6 Ways Bandsintown’s New Marketplace Helps Artists Level UpBandsintown for Artists features over 30 integrations and partner tools to help indie artists grow, amplify their visibility, and connect closer to fans.
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Apple Launches Apple Creator Studio: New Creative Powerhouse for Musicians and ProducersApple has announced the launch of Apple Creator Studio, a new subscription bundle designed to unify its most powerful creative tools under one roof. For musicians, songwriters and producers, this marks a significant shift in how Apple’s professional ecosystem can be accessed and utilized.
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UMD192 interface from SSL Equipped with MADI, Dante and USB connectivity, the UMD192 is capable of delivering 192 channels at 48 and 92 kHz, or 128 channels at 192kHz. 

Is the Akai MPC One+ still worth buying in 2026?£555, akaipro.com
Music would look extremely different today if not for Akai. Starting with the MPC60 in 1988, the brand’s sampler units have shaped everything from house and techno to hip-hop, becoming the go-to for names like J Dilla, Dre, and Fred Again.

READ MORE: Tonverk is Elektron’s most versatile sampler yet

The MPC’s legendary status is obvious — but perhaps less obvious is its place in a world of DAWs. In 2015, Akai shook up the classic MPC workflow with a 7-inch touch screen, a new focal point for its modern samplers like the MPC One+ that landed in 2023. However, two years is a long time with today’s constant bombardment of new gear.
Although 2025 saw Akai release MPC3 — a complete software overhaul that bolstered the sampler range with new features and workflow improvements — it’s not obvious whether the MPC One+ still deserves a spot in a modern producer’s arsenal.
So I’m here to find out: is MPC One+ still worth buying?
Image: Press
First impressions of the MPC One+
Unboxing the MPC One+, I’m struck by its crimson appearance. With a satisfying selection of buttons, knobs, and a large touchscreen arranged on its square chassis, just looking at the device makes me excited to turn it on.
I’m generally not one for manuals, preferring to use instinct to find my way around a new piece of gear. But after half an hour of aimless and frustrated button pushing, it becomes clear that’s not going to be possible with the MPC One+. I’ve been entrenched in Ableton Live for about 15 years, and the unit’s workflow feels pretty alien.
Humbled, I download the MPC One+ manual which, to Akai’s credit, includes a fantastic tutorial for first-timers, significantly demystifying the workflow. It can’t have been easy to pack so much functionality into such little space and still retain a degree of usability.
Elsewhere, the signature 4×4 pad grid feels excellent to play, with colour-coded outlines that signify the type of sample on each pad, although clean freaks be warned — the rubbery texture seriously attracts dust and lint.
Input and output volume knobs are hidden on the back, and they’re not the easiest to adjust without looking. However, the touch screen is crisp, vibrant, and most importantly, responsive.
Despite my initial frustration, I come to the end of the tutorial both confident and optimistic.
Image: Press
Is Akai MPC One+ easy to use?
Having crafted a simple four-track loop through the tutorial, I now have a decent handle on how to work with MPC One+. I explore the dedicated Sampler mode a bit further, which is blazingly fast. Users can pipe in external audio, say from a turntable, and chop it to the pads in mere seconds.
Working up loop-based sketches is engaging and immediate — but escaping eight-bar purgatory is where the MPC One+ starts to put up a fight.
Unlike a DAW, where you have a clear picture of what’s going on in your project at all times, you have to keep a lot more in your head with the MPC One+. It’s not always apparent how its operating modes relate to each other, or where things are saved. Furthermore, tasks like recording automation feel finicky and time-consuming.
In a way, this forced slowing down is a positive — it makes the entire process more intentional. But it also gets in the way, and when I make music, I find the best stuff comes out when I’m working fast. Even though I don’t doubt it has the necessary features, I shudder at the thought of mixing a complex session on MPC One+.
Image: Press
What sounds does MPC One+ include?
Included with the One+ is an impressive bank of factory sounds and presets, albeit fairly commercial in aesthetic, with plenty inspiring me as I audition samples. Drum kits, synth stabs, vocal chops — Akai has covered all bases, and for new producers, there’s a bounty of sounds for getting started.
The on-board effects plugins provide ample mangling potential if you don’t like what you hear, but users can also plug in SD cards or USB sticks, and even download new samples from Splice directly on the device.
What if you’re not so sample-driven? The MPC One+ also boasts many of AIR’s synth plugins like Jura, Mini D, Sub Factory, and Drumsynth. These all sound fantastic, adding serious sound design credentials to the device. Be warned, though: many involve additional purchases.
One+ and Splice. Image: Press
Advanced features of the MPC One+
One look at the MPC One+ PDF manual — given its 500-page heft — makes it clear Akai has thought of almost everything with this machine.
I’m impressed that it supports onboard stem separation, although this costs an extra $10 to unlock. It’s also extremely slow, taking over 15 minutes to process a three-minute track into drums, bass, vocals, and ‘other’. The results are pretty heavily artefacted, which I actually like from a creative standpoint, but it’s likely quicker and more effective to use a desktop tool before loading the stems onto your memory stick.
For live performance, MPC One+ is a serious contender. Although I groan at yet another additional purchase, the Pro Pack ($99) adds several advanced features, including Ableton-style clip launching, which feels like it should have been a focal point of the device’s workflow from the start.
The eight CV outputs are another boon, letting you sync up modular gear, and I’m confident One+ will make a robust sequencing and sampling command centre for more expansive hardware rigs.
Image: Press
Alternatives to the MPC One+
MPC One+ is capable of transforming a demo into a complete stereo bounce, and it’s an incredibly powerful centrepiece for your setup, but it feels kneecapped when it comes to harnessing that power. As a result, it lands in an awkward middle ground between a groovebox and a sort of ‘hardware DAW’. If I had £600 to spend, I’d be more inclined to double down in either direction.
For a pad-based flow that ties neatly into software setups, Ableton Push 3 is the obvious choice — and there’s also the standalone version that eliminates the need for a computer.
If it’s a sampler and sequencer you’re after, Teenage Engineering’s K.O. II is half the price of a One+. It’s a much more limited device, but it’s also more immediate, offering a tactile way to generate loops that works well as part of a bigger setup.
The older MPCs deserve a shout-out here — a used MPC2000XL is around £700, and an MPC1000 is even less. Again, these units are far more limited than One+, but their old-school workflow and nostalgic appearance might inspire you in the same way it did countless others.
Image: Press
Should I buy the MPC One+ in 2026?
So, is the Akai MPC One+ still worth it in 2026? The short answer is yes — but as with any piece of gear, it really depends on your needs.
If you’re a regular DAW user who’s comfortable with your workflow and likes to create quickly, it’s probably not for you. But if you’re just getting started with production and looking for an all-in-one device you can grow with, it could be up your alley, particularly if you’ve got an affinity for trap, hip-hop, house, and other genres synonymous with the MPC name.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of fun using MPC One+. Many of my frustrations will likely melt away through greater use, but other speed limits are tricky to break, and I’m left feeling ambivalent.
The device is hugely capable and endlessly deep, but its greatest strength can also be its biggest hurdle.
My advice is to give it a try and keep an open mind — and if you don’t like it, treat it like a sample and flip it.
Image: Press
Key Features

7-inch touch screen plus hardware buttons
16 RGB pads with aftertouch
Up to 128 MIDI tracks and 8 stereo audio tracks per project
Over 100 effects and plugins
Stereo, balanced 6.3mm jack inputs/outputs
MIDI in/out
8 CV outputs
16 GB onboard storage plus SD card slot and USB port
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
Splice integration
Dimensions: 272 x 272 x 53 mm
Weight: 2.1kg

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GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Album NotesThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Album Notes category.

Take a look at the nominated albums below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens And His Buckaroos)

After The Last SkyAdam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland)

ÁrabeAmanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)

The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & The Family Stone)

A Ghost Is Born — 20th Anniversary Deluxe EditionBob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)

Miles '55: The Prestige RecordingsAshley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)The post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Album Notes first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Musk denies awareness of Grok sexual underage images as California AG launches probeThe California Attorney General has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's xAI after its chatbot Grok began generating nonconsensual sexual images of real women and even children.

420 Plugins 420 Stereo Widener420 Stereo Widener is a fast, mix-friendly way to open up the stereo image without sacrificing focus. It's built to add separation and dimension where it matters. Keys, guitars, pads, backing vocals, and wide background elements, while keeping the center solid and the mix translation-safe. Start by dialing in Width to set how far the sides expand, then use Bass Focus to keep your low end anchored in mono. Bass Focus sets the frequency below which content stays mono. For example, set it to 200 Hz and everything under 200 Hz remains centered and tight. Treble Focus works the same way in reverse: it sets the high-frequency cutoff above which content stays mono, helping you avoid brittle "phasey" top end while still widening the body and presence range. Use 420 Stereo Widener subtly for polish and clarity, or push it harder when you want an obvious spread that still holds together in mono. 420 Stereo Widener is part of the larger 420 Plugin Suite, and you can try the full suite free for 30 days. Read More

A New Life For An Old AmplifierAn audio amplifier was once a fairly simple analogue device, but in recent decades a typical home entertainment amplifier will have expanded to include many digital functions. When these break they are often proprietary and not easy to repair, as was the case with a broken Pioneer surround-sound device given to [Boz]. It sat on the shelf for a few years until he had the idea of a jukebox for his ripped CDs, and his returning it to life with a new main board is something to behold.
Internally it’s a surprisingly modular design, meaning that the front panel with its VFD display and driver were intact and working, as were the class AB amplifier and its power supply. He had the service manual so reverse engineering was straightforward, thus out came the main board in favor of a replacement. He took the original connectors and a few other components, then designed a PCB to take them and a Raspberry Pi Pico and DAC. With appropriate MMBASIC firmware it looks as though it was originally made this way, a sense heightened by a look at the motherboard inside (ignoring a couple of bodges).
We like seeing projects like this one which revive broken devices, and this one is particularly special quality wise. We’re more used to seeing it with gaming hardware though.

Music streaming platforms now host quarter of a BILLION tracks. Where does it end?New Luminate report reveals head-spinning volume of content on audio services, as debate rages over minimum-stream payout thresholds.
Source

Trinnov showcase the Nova & AltitudeCI at NAMM Room-correction experts Trinnov have announced that they will be showcasing two Dolby Atmos-capable room-correction systems at the NAMM Show 2026.

Apple to introduce Apple Creator Studio The bundle will include Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage, and will also include some new intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages, Numbers and eventually Freeform for iPhone.

Splice at The 2026 NAMM Show
Splice will be at the NAMM Show (January 20-24) in Anaheim, California to speak about the latest in AI innovation and music education across the industry.

“Based”: Musicians celebrate as Bandcamp bans AI music from its platformThe prevalence of AI-generated music on streaming platforms has been a major talking point in the industry over the last year. Many ‘real’ artists are voicing concerns that such music is both diluting the royalty pools from which they are paid, and diminishing the creative integrity of the music on these platforms in general.
Now, Bandcamp – which is famously friendly to up-and-coming artists looking to monetise their music – has made the decision to ban AI-generated music from its platform.

READ MORE: Abbey Road and Chandler team up on the first EMI recording console in 50 years – and it’s fully modular

In a post on Reddit, Bandcamp explains its reasons for massively clamping down on AI music, citing the “sheer quantity of human creativity” on its platform, and how its “vibrant community of real people making incredible music is something we want to protect and maintain”.
“We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans,” the company writes.
In the post, Bandcamp outlines two main guidelines for AI on its platform:

Music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp.
Any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles is strictly prohibited in accordance with our existing policies prohibiting impersonation and intellectual property infringement.

The second point comes as numerous artists as of late have criticised streaming platforms for allowing AI-generated music which is heavily inspired by or derivative of their music. In some cases, such AI artists generate more plays than the human artists on which they are allegedly trained or inspired by.
Back in October, Lucas Woodland – of Cardiff metal band Holding Absence – called it “shocking, disheartening and insulting” that AI artist Bleeding Verse – which he accused of being trained on his music – had more Spotify monthly listeners than his own band.
Finishing its note on Reddit, Bandcamp encourages its users to report music which sounds AI-generated for review by its team, adding: “We reserve the right to remove any music on suspicion of being AI-generated.”
“We will be sure to communicate any updates to the policy as the rapidly changing generative AI space develops,” it concludes. “Given the response around this to our previous posts, we hope this news is welcomed.”
AI Generated Music on Bandcamp byu/bandcamp_official inBandCamp

While many have accused Spotify of not doing enough to combat the spread of AI music on its platform, the company did reveal a plan in September to crack down on what it called “AI slop” in a bid to protect artists.
Still, AI music generators remain widely popular and a hotbed of investment and hype; in November, Suno raised $250m in its latest funding round, bringing the platform’s valuation to $2.45 billion.
That said, a study released the same month revealed that over 80% of music producers are against AI-generated songs – with 81% supporting the clear labelling of AI-generated music on streaming platforms.
Reddit users in the comments section have praised Bandcamp’s decision to ban AI-generated music from its platform, with one user writing: “Bandcamp continues to be the best place to post your music.”
Another replies simply: “Based.”
Head to Bandcamp to learn more.
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Every US Venue That Was Awarded a Music in Action Grant in 2025LMS's Music in Action grants were set up to fund venues engaging with their local communities on a deeper level, and to support efforts to transform the role live music plays in society at large.
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Clio Music Awards 2026 Winners AnnouncedClio Music has named its 2026 winners. The awards recognize creative excellence in music marketing, brand/artist collaborations, and the use of music in advertising, film and trailers.
The post Clio Music Awards 2026 Winners Announced appeared first on Hypebot.