The Making Of ABBA by Joe Matera Writing by Joe Matera with a foreword by Carl Magnus Palm, The Making Of ABBA is a new book details the creation of Swedish pop group ABBA’s third, self-titled album.

Franklin Templeton brings tokenized USD money market fund to Hong KongThe launch marks Franklin Templeton’s latest step into digital assets, introducing a blockchain-based UCITS fund as Hong Kong accelerates its push toward real-world asset tokenization.

Cluely’s Roy Lee hints that viral hype is not enoughLee declined to share Cluely's financial metrics just four months after boasting how quickly the startup is growing.

Hacking Buttons Back Into the Car StereoTo our younger readers, a car without an all-touchscreen “infotainment” system may look clunky and dated, but really, you kids don’t know what they’re missing. Buttons, knobs, and switches all offer a level of satisfying tactility and feedback that touchscreens totally lack. [Garage Builds] on YouTube agrees; he also doesn’t like the way his aftermarket Kenwood head unit looks in his 2004-vintage Nissan. That’s why he decided to take matters into his own hands, and hack the buttons back on.
Rather than source a vintage stereo head unit, or try and DIY one from scratch, [Garage Builds] has actually hidden the modern touchscreen unit behind a button panel. That button panel is actually salvaged from the stock stereo, so the looks fit the car. The stereo’s LCD gets replaced with a modern color unit, but otherwise it looks pretty stock at the end.
Adding buttons to the Kenwood is all possible thanks to steering-wheel controls. In order to make use of those, the touchscreen head unit came with a little black box that translated the button press into some kind of one-wire protocol that turned out to be an inverted and carrier-less version of the NEC protocol used in IR TV remotes. (That bit of detective work comes from [michaelb], who figured all this out for his Ford years ago, but [Garage Builds] is also sharing his code on GitHub.)
Having the protocol, it simply becomes a matter of grabbing a microcontroller to scan the stock buttons and output the necessary codes to the Kenwood head unit. Of course now he has extra buttons, since the digital head unit has no tape or CD changer to control, nor AM/FM radio to tune. Those get repurposed for the interior and exterior RGB lighting [Garage Builds] has ̶i̶n̶f̶l̶i̶c̶t̶e̶d̶  mounted on this ̶p̶o̶o̶r̶ lovely car. (There’s no accounting for taste. Some of us love the look and some hate it, but he’s certainly captured an aesthetic, and now has easy control of it to boot.) [Garage Builds] has got custom digital gauges to put into the dash of his Nissan, and some of the extra buttons have been adapted to control those, too.
The whole car is actually a rolling hack as you can see from the back catalog of the [Garage Builds] YouTube channel, which might be worth a look if you’re in the intersection of the “electronics enthusiast” and “gearhead” Venn Diagram.
There’s no accounting for taste, but we absolutely agree with him that making everything black rectangles is the death of industrial design.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen retro radios hacked together with micro-controllers; take a look at this one from a 1970s Toyota. Now that’s vintage!

AudioUi DARK BLUE – Premium Skin for Serum2DARK BLUE – Premium Skin for Serum2 Give Your Serum2 a Modern Makeover. Transform your workflow with Dark Blue, a sleek, professional redesign for Serum2. Clean lines, smooth visuals, and a dark aesthetic built for clarity, comfort, and style. Why Producers Love It Modern, high-tech interface. Optimized knobs, sliders & panels. Clear modulation and filter feedback. Designed for long, focused sessions. Includes: Premium Serum2 skin (1X + 2X resolution). Easy install guide for macOS & Windows. https://www.audio-ui.com/p/xfer-serum-2-dark-blue-v-1-0/ Read More

Ten Great Books Released in 2025Music Connection reviewed six books every month, leading us to discover some gems. Here are 10 of the very best.

"IRON MAIDEN: INFINITE DREAMS" BY STEVE HARRIS, BRUCE DICKINSON, IRON MAIDEN

One of the greatest and most consistent heavy metal bands of all time, the men of Iron Maiden have come together to create this absolutely stunning, photo-heavy history of the group. As well as a mass of photographs, there are some fascinating tickets and flyers from the very early days, some of founding member, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris’ diary entries from back in the day, guitars, t-shirts, battle vests, and so much more. It’s a pricey book, but for hardcore fans it’s a must.

"VENICE PEACH" BY JESSAMYN VIOLET

Movie Club drummer and super-talented writer Violet has a gift for seeing the magic in her home haunt of Venice, CA and realizing it through fantastical tales. “When I first stepped foot in Venice Beach, I felt the greatest gravitational pull to a place that I had ever felt in my life,” Violet says, and that comes through in her work. Venice Peach is her sophomore novel, and it’s a wild journey into a world of robot presidents, where “art meets lust.” Just read it. 

"DECADE OF DISSENT: HOW 1960S BOB DYLAN CHANGED THE WORLD" BY SEAN EGAN

One might think that, at this point, there’s really nothing new to write about the living legend that is Bob Dylan. There are countless books about the man, and every word that Dylan has written and/or uttered has been analyzed to death. That said, noted journalist Egan has found a credible angle. He’s not treading completely new ground, but still, his approach to Dylan’s identity-shifting '60s period is fascinating. “Dylan now occupies an unparalleled role as venerated elder statesman of music,” reads the blurb. “But during his insurrectionary first decade he was the most important artist in popular music—and, by extension, one of the most crucial figures in Western society.”

"GLIDERS OVER HOLLYWOOD: AIRSHIPS, AIRPLAY AND THE ART OF ROCK PROMOTION" BY PAUL RAPPAPORT

During his 33-year career at Columbia Records, Paul Rappaport played an instrumental role in developing the careers of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Judas Priest, Alice in Chains, and many more. Gliders Over Hollywood, a book that Rappaport described to MC as “for passionate music lovers,” gives us an up-close look at his many successes, allowing the reader to feel like we were right there with him. If you’re looking for industry tips, you’ll get those. If you’re after rock ‘n’ roll shenanigans, you’ll be satisfied in that regard too. Dig in!

"501 ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 1980S" EDITED BY GARY GRAFF

MC contributor Graff has played an absolute blinder here, working with a long list of esteemed scribes (Cary Baker, Rob St. Mary, many more) to compile the 501 essential albums of the '80s. Naturally, with any sort of book like this, everyone will point to albums that should be in there but aren’t. That said, this is damned extensive. All the appropriate new wave, new romantic, pop, and hair metal albums from that decade are present and correct. But Graff makes sure that gospel, country, jazz, punk, hip-hop, soul, and just about everything else gets a fair shake too. Essential reading for anyone with even a passing interest in that decade.

SEE PART TWO HERE

The post Ten Great Books Released in 2025 first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Peter Edge honored with Sir George Martin Award, as Capitol Records UK sweeps MBW’s Music Business UK AwardsMBW's Music Business UK Awards: All the winners
Source

Steinberg Cubase 15 arrives The latest version of Steinberg’s hugely popular DAW software introduces an array of new features that promise to set a new standard for music-production software.

Billboard Names Top Music Business Schools in the WorldBillboard has released its 2025 annual roundup of top music business schools globally. It features top players like Berklee, Belmont, MTSU, Loyola, NYU-Tish, and University of Rochester's Eastman. But this year's list goes deeper and includes affordable public universities, HBCUs, and schools outside major industry hubs.
The post Billboard Names Top Music Business Schools in the World appeared first on Hypebot.

From Genuine Story to Repeat Exposure: How Listeners Become FansA singer songwriter shares thoughts on how to turn casual listeners into diehard fans, in a way that's authentic to your artist brand and identity.
The post From Genuine Story to Repeat Exposure: How Listeners Become Fans appeared first on Hypebot.

Streaky offers the Body Builder Dynamic Shaper FREE for a Limited Time
You can currently get a free copy of Streaky’s Body Builder (normally $100) dynamic/transient shaper by signing up for the developers’ mailing list. I just tested the offer, and it’s working, but it’s limited to 500 downloads only, so it’s best to get on it quickly! Body Builder is a 64-bit-only release for macOS (macOS [...]
View post: Streaky offers the Body Builder Dynamic Shaper FREE for a Limited Time

Cubase 15 just dropped out of nowhere: Here’s everything you need to knowSteinberg has surprise-launched the latest version of its flagship DAW, Cubase 15, with a slew of new sound shaping features, as well as workflow and UI improvements.
Like previous versions of Cubase, there are three tiers available – Elements, Artist and Pro – allowing producers to select a package with a feature set that matches their needs.

READ MORE: Universal Audio’s LUNA 2.0 DAW has arrived: Here’s everything you need to know

Described as a “new reference standard for music production”, Steinberg says Cubase 15 “truly elevates the music production experience”.
And as Senior Marketing Manager Matthias Quellman notes, many of the updates in Cubase 15 come off the back of customer feedback. “We worked closely with our community to refine what matters most, turning valuable feedback into meaningful improvements that make everyday workflows smoother and more intuitive,” he says. 
“This release builds naturally on the foundation of the previous version – it feels like the perfect evolution, marking a major leap forward for Cubase.”
We’re sure you’re just itching to get into some of the features in detail, so here we go…
New features for “enhanced creativity”

Aiming to make the articulation of VST instruments “more straightforward”, Cubase 15 features a redesigned Expression Maps system, with deep integration with the software’s Key Editor and Score Editor delivering “greater performance realism.
There’s also a new pattern sequencer housed within Cubase’s Pattern Editor, which allows for the creation of melodic patterns in both monophonic and polyphonic modes. This includes step input, custom scales, shape generators and a deep randomiser feature. There’s also a selection of new pattern bank presets, including bass lines, leads, chords and arpeggios.
Modulators – which arrived with Cubase 14 – have been expanded with six new modulators. There’s also 30 brand-new Chord Pad presets, “ready-to-play voicings” for a range of genres for spurring on the creative process.
Enhanced selection of VST instruments and plugins

Cubase 14 came bundled with an impressive selection of virtual instruments and plugins, and this is expanded upon in the latest version.
The Cubase Drum Machine now features 40 fresh drum kits spanning hip-hop- trap, electronic and more, as well as a redesigned Groove Agent SE 6, which now features a scalable UI, new mixer and upgraded effects.
Cubase’s Writing Room Synths collection offers “production-ready” vintage synth recreations – with “rich leads, warm basses and dreamy pads” – while Songstarter Packs features a range of loops for kickstarting creativity.
There’s also the beta Omnivocal vocal synthesis engine powered by Yamaha’s “cutting-edge” vocal synthesis, and a range of new effects including UltraShaper – a transient shaper, clip limited and EQ housed in one – and a new PitchShifter. All Cubase stock effects are scalable for an optimised visual experience.
Workflow improvements

Of course, a big part of what makes our DAW of choice is its workflow and ease of use; at the end of the day, the DAW is a tool to facilitate the creative process.
So with Cubase 15, there’s a number of improvements to workflow and UI design, “ensuring the software never gets in the way of creative inspiration”.
There’s a redesigned Hub for smoother project startup, while collaboration is made easier with the DAWproject format now able to share sessions across all previous versions of Cubase, as well as other supported DAWs.
There’s also new AI-powered stem separation tools, automation shortcuts and new quick export options so audio is “rendered faster than ever”.
Pricing and availability
Cubase Pro, Artist and Elements are available now, priced at £481, £273 and £83, respectively. A range of upgrades, crossgrades and education versions are also available via the Steinberg Online Shop.
In addition, those who have purchased any version of Cubase 14 since 8 October, 2025 are eligible for a free upgrade to their corresponding version of Cubase 15.
Learn more at Steinberg.
The post Cubase 15 just dropped out of nowhere: Here’s everything you need to know appeared first on MusicTech.

Cubase 15 just dropped out of nowhere: Here’s everything you need to knowSteinberg has surprise-launched the latest version of its flagship DAW, Cubase 15, with a slew of new sound shaping features, as well as workflow and UI improvements.
Like previous versions of Cubase, there are three tiers available – Elements, Artist and Pro – allowing producers to select a package with a feature set that matches their needs.

READ MORE: Universal Audio’s LUNA 2.0 DAW has arrived: Here’s everything you need to know

Described as a “new reference standard for music production”, Steinberg says Cubase 15 “truly elevates the music production experience”.
And as Senior Marketing Manager Matthias Quellman notes, many of the updates in Cubase 15 come off the back of customer feedback. “We worked closely with our community to refine what matters most, turning valuable feedback into meaningful improvements that make everyday workflows smoother and more intuitive,” he says. 
“This release builds naturally on the foundation of the previous version – it feels like the perfect evolution, marking a major leap forward for Cubase.”
We’re sure you’re just itching to get into some of the features in detail, so here we go…
New features for “enhanced creativity”

Aiming to make the articulation of VST instruments “more straightforward”, Cubase 15 features a redesigned Expression Maps system, with deep integration with the software’s Key Editor and Score Editor delivering “greater performance realism.
There’s also a new pattern sequencer housed within Cubase’s Pattern Editor, which allows for the creation of melodic patterns in both monophonic and polyphonic modes. This includes step input, custom scales, shape generators and a deep randomiser feature. There’s also a selection of new pattern bank presets, including bass lines, leads, chords and arpeggios.
Modulators – which arrived with Cubase 14 – have been expanded with six new modulators. There’s also 30 brand-new Chord Pad presets, “ready-to-play voicings” for a range of genres for spurring on the creative process.
Enhanced selection of VST instruments and plugins

Cubase 14 came bundled with an impressive selection of virtual instruments and plugins, and this is expanded upon in the latest version.
The Cubase Drum Machine now features 40 fresh drum kits spanning hip-hop- trap, electronic and more, as well as a redesigned Groove Agent SE 6, which now features a scalable UI, new mixer and upgraded effects.
Cubase’s Writing Room Synths collection offers “production-ready” vintage synth recreations – with “rich leads, warm basses and dreamy pads” – while Songstarter Packs features a range of loops for kickstarting creativity.
There’s also the beta Omnivocal vocal synthesis engine powered by Yamaha’s “cutting-edge” vocal synthesis, and a range of new effects including UltraShaper – a transient shaper, clip limited and EQ housed in one – and a new PitchShifter. All Cubase stock effects are scalable for an optimised visual experience.
Workflow improvements

Of course, a big part of what makes our DAW of choice is its workflow and ease of use; at the end of the day, the DAW is a tool to facilitate the creative process.
So with Cubase 15, there’s a number of improvements to workflow and UI design, “ensuring the software never gets in the way of creative inspiration”.
There’s a redesigned Hub for smoother project startup, while collaboration is made easier with the DAWproject format now able to share sessions across all previous versions of Cubase, as well as other supported DAWs.
There’s also new AI-powered stem separation tools, automation shortcuts and new quick export options so audio is “rendered faster than ever”.
Pricing and availability
Cubase Pro, Artist and Elements are available now, priced at £481, £273 and £83, respectively. A range of upgrades, crossgrades and education versions are also available via the Steinberg Online Shop.
In addition, those who have purchased any version of Cubase 14 since 8 October, 2025 are eligible for a free upgrade to their corresponding version of Cubase 15.
Learn more at Steinberg.
The post Cubase 15 just dropped out of nowhere: Here’s everything you need to know appeared first on MusicTech.

Reimagine your voice using AutoTune’s new “ethically trained” AI transformation plugin, MetamorphAutoTune maker Antares Audio Technologies has released Metamorph, a new AI-powered vocal transformation plugin that lets you reshape your voice using “ethically-trained” AI.
While many AI voice transformation tools rely on cloud servers, Metamorph runs entirely offline inside your DAW. It comes with 12 “ethically trained” voice models – plus six more voices developed in partnership with Voice-Swap, another AI vocal transformation platform which emphasises ethical AI and fair compensation for the performers whose voices it is trained on.
With Metamorph, Antares says producers can reimagine lead vocals, layer harmonies or craft completely new vocal textures – all without leaving their session or worrying about usage rights.

READ MORE: Slower Fragment: e-instruments’ new plugin brings half-speed tape magic – for free

“Metamorph isn’t about replacing the human voice – it’s about expanding what’s possible when human creativity meets responsible AI,” says AutoTune CEO Jeff Wright. “We’ve built this technology with artists at the centre, ensuring every voice model is ethically sourced and every transformation preserves the soul that only human creators can bring to music.”

A supporter of The Principles for Music Creation with AI, Antares has long championed ethical AI – the practice of ensuring the rights of original performers and artists are protected.
Metamorph uses only licensed data from compensated artists, and that transparency, Antares says, is key to keeping human creativity at the heart of music production.
For subscribers of AutoTune Unlimited, Metamorph is available now at no extra cost. It’s also being offered as a standalone perpetual license for $100 (a 50% discount from its $200 regular price) as part of Antares’ Early Bird Black Friday sale, which runs from today.
The sale also includes major discounts across the brand’s vocal production tools like the AutoTune Pro 11, AutoTune 2026, and Vocal Chain suite.
Learn more at Antares Tech.
The post Reimagine your voice using AutoTune’s new “ethically trained” AI transformation plugin, Metamorph appeared first on MusicTech.

Arturia KeyStep Mk2 packs generative tools and deep sequencing powerArturia has announced the KeyStep mk2, the latest version of its acclaimed compact controller and sequencer, claiming that it’s “more creative, more connected, and more immediate than ever”.
Arriving nearly a decade after the original KeyStep’s debut, the Mk2 takes everything musicians loved about the first generation and expands it with new generative tools, a clearer OLED display, extended connectivity, and a more powerful sequencer and arpeggiator.

READ MORE: Modular, AI-powered Sound Blaster Re:Imagine lets you build your dream audio hub — and it’s already 10x past its Kickstarter goal

Described by Arturia as the “ultimate compact controller and sequencer for DAWless workflows or hybrid setups”, the KeyStep Mk2 caters to two main users: synth and modular musicians who need keys and connectivity in a compact format, as well as bedroom producers looking for powerful and creative functionality that fits their workspace.
Key features like the 32-note Slimkey keyboard, pitch bend and modulation strips remain, while the all-new Mutate button introduces a dash of unpredictability. With just a single touch, users can instantly transform sequences or arpeggios – from subtle tweaks to bold variations – perfect for getting through those creative blocks or for exploring fresh ideas.
Credit: Arturia
The sequencer has also been significantly upgraded, offering eight times more memory, unquantised recording, Bend & Mod automation, Undo, step editing, and pattern chaining. Meanwhile, the expanded arpeggiator boasts 16 modes, 9 pattern variations, octave control, and a new Arp Length Reset for deeper rhythmic expression.
Musicians can also stay perfectly in key with scale locking, and record or play chords with expressive voicings, as in the high-end KeyLab 3 controller.
On the hardware side, Arturia has modernised the KeyStep’s design with USB-C connectivity, a dedicated power switch, and a clickable encoder that, along with the OLED display, allows for faster parameter access without relying on the MIDI Control Center.
Designed for hardware-first control, the KeyStep Mk2 can patch into modular rigs, trigger drum machines, and sequence synths old and new. With DIN MIDI I/O, assignable CV outs, and pedal support, it’s ready to command virtually any setup – live, in the studio, or on the move.
The Arturia KeyStep Mk2 is priced at $139/€129, and is available now.
Learn more at Arturia.
The post Arturia KeyStep Mk2 packs generative tools and deep sequencing power appeared first on MusicTech.