RED Development Welcomes Fender Musical Instruments Corp. to PVRED Development, an industry-leading commercial real estate company known for its high-performing mixed-use and retail portfolio, is adding Fender Musical Instruments Corp. (FMIC), the world's leading guitar manufacturer, to its best-in-class tenant roster at PV, the highly anticipated redevelopment of the former Paradise Valley Mall, in a single-tenant office building set to open next year.

FMIC will break ground on the 80,000-square-foot, three-story building later this year, which will open to team members in fall 2025. The new building, designed by SmithGroup, will be a dynamic hub for collaboration and will boast an array of cutting-edge facilities, including a dedicated model shop for its guitar and amplifier designers, a state-of-the-art sound room, along with meeting rooms and flexible workspaces strategically designed to foster teamwork and innovation. 

An American icon, Fender was founded in Southern California and has established a worldwide influence extending from the studio to the stage and beyond. Everyone from beginners to the world’s most acclaimed artists have used FMIC instruments, amps and gear, making the company a revered industry leader and a global cultural symbol. 

“Fender’s decision to partner with RED Development reinforces our long-term commitment to Arizona and a local community we have called home since the early nineties. Our building will foster a dynamic environment that attracts top engineering, finance, IT, product development, sales, and supply chain talent. Most importantly, we believe that PV’s mixed-use offerings will enhance Fender’s culture of creativity and innovation and provide our team members with an exceptional workplace experience," said FMIC CFO Matt Janopaul.

Spanning more than 100 acres and situated in the heart of one of the most prominent neighborhoods in Phoenix, PV is a monumental mixed-use development. The master plan for the project features a plethora of dining, entertainment, retail, living and working experiences, which are linked to a more than three-acre, centrally located community open space with heavily landscaped multi-modal pathways. The scale of the project will redefine what live-work-play means.

“Welcoming an iconic brand such as Fender to PV is truly remarkable,” said Mike Ebert, managing partner at RED. “This partnership underscores the groundbreaking innovation coming to PV and the exciting developments that are shaping our community's future.”

The first phase of the massive redevelopment will open later this year, including the 400-residence multi-family building, The Blake, by StreetLights Residential. Also opening in 2024 are Whole Foods Market, Blanco Cocina + Cantina, Flower Child, Trevor’s Liquor, Sephora, Aveda, Wren House Brewing Co. and Frost Gelato.

“The PV development is booming with innovation, showcasing the considerable impact of transforming the landscape of the former Paradise Valley Mall. Adding Fender to PV is just one of the many businesses that bolster the significant changes the development is making for the future of Phoenix,” said Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay.

“I am excited that Fender, a global brand, chose Phoenix to relocate their corporate headquarters. This move signifies a confidence in Phoenix,” said Vice Mayor Debra Stark, who represents District 3, where Fender will be relocating. “The new high-paying jobs that will come with this move will be a welcome boost to the local economy.”

FMIC was represented by Cresa, a leading commercial real estate advisory firm. Cresa played a pivotal role in the site selection process by conducting a comprehensive search across the Phoenix metro area and will be overseeing the entire construction process. JLL, a global brokerage firm, represented RED.  

For more information about PV and to stay updated on the latest announcements, visit pvphx.com. For more on Fender, visit fender.com.

Arturia V Collection Days sale Arturia are offering exclusive discounts on their flagship V Collection X bundle until 4 April 2024.

The competition is 225K, not 10M artists + More Spotify Loud & Clear report takeawaysSpotify has updated its annual Loud & Clear report to remind artists and labels how much money they make from the streaming platform. While many of the numbers are impressive, a careful reading leads to more nuanced, particularly of independent and D.I.Y. artists.....
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Revenue-sharing initiative Support The Sound launched to make producers’ earnings fairerA collective of clubs, promoters and festivals from around the world have partnered with the DVS1-founded platform Aslice for a new initiative called Support The Sound, wich aims to close the gap between producers’ and DJs’ earnings in a time of rising DJ fees.

READ MORE: The best podcasts for music producers in 2023 

The collective includes Basement and Wire Festival in New York, Bassiani in Tbilisi, Dekmantel in Amsterdam, Fuse in Brussels, 6AM and Synthetik Minds in Los Angeles, Vault Sessions in Amsterdam, and Womb Tokyo.
They are working to promote the benefits of DJs submitting their setlists to Aslice, along with donating the platform a percentage of their fee, to be split among the producers whose music featured in their set.
“We have witnessed significant changes in our industry, where the role of music producers has been marginalised and undervalued,” the collective says on their website. “Without their fair compensation, the vitality and sustainability of our entire industry is at risk.”
They added that from next year, all DJs who play their events will be asked to share their setlists to the Aslice system. “If the artists we book or their agents choose not to participate by sharing playlists, our values might not align, which may affect future bookings and collaborations,” they add.
Credit: Rochelle Brodin/Getty Images
Speaking about Support The Sound, DVS1 – real name Zak Khutoretsky – said: “Since we launched Aslice in March 2022, we have always emphasised the value of community. Support The Sound plans to embrace a culture of sharing and that resonates deeply with the values of our service. Why wouldn’t we support the sound? Our industry would be nothing without the music.”
Aslice was originally founded two years ago to address producers losing out on payments made by PROs to producers through missing metadata, lack of reporting, and other fraudulent submissions. In 2019, it was estimated that producers miss out on up to £100 million in royalties they are entitled to due to them being either lost or incorrectly allocated.
The post Revenue-sharing initiative Support The Sound launched to make producers’ earnings fairer appeared first on MusicTech.

Key U.S. user demo is leaving TikTok as new user growth also slowsReal and threatened bans, UMG, and others pulling tracks, mountains of bad press, and increased competition from Meta and YouTube are taking their toll on TokTok, just as the social platform may be forced to look for a buyer.....
The post Key U.S. user demo is leaving TikTok as new user growth also slows appeared first on Hypebot.

Global recorded music revenue jumps 9.8% after years of slow growth [MiDiA]The music market has doubled in size since 2015, and it continues to grow. But who is getting all this money? A new MIDiA report digs deep for answers.....
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Forever 89’s debut product is here: Visco, a sample-modelling drum machineRikard Jönsson and Svante Stadler’s new music tech company Forever 89 has dropped its very first product.
Last month, the two music tech veterans announced the launch of their new collaborative venture. The new company, Forever 89, will utilise the duo’s 30-plus years of collective experience, channelling it into advancing the state of music technology.

READ MORE: Ableton and Teenage Engineering veterans launch new company and tease first product

“We want to be a source for both playful exploration and a reliable tool for musical results,” Jönsson explains. Over their careers the pair have worked at companies such as Ableton, Cycling ‘74, Reason Studios, Spotify, Teenage Engineering, and XLN Audio – so there’s plenty of knowledge to bring to the table.
Visco is the duo’s first offering. The software is a new sample-modelling drum machine, allowing users to bypass the restrictions of working with raw drum samples. The VST/AU plugin will remove the arduous task of sound modelling, allowing musicians to dive head first into the creative process.
The software promises to be a a drumming multi-tool, packed out with an 8-Voice Drum Engine, an extensive modulation matrix and a plethora of macro controls for performers. Simply put, this plugin can be used in every step of the creative process; it can make beats, fine-tune them, and then work as a live performance drum machine.

Intended for use by both novices and professionals, the plugin is controlled by a handy visual ‘blob’ control. The ‘blob’ is a malleable representation of your track, able to be grabbed and pulled around a 2D grid to transform your sound.
Users can also dip into the toolbox to push their sound even further. Here users can fine-tune their sound, bend and stretch frequencies, or even to merge sounds into one. The software also offers a sequencer, a fader and a mixer section packed out with high-quality effects. Not to mention the extensive library of presets and sounds on offer.
Speaking about Forever 89’s goals, Stadler explains: “We both grew up in a time when technological advances made last year’s innovations look outdated. Our vision is to create opportunities for similar progress again. We looked at our own needs as musicians and based our first product on that. We want to be a guiding star for modern musical instruments and also believe it’s important to contribute with innovation in our sector.”
Visco is currently available on the Forever 89 website. There will be a limited introductory price of €99, before the software rises to a full price of €139 in the spring.
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Katistix Studios Passo Is A New FREE Minimal 3-band EQ For macOS
Katistix Studios launched Passo, a freeware minimal 3-band EQ plugin for macOS.  Passo is available via a ‘name your price’ model, and you can download the 3 MB Zip file with a three-click process from the product page.  Katistix Studios describes Passo as the “only EQ plugin you really need!” While we also recommend using [...]
View post: Katistix Studios Passo Is A New FREE Minimal 3-band EQ For macOS

“Songwriters are generating record-breaking revenues via streaming services”: Spotify releases its annual Loud & Clear ReportSpotify has released its annual Loud & Clear Report, which provides a deep dive into music streaming economics. Over the last year, Spotify says that it “set the record for the highest annual payment to the music industry from any single retailer” in a round up of its key findings.
It also states that it has paid out “record revenues” for rights holders, despite ongoing criticism of the streaming giant for how it currently compensates artists. Spotify’s royalty rate averages between $0.003 – $0.005 per stream, and a Living Wage for Musicians Act has recently been put to US congress in the hopes of making streaming platforms pay a minimum of a penny per stream across the board.

READ MORE: The music streaming revolution is here, thanks to these new streaming platforms

The report also doubles down on comments made by Spotify CEO, Daniel Ek, who compared being a musician to playing sports in a video posted online. It reads, “When it comes to building financial opportunities, we’re focused on those most dependent on streaming as part of their livelihood: these 225,000 emerging and professional artists that are building careers.
“As a point of comparison, FIFA estimated there are hundreds of millions of people who self-identify as ‘footballers,’ but 128,694 people are actually getting paid any amount of money from it. While music and sports are quite different, this demonstrates how widespread the aspiration is to participate in creative and athletic pursuits and make a living from them.”

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A post shared by Daniel Ek (@eldsjal)

Elsewhere in the findings, it says, “Every year, Spotify has paid out more and more money in streaming royalties, resulting in record revenues and growth for rights holders on behalf of artists and songwriters. These rights holders include record labels, publishers, independent distributors, performance rights organisations, and collecting societies.
“Spotify royalties are powering artists’ careers at all stages. In fact, the number of artists generating revenue at every threshold shared on this site – from $1,000 through $10 million per year – has nearly tripled since 2017.”
Spotify argues that as these figures represent revenue generated from Spotify alone, when taking into account earnings from other services and recorded revenue streams, these artists likely generated 4x this revenue from recorded music sources overall, and that they may have made additional revenue from concert tickets and merch sales.
The report also states that Spotify paid out nearly $4 billion to publishing rights holders over the last two years, adding that “Songwriters – through their publishing rights holders – are generating record-breaking revenues, driven by streaming services”. It also says publishers, songwriters and their CMOs (Collective Management Organisations) are seeing “more than 2x the revenue ($5.5B in 2022) in the streaming era than they ever had in the CD/sales era ($2.5B in 2001)”.
Read the Loud & Clear key findings round up over at Spotify.
The post “Songwriters are generating record-breaking revenues via streaming services”: Spotify releases its annual Loud & Clear Report appeared first on MusicTech.

Coachella’s new EDM stage, Quasar, will host DJ sets over three hours longA new stage for EDM, Quasar, will launch at this year’s Coachella, hosting longer DJ sets of three hours or more.
The festival is taking place this April on both the 12-14 and 19-21, with Quasar occupying the space where its Sahara stage stood previously. This has been expanded and is now placed between Avenue 51 and Polo Road.

READ MORE: 21 UK festivals called off, postponed or cancelled altogether – with over 100 in danger of disappearing without immediate action

The stage space also hosts two “monolithic” LED walls, which appear mirror-like and can blend into the environment, as well as showing real-time content playback. The lineup for both weekends over on Quasar are as follows:
Weekend One:

Friday 12 April – Honey Dijon x Green Velvet
Saturday 13 April – Michael Bibi
Sunday 14 April – Jamie xx x Floating Points x Daphni

Weekend Two:

Friday 19 April – RÜFÜS DU SOL DJ set
Saturday 20 April – Eric Prydz x Anyma
Sunday 21 April – Diplo x Mau P

Quasar: Coachella’s newest stage pic.twitter.com/alu07U9txJ
— Coachella (@coachella) March 18, 2024

“We’re super excited to introduce Quasar to Coachella,” says Jenn Yacoubian of the festival’s parent company, Goldenvoice. “It’s going to be a stage where we can book talent on it in a way that we haven’t felt like we’ve been able to in the past. We’re looking at it as a traditional kind of DJ stage.”
She adds, “We wanted people to be able to see longer format DJs, we’re excited to have certain artists that have played the festival before, like Jamie xx, play for three to four hours with Daphni and Floating Points.”

Quasar is not a tent and therefore not a desert pic.twitter.com/MLRsw2PQm9
— Coachella (@coachella) March 19, 2024

Over 60 electronic acts are due to perform at the festival this year. Elsewhere in the lineup, Justice will be performing for the first time at the festival since 2017. Peggy Gou, who has also not performed at Coachella since her debut in 2018, will also be making a return.
Find out more about this year’s Coachella Festival.
The post Coachella’s new EDM stage, Quasar, will host DJ sets over three hours long appeared first on MusicTech.

On a Mission from God: The Definitive Story of The Blues BrothersIn Daniel De Visé's in-depth new book The Blues Brothers - An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic, the author goes to phenomenal lengths to detail not just the making of the film, but goes back to the beginning, detailing the upbringings of the two actors, their explorations into a burgeoning comedy scene, their rise at SNL, and all the blues that's fit to print.

MBW (and Skibidi Toilet) just inspired a flurry of TikTok music takedownsTikTok took swift action over a list of videos that MBW identified as 'manipulating' UMG content
Source

Mintlify says customer GitHub tokens exposed in data breachDocumentation startup Mintlify says dozens of customers had GitHub tokens exposed in a data breach at the start of the month and publicly disclosed last week. Mintlify helps developers create documentation for their software and source code by requesting access and tapping directly into the customer’s GitHub source code repositories. Mintlify counts fintech, database and […]
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BMI Spotlights Singer-Songwriters at SXSW 2024BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) was back in Austin, TX, during the 2024 SXSW Music Conference and Festival. As a founding sponsor of the festival for over 30 years, BMI stages and events have been known for consistently presenting the best new music from its incredible songwriters, and this year was no exception. From March 12-15, BMI hosted an exciting lineup of showcases, featuring rising talent in indie, hip-hop, Latin, pop, R&B, rock, country and everything in between, continuing our tradition of being the go-to source for music discovery. Check out details from each of the events below.See below for photos and captions from BMI’s lineup. For more information on this year’s events and featured artists, go to bmi.com/stages/sxsw2024 and use #BMISXSW to join the conversation on social media.

BMI PRESENTS HOWDY TEXAS - CELEBRATING THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF BMI AUSTINTuesday, March 12th at STILL AustinBMI celebrated the 5th Anniversary of its Austin office at the annual Howdy Texas party at STILL Austin Whiskey Co. (440 E St Elmo Rd Suite F). The event, which was free and open to the public, featured performances from nine diverse Texas-based artists, including Alesia Lani, Farmer’s Wife, Nicky Diamonds, RUTHIE CRAFT, Shelby Stone, The Tiarras, West 22nd, West Texas Exiles and Midnight River Choir, with styles ranging from R&B, Americana and rock with western influences to cathartic grunge, Latin pop and that classic Lone Star sound. Howdy Texas was supported by Austin Music Movement.

(LEFT): The Tiarras onstage at BMI Presents Howdy Texas at STILL Austin Whiskey Co. on March 12, 2024 in Austin, TX. Photo Erika Goldring for BMI.(RIGHT): BMI’s Kristen Townsend (L) and Mitch Ballard (R) present Texas Music Office’s Brendon Anthony (C) with a special guitar in celebration of the 5th anniversary of BMI’s Austin office onstage at BMI Presents Howdy Texas at STILL Austin Whiskey Co. on March 12, 2024 in Austin, TX. Photo Erika Goldring for BMI. 

YETI MUSIC SHOWCASE: PRESENTED BY BMIMarch 13th-15th at YETI FlagshipOver the course of three amazing days, the annual YETI Music Showcase: Presented by BMI at the YETI Flagship on South Congress (220 S Congress Ave) played host to eighteen diverse sets from emerging artists spanning the spectrum from psychedelia, introspective pop and contemporary country to modern folk, buzzy indie rock and punk thrash. The event also included drink specials, food pop-ups and other surprises. The showcase was additionally sponsored by George Dickel Bourbon, Karbach Brewing Co. and Liquid Death.3/13: Scott Ballew, Alisa Amador, ALEC MEZA, Vision Arcade, Brainstory, Giovannie & The Hired Guns3/14: Tony Evans, Jr., Chloe Tang, Nemegata, Wolves of Glendale, Winona Fighter, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country3/15: Maddy Davis, Jobi Riccio, wilt, Chance Emerson, Zach Person, Michigander

(LEFT): Alec Meza performs at the YETI Music Showcase Presented by BMI at the YETI Flagship store on March 13, 2024 in Austin, TX. Photo Erika Goldring for BMI.(RIGHT): Michigander perform at the YETI Music Showcase Presented by BMI at the YETI Flagship store on March 15, 2024 in Austin, TX. Photo Erika Goldring for BMI.

(BOTTOM): Chloe Tang performs at the YETI Music Showcase Presented by BMI at the YETI Flagship store on March 14, 2024 in Austin, TX. Photo Erika Goldring for BMI.

BMI SONGWRITERS CIRCLE AT LUCK REUNIONThursday, March 14th at Willie Nelson’s Luck RanchBMI was proud to present the BMI Songwriters Circle under the Revival Tent at Luck Reunion. BMI songwriters Tyler Halverson, Kade Hoffman and Harper O’Neill performed intimate renditions of some of their favorite songs and share stories of the inspiration behind them.For additional photos and captions click here. 

(LEFT): Harper O’Neill, Kade Hoffman and Tyler Halverson perform during the BMI Songwriters Circle at Luck Reunion on March 14, 2024. Credit Alex Parker for Luck Reunion. (RIGHT): Harper O’Neill performs during the BMI Songwriters Circle at Luck Reunion on March 14, 2024. Credit Alex Parker for Luck Reunion. 

BMI BRUNCHHosted by THEBROSFRESHFriday, March 15th at Geraldine’s at Hotel Van ZandtThe BMI Brunch is one of the most anticipated events during SXSW, taking place at Geraldine’s at the Hotel Van Zandt (605 Davis St). This two-stage marquee event featured the eclectic sounds of artists Ethan Tasch, Matilda Marigolds, Tamera, Benjamin Walker, Ashley Kutcher, Choszn, Kylie Frey, Baby Fisher, Britti, Courtney Patton, Swamp Dogg, and Jhariah. The BMI Brunch was sponsored by George Dickel Bourbon, First Horizon Bank, ONErpm, The MLC, Liquid Death, Texas Music Office, Austin Music Movement, and the BMI Foundation.For additional photos and captions click here. 

(LEFT): Jhariah performs at the BMI Brunch at Geraldine’s on March 15, 2024 in Austin, TX. Photo Erika Goldring for BMI.(RIGHT): Tamera performs at the BMI Brunch at Geraldine’s on March 15, 2024 in Austin, TX. Photo Erika Goldring for BMI.

More at bmi.com

Using a Framework Mainboard for a Custom Gaming HandheldThe nearly final prototype case for the handheld Framework-based gaming system. (Credit: TommyB, YouTube)
Building your own handheld gaming console has been a popular project for many years, but recently it has become significantly easier to get a lot of power into a small package. Like many others, [TommyB] made his own Raspberry Pi SBC-based handheld in the past, which results in a rather bulky and underpowered package. A more performant solution would be to stuff laptop guts into a handheld case, but until Framework came onto the scene this wasn’t easy and would get you a sloppy one-off solution. With [TommyB]’s current handheld project he uses a standard Framework laptop mainboard, along with the official battery to get a very capable gaming system.
Getting the ergonomics and fit for the components just right took many tries, but eventually a prototype shell was designed that fits the Framework mainboard, the battery, twin Framework speakers, an 8″ LCD panel from Waveshare (connected via USB-C to HDMI) and mechanical switches for the buttons. These switches connect to an RP2040-based board that runs the GP2040-CE firmware, allowing the operating system to detect it as an XBox controller. Although still far from finished, it shows just how beneficial standard laptop parts are, with a massive gap in the market where Framework could make its own handheld shell available. We’re looking forward to [TommyB] demonstrating the finished version of his Framework handheld, and the inevitable upgrade from the 11th-gen Intel mainboard to one of the sparkling new mainboards with even better specs.
Thanks to [Keith Olson] for the tip.