“I don’t value creativity for the sake of creativity” Creators debate the value of AI-produced musicA discussion about the value of AI-produced music at the recent Music Matters conference in Singapore left creators divided.

READ MORE: Read Steve Albini’s 1992 letter to Nirvana: “Paying a royalty to a producer is ethically indefensible…there’s no fucking way I would take that money.”

Day 2 of Music Matters had Jako de Leon (Creators and Influencers Council of the Philippines President), Johnathan Chua (GRVTY Media CEO), and Mohamad Fattal (Alfan Founder & CEO) sharing their insights on how creators can work alongside AI to build a sustainable career.
Asked if content and music produced using AI should be valued more or less than something “organically produced”, Chua had this to say: “I don’t value creativity for the sake of creativity.”
“I would value the song that I like better. Even if one was generated and one was written with blood. I would prefer the one that I like. I don’t care how it was made.”
Describing his approach as a “free market kind of ideology”, he explained that “at the end of the day in modern pop music we figured out that many of the songs can be played in a similar harmony.”
“If AI is what’s going to get us to expand that and end this phase a little faster… and create the next wave of creatives who would rise to the top and that’s going to evolve music further then I think it’s fine.”
Beside him, Jako offered an alternative view. Presented with the choice between an AI program that could make anyone sound like Justin Bieber and a physical person who sounds just like the pop star, Jako said: “I will support someone who’s doing it creatively rather than someone who’s just doing it out of a machine.”
His rationale? To minimise support for possible bad actors who try to pass off AI-generated work as human.
Meanwhile, Fattal mentioned how consumers don’t always care about the creative process behind the content so long as they can get the best product for the cheapest price. “But when you talk to creators and artists, it’s always like ‘I put so much passion and energy, why are people not using it.’ Where is the middle ground?” He questioned.
Elsewhere throughout the conference, panels of artists and industry executives discussed the rise of virtual creators, how to create new unique experiences for fans, and how to navigate a career in music in the wake of AI.
Read more music technology news.
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AI and the future of creativity: Takeaways from Music Matters 2024Artificial intelligence took centre stage as creators, music professionals and industry leaders descended on the sunny city-state of Singapore this week for the 19th edition of Music Matters. This year, the music conference returns as part of the inaugural CreatorWeek, a new festival spotlighting and celebrating Asia Pacific’s music and creator economy.
Speakers at the 2-day event (8-9 May) included Akhila Shankar, head of TuneCore South Asia; Mike McCabe, managing director of Epic Games; Meng Ru Kuok, CEO & co-founder of Caldecott Music Group; Reggie Ba-Pe, CEO and founder of Alias; Accenture managing director Caspar Schlickum; and Johnathan Chua, Co-Founder and CEO of GRVTY Media.
AI’s transformative potential
Thursday’s programme began with a discussion on the exponential growth of Generative AI across creative industries and the massive ecosystem that’s been built on the technology.
“Once in a while in history, you see technology that will potentially change lives. I think we are at that stage right now,” said Kevin Chan, chief partner officer of Microsoft Singapore. He explained that the magic of Generative AI lies in the way it allows creators — both big and small — to “do much more with less”. For musicians, this means freeing up precious time to focus on what matters to them: making music.
“Most people don’t like to do the kinds of tasks that Gen AI’s really good at doing in the process. The miserable, repeatable, repetitive tasks,” said Accenture managing director Caspar Schlickum. Addressing sceptics, he argued that AI has been in development and in use (albeit more implicitly) for decades, and that “what happened with ChatGPT is [just] that AI got a UI”. With the democratisation of AI, he argues, a broader range of creators can now produce higher-quality content due to the lowered costs of projects.
Building a sustainable career in the age of AI
With AI looming large, how can you ensure longevity in your career as an artist and content creator?
In this session, Jako de Leon (Creators and Influencers Council of the Philippines), Johnathan Chua (GRVTY Media), and Mohamad Fattal (Alfan) stressed the importance of leveraging AI while cautioning against an over-reliance on the technology.
Chua, a seasoned podcaster (The Daily Ketchup), spoke of the “difference between creating content and creating a brand”; AI can do the former, but the latter is what’s needed to build a long-lasting career, he says. Artists should thus focus on developing their own unique identity and brand while creating content because, eventually, “the algorithm will adjust to bring in more humans”.
The speakers also touched on AI abuse in music — such as inputting a singer’s voice into an AI model to generate songs without their approval — and the need for more open conversations about its dangers as well as greater community-based efforts to protect artists from bad actors.
Crafting ‘experiences’ in the creator economy
Relationships take work, and artist-fan relations are no exception. Dylan Harari, global head of creators at content subscription platform Fanfix (aka the family-friendly version of OnlyFans) offered insights into subscription-based models for creators, emphasising the importance of direct one-on-one engagement or ‘experiences’.
While the concept is hardly new (think artist Meet-and-Greets, backstage passes, paid video recordings), the form it takes on has certainly evolved. For example, Fanfix has a pay-to-message feature that allows fans to pay between $3 to $500 to chat privately with their favourite artists. Describing creator subscriptions as modern-day e-commerce, he shared how curating the right “experiences” can create new revenue streams for artists while strengthening the bond they have with their fans.
Asked about the impact of AI on the creator economy, Harari surprised the audience, saying that the technology is not going to change things drastically: “I don’t think it’s going to be as disruptive as people think it’s going to be,” he said. The executive also expressed scepticism towards fully AI-generated avatars because “you still need the sprinkle of human touch”.
Rise of the ‘virtual’
Later in the day, Alias founder Reggie Ba-Pe, Kobe CEO Evangeline Leong, and VP of business development at TheSoul Publishing Patrik Wilkens explored how virtual pop stars like Polar are poised to upend the creator economy.
Last year, VTuber Ironmouse won the coveted Content Creator of the Year award at the Game Awards, which, according to Wilkens, signalled that markets are ready to embrace virtual influencers.
With AI, “everybody will be able to create avatars. The obstacle is to be relevant, to be authentic,” he said. Leong also emphasised that while AI is capable of streamlining processes and generating content, it cannot replicate the unique chemistry between creators and their followers.
On the whole, discussions about avatars, VTubers, and virtual experiences highlighted a paradigm shift in creative expression facilitated by AI. There is a general consensus that AI is here to augment rather than replace human creativity.
Learn more at Creator Week.
The post AI and the future of creativity: Takeaways from Music Matters 2024 appeared first on MusicTech.

Orchestral Tools present Grimm with Bleeding Fingers Described as a medieval orchestra crafted for the modern composer, Grimm captures a range of traditional instruments and aims to provide the ideal toolkit for horror, drama and fantasy scores. 

Coinbase sees infinite interoperability potential with Ethereum and USDCCoinbase head of tokenization Anthony Bassili described plans for its Base network at TokenizeThis 2024 in Miami.

Infighting among fintech players has caused TabaPay to ‘pull out’ from buying bankrupt SynapseA dust-up between Evolve Bank & Trust, Mercury and Synapse has led TabaPay to abandon its acquisition plans of troubled banking-as-a-service startup Synapse.
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Todd Rundgren's Spirit of Harmony Auction Now Open for BiddingBidding for the Spirit of Harmony's online fundraising auction is now open, and you are invited to check out wide variety of treasures, large and small. Choose from an array of t-shirts, jewelry, posters, music, accessories, collectibles, and much more. Even if you aren't looking to bid, we hope you have fun visiting our auction site to check out our music-related items. Here is the auction link: 32auctions.com/SOHF2024

Auction ends Sunday, May 26 at 5 pm Central time.Packages will be sent out USPS Priority, within ten days after payment is received at the end of the auction. Of course, international postage and shipping costs are higher, and we will contact international winners with an invoice for the actual postage/shipping amount.This auction supports the Spirit of Harmony's Music Education Advocacy.

Auction Link: www.32auctions.com/SOHF24

POV Digital Clock Is the Literal Sands of TimeSand has been used to keep track of the passage of time since antiquity. But using sand to make a persistence of vision digital clock (English translation) is something altogether new. And it’s pretty cool, too.
The idea behind the timepiece that [Álvaro Gómez Giménez] built is pretty simple drop a tiny slug of fine sand from a hopper and light it up at just the right point in its fall. Do that rapidly enough and you can build up an image of the digits you want to display. Simple in concept, but the devil is in the details. Sand isn’t the easiest material to control, so most of the work went into designing hoppers with solenoid-controlled gates to dispense well-formed slugs of sand at just the right moment. Each digit of the clock has four of these gates in parallel, and controlling when the 16 gates open and close and when the LEDs are turned on is the work of a PIC18F4550 microcontroller.
The build has a lot of intricate parts, some 3D printed and some machined, but all very carefully crafted. We particularly like the big block of clear plastic that was milled into a mount for the main PCB; the translucent finish on the milled surfaces makes a fantastic diffuser for the 96 white LEDs. The clock actually works a lot better than we expected, with the digits easy to make out against a dark background. Check it out in the video below.
Between the noise of 16 solenoids and the sand getting everywhere, we’d imagine it wouldn’t be a lot of fun to have on a desk or nightstand, but the execution is top-notch, and an interesting and unusual concept we haven’t seen before. Sure, we’ve seen sandwriting, but that’s totally different.

Thanks to [ThoriumBR] for the tip.

Soundware’s Octane Rompler Plugin Is Now FREE
Soundware has made its Octane rompler plugin available for free for Mac and Windows. Soundware describes Octane as “the pro-grade rompler that changed the game by making professional tools accessible to anyone.” The developer explains that the plugin was designed by producers for producers and is “the top choice for sound creation. With lots of [...]
View post: Soundware’s Octane Rompler Plugin Is Now FREE

Fully 3D Printed Case Is Stacked High With Mini PCsOver the years we’ve seen no shortage of 3D printed cases designed to hold several Raspberry Pi computers, often with the intent to use them as convenient desktop-sized platforms for experimenting with concepts such as server load balancing and redundancy.
The reason the Pi was always the star of the show is simple enough to explain: they were small and cheap. But while the Pi has only gotten more expensive over the years, x86 machines have gotten smaller and cheaper. Which is how a project like the N100 Obelisk was born.

As the name implies, [Jay Doscher] has packed this printed tower of power with a number of mini computers utilizing the Intel N100 CPU, namely the QC12 from Beelink. At $250 a pop they’re definitely a more expensive option than the Pi 5. But with each one packing 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB NVME drive, plus the option to plug in a SATA drive, you’re getting plenty of bang for your computing buck.
Each QC12 lives on its own printed “shelf” inside the case, which will fit up to five of the machines at once. Though [Jay] notes that heat could become an issue at that point, so four seems like a safer number. The front panel of each computer can be accessed through a cut-out in one side of the case, while the rear (and all the cables) are covered with easily removable panels should you need to get in there and reconfigure anything.
With everything all buttoned up, it looks like it could survive a bomb blast. Considering it took two rolls of filament and the better part of 100 M4 screws to put the thing together, we’d wager it doesn’t just look tough, either. The write-up says the goal was for the final product to have a certain brutalist style, and it certainly seems like the mission was accomplished on that front.
Of course, the really standout feature of the Obelisk is the integrated Waveshare AMOLED display. This 13.3 inch panel boasts a resolution of 2560×1440, and even offers touch support. Here it’s been rotated into portrait orientation to provide plenty of vertical space, making it ideal for working on the command line, writing code, or scrolling through long documents. Don’t need a screen? No problem — the case has been designed in such a way that you can forgo the display and fill in the opening with more of the printed panels.

As we’ve seen with his previous projects, [Jay] has a knack for turning extruded plastic into devices that are both functional and visually striking. We’re always excited when one of his creations come our way, and can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for the future.

Apple Music launches ‘Apple Music Partner Program’ for labels and distributors, including ‘premium’ data analytics toolsNew program is available initially for a limited number of record labels and music distributors in the US
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Will Bloomfield joins TaP Music as Co-President and Head of Global Artist ManagementBloomfield was named one of Billboard's 40 Under 40, and is part of the team leading the Richard Antwi Scholarship
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MusixMatch wants a photo ID selfie before adding lyrics for Spotify, Apple, MetaMusixMatch, which provides lyrics to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Meta, Google, and more, now requires artists and fans who want to add new songs to first upload a selfie with a valid government-issued photo ID.....
The post MusixMatch wants a photo ID selfie before adding lyrics for Spotify, Apple, Meta appeared first on Hypebot.

DALI IO-12 are incredible headphones that serve a hyper-niche audiencePrice: £999/$1,040/€999
Let’s be honest, not many people are considering a pair of headphones at £999; most people’s eyes bulge at the price of Apple’s AirPods Max at £549. But, to diehard music fans, DALI’s IO-12 almost make a strong case for saving up the cash and truly enjoying your music with a luxury pair of headphones.
How do the DALI IO-12s sound?
These headphones sound outstanding. Wired and wireless, you get a truly enlightening listening experience — once you hear your favourite tunes on the IO-12s, you probably won’t reach for any other wireless headphones at home.
This is thanks to some seriously meticulous engineering on DALI’s part, with a “highly advanced” 50mm drive with a low-loss paper fibre diaphragm. The drivers are also made with DALI’s SMC material, found in its range of luxury high-end loudspeakers.
A look at the parts inside the DALI IO-12 ear pads
The IO-12s aptXHD and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs will get you TTKTK. This is fine for most, but a shame for the audiophiles wanting aptX Lossless. At £999, you’d expect this and spatial audio (also missing) for supreme versatility.
For the listening test, I’m referencing with Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, Channel Tres’ Topdown and Portishead’s Glory Box — all on a lossless streaming service.
When listening to Dreams to test headphones, I usually listen for how Stevie Nicks’ voice sounds, how accurately the mix is conveyed, and if the headphones capably maintain the stereo width. The DALI IO-12s effortlessly impress on those fronts but unexpectedly guide my ear to parts I usually don’t listen for. With these on, I hear the backing vocals shine beautifully under Nicks’ lead vocal — something that’s usually lost on less-accomplished audio devices. Also, the reverb tails of Nicks’ vocal are clearer and more satisfying than ever.
Topdown is led by a deep bassline beneath Channel Tres’ vocal, so I activate the Bass Mode to get a more pronounced low-end. It works nicely, accentuating the bass but not making it overbearing, as other headphones like Beats’ Studio Pro sometimes do. The difference isn’t that dramatic but I still prefer the more balanced clarity of the default Hi-Fi mode — and the low-end is still impressively deep on this mode. The same can be said for Glory Box, which expertly articulates the low end while letting the vocal and backline shine.

I’m comparing the IO-12s here with Sendy Audio’s Aiva headphones, Beats’ Studio Pro, and the Nuraphone, all of which are more affordable but have different USPs. I’ll spare you the details — the IO-12s sound the best — only slightly, though: the Aiva’s sound slightly harsher but are still as powerful in the lows and mids; the Nuraphone (sadly discontinued) sound pretty damn close with excellent balance and stereo width; Beats’ Studio Pro simply can’t deliver the same stereo image and clarity in the high end as the IO-12s.
The IO-12s most striking experience, though, is just how enveloped you are in the music. Completely isolated from the outside world and hearing new elements in your favourite songs is exactly what you’d expect from a pair of headphones like this. Although the actual sound quality isn’t drastically better than some other pairs, the listening experience somehow feels way more enjoyable.
DALI IO-12 connectivity options
You’ll be pleased with the various connections the DALI IO-12s offer. Bluetooth makes them fairly universal, and they boast effective multi-point connectivity so you can automatically switch between playback devices.
The battery life will keep you going for up an impressive 35 hours, sitting just above the battery life of competing headphones.
Meanwhile, an 3.5mm jack port and cable lets you plug into the aux socket of any other devices for hi-fi wired listening with 24-bit/96kHz resolution. Best of all, they use USB-C for hi-fi listening on your laptop or phone.
DALI IO-12 headphones on a stand
Lastly, other reviewers have bemoaned the lack of a companion app. This means no tweaking the sound profile of the IO-12s. This is an odd omission from DALI, but it’s also a treat to not be forced to download and tinker with an app before you can start listening to music, only to open said app once every few weeks. But this will definitely be a deal-breaker for those who love to get precise with their EQing.
Are the DALI IO-12s comfortable?
Time to get real about the fit of these headphones. They are big. The earpads are almost comically large and straight out of a 70s sci-fi movie. To my eyes, they aren’t as street-cool as headphones by Beats or Bose, but maybe you’re a fan.
Happily, the design has a purpose — these headphones are supremely comfortable and easily adjustable to your head. They’re also surprisingly light, considering their size, weighing 14g less than the AirPods Max. Also, the secure fit also ensures optimal noise cancelling. Before you even activate ANC (which is excellent), you’ll notice an awesome amount of isolation thanks to the snug cups.
DALI IO-12 headphones case
To keep these safe, DALI has included a robust but soft carry case. Still, the size of the headphones and case means I struggle to take them out and about with me in a bag. Not that you’ll want to take them out of the house regularly, anyway.
Are the DALI IO-12 really worth it?
On the price: £999 is prohibitive. But are they worth it? Almost. The headphones are missing a few crucial features to make them the ultimate long-term purchase that they could be.
Without spatial audio and lossless Bluetooth, the IO-12s aren’t future-proof. Maybe these downsides seem minor, but you’ll want to use them for your home entertainment listening — these are £999 and spatial audio is a nice touch for watching movies, so why not at least have the option? And, if you’re serious about sound, why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of the lossless Bluetooth codec, made available in 2022. I’d wager you’ll want to swap these headphones in two years as more mid-tier audiophile headphones incorporate such technologies.
DALI IO-12 headphones on a stand displayed on a shelf
Plus, the bulky design means you can’t really take these out of the house with you for exercise and short commutes. And, at £999, why risk it? A pair that’s £300-400 less could give you more freedom and only a slightly lesser performance.
A close competitor is Focal’s Bathys headphones, which are £699 and sound excellent — not as detailed as the IO-12s, but still better than the likes of AirPods Max. If the IO-12s were £799, they’d be a strong recommendation if you’re looking for a reliable pair for at-home listening. £999 prices a lot of us out.
Should you buy the DALI IO-12s?
I love the sound of these headphones. I love how comfortable they are. I even love the voice assistant. But they’re tough to recommend when considering the alternatives.
It’s a shame that DALI hasn’t included spatial audio and lossless wireless listening. It’s a shame that they’re so big. And it’s a shame that they are priced so high. Yes, other audiophile headphones, such as Meze Audio’s Elite, could set you back an eye-watering £3,749. But their audience is defined and bespoke: purist audiophiles seeking a best-in-class wired listening experience. As the IO-12s attempt to straddle two worlds, they ultimately serve very few listeners.
But, honestly, if you have the cash or manage to find a deal on them, they’re worth considering if you want a reliable pair for flexible at-home listening and long commutes. They really do sound exceptional.
Learn more at
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PSPaudioware reimagine compression with PSP Flow The latest addition to PSP Audioware’s extensive plug-in range has been designed to apply significant amounts of compression while avoiding the usual side-effects.

Electronic music, fandom, and the rise of the Global SouthI recently presented the tenth edition of the IMS Business Report at the Ibiza-based conference. In MIDiA’s second year creating the report, the findings reveal a global electronic music industry that not only has positive revenue trends but is also experiencing a global cultural resurgence. Here are some of the key findings of the report, which can be downloaded for free here:

Fandom surge: Electronic music is the smaller of the big, global music genres, but it is, nonetheless, a member of that genre club and it is quickly gaining ground on its peers. Electronic music is growing fandom faster than most other leading genres, adding more fans across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify in 2023. This was a turnaround from 2022 when the other big genres (hip hop, rock, Latin) were growing faster than electronic. Electronic music is having a fandom moment.

New fan markets: Germany, the UK, and Australia have been three of electronic music’s leading markets in terms of culture, fanbase, and revenue for many years. Unsurprisingly, they are also the three countries with the largest cumulative number of Spotify monthly listeners to electronic music (by cumulative we mean the gross total of all ‘listeners’, which means one person can be more than one listener, as per Spotify’s definitions). But the remainder of the top ten Spotify markets reveals the rise of the Global South, with India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa all claiming top ten spots. South Africa is particularly interesting; it entered the top ten for the first time in 2023 and has twice as many cumulative monthly listeners as the country does people. Electronic music has quickly established cultural heft in South Africa.

Rise of Africa: You can tell a trend is worth paying attention to when it starts cropping up in many different places. Not only is South Africa now a top fan territory, but Afro House also became a top 10 Beatport genre for the first time in 2023 as well as a top search term for sample platform LoopCloud. The former points to success of already-made music, the latter music yet-to-be-made. On top of this, #Amapiano views on TikTok hit 9.8bn in 2023, up 168% on 2022, with Tyla hitting 21.7bn global views. Western music, Anglo repertoire especially, has long been used to being the music that ‘exports’. Streaming and social are changing this. The strong rise of African music in global dance music culture is part of a seismic shift in global music culture, with the Global South set to increasingly shape global tastes.

Of course, the highlight of the IMS Business Report is the industry value figure. In 2023, the global electronic music industry was up by 17% to reach $11.8 billion. Growth didn’t always come easy, with over a third of executives saying they had to work hard at success in 2023, but it was nonetheless a good year for electronic music. 

Continued strong growth in live (festivals, clubs) was a core component of the industry revenue trend but recordings and publishing also performed well. While total industry growth was not as strong as in the 2022 post-pandemic ‘rebound’ year, 2023 showed what long term, organic growth can look like. The global dance music business is now in its post-post-pandemic growth phase!