Record companies are better placed than streaming platforms to monetize superfans… and 3 other things Robert Kyncl said in his new Q&AWarner Music Group’s CEO has some “radical” ideas on how to change how streaming services pay music rights holders
Source

New Brains Save 12 V Fridge From the Scrap HeapRecently [nibbler]’s Evakool 55L vehicle fridge started to act strangely, reporting crazy temperature errors and had no chance of regulating. The determination was that the NTC thermistor was toast, and rather than trying to extricate and replace this part, it was a lot easier to add a new one at a suitable location
Bog-standard fridge internals
A straight swap would have been boring, so this was a perfect excuse for an overboard hack. Reverse engineering the controller wouldn’t be easy, as the data wasn’t available, as is often the case for many products of this nature.
While doing a brain transplant, the hacker way, we can go overboard and add the basics of an IoT control and monitoring system. To that end, [nibbler] learned as much as possible about the off-the-shelf ZH25G compressor and the associated compressor control board. The aim was to junk the original user interface/control board and replace that with a Raspberry Pi Pico W running CircuitPython.
For the display, they used one of the ubiquitous SH1106 monochrome OLED units that can be had for less than the cost of a McDonald’s cheeseburger at the usual purveyors of cheap Chinese electronics.  A brief distraction was trying to use a DS18B20 waterproof thermometer probe, which they discovered didn’t function, so they reverted to tried and trusted tech — a simple NTC thermistor.

Testing testing
The final puzzle piece was to interface the Pico to the compressor controller. The controller expected a variable resistance to control the speed, for which they could have used a digitally controlled potentiometer. However, after failing to tame this particular beast, an easier solution was to build a small PCB with a few relays and some fixed resistors and call it a hack.
An annoyance was the lack of interrupt support in CircuitPython. This meant that interpreting the fault codes from the controller would be a bit tricky. The solution was to wedge in another microcontroller, a small Arduino. Its job is to sit there, listen for commands on the serial port, control the relay board to drive the compressor, listen for any error codes, and pass those back to the Pico. Of course, this could have all been done directly on the Pico, just not with CircuitPython, and a lot more learning would have been needed.
Of course, you need to own a working refrigerator to hack it, but you can easily build it from scratch. Even on a tight budget, you can get your beers cold. Needs must!

30th Anniversary Limited Edition SansAmp Bass Driver DIThe SansAmp Bass Driver DI has been an arsenal staple for players and studios almost since the day it was introduced in 1994. To commemorate its 30th anniversary, Tech 21 is issuing a limited edition with an anodized precision-machined aluminum billet housing and all metal knobs.

This all-analog multi-function, multi-application pedal dials up big vintage tube tones, bright modern slap sounds, gnarly distortions, and all in between. There are three different outputs to drive power amps, recording desks, PA mixers, or simply enhance your current rig. Controls include Presence for definition and upper harmonic content; Blend to combine the ratio of direct signal and SansAmp circuitry; and active 3-band EQ with 12dB of cut or boost.

The 100% analog SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation technology encompasses the entire signal chain, from pre-amp to power amp to speaker simulation. An integral part of the circuitry, the individually-tailored SansAmp speaker simulation will complement any type of bass speaker cabinet system.

It is rare an electronic music-related product can withstand such a test of time. The SansAmp Bass Driver has been used for every kind of music style from death metal to commercial jingles, in countless studios, and on tours around the globe. In fact, many mammoth stage rigs you see are actually driven by a SansAmp nestled behind the backline. It has defied the odds and to this day, SansAmp remains the standard of the industry.

Spitfire Audio unveil Hearth and Hollow Folk Voices Spitfire's latest sample library captures a range of solo and ensemble vocal performances in St. John's Anglican Church.

“Right now, the economics of streaming are very broken”: sonu.stream co-founder Laura Jaramillo wants to re-shape streamingProducer TOKiMONSTA has been involved with an up-and-coming streaming service sonu.stream, which she collaborated with Laura Jaramillo on to help “increase the pie” for artists.

READ MORE: Fortnite players can now rock out with an iconic Fender Stratocaster or Precision Bass in-game

Jaramillo speaks to MusicTech in a new feature about the new streaming services hoping to offer artists a fairer deal than many of the streaming market’s big hitters. Within the feature, she elaborates on the technology sonu.stream employs and how it is geared to be more equitable than its competitors.
“Right now, the economics of streaming are very broken,” she tells MusicTech. “It’s a tragedy that all these other ways that artists show up for the music industry don’t get reflected in what pays for the passive consumption of music.”
sonu.stream uses Web3 technology – using a blockchain, it traces who creates and owns a song, ensuring that this data cannot be changed or altered. Though it uses NFTs, which are often referred to as digital ‘collectibles’ but Jaramillo argues that they can offer a way to protect artists.
“It allows you to create a strong foundation that decentralises the permission for AI-generated music,” she adds. “This kind of progress is only possible through the blockchain and this kind of tech.”
The Spotify logo is being displayed on a smartphone with Spotify visible in the background in this photo illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on February 11, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jaramillo also takes issue with the way that the giants distribute music in such a non-selective way ‘en masse’, despite that being the main appeal of the likes of Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.
“For an artist to be heard or discovered on some of the major streamers it’s all about being playlisted by the editorial, and that process is so opaque,” explains Jaramillo, “It’s what makes and breaks an artist — as well as maybe a TikTok moment.”
She adds: “People are disappointed in these giants and they see sonu.stream as an opportunity for change,” says Jaramillo. “Artists and labels are extremely excited by the opportunity. It’s a chance to make more revenue and single out those people that show up for them.”
For more information, head to sonu.stream.
The post “Right now, the economics of streaming are very broken”: sonu.stream co-founder Laura Jaramillo wants to re-shape streaming appeared first on MusicTech.

“Balance cannot be thought of as an objective truth”: Oeksound’s “adaptive tone shaper” plugin Bloom is available nowYou may remember Oeksound’s Bloom plugin being announced during NAMM earlier this year. On the surface, the mystical plugin seemed to be like an EQ, but the brand assured that it’s a whole other beast.
Bloom is an “adaptive tone shaper” which Oeksound says delivers “what we wish an EQ would do”. It’s available now, and you can try it out with a 20-day free trial if you don’t feel like committing right away.

READ MORE: Five modern, innovative EQ techniques and how to use them

During NAMM, details on pricing and the features of Bloom were very limited. But now, further details are here, including a handy overview video from Oeksound itself.
The plugin is said to control irregularities in a rough sound, increase warmth, clarity, or brightness in a “safe and controlled fashion”, transform the tone of a sound with natural-sounding results, and allow users to track through Bloom with a low latency mode.
“Since 2018, we at Oeksound have been looking into warmth and presence in audio. These two topics led to the same question: How do we bring out and balance overtones present in a sound? From there, the idea of an adaptive tone shaper started to form,” it explains.
“We developed an algorithm that refines the tonal balance of a sound, optimising for both warmth and presence. However, balance cannot be thought of as an objective truth.
“We’ve taken this into account by offering the user plenty of control over the processing, making Bloom an alternative for replacing entire plugin chains dedicated to tone-shaping. Bloom is the culmination of six years of research, development, and critical listening. It is by far our most complex processor to date.”
Bloom hosts dials for amount, attack and release, as well as featuring a processing graph and tone control sliders for your lows, lo-mids, hi-mids, and highs.
Check out more in the video below:

Bloom is officially priced at £169. Find out more at Oeksound.
The post “Balance cannot be thought of as an objective truth”: Oeksound’s “adaptive tone shaper” plugin Bloom is available now appeared first on MusicTech.

MIDiA independent label and distributor surveyMIDiA is fielding its annual independent label and distributor survey. This is the chance for the independent sector to have its voice heard. Given all of the changes that are taking place in the streaming economy, there has perhaps never been a more important time for this. In the survey, we ask about topics such as two-tier licensing, artist cut through, AI, catalogue and marketing.

All participants will get a copy of the final report so you can get a definitive view of how the wider independent marketplace is performing and how it is responding to today’s market challenges and opportunities. 

Crucially, all of the data is treated as strictly confidential. We never share respondent level data with anyone and we only use the respondent level data to create the aggregate market figures. This means your company-level responses are not seen by anyone else.

MIDiA has fielded this survey for years now and have been trusted with their data by many hundreds of labels and distributors.

Click here to complete the survey.

Justice, Nia Archives, Peggy Gou, James Blake and more are playing Glastonbury 2024It’s that time of year again – festival season is just round the corner and with that in mind, Glastonbury has finally confirmed who will be performing at Worthy Farm this June.
Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay will all be topping the bill on the Pyramid Stage this year, with Shania Twain taking the illustrious Legends slot late on Sunday afternoon.
READ MORE: Glastonbury 2023: The best moments in electronic music
The bill also features plenty of electronic and dance-leaning acts, including Justice, Peggy Gou,, Nia Archives and James Blake, while Disclosure are set to headline The Other Stage. The festival will also be welcoming  Orbital, Faithless, Bonobo, Jungle and Skream & Benga to whet the appetites of electronica fans.
Meanwhile, some of this year’s other significant bookings on the Pyramid Stage include Little Simz, LCD Soundsystem, Burna Boy, Janelle Monae, while IDLES and The National will also be headlining The Other Stage.

Here is the first Glastonbury Festival 2024 line-up poster. Many more acts and attractions still to be announced.
Tickets for this year's Festival are sold out, but our prize draw for 20 pairs is raising emergency funds to support people affected by conflict, at… pic.twitter.com/1NhUYmghuE
— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) March 14, 2024

According to organisers, “so many more artists, stages and performance areas” will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
The announcement marks Coldplay’s fifth time headlining the Somerset festival, having last topped the bill in 2016. Both Dua Lipa and SZA are making their Pyramid Stage debuts – Lipa last performed in 2017 on what was then known as the John Peel Stage (now Woodsies), while SZA is making her first ever appearance at Glastonbury.
It had been widely publicised since last year that Glastonbury 2024 would have two female headliners, which is the first time in the festival’s history that this has happened. Booker Emily Eavis first disclosed this following controversy last year over the 2023 line-up‘s all-male, all-white headliners – Arctic Monkeys, Elton John and Guns N’Roses – which she said only happened because a female headliner (rumoured to be Rihanna) dropped out.
Glastonbury 2024 will take place from Wednesday 26 through to Sunday 30 June at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.
For more info, head to the official Glastonbury website.
The post Justice, Nia Archives, Peggy Gou, James Blake and more are playing Glastonbury 2024 appeared first on MusicTech.

All ToneDen FanLinks, TourLinks, BigLinks are broken, admits EventbriteEventbrite sent a message to users that its ToneDen smart-link service, which is popular with musicians and music marketers, is not working due to "an issue with our domain provider, which is unfortunately out of our control".....
The post All ToneDen FanLinks, TourLinks, BigLinks are broken, admits Eventbrite appeared first on Hypebot.

What Bandsintown’s Spotify integration means for musicians [Music Biz Weekly Podcast]Bandsintown co-founder/managing partner Fabrice Sergent joins Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert on The Music Biz Weekly podcast to discuss what the new Bandsintown integration with Spotify means for musicians.....
The post What Bandsintown’s Spotify integration means for musicians [Music Biz Weekly Podcast] appeared first on Hypebot.

Searches for ‘rock music’ are up 600% on Spotify, enter MARROWSpotify says that searches for “rock music,” “alt/rock,” and “rock band” are up 600%, alongside increases in searches for related subgenres, including alternative metal, post-grunge, and indie rock.....
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Boss release Katana:Go headphone amp The latest addition to the Boss Katana series packs much of the same functionality into a compact headphone amp that connects directly to an instrument, offering users with a versatile solution for on-the-go practise.

Fortnite players can now rock out with an iconic Fender Stratocaster or Precision Bass in-gameFender and Epic Games have joined forces, bringing the iconic Fender Stratocaster guitar and Precision Bass to Fortnite.
The guitars are now available in a range of finishes from the Item Shop. Players can equip these digital instruments in Fortnite Festival – Epic Games’ brand-new music game  – as well in the classic Battle Royale.

READ MORE: Avenged Sevenfold launch Fortnite-style Season Pass – allowing devoted fans to rack up points and earn rewards

“Over the years, through numerous live in-game performances to music video debuts, Epic has shown that Fortnite and music go hand in hand,” a press release on the launch says. “The latest partnership with Fender further solidifies the game’s commitment to working with the most established and forward-thinking brands in music.”
Users can now play the guitars alongside their friends to popular songs in Fortnite Festival’s Main Stage, or create their own unique mix in Fortnite Festival’s Jam Stage and in Battle Royale. The Fender Stratocaster is available in Black, Fiesta Red and Lake Placid Blue finishes, with the Precision Bass arriving in Black, Buttercream and Tidepool.
Fortnite Festival launched in December last year, and lets players play in a band with friends or perform solo on stage along to chart-topping music, all available for free within Fortnite.
Take a look at the Strat in-game below:

Amp up the crowd with the new Windmill Stomp Emote, available in the Shop now!
And yes, it does display whatever Guitar you’ve currently got equipped in your Locker… like this sweet new @Fender Stratocaster pic.twitter.com/5QSKWWMq8x
— Fortnite Festival (@FNFestival) March 14, 2024

Epic Games isn’t the only company bringing music into the world of gaming. Roblox has also been hosting a range of music performances and events in its metaverse over the last few years, from the likes of PinkPantheress and Paris Hilton.
And who knows, as Epic Games is continually developing its “commitment” to working with large music brands, maybe can hope for a brand collaboration on a synth or two in Fortnite Festival in the future.
Find out more about Fortnite, and view the full real-life product range from Fender.
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#majors trying to catch the #social #Music wave using the existing community built around the company. #Tidal #MusicBusiness

Tidal introduces Circles, a social network for musicians to discuss their experiences in the industryStreaming platform Tidal is slowly introducing Circles – an artist-to-artist forum – to a small number of creators.
Currently, Circles is in early access and is only open to artists in the Tidal Rising programme and general rising artists using Tidal Artist Home. No further details on when it will become more widely available have yet been shared.

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

As reported by Digital Trends, Tidal describes Circles as an “artist-to-artist forum for artists to discuss their career experiences and connect with their peers on how to navigate the music industry”. The artist umbrella includes musicians, DJs, and anyone else who creates content on the platform who have claimed their artist page on Tidal.
Once you’ve registered for the new social network, you can then browse four main forum topics. These are: Touring & Booking, Fans & Social, Merchandise, and Music Creation. Users are also able to contribute to discussions under their own name or anonymously, but interactions are moderated.
Last summer, Tidal rolled out hi-res FLAC (free lossless audio codec) streaming on its platform. Playback in up to 24-bit/192kHz quality was made available to Tidal’s Early Access Programme (EAP) users on iOS.
The following winter, Tidal’s parent company, Block, Inc., announced it would lay off 10 percent of  the Tidal workforce, with the company founder Jack Dorsey stating, “The growth of our company has far outpaced the growth of our business,” in November.
Currently, Spotify is the most popular music streaming platform in the world, with over 350 million users globally. The platform pays artists at an average royalty rate of $0.003 per stream.
In the US, a Living Wage for Musicians Act has been put to US Congress with the aim of ensuring that artists are compensated at a minimum rate of a penny per stream. At MusicTech, we’ve created a new guide listing the best streaming platform alternatives to Spotify.
Find out more about Tidal. Circles is free to use and can be accessed directly from the Tidal Artist Home area.
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