“People want to talk without doing homework”: Swizz Beats on criticism of Verzuz beat battle deal with Elon Musk’s XAfter a two-year hiatus, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s Verzuz beat battle will be returning. But there’s a catch – it will have a new home on social media platform X thanks to a partnership deal with Elon Musk.
In a recent Instagram post, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Elon Musk can be seen clinking cocktail glasses on a yacht. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,” the caption reads. “Tt’s official, Verzuz is back and 100% black-owned again…We will also be building new entertainment businesses on the X platform.”
READ MORE: “I have an entire army of people that need their pay cheque”: Docuseries executively produced by Eminem explores the internet’s impact on the music business
Verzuz gained popularity during the 2020 pandemic, hosting battles with artists such as Boi-1da vs Hit-Boy and T-Pain vs Lil Jon. Hip-hop fans delighted in the regular showdowns on Instagram Live. However, a legal matter with Triller in 2022 brought the beat battles to a halt. The deal with X will allow the show to pick up where it left off.
Despite the jovial post, there has been an instant backlash. “You made a deal with a racist” one comment reads. Fans are particularly up in arms about the date too; the announcement was made on 19th June, otherwise known as Juneteenth, when slavery was emancipated in the United States. “Imagine selling yourself to the most well known racist… then announcing it on Juneteeth,” another mournfully notes.

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A vast majority of feedback is particularly damning. “Trying to force Black people back to Twitter [X] with music while you’ve made the site a playground for straight up white supremacists is an insult to our intelligence,” one user writes, aiming their comment at Elon Musk. “Basically saying ‘it doesn’t matter how we treat them as long as we give them a hot beat to dance to.’ NO.”
Swizz Beatz has been selective with his responses. One of his longer comments reads as such: “You will see my intentions as always. We must change what we don’t like, not complain about it. We go hard since the 90s. People will soon see the plan. I understand that people have questions, and they will also understand I’m not a silly person.”
Certain responses from Swizz Beatz seem to swerve around the point.
One user comments “should’ve done this on another platform,” listing “Instagram, Facebook or even Fanbase — a Black owned app.” But the show has always been on Instagram; “Verzuz been on this platform from day one,” he writes. “People want to talk without doing the homework.”
However,  some online users claim they’ve already done their homework on Musk, citing his appearance on The Don Lemon show where he argued that the country should “move on” from racism. “We are all descended from slaves,” he insists, while also doubling down on X’s Open Door Policy on allowing hateful content.
Lemon also had his own partnership deal in place with Musk. Following the interview, the contract for his X talk show was immediately cancelled.

Despite the backlash, Swizz Beatz remains undeterred. He insists Verzuz will remain “100% Black owned” under himself and Timbaland. “The last thing we did was sell out,” he explains.
Read more music technology news. 
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Live Music grosses break records, but many shows are struggling [Pollstar Mid-Year Report]Live music trade Pollstar’s annual Mid-Year 2024 Report shows a sector with its highest total grosses ever while showing real signs of a slowdown. Overall, the live music industry is. Continue reading
The post Live Music grosses break records, but many shows are struggling [Pollstar Mid-Year Report] appeared first on Hypebot.

Listen to some of the AI songs that RIAA allege copyright infringement by Suno and UdioAfter three record labels filed lawsuits against AI music platforms Suno and Udio yesterday (24 June), the Recording Industry Association of America has shared some of the tracks that sound seriously similar to popular songs.
One track, with prompts including “contemporary r&b” and “male singer”,  is titled jason derulo and the first lyric is “Jason Derulo” – of course, the American singer famously sings his own name at the start of his songs.  The reference being that the prompted track seemingly bears a striking likeness to a Jason Derulo-style song.

READ MORE: What does Suno AI mean for music producers and the music industry?

Another track, with prompts including “1950s rock and roll” and “jerry lee lewis” has the title You shake my nerves and you rattle my br. The lyrics and melody appear to be a heavy nod to the lyrics and melody of Great Balls of Fire.
The third track the RIAA shares is based on the prompt “mellow trap”  with the music allegedly bearing similarities to the French producer CashMoneyAP.
The RIAA is leading the lawsuits, with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records Inc. among the plaintiffs. The lawsuits allege that the AI music platforms have unlawfully trained their generative AI models on recordings from the label. According to the RIAA, this is “mass infringement of copyrighted sound recordings copied and exploited without permission by two multi-million-dollar music generation services.”

Name that tune !
Sound familiar? That's because @suno_ai_ is training AI on copyrighted works…: https://t.co/GnRxCA0rDc: https://t.co/lr3Z7tHmyB: https://t.co/zXjPi68lJF
Learn more about our legal action against Suno: https://t.co/LOFOSrRp9M pic.twitter.com/OmF7iUqAd7
— RIAA (@RIAA) June 24, 2024

An RIAA spokesperson provided a press statement to MusicTech in light of the lawsuits: “Suno continues to dodge the basic question: what sound recordings have they illegally copied? In an apparent attempt to deceive working artists, rightsholders, and the media about its technology, Suno refuses to address the fact that its service has literally been caught on tape – as part of the evidence in this case – doing what Mr. Shulman says his company doesn’t do: memorizing and regurgitating the art made by humans.
“Winners of the streaming era worked cooperatively with artists and rightsholders to properly license music. The losers did exactly what Suno and Udio are doing now.”

Tell me you use copyrighted recordings without telling me you use copyrighted recordings…
Listen to these AI samples from @udiomusic… Oh wait, they took them down. But check out the prompts used to create the recordings.
Find out more: https://t.co/LOFOSrRp9M pic.twitter.com/S0mkY87XeD
— RIAA (@RIAA) June 24, 2024

Read more music technology and industry news.
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Waves launches V15 update with two new StudioVerse productsWaves has announced two new StudioVerse products as part of its V15 update: Instruments and Audio Effects.
StudioVerse Instruments is brand new, and allows you to play thousands of customised chains from Waves’ online library that combine layered instruments, MIDI FX, and audio FX. You can create and share your own instrument presets across DAWs, and publish them on StudioVerse too.

READ MORE: This year’s GearFest UK to take place at Tileyard London on 13 July

Meanwhile, StudioVerse Audio Effects is the updated version of StudioRack. Now, it’ll allow you to load up to eight plugins inside a VST wrapper, while you can make changes to your own mix chains by assigning macros to the main window.
Like with StudioRack, you can use the AI-powered search to analyse your track’s audio – it’ll suggest a range of presets and plugins. There are thousands of presets spanning multiple genres created by Grammy Award-winning mixers and producers, while the software allows you to host third-party VST3s and split plugins into multiband and parallel chains.

Waves says about the update, “Our newest update brings significant enhancements to our plugins for 2024. Coupled with the new StudioVerse experience: access to the biggest online preset library in your DAW including the brand-new StudioVerse Instruments plugin. Waves V15 will allow you to work with the latest OS and DAWs and give you more power, with updates to MIDI capabilities, parameter locking, and added features to existing plugins.”
While both of the plugins are free, you’ll need to own any of the individual Waves plugs included in the StudioVerse presets to be able to use them. Audio Effects is backwards compatible with old StudioRack presets and sessions, too.
Earlier this year, Waves launched the SuperRack LiveBox and a new version of its eMotion LV1 Live Mixer.
You can find out more about Waves V15  at Waves.
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Is Spotify’s CEO richer than any musician in history?There’s a lot more money to be made in streaming music than there is in creating it. Spotify CEO Daniel EK has an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion dollars.. Continue reading
The post Is Spotify’s CEO richer than any musician in history? appeared first on Hypebot.

How to nurture SuperfansWe’ve all chased that elusive viral moment, but real longevity comes from nurturing your biggest supporters. Here’s how top artists are building long-lasting, direct fan connections. by single.xyz We’ve all. Continue reading
The post How to nurture Superfans appeared first on Hypebot.

Flandersh Tech Releases FREE Dynamension Creative Compressor for Windows
Last week, Flandersh Tech released the free Dynamension Creative Dynamic Processor plugin for Windows.  Like all plugins from the developer, Dynamension is available exclusively as a VST3, 64-bit release.  Flandersh Tech explains that Dynamension breaks up the ordinary structure of compressors and expanders, making it possible “to feed the main path, sidechain and gain control [...]
View post: Flandersh Tech Releases FREE Dynamension Creative Compressor for Windows

New in Create: Start with your own loop and bring your idea to life
Upload your own audio to Create and discover Splice sounds that match the key, tempo, and vibe of your loop.

AIR Music Tech release Soft Clipper With AIR Soft Clipper, AIR Music Technology become the latest company to offer their own take on one of FL Studio's most popular plug-ins.

Create Music Group, at $1 billion valuation, raises $165 million investment roundCreate says money will help fuel growth in scale and its global acquisition strategy
Source

Rick Rubin’s secret music festival in Tuscany hosted performances by James Blake, Arcade Fire and Jack DorseyRarely do producers spiritually connect with music quite like Rick Rubin. Over the weekend, the producer celebrated such a connection between sound and nature, by hosting an intimate festival, under the Italian sunshine, to mark the start of the summer solstice.

READ MORE: “I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is actually a really good song!’”: Rick Rubin made Beabadoobee relearn all her demos on acoustic guitar before recording her new album

With only 150 invitations sent out, Rubin’s Festival Of The Sun was an incredibly under-the-radar affair. Hosted in a medieval village in Tuscany, the festival primarily took place in the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta church.

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Among the performers involved, electronic music artist James Blake made an appearance, while Beth Ditto performed alongside her band Gossip, and Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne knocked out tracks.
There were also performances from DJ Cosmo Gonik, London-based cellist Lucinda Chua, and Michael Milosh’s one-man-band Rhye. Even Twitter founder Jack Dorsey performed, albeit a lecture titled ‘Tech and Freedom’. Movie director Andrew Dominik also held a screening of his 2019 Nick Cave documentary, This Much I Know to Be True.
Notable attendees also included Måneskin‘s Thomas Raggi and Ethan Torchio, as well as Italian rapper Ghali.
It’s no surprise Rubin was able to lure in such a diverse bunch of acts. Over his impressive career, the Def Jam records founder has worked with some of music’s finest, including heavy metal titans Metallica, nu-metal icons Linkin Park, hip-hop icons Jay-Z, Kanye West and Nas and even the dulcet tones of Adele. Most recently, Rubin produced indie darling Beabadoobee’s upcoming album This Is How Tomorrow Moves.
The majority of the festival was held inside the gorgeous church, but some acts took to a publicly accessible main stage outside. While the festival was exclusive, Variety reports that “access to the town’s main stage was open to the public free of charge.”
We’re unsure if Festival Of The Sun will remain a one-off, but Rubin has previously expressed interest in hosting festivals. In docu-series Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza, Perry Farrell revealed that Rubin wanted to buy Lollapalooza in 2004. “I don’t know why, but Rick Rubin decided to make an offer to me to buy the name for like a million dollars,” he explained. “I won’t tell you exactly how I put it, but I said no.”

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Read more music technology news. 
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Reason 13 and Reason+ subscription: At almost 25 years old, does this DAW still cut it?Reason 13 £499, or £199 if upgrading from an earlier version
Reason+ subscription £1 for first month then £19.99/month
reasonstudios.com
When Reason debuted in 2000, it was a breath of fresh air. At a time when many DAWs could seem daunting, its hardware-style rack of virtual instruments let you to get hands-on with music production while learning at the same time. There were even virtual patch cables to connect devices together — and fun quirks like removable screws.
Its sequencer and mixer were similarly approachable and, although it’s evolved, Reason’s workflow remains much the same today. Is that enough, however, when the competition has also become so much more capable?

READ MORE: The best DAWs for music producers in all genres, styles and workflows

Having been away from Reason for a number of years, I spent some time with it to find out.
Reason license versus Reason+ Subscription
We have to start with the pricing model. You have two options: a one-off purchase of Reason 13 costing £499 giving you full access to the DAW and its core instruments and effects (known as Racks). If you bought Reason 12 after 1 January 2024 the upgrade is free, which doesn’t sit right with us. Reason Studios shouldn’t be dividing its customer base — if the company wants to reward Reason 12 buyers, it should reward them all regardless of purchase date. Considering the DAW is arguably more niche than the likes of Ableton Live, Logic Pro and FL Studio, it seems wrong to be alienating some of its customers in this way.
In any case, Reason Studios would prefer you to sign up for the Reason+ subscription, which starts at £1 a month, and then moves up to £20. This sub includes Reason 13, plus major updates like Reason 14, and gives you access to all Rack devices and sound packs, while the buyout option omits a number of modules compared to the subscription version. This is the best option if you want to try Reason out for a short while, and is perfect for new or casual music producers exploring what software to use.
But, over a number of years that monthly subscription fee will really add up. Ideally, Reason Studios would offer the full feature set to those buying Reason outright, as well as to subscribers which would seem like a fairer deal. Besides, if subscriptions as a concept really bother you, neither Logic, Cubase or Ableton Live currently use them.
Reason 13 browser
How to use Reason 13
Getting set up is easy, with a companion app managing your authorisations and downloads of the sound banks, Rack devices and additional sound packs if you’ve opted for the subscription.
Reason’s interface is quite unusual, defaulting to a multi-pane window within which you can show, hide and resize the mixer, rack and sequencer sections. There’s also a Devices list from which you can drag and drop instruments and effects into the Rack, including any VST plugins installed on your system.
Reason 13’s Browser lets you intuitively search quickly for any patches, loops or samples within sound banks or on your system. Bundled content is pre-tagged and you can edit tags for any item, as well as using category tabs and your own folder shortcuts to find things swiftly. There’s also auto-play of selected items which is helpful. The Browser is similar to Cubase’s MediaBay, and is a significant improvement on previous versions.
Because Reason shows you its various tools within a single window, the interface can get quite busy. But it is possible to detach the main mixer and rack sections to any additional monitor screens you have, making for a far less fraught workflow.
Reason 13 mixer
A change in 13 is that the sequencer will now split its Edit view into a new area so you can see your arrangement and the data being edited at the same time, just like Ableton Live, Cubase and others. There’s also a dark mode, if that’s to your liking.
Reason’s devices are pretty cool, with the developers adding new models while keeping the beloved original ones. There are synths and samplers, drum machines, loop players and a wealth of mixing and special effects. There are a few new devices in 13; Polytone is a warm analogue synth, Ripley a classic-sounding space delay, while new sidechain, gain and stereo tools boost your mixing toolset.
Then there are clever tools like the Combinator that lets you build multi-instrument and effect modules in a single container, Player instruments that generate MIDI, and utility devices for routing audio and MIDI creatively. All these can be freely routed by spinning the Rack around and patching cables which was, and remains, an incredibly powerful strength of this DAW.
There’s audio tracking too, with automatic time- and pitch-stretching, audio slicing and quantis. Reason’s audio editing features aren’t as deep as Cubase or Logic Pro, but they’re adequate for most users’ needs. You can’t get into very fine-detailed, sample-level manipulation of sound and its range of processing options is more limited, but if that’s not an issue for you, you’ll find the tools it does have are quick and effective to use. Automation is also straightforward, even though you can automate practically every single one of the thousands of parameters available to you.

Reason 13 rack
What is Reason Rack?
An interesting feature that Reason has had for a few years is that a version of the software – its Rack, minus the mixer and sequencer, can be used as a VST3 and AU plugin inside another host.
Load it up as a software instrument in another DAW and you’ll see its Rack and full complement of modules available to use as a source. None of the mixing or sequencing stuff is there since this would probably be overkill (although FL Studio uses it when in plugin mode) so you’re really just accessing all the sounds from another DAW.
There are plugin suites and bundles around that also let you add loads of modules to a DAW, like Arturia’s V Collection at £300, but Reason’s Rack is more varied in terms of the selection of types of modules it provides.
Reason is different to other DAWs. There are some big omissions when compared to Logic Pro and Cubase Pro, both of which cost less than Reason 13 at full price. There are no tools for working with surround, no scoring support, no video support, and no integrated support for working via the cloud. The depth of MIDI and audio editing tools is also limited in comparison.
Reason 13 sequencer
Despite that, Reason is a lot of fun to work with and more than capable of producing professional quality tracks. Its workflow encourages experimentation and the cabling system that’s been there from the start remains a strength. It has everything you need to play, program, mix and edit music and the whole approach – drag and drop modules, load up a sound, tweak, drag some effects and so on – is user-friendly in a way that most DAWs cannot quite match. That comes at the cost of a more streamlined feature set, but the content is strong (with the subscription version especially) and the integration of the sounds with other DAWs via plugin mode is genuinely useful.
Should you get Reason or Reason+?
For some people, Reason alone can be a creative studio for end-to-end music-making, especially since it can access your third-party plugin collection. Its strengths are its intuitive workflow, sound design and easy sequencing.
You may not abandon your existing DAW for Reason but its unique approach to sound design and its user-friendly sequencer make it a fine companion; an alternative way to compose and build tracks. And though the plugin mode isn’t as tight an integration as ReWire was – you could stream audio and MIDI between both DAWs for deeper manipulation — it can still capably complement your main DAW.
The £499 purchase is a hard sell compared to the subscription. It sadly has fewer Rack devices and is pricier than competing DAWs — though this feels like it’s by design. On the flip side, by taking the subscription option with its full set of sounds, you get to see how Reason fits into your workflow over a period of time without the big initial payment, so it might suit you well. After all, the launch offer of £1 for the first month means there’s no reason not to give it a try.

Reason 13 audio edit
Key features

Standalone DAW for Mac and PC
Wide selection of Rack instruments, effects and utilities
Supports VST plugins and works as a plugin in other DAWs
Audio recording, time and pitch stretching
Virtual cable routing system
New tag-based browser
5 new Rack modules
ReGroove MIDI system
Flexible window system
ReMote MIDI mapping system

The post Reason 13 and Reason+ subscription: At almost 25 years old, does this DAW still cut it? appeared first on MusicTech.

“I began to feel like I had no control over the whole thing”: Imogen Heap on making an AI voice modelImogen Heap has constantly been ahead of the curve when it comes to technological innovation in music. So, now that she’s returning from a 10-year hiatus, it seems fitting that she’s diving into the world of AI.
In April, she released her first remix using her AI voice model, ai.mogen, collaborating with Slovakian alt-pop singer Karin Ann on  false gold. Heap made the remix alone but her vocals were made by an AI model that she developed with her team.
In an interview with MusicRadar, Heap revealed that she’d had numerous offers from companies to make an AI  model of her voice. “They knew that I’m interested in technology, and they knew my answer probably wouldn’t be a flat no,” she tells the outlet.
Her excitement was dampened, however, by the list of caveats and terms and conditions attached to the offers. “I began to feel like I had no control over the whole thing. Everybody kept saying how hard it is to create an AI voice model… but I just thought, it can’t be that hard.”
Heap turned the offers down and worked with an audio engineer on an open-source model, which they trained on recordings from throughout her career. “You know what? It came out pretty good,” Heap says. “After that, I was feeling more empowered, like I had a leg to stand on.”

Heap fed the entirety of false gold through ai.mogen, working with over twenty instrumental and vocal stems. “It was the weirdest thing, but it sounded amazing,” she enthuses. “It was my voice trying to sing the kick and snare, the bassline, the keys. My voice became a kind of aura surrounding everything and it really decided the direction I wanted to take the remix.”
The artist is also asked whether she’ll ever use ai.mogen’s text-generation capabilities to write song lyrics. “I mean… yeah? Perhaps I wouldn’t use her because there are other services out there that do a much better job right now,” she says. “If someone wanted to generate something in the style of my lyrics that would be fine, though I would like to be credited at some point.”
She also has plans to expand ai.mogen’s capabilities to eventually become a songwriting and production assistant. “Every single scrap of unused or used audio that I ever create goes into a folder,” she says. “We’re preparing to semantically describe all of it so that, in the future, I can come into my studio and Mogen will say ‘may I suggest this thing that you created in 1998 and as good a place to start?'”
Elsewhere in the interview, she discusses some of the issues AI poses in the music industry, particularly unauthorised voice models. “It does worry me. I will eventually release ai.mogen so that everyone can use it, but I don’t want my voice to say hateful things. So, I need to find a way to do it on acceptable terms.”
She adds: ““I’m in the middle of creating an app that enables musicians to train their own vocal models with privacy and security. The hope is that we can educate and protect people and help them feel a bit more in control of their voice.”
Read more music technology news.
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Creative sound design with mix correction pluginsThe music production world is awash with mix correction plugins, with many using ground-breaking AI that can take a less-than-stellar vocal recording from dud to ‘dude!’ with the click of a button. Elsewhere, de-reverb and stem separation software can pull active sonic elements from a finished track. However, have you ever wondered if they could be used in less corrective and more creative ways? Long answer short: they sure can.

READ MORE: 12 best stem separation software for vocals, ranked

You can use a variety of correction plugins as part of the sound design process. While many will yield crunchy and funky lo-fi artefacts, others can elicit unexpected — and extremely useful — results.
This tutorial heads into experimental territory so be sure to don your cleanest lab coat. You may want to have a few beakers of your favourite spirits on hand as well to encourage out-of-the-box thinking. And don’t worry: if you make a mess, just fix it with the same plugin!
Lossy melodies with stem separation
Stem separation is a popular and powerful type of correction software that splits a piece of audio up into its constituent parts — drums, bass, vocals — and lets you work them individually. RipX DAW Pro from Hit’n’Mix does one better, turning the stems into malleable audio that you can adjust on a per-note basis. What happens if you feed it just a single instrument, like a marimba line with baked-in delay effects?
Start by loading your audio into RipX DAW Pro. It will do its thing, analyzing the audio and then separating it out into individual notes. Move the pieces of audio up and down the piano roll to create a new melody, deleting unnecessary ones as you go. There are a number of pitch effects as well, such as Pitch to Scale, Quantize Pitch and Flatten Pitch. Play around with these until you end up with something you like. Finally, bounce it out and import it into your main DAW project.
While RipX DAW Pro does have a Repair section to reduce artefacts, you can ignore this for this technique. After all, swimmy, low-bit MP3 effects are gaining popularity thanks to plugins such Goodhertz Lossy and Lese Codec. It’s an extreme effect but could be just what your next lo-fi creation needs.

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Transient enhancing with de-reverb
De-reverb plugins are a handy way to remove room sound from vocals, particularly recordings for interviews and podcasts. However, there’s no rule saying they can’t be used on other types of material.
In this example, the De-reverb module from iZotope’s RX 10 Elements does its best to clean up the reverb from a noisy tambourine loop. By tweaking the controls, you can emphasise the transient attack of the tambourine — the portion when the hand strikes the skin — and bring out some lo-fi artefacts in the process.
First, click the Learn button and let the in-built AI listen to the signal. Next, bring up the Reduction slider and adjust the different frequency bands in the Reverb Profile until you’ve brought out the strike of the tambourine. Engage the Enhance dry signal button for a more pronounced effect. Try lowering the Artifact smoothing slider to bring out lo-fi goodness. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!

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Transient smoothing with de-click
In the same way that de-reverb can remove the sustain portion of a signal, so can de-clicking take away the transient. Here, RX 10 Elements De-click from iZoptope is confusing the attack potion of a clave in a loop with a click and doing its best to wipe it away.
Start by placing De-click on the track you want to affect. It’s a pretty simple plugin; just bring up the Sensitivity slider until the transient is suitably smooshed. Try using the Click widening control and changing the algorithm for different results.
For an extreme lo-fi effect, try strapping De-click across an entire drum bus.

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Psychedelic drums with vocal processing plugins
Designed to correct pitch imperfections, vocal processing plugins can work wonders on the human voice. But can they be used on non-vocal material? Percussion sounds tend to not have much pitch information — sounds like the perfect opportunity for experimentation.
While full-on pitch correction like Auto-Tune might not have too much of an effect, there are plenty more plugins in Antares’ Auto-Tune Unlimited suite that do, such as Choir.
Auto-Tune Choir, as the name suggests, is a vocal multiplier. Instead of voices, try running percussion through it, like this conga loop. Turning up the Choir Size to 32 voices creates a psychedelic and tightly delayed drum line. Use the controls in the Variation section – Vibrato, Pitch and Timing – to further tweak out the drums. Results are sure to be unique and unexpected.

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Drum loop tightening with drum removal technology
It may seem paradoxical but slapping a drum removal plugin onto a drum bus can result in some surprisingly useful results. Tightening, levelling and punch-ifying are all possible with judicious use of the technology.
Zynaptiq’s Unmix::Drums is a top-quality plugin for removing or reducing the level of drums in mixed stems. When you put it on a drum bus or percussion loop, as in this example, you can make some interesting adjustments.
Start with the big Drum Level control in the middle and fine-tune it until you have a nice balance of punch and room sound. Use the Attack and Release controls to affect the transient and tail. In the Fine-Tune area, bring up the Bass Synth slider to add power back to the kick drum, if necessary. Finally, engage the compressor and limiter functions at the top for extra punch.

Learn more at https://musictech.com/learn/.
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12 best stem separation software for vocals, rankedStem separation has long been a fascination in the audio world, the end goal being able to split a mixed track into separate parts without any noticeable glitches or audio artefacts. A few years ago, it felt like the stuff of science fiction, but more powerful computers and access to machine learning datasets have turned it into a reality that’s only getting better.

READ MORE: The best DAWs for music producers in all genres, styles and workflows

Which is the best stem separation software?
To find out which stem separation software is best on vocals, we’re using the track Restless Mind by Steven Beddall.
In all cases, the highest-quality configurations were chosen on the software. These examples should give you a rough idea of the stemming quality, but the results can vary from track to track. It’s possible that one algorithm may perform slightly better than another when fed a certain audio, but the results could be reversed with a different track.
Here’s what to listen for when comparing the results:

Do any other instruments leak into the vocal stem at any point?
Are there any timbral changes? Does the algorithm get confused with other instruments and take some information away?
Are natural reverb tails included?
How does it handle backing vocals?
Are there any additional artefacts like metallic whistles, glitches, hiss or phasing issues?

After carefully analysing the acapellas, and cross-referencing with a few other examples, we found the results from Gaudio Studio to be the cleanest overall — a surprise, given that it’s one of the cheapest.
Gaudio Studio provided an effective reduction of noise and instrument spill, a clean capture of backing vocals and reverbs, and the most consistent high-end frequency content.
If you’re willing to put the time into experimenting with the various models, then you can probably get similar results with the free Ultimate Vocal Remover 5. After that, Moises, Lalal.ai, AudioStrip and Logic Pro were all very impressive, with each offering variations on the amount of reverb and backing vocals captured.

Best stem separation software, ranked

Gaudio Studio
Ultimate Vocal Remover 5
Moises
AudioStrip
Logic Pro
Lalal.ai
Hit’n’Mix RipX
Akai MPC Stems
FL Studio
Serato Sample
iZotope RX11
Acon Digital REMIX

What do you think? Have a listen to the files and see which you think sounds best. Each option has different pros and cons including processing speed, price and workflow, so the final decision isn’t necessarily black and white. Different tracks could result in a different leaderboard. Whichever one you go for, we can all agree at least that the technology is mind-blowing — and it’s only going to get better.
Note that you should always respect the copyright of any original material you use these tools on. Also, some of these tools will process the audio using their own servers, so an internet connection is required and the waiting times can vary.
Stem separation software available in 2024
iZotope – RX11
iZotope RX11. Image: MusicTech
Music Rebalance is a feature inside of RX11 that uses a tweaked version of Spleeter to split stereo audio into Vocals, Percussion, Bass and Other stems. You can then change the volume of each to rebalance a track, or solo an element and bounce it to a new audio file. You also get controls for each stem to edit the strength of the separation and three different quality settings.
It comes as part of RX11 Advanced, but you can get it cheaper inside of RX11 Standard, and both go on sale regularly. Music Rebalance has had an update for RX11 and features upgraded machine learning based on modern neural networks.
Price: £389 RX10 Standard, £1,149 RX10 Advanced
VST3, AU, AAX, AAX Audiosuite Plug-in
Separation options: Vocals, Percussion, Bass, Other
Library/Algorithm: Spleeter algorithms implemented in iZotope’s own code
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Acon Digital – Remix
Acon Digital REMIX. Image: MusicTech
Remix is the only option here that processes audio in real-time in your DAW. It runs as a plug-in (or inside of Acon Digital’s Acoustica Suite) and features a low-latency algorithm from HANCE.
You can split your audio into Vocals, Piano, Bass, Drums, and Other stems and then balance the volume or solo each. You also get sensitivity controls to fine-tune each stem, plus the ability to route the output of each channel to its own track.
It may not have the competitive quality as some of the offline options, but it might prove useful for quickly rebalancing stem volumes within your DAW.
Price: £39.90 (also comes bundled with Acoustica Standard Edition for £49.90)
VST, VST3, AU, AAX plug-in
Separation options: Vocals, Piano, Bass, Drums, Other
Library/Algorithm: HANCE Realtime Stem Separation
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Hit’n’ Mix – RipX DAW
Hit’n’Mix RipX DAW. Image: MusicTech
RipX DAW and RipX DAW Pro are based on the unique Rip Audio format, which deconstructs audio down to its individual elements and treats audio and MIDI as one. You can split audio into stems for voice, drums + percussion, bass, other sounds + instruments, and guitar + piano. The beauty of RipX is that you can further refine the detection to get the best results, and even edit the harmonic and unpitched elements separately.
Other features include Melodyne-style note editing, the ability to change and randomise the key or generate new harmonies, adding effects to individual notes, replacing any note with a different sampled instrument, advanced repair and cleanup, and more.
Price: £99 RipX DAW, £198 RipX DAW Pro
Standalone
Separation options: Voice, drums & percussion, bass, other sounds & instruments, and guitar and piano
Library/Algorithm: Ripper Engine + Modified Demucs
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Omnisale – Lalal.ai
Lalal.ai. Image: MusicTech
Lalal comes as both a web-based and desktop/mobile app stem separator. You can try several files for free, or choose from a range of one-off fees that get you a set number of processing minutes. This is a great alternative to monthly payment plans if you think you’ll only occasionally want to use the service.
The latest version is based on a state-of-the-art, in-house developed neural network called Orion, which uses direct synthesis to recreate stems with exceptional quality. Currently, you can extract Vocals, Backing Tracks, Drums, Piano, Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Strings, and Wind, making Lalal one of the most versatile options in the list.
Price: £18 for 90 minutes, £70 for 500 minutes (other options also available)
Web-based, plus desktop iOS and Android apps
Stems: Vocal and instrumental, Voice and Noise, Drums, Bass, Piano, Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Strings, Wind
Library/Algorithm: Orion/Phoenix
www.lalal.ai
Serato – Serato Sample
Serato Sample. Image: MusicTech
Serato Sample is a refined sampler with a lightning-fast workflow. It features Serato’s renowned Pitch ’n Time algorithm for stretching audio, and the recent V2 update added built-in stem separation.
You simply load an audio file, and Serato Sample will automatically work out the bpm and key, and will then sync it to your host tempo. You then get access to four buttons for vocal, bass, drums, and music/other parts. These can then be switched on and off at will whilst you trigger samples in the normal manner.
The separation isn’t the best, but being able to import audio into a plug-in, and then instantly get to work chopping and composing is a bonus for workflow.
Price: $149 (or $9.99 pm subscription
VST, VST3, AU plug-in
Stems: Vocal, Drums, Bass, Other
Library/Algorithm: Serato’s proprietary machine-learning algorithm
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Image-Line – FL Studio 21.2
Image-Line FL Studio 21.2. Image: MusicTech
Image-Line added built-in stem separation in a recent update to FL Studio. Alongside the extensive production features of the program, you can now right-click on a piece of audio and select Extract Stems from Sample. You then get a dialogue box where you can select from Vocals, Drums, Bass and Other Instruments, and it gives an estimate of how long the processing will take.
FL Studio was the first DAW to include this feature and the fact it’s all built-in is a massive workflow boon. Logic Pro has recently followed suit, and hopefully, it won’t be long until Ableton Live and other DAWs jump onboard with their versions.
Price: £164 Producer Edition, £245 Signature Bundle, £409 All Plugins Edition
Standalone DAW
Stems: Vocals, Drums, Bass, Instruments
Library/Algorithm: Customised Demucs
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Gaudio Studio
Gaudio Studio. Image: MusicTech
Up until recently, Gaudio Studio was a completely free online splitter that used the Gaudio Source SEParation (GSEP) model to separate audio into Vocal, Drums, Bass, Electric Guitar, Piano, and Other Instruments. The website and services have recently refreshed, so you can now purchase bundles of minutes for a very reasonable price.
You can also try out 20 minutes of audio for free with an MP3 format output, or if you upgrade then you get the option of a fast-track service and WAV files.
As mentioned above, this is the most convincing option for separating vocal stems.
Price: $7 for 50 minutes, $16 for 200 Minutes, $50 for 1000 minutes
Online
Stems: Vocal, Drums, Bass, Electric Guitar, Piano, and Other Instruments
Library/Algorithm: GSEP (Gaudio source SEParation)
https://studio.gaudiolab.io
Moises.AI
Moises. Image: MusicTech
Moises comes as a slick web application, plus a desktop and mobile app. The pro version lets you separate audio into vocals (with separate backing vocals), drums (including individual elements), bass, guitar, background vocals, piano, and strings, making this a versatile option. It also has the ability to separate multimedia tracks into dialogue, soundtrack and effects.
If you want to enhance your workflow, then there’s also a Stems plug-in available as part of the Pro Plan, with Voice Studio and Mastering plug-ins coming soon.
The free Starter plan will get you 5 audio separations per month, with the other plans offering unlimited separations, higher quality and a host of bonus features. Moises also updates its algorithms fairly regularly.
Price: Free, £4.99pm Musician Plan, £24.99pm Producer plan (discounts for paying annually)
Online, Desktop app, mobile app
Stems: Vocals, backing vocals, drums (with separates), bass, guitar, background vocals, piano, and strings
Library/Algorithm: Moises AI Proprietary Stem Separation Model
www.moises.ai
AudioStrip
AudioStrip. Image: MusicTech
AudioStrip is a high-quality online option that uses the results of both the MDX-Net and Demucs libraries. The company also notes on its website that the algorithms will be updated as and when new methods come out.
When you upload a file, you can choose from three different algorithms, and then separate out to vocals, instrumental, bass, drums, other, piano and guitar.
You can choose from a basic free option that includes 3 isolations, 3 masters, and 3 transcripts per month, with a slower isolation speed, limited file size and MP3 output format. Or alternatively, the Premium option gives you unlimited uploads, faster isolation, larger files, WAV, FLAC and MP3 formats and batch uploads.
Price: Free / £7.99pm Premium
Online
Stems: Vocals, Instrumental, Bass, Drums, Other, Piano and Guitar
Library/Algorithm: DemucsV4, VB-Splitz V3, VB-Splitz V4
https://audiostrip.co.uk
Apple Logic Pro 11
Apple Logic Pro 11. Image: MusicTech
One of the front-running new features in Logic’s latest update is its built-in stem separation. You can right-click on any audio region and then choose whether to separate it into Vocals, Drums, Bass and Other instruments. It’s a feature that uses the grunt of the Apple Silicon chips, so it’s only available for more recent computers. However, the offshoot is that it’s incredibly fast to process.
As Apple is always incredibly tight-lipped about what goes on behind the scenes, it’s unlikely we’ll ever find out exactly what models and libraries they’ve been using. Suffice to say that the quality isn’t the best in show, but it is still impressive.
Price: $199 (Stem separation requires Apple Silicon chips)
Standalone DAW
Stems: Vocals, Drums, Bass, Instruments
Library/Algorithm: Unknown
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Akai MPC Stems
Akai MPC Stems. Image: MusicTech
Akai MPC Stems can be purchased for £9.99 as an add on for the MPC 2 software. This is a feature-packed DAW that runs on your desktop, but it can also be used in Controller Mode to seamlessly sync to the full MPC hardware lineup. The ability to use MPC Stems without the need for a computer will be coming to certain hardware units at some point in the future.
Whether you’re using the interface on the software or the screen on the hardware, you simply select the audio, hit the Stems button and then select which of the vocals, bass, drums and other stems you’d like to create.
Price: £9.99 for MPC Stems, plus £199.99 for MPC2 software (comes free with hardware)
Standalone
Stems: Vocals, Bass, Drums, Other
Library/Algorithm: zplane STEMS PRO
www.akaipro.com
Ultimate Vocal Remover 5
Ultimate Vocal Remover 5. Image: MusicTech
If you want to delve deep into using a range of different models, then you might want to check out the free Ultimate Vocal Remover 5. With this standalone program, you can choose from a wide range of free algorithms, with more downloadable as they become available. You can even use an Ensemble mode to run your audio through two models to get improved results.
The only downside, is that it’s not very user friendly, and the processing can take quite a long time with certain settings. It’s also a little overwhelming as it’s not obvious which settings will yield the best results, although you can check mvsep.com for separation quality leaderboards of results from other users.
Price: Free
Standalone
Stems: Vocals, Bass, Drums, Other
Library/Algorithm: Multiple Demucs, MDX-Net and VR Architecture models
www.ultimatevocalremover.com
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