Andi Vax BEHRINGER PRO-800 Melodic Techno, Synthwave & Trance Presets From Access Virus Ti 2 official presets designer Andi Vax. Modern presets for your Behringer Pro-800 synthesizer. 174 Melodic Techno, Trance and Synthwave patches: 64... Read More

CARP Audio Resonote Unleash the Musical Potential of Resonances At its core, Resonote is a Note-Specific Resonance Generator and Soft-Distortion plugin in one - it's all about your precisely sculpted... Read More

Fanonymity: How Musicians know less about their Fans than Walmart doesFan + anonymity = Fanonymity. How much should you know about your fans? The answer is almost certainly not enough: “Every retail outlet knows more about their customers than a. Continue reading
The post Fanonymity: How Musicians know less about their Fans than Walmart does appeared first on Hypebot.

EXC-3 MIDI controller from Audnic Audnic's EXC-3 is a MIDI controller fitted with three high-quality 100mm faders that transmit MIDI CC information over USB. 

Music creation company Muse Group acquires sheet music publisher Hal Leonard… with backing from private equity firm Francisco PartnersFrancisco Partners acquired a majority stake in Kobalt Music Group in 2022
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Kaytranada is trying to keep sampling alive: “It’s like a collage; Not everyone is going to get it”Kaytranada has revealed the first track he ever sampled, and says that he is trying to keep the art of sampling alive in his music.

READ MORE: André 3000 sets new record for longest song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100

He reveals the sample during a recent episode of The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music 1, going on to discuss the anxiety around finishing tracks, his sense of rhythm and Beyonce’s foray into house music with her latest album, Renaissance. The interview aired in line with the Canadian-Haitian artist’s latest release, Lover/Friend. 
“Oh my gosh. The first thing I ever sampled was… I think it was Jackson 5 – Lookin’ Through the Windows,” he tells Lowe.

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He also mentions that he sampled UK producer Mr Scruff, whose music could be found pre-purchased in an earlier version of Apple’s iTunes. We’re not sure which track Kaytranada means, but he could be referring to the album, Ninja Tuna, which was featured in Windows 7’s Windows Media Player.
He goes on to say that not enough producers and musicians in electronic music are making music that celebrates the art of sampling. He cites hip-hop producer The Alchemist, a prolific artist putting samples front and centre in their music today.
“I’m still trying to keep [sampling] alive in a way, because I really miss samples, man. I really do miss the use of samples” he says. “A lot of people do it. [The] Alchemist – people like that – are still doing it and I still want to keep that alive, and especially in electronic music.
“It’s definitely an art form. It’s like a collage. Not everyone is going to get it.”
Lowe asks about some of his favourite uses of sampling, and Kaytranada says that in Breathe & Stop by Q-Tip, the track’s producer, the iconic and revered J Dilla, slowed down and chopped a recording of the Chapman Stick guitar, a unique string instrument built by American jazz musician Emmett Chapman.

The two go on to talk about execution in music, agreeing that many musicians – including Kaytranda himself – can find it tough to transform an idea or a loop into a fully-fledged “glazed” song.
“Do you have to go somewhere that’s maximalist in order to find the perfect reduction?” asks Lowe after praising the producer’s balancing of a track’s “ingredients”.
“Not really,” he says. “When I create, it’s really right in the moment and I don’t really think too hard about it, but the top process of [arranging] the song, that’s when it’ll get like, okay, ‘I need to make sure that it’s glazed’. Or when you talk about ingredients, we got to make sure it’s well presented.
“I’m dealing with that right now. Those songs have existed in my head and now they’re new to everyone. Even with the album, to package an album it’s always difficult. Anxieties… procrastinations. You’re scared of nothing. I don’t know what’s stopping you sometimes.”
Zane Lowe praises the swing on Kaytranada’s new track Stuntin, saying “No one can make a swing like that anymore”.
“You just gotta know how to dance, really,” he responds humbly. “I think rhythm is not even enough. It’s like it’s even a higher level. You can’t learn rhythm. But then there’s in between the notes, like between pitches and stuff like that.”
Listen to The Zane Lowe Show with Kaytranada.
The post Kaytranada is trying to keep sampling alive: “It’s like a collage; Not everyone is going to get it” appeared first on MusicTech.

Spotify set to lay off 17 percent of its team in a “hard but crucial step”In hopes of allowing Spotify to continue being a “sustainable business”, CEO Daniel Ek has announced that 17 percent of the Spotify workforce will be laid off.
READ MORE: Spotify Wrapped live in London: A Top Of The Pops-style end-of-year celebration at IKEA-turned-superclub Drumsheds
In a statement posted today, Ek explained that, for Spotify to achieve its goal of being “the world’s leading audio company and one that will consistently drive profitability and growth into the future,” it will need to cut costs.
“The decision to reduce our team size is a hard but crucial step towards forging a stronger, more efficient Spotify for the future,” he explains further. Ek pinpoints “too many people dedicated to supporting work… rather than contributing to opportunities with real impact” as an unnecessary cost, and ultimately a sign of Spotify losing sight of its core principles and priorities, he adds.
“In Spotify’s early days, our success was hard won,” he writes. “We had limited resources and had to make the most of every asset. Our ingenuity and creativity were what set us apart. As we’ve grown, we’ve moved too far away from this core principle of resourcefulness.”
The mass laying off is Spotify’s third of 2023, having cut out 6 percent of its workforce in January, as well as 200 podcast division roles in June.
While Spotify has raised its plan prices over the Summer, the company hasn’t exactly been turning a profit. The Wall Street Journal notes that the company reported losses of €462 million (approximately $502 million) in the first nine months of 2023 year. And the company has actually never turned over an annual profit, as reports The Washington Post.
Employees affected by Ek’s decision will receive five months of redundancy pay, as well as the company also promising to cover their healthcare over the five month span.
Spotify’s continuing to make headlines around the globe for its 2023 edition of the annual Wrapped feature. Artists, fans and music industry figureheads are criticising the platform for its data collection, (which The Guardian says is “creepy [and] meaningless”) and unsatisfactory royalty payouts. Producer and creator Hainbach recently revealed that the 1 million streams his music accumulated this year will be enough to cover his utilities bills, at around $2,160 of royalty payouts.
Read Daniel Ek’s statement at the Spotify Newsroom. 
The post Spotify set to lay off 17 percent of its team in a “hard but crucial step” appeared first on MusicTech.

AI vocal platform Voice-Swap adds Robert Owens, Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk and Chuck Roberts to its artist rosterVoice-Swap – the AI-powered vocal transformation platform co-founded by DJ Fresh – has added Robert Owens, Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk and Chuck ‘In the Beginning’ Roberts to its artist roster.
Their AI voices will now be available exclusively for use by Voice-Swap subscribers. The platform has worked directly with the artists and their teams to create the models, ensuring all training data was recorded specifically for the project to avoid copyright issues.

READ MORE: Listeners think human creativity is still the most essential part of music creation amid rise in AI, report finds

Voice-Swap was launched in June this year, offering a way for AI-emulated vocals to be used “responsibly and ethically” by providing a pro-rata share of the revenue generated from voice model usage directly to the artists. The platform has just reached 70,000 users.
All three of the newly added artists have had a role in defining the sound of house, having worked with greats such as Frankie Knuckles, Diana Ross and Earth, Wind & Fire, Fingers Inc, Giorgio Moroder and Arthur Baker. Chuck Roberts’ voice was also featured heavily on the recent Beyoncé Renaissance tour, which celebrated the origins of house music.
The collaboration has occurred as part of a mission to offer revenue for artists who were “written out of royalties.” Voice-Swap has worked with the new owners of Trax Records for the project, who said they were keen to undo the wrongs of the past.

“We spent a lot of time and worked hard to create uber-realistic models of Robert, Chuck and Farly’s voices and we hope you’ll agree the results are pretty close to having these legendary artists in the studio with you,” says DJ Fresh. “Kudos to the new owners of Trax Records and of course the legends, Robert, Farley and Chuck for collaborating with us on this innovative project. Voice-Swap is AI that works for artists.”
Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk adds, “When I heard my voice model for the first time, I couldn’t believe my ears. I thought it had the most insane ability to carry my legacy along with the future of house music.
“It won’t right the wrongs of the past but it has the ability to create a new future for legendary artists and gives the next generations the opportunity to perform right alongside those legends. Voice-Swap ensures the continuity of house music for future generations of artists, producers and DJs while still keeping the original Chicago vocal integrity.”
Find out more over at Voice-Swap.
The post AI vocal platform Voice-Swap adds Robert Owens, Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk and Chuck Roberts to its artist roster appeared first on MusicTech.

Noise Makers refresh Binauralizer plug-in range The latest versions of Noise Makers' binaural processing plug-ins have gained new input formats, elevation support, an improved file import system and more. 

Get Antares Choir And More FREE With Any Purchase @ Plugin Boutique
Until the 13th of December, you can claim a free copy of either the Antares CHOIR, AIR Music Technology Drum Synth, Tracktion Dawesome LOVE, or a Loopcloud 1-Month Artist Plan with any purchase at Plugin Boutique. It’s important to note that Rent To Own plans are not eligible for the free transaction gift. So, let [...]
View post: Get Antares Choir And More FREE With Any Purchase @ Plugin Boutique

Bertom Audio Releases FREE Vocal Compressor Plugin
Bertom Audio released Vocal Compressor, a free vocal compression utility for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Vocal Compressor provides a simple but very effective way to keep your vocals in check whether you’re a podcaster, aspiring singer, or professional Justin Bieber tribute act. However, if you are a Bieber tribute act, there’s a little-known trick that [...]
View post: Bertom Audio Releases FREE Vocal Compressor Plugin

AllMusic's Best of 2023Each year at AllMusic, our editors look back through the albums that made the biggest impact, broke new ground, and just all-out moved us. We begin with our overall best-of list, and will explore a different genre each weekday until the new year. These are our 100 favorite albums of 2023.

Bitcoin tops $40K for first time in 19 months, Matrixport eyes $125K in 2024Bitcoin has hit a 19-month high, and Matrixport predicts it will keep climbing well into next year.

Spektralisk Chasm: Oblivium Drones Chasm is a free sample collection of dark, distorted, and colossal drones created from some of the presets from an Oblivium sound pack for Kult. This set contains 50 sounds... Read More

VC Office Hours: Unlocking the Farmers’ Market with Black Farmer FundThe fund is technically a nonprofit with a debt fund attached.
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