Raspberry Pi line is a flexible single-board computer, but sometimes you might find yourself wishing for a form factor that was better designed for installation into a greater whole. This is why the Compute Module variants exist. Indeed, leveraging that intention, [Hans Jørgen Grimstad] has used the powerful Compute Module 5 as the heart of his “Overlord” robot controller.
The Compute Module 5 offers a powerful quad-core 64-bit ARM chip running at 2.4 GHz, along with anywhere from 2 to 16GB of RAM. You can also get it with WiFi and Bluetooth built in onboard, and it comes with a wide range of I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO pins to serve whatever ends you envision for them. It’s a whole lot of capability, but the magic is in what you do with it.
For [Hans], he saw this as a powerful basis for a robot controller. To that end, he built a PCB to accept the Compute Module 5, and outfit it with peripherals suited to robotics use. His carrier board equips it with an MCP2515 CAN controller and a TJA1051 CAN transceiver, ideal for communicating in a timely manner with sensors or motor controllers. It also has a 9-axis BNO055 IMU on board, capable of sensor fusion and 100Hz updates for fine sensing and control. The board is intended to be easy to use with hardware like Xiaomi Cybergear motors and Dynamixels servos. As a bonus, there is power circuitry on board to enable it to run off anything from 5 to 36V. While GPIOs aren’t exposed, [Hans] notes that you can even pair it with a second Pi if you want to use GPIOs or camera ports or do any other processing offboard.
If you’re looking for a place to start for serious robot development, the Overlord board has plenty of capability. We’ve explored the value of the Compute Module 5 before, too. Meanwhile, if you’re cooking up your own carrier boards, don’t hesitate to let the tipsline know!