TIDAL to lay off more than 10% of its workforceTIDAL’s parent company Block, Inc. has announced it will be making cuts – meaning 10% of TIDAL’s team will be out of jobs over the coming months.
“The growth of our company has far outpaced the growth of our business,” Block, Inc founder, billionaire Jack Dorsey, warned employees back in November.

READ MORE: TIDAL confirms hi-res FLAC streaming is now being rolled out across the platform

The 10% cut will result in roughly 1,300 of the 13,000 strong team being let go. 
“The team is going to be smaller than we are today by the end of next year,” Dorsey wrote in his notice to employees. The cuts will be determined “through performance management, scoping our work and restructuring to remove duplication and redundancy”.
“I believe it’s important to be upfront and transparent about all this, so you all can make your own decisions if you need to,” he expanded. “You may not be up for the uncertainty or shrinking our team, and want to leave. That’s perfectly reasonable. But I’d rather us provide the information than to work secretly in the dark.”
According to Block, Inc’s recent message to shareholders, Dorsey plans to cap the number of workers Block, Inc will take on. It will be “held firm at 12,000 people until we feel the growth of the business has meaningfully outpaced the growth of the company. We know the inverse is true today,” Dorsey wrote, despite the report also sharing Block, Inc’s third-quarter earnings that boasted a 21% year-over-year increase in profits, raising the company value to $1.9 billion.
Dorsey, who also founded Twitter and Cash App, has also made a hefty sum from his company Square. The software has reportedly processed as much as $46.22 billion worth of transactions, with Dorsey making 3.5% per transaction.
While the lay-offs may disappoint TIDAL workers, Dorsey believes it is in the company’s best interest. “Everything Square-core and I do will be done with transparency and straightforward reasoning you’ll have access to,” he concluded. “You may not agree with our decisions, but we’ll do our best to explain why we believe they are right.”
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Michael & Jay on how Spotify can improve Wrapped and help musiciansLike many fans, Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert enjoy getting their annual Spotify Wrapped. But they also see how it could be better, particularly in ways that would be useful. Continue reading
The post Michael & Jay on how Spotify can improve Wrapped and help musicians appeared first on Hypebot.

How Taylor Swift’s direct to fan engagement embraces Web3 principlesAnyone involved in music can learn from Taylor Swift’s success including how she and her team have embraced the principles driving the shift to Web3 and netting spectacular results. by. Continue reading
The post How Taylor Swift’s direct to fan engagement embraces Web3 principles appeared first on Hypebot.

Cymatics Releases FREE Memory Analog Chorus Plugin
Cymatics has just released Memory, a freeware vintage chorus plugin for Mac and Windows users. The inspiration for the plugin comes from the renowned guitar pedal Shallow Water, and it borrows its analog nature with subtle pitch fluctuations. Memory has a slick and modern-looking interface, with a handy visual representation of the effect in action [...]
View post: Cymatics Releases FREE Memory Analog Chorus Plugin

Sampleson HAPTIC PERC - Turn any object into a percussion instrument Turn any Object into a Percussion Instrument VST/AU Virtual instrument and Effect. Win and Mac. Make everyday objects (such as a jar, a plate or anything you want)... Read More

Audio Ease release Altiverb 8 reverb plug-in The latest version of Altiverb introduces support for immersive audio, Apple Silicon processors, VST3 hosts and more. 

Gift Guide 2023: 12 affordable holiday gifts for producers and musiciansWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more information on how this works click here.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… but you don’t know what to buy. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. If you’re asking ‘What should I buy for a music producer this Christmas?’ then you’ve come to the right place. MusicTech’s gift guide is rammed with twelve of production-focused present ideas that should steer you in the right direction.
READ MORE: We’re giving away a Roland AIRA Compact S-1 worth $150
Whether it’s synths for creating melodies, headphones delivering pristine sound, affordable, high-quality microphones, or even a robust field recorder for capturing the sound of Santa’s sleigh, we have something special for every music maker. Check out these twelve affordable ideas:
Gift Guide 2023: 12 affordable presents for producers and musicians, at a glance:

Artiphon Orba 2
Korg NTS-1 Nu:Tekt Digital DIY Synthesizer
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator
Korg Volca
Sennheiser HD25 On-Ear Closed-Back Headphones
Samson Q9U cardioid dynamic USB/XLR microphone
Austrian Audio MiCreator Studio
IsoAcoustics ISO-Puck Set
Zoom H1n
Bjooks: Books on Music Tech, Artists, and Creators

Artiphon Orba 2

A fine stocking filler, Artiphon’s Orba 2 is a fun instrument that will keep a music maker of any level busy for hours. It’s an expressive handheld sampler stocked with over 100 instruments, making for on-the-go hands-on music creation. You could literally create and record a whole song in the park with no computer required thanks to its built-in speakers and headphone output.
Today’s best deals on the Artiphon Orba 2

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Korg NTS-1 Nu:Tekt Digital DIY Synthesizer

A nifty little synth, Korg’s NTS-1 Nu:Tekt is another small, stocking-friendly device. It’s a mini synthesizer and multi-effects system in a compact USB-powered design that you assemble yourself. Putting it together could easily make for a fun post-Christmas dinner activity once everyone else has fallen asleep on the sofa. NTS-1 is also compatible with the logue-SDK, so you can run any custom oscillator and effect content available for Korg’s Minilogue XD and Prologue synths, or, create your own. Price: $89/£85
Today’s best deals on the Korg NTS-1 Nu:Tekt Digital DIY Synthesizer

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Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator

It’s not a calculator. Teenage Engineering’s vast range of Pocket Operators are quirky pint-sized gadgets and sequencers packed with huge musical potential. Perfect for on-the-go beats or composing your magnum opus, these playful machines bring a whole lot of musical fun in a tiny package. If you’re looking for fun through synthesis this Christmas, a cute little Pocket Operator is a fantastic choice. Price: $59/£46 – $99/£78
Today’s best deals on the Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator

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Korg Volca

Korg’s Volca range are portable powerhouses. These compact synthesizers, beat machines, and samplers pack immense sonic capabilities into their pocket-sized frames. Offering diverse functionalities, from analogue synths to drum machines, they’re ideal for on-the-fly jams, studio setups, or sonic explorations. Versatile, fun, and creatively inspiring, Volcas are potentially the perfect companions for your producer friend or loved one this christmas. Prices: $149/£119 – $199/£158
Today’s best deals on the Korg Volca

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Sennheiser HD25 On-Ear Closed-Back Headphones

A classic for DJs, Sennheiser’s HD25s have been a mainstay in DJ booths for years – and for good reason. Renowned for their durability and superb sound, these headphones boast excellent noise isolation, perfect for DJs and studio professionals. With swivelling ear cups, they offer flexible monitoring options, while their lightweight design ensures comfort during prolonged use. Delivering precise sound reproduction, these headphones are a go-to choice for professionals seeking unparalleled audio quality. Price: $149/£119
Today’s best deals on the Sennheiser HD25 On-Ear Closed-Back Headphones

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Samson Q9U cardioid dynamic USB/XLR microphone

Perhaps you’re buying a gift for a streamer, a vocalist or a voiceover artist. This mic, heralded by some as the “king of budget XLR/USB dynamic microphones”, is a superb choice for those looking to record their voice for a number of different uses. You can connect it to your laptop, tablet or computer and start recording clear audio in a matter of minutes. It’s also built sturdily for the price, so it suits the hustle and bustle of the home or on-the-go recording. Price: $149/£119
Today’s best deals on the Samson Q9U cardioid dynamic USB/XLR microphone

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Austrian Audio MiCreator Studio

Austrian Audio doesn’t mess around when it comes to music gear – especially microphones. Well-built while delivering clarity in its results, the MiCreator Studio looks the part, is ultra-portable due to its small size and is robust and well-built. It’s got a satisfying and intuitive jog wheel, direct headphone monitoring, and USB-C connectivity. It accommodates additional mics or instruments like the MiCreator Satellite, perfect for music creation, live streaming, voiceovers, or online meetings. Price $220/£175
Today’s best deals on the Austrian Audio MiCreator Studio

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IsoAcoustics ISO-Puck Set

ISO-Pucks are small circular isolators that provide isolation for studio monitors, speakers or guitar amps. You place them under your speakers, and they provide isolation from the surface below, reducing vibrations feeding into neighbouring surfaces, also preventing the vibrations from reflecting back into the cabinet from the supporting surface. That means your producer friend or loved one can focus on the sonically soothing vibrations they create themselves, rather than any unwanted ones. Price: $56/£43
Today’s best deals on the IsoAcoustics ISO-Puck Set

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Zoom H1n

Does your partner record the atmospherics of the city when you’re on a date? Or perhaps you have a spouse pulling up their voice note app at any sign of morning birdsong? The Zoom H1n is a top-notch yet affordable handheld field recorder with a real X-Y microphone arrangement, 24 bit/96 kHz linear PCM and a built-in monitor speaker. With this, you can – potentially at the detriment of your relationship – amp up their field recording abilities with the Zoom H1n and turn them into a professional documenter of the sonic landscape around you.
Price: $97/£77
Today’s best deals on the Zoom H1n

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Bjooks: Books on Music Tech, Artists, and Creators

This gift guide is in no way just about electronics and studio accessories. A brilliant book, especially a book by the music production book-focused book brand, Bjook, can inspire and educate your gift recipient. If their music sounds like it needs some work, these books can offer valuable insights and resources for music producers, with some teaching even coming from the likes of Hans Zimmer. They explore diverse topics such as sound design, electronic music history, synthesis techniques, and the creative processes of renowned artists.
Price: $45 – $75 / £45 – £63.
Today’s best deals on the Bjooks: Books on Music Tech, Artists, and Creators

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The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin is a revered producer, the co-founder of Def Jam Records and is generally a widely respected sage in – not just music – but various creative scenes. Rubin’s philosophies often emphasize simplicity, authenticity, and creating a conducive environment for artists to express themselves freely. This book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, took bookshelves by storm in 2023 when it saw Rubin “distil the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments – and lifetimes – of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us”, writes Amazon. This is the perfect companion for the creative in your life.
Price: Hardback – $26/£20
A gift voucher to their favourite music store
Sometimes, money towards the next guitar, synth, microphone or piece of studio gear is all a music maker really wants. If you can’t quite put your finger on what they need, then there’s no harm in buying a voucher for their favourite music store, so they can go away in their leisure and buy that piece of tech that’s been on heir 2023 wishlist. With zZounds, for example, there’s the option to buy a voucher worth $/£25 all the way up to $/£1,000, so whatever your price range, you can keep a producer in good spirits this holiday season.
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The post Gift Guide 2023: 12 affordable holiday gifts for producers and musicians appeared first on MusicTech.

Avicii Arena launches merch store where customers “pay with emotions” as part of mental health campaignAvicii Arena in Sweden has launched a one-of-a-kind store with a “pay with emotions” transaction model which allows people to purchase exclusive merchandise by answering a survey about their mental health.
The arena is named after the late DJ and producer, also known as Tim Bergling, who sadly died by suicide in 2018. The “pay with emotions” initiative is part of the Break The Silence campaign, which highlights the importance of young people’s mental health.

READ MORE: Avicii’s Wake Me Up is now RIAA’s highest-certified dance song ever

To purchase the exclusive merch, customers can scan a QR code to answer a survey about their current emotional state. At the end of the survey, a digital receipt confirms the transaction and allows them to collect their item. As part of the store, specially designed products have been provided by artist ANJI.
Licensed psychologists and counsellors also offered support at its official launch, which occurred in late November. The store continues to remain accessible to visitors during event-nights at Avicii Arena.

“This shop is the very first of its kind and we hope it will help break the stigma around talking about feelings. At the same time, it is important to keep the recipient in mind and promote a willingness to listen and support,” says Alexandra Björnsson, project manager of the Tim Bergling Foundation.
“With this initiative, we hope to create an inclusive atmosphere where it is natural to talk about emotions, mental health in general and at the same time offer young people the tools they need to feel good.”
Yesterday (6 December), the Avicii Arena hosted its Together For A Better Day Avicii tribute concert, which saw performances from Yung Lean, Griff, Cherrie, Dan Tyminski, Cleo, Jireel, Daniela Rathana, and more. The first tribute concert took place in 2021, and offered Avicii fans an opportunity to celebrate his life and legacy, right in his hometown of Stockholm.
Find out more about the Tim Bergling Foundation and the Break The Silence campaign.
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HALO 2 Lite By DHPlugins Is FREE For A Limited Time!
For a limited time, you can get the Lite version of the flagship Halo 2 softsynth (usually £19) by DHPlugins for free. This isn’t the first time we’ve come across a free offer on HALO 2 Lite, but if you’ve missed it in the past, now you’ve no excuses to skip it again. While being [...]
View post: HALO 2 Lite By DHPlugins Is FREE For A Limited Time!

We’re giving away a Roland AIRA Compact S-1 worth $150Looking for a holiday treat this Christmas? Or perhaps an extra snazzy synth-based stocking filler for a producer friend? You might be in luck.

READ MORE: Best free plugins and freeware of the month: December 2023

Roland’s AIRA Compact S-1 is a fun little polysynth inspired by the brand’s legendary 1982 synth, the SH-101. This December, We’re giving one away to a lucky reader who can answer one question.
However, before we ask that question, let’s get to grips with what the AIRA Compact S-1 is exactly, for those who might not be familiar.
Launched in May, the Roland AIRA Compact S-1 lets you create “snappy basses and expressive leads”, says Roland, which sound unexpectedly rich and warm for its compact size.

It features a layout that echoes classic synth controls and enables instant sound manipulation and live tweaking. Equipped with a two-plus octave range keyboard, a 64-step sequencer, and 64 patterns, it makes for on-the-fly song creation.
There are advanced programming tools, an arpeggiator, D-Motion control, and onboard effects like delay, reverb, and chorus to enhance your sound versatility and in terms of connectivity options, there are audio input/output and MIDI controls.
MusicTech reviewed the Roland AIRA Compact S-1 recently, praising its impressive sound, quality effects and easy-to-access features.
We said: “While the AIRA Compact range hinted at huge potential from the outset, it’s in the S-1 that this potential is beginning to be fully realised. The other Compact units allude to genuine attitude but offer what sometimes feels like scaled-down functionality. The S-1, however, feels more self-sufficient, deeper, grittier and more powerful. It raises the bar for this series with considerable style.”
To have a chance at getting your hands on the Roland AIRA Compact S-1, you simply need to complete the form below and subscribe to the MusicTech newsletter for more news, reviews, interviews, guides, and giveaways. Please also read the terms and conditions before applying.
Complete the entry form here.
For more Roland-related content, head to MusicTech.
The post We’re giving away a Roland AIRA Compact S-1 worth $150 appeared first on MusicTech.

7 of TikTok’s 10 Breakthrough Artists in 2023 were womenTikTok has quickly transformed and revolutionised the way we share and listen to music. The social media platform has the potential to sky-rocket unknown musicians to global stardom, the unique nature of its algorithm able to single-handedly shake up the Top 40 charts overnight.
In 2023 alone, 13 of 16 number one tracks in the UK Official Singles Chart had their moment in the sun as a viral TikTok trend. Similarly, 13 out of 18 number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 also had significant trends on the platform.

READ MORE: Creamfields to house the “largest indoor festival superstructure in the world”

Now, TikTok has released its most popular artists and tracks of 2023.
According to its findings, Scottish superstar Lewis Capaldi was the most viewed artist on the platform this year. The singer’s heart-on-sleeve, authentic anthems tugged on people’s heartstrings, while his goofy antics in his off-time had TikTokers cackling along at their phone screens. With his 8.4 million followers, Lewis has crowned himself ‘The King of TikTok’ – and it seems to be the case.
Emotive crooner Sam Smith followed up in second place, while Brit award-winning rapper Central Cee sat comfortably in third.
While the UK’s Most Viewed Artists list consists primarily of fresh blood, like PinkPantheress and fresh-faced 18 year old rapper PRINZ, The Rolling Stones have also made it into the top ten, injecting their classic sound into the TikTok ecosystem when joining the platform back in January.
Globally, Mexican superstar Kim Loaiza stole the top spot as Most Viewed Global Artist, boasting over 80 million followers.
Central Cee may not have been the Most Viewed Artist on the platform this year, but he needn’t worry – his track Sprinter with Dave was the Biggest Song in the UK this year. Justine Skye’s collaboration with Justine Skye came in at number 2, with the TikTok-ified Collide (more sped up) version of Collide. K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY’s own sped up version of Cupid also made waves this year.
The Korean girlgroup’s speedy mix of Cupid also made an impact worldwide, coming in as the Biggest Global Track of 2023. It seems FIFTY FIFTY are already proving themselves to be a formidable quartet despite only debuting in 2022.
TikTok have also made an effort to honour the Breakthrough Artists of 2023. Mae Stephens made the list, with her track If We Ever Broke Up making it to the number 2 spot on TikTok’s ranking of global top hits.
“I have TikTok to thank for giving me the chance to achieve my dream,” she said. “The platform is incredible for growth – growing from a few followers to such high exposure was such a quick switch… I went from working in an ASDA to living my dream! Push and work for what you want! You have to give it your all – everyone has a chance to succeed.”

Kenya Grace was also popped on the list for her huge breakout this year, her track ‘Strangers’ coming in at number 8 in the top TikTok tracks in the UK.  “I feel so honoured to have been made one of TikTok’s breakthrough artists this year,” she comments.
“Every year I spend on TikTok I find it is making me think more creatively about my music-making… I’m constantly getting ideas for how to create a sense of online community around in-person events…I never thought I would be playing with RAYE or Ministry of Sound, but seeing those concerts go mad on TikTok was so exciting!”
The eclectic display of talent on the Breakthrough Artists list serves as proof of how vital TikTok can be for unique acts to breakout. With the classical mystique of Anna Lapwood, to the arresting R&B-tinged swagger of alt-popstar CHINCHILLA, TikTok’s ability to shed a light on undiscovered talent is a total game changer.
“Year on TikTok 2023 is a way for us to honour some of the stand out moments that have happened on TikTok throughout the year,” Spotify’s Head of Operations, Adam Presser, said. “It’s a window into stories that have inspired, entertained and educated over a billion people around the world. Thank you for another year of bringing joy to our community and sharing your creativity with us.”
The post 7 of TikTok’s 10 Breakthrough Artists in 2023 were women appeared first on MusicTech.

How Las Vegas’ Sphere is inspiring fulldome performances around the globeDid the roof of the Sphere in Las Vegas really open up a little bit, at the exact moment a helicopter flew immediately overhead? The 20,000-strong U2 audience inside the venue saw it, we heard it, and we felt it, so it certainly seems like it happened. Even now, I’m not so sure whether it was technical trickery or U2’s Bono making a dramatic entrance.

READ MORE: Synth-pop producer Merry Lamb Lamb experiments with autotune to create “hazy”, “feisty” and “chaotic” soundscapes

Just as the best tech is indistinguishable from magic, any digital aircraft appearing on Sphere’s 15,000 m2 16k resolution immersive screen – accompanied by spatial audio from 1,600 speakers – is impossible to distinguish from a real one.
Add the haptic seating that rumbles on cue, the wind machines, and a way to diffuse scent around the space, and this is a place where all your senses can deceive you and transport you to another world altogether.
U2 are the first act to have a residency at Sphere’s new immersive screen venue and – in the same way any big-budget stadium show might have big-screen artwork for every song – this show has vast wraparound worlds. Visuals have been custom-made for the show by a range of artists including George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic, who were responsible for ABBA Voyage.
U2 performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 30, 2023. Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
While the outside of the venue is very much tied to artwork having a dome-shaped appearance, inside the venue the visual art can make the dome shape completely disappear, turning it into either an infinite space or an even smaller one.
Throughout the show, we’re taken through landscapes both realistic and fantastical. A giant flag burns in the desert; a gleaming ball floats in the ocean; a giant tower of code becomes a cube-shaped room with a ceiling threatening to crush us. There’s even a section of the show with live-action footage of Las Vegas itself, so crisp it looks like the outside has suddenly become the inside.
One particular highlight is artwork by Italian-Canadian artist Marco Brambilla, which sees a scrolling collage of famous Vegas scenes make its way down the screen so we can spot landmarks, Elvis and characters from Showgirls as U2 belt out Even Better Than The Real Thing. At other times, the screen simply shows close-ups of the band’s faces a few storeys high.
U2 performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas in front of ‘King Size’, a work created by Marco Brambilla using generative AI technology. Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
It’s the largest, most technologically advanced, and most talked about venue and show of its kind. But what’s happening at Sphere is not an entirely new art form, nor is Vegas the only place you can see live performances and immersive visuals inside a dome screen. This kind of venue and experience is often called ‘fulldome’, and it has a creative community who have been working away for decades to bring it to new audiences and to recruit new talent.
Fulldome simply means a piece of film or performance made for a dome-shaped screen. It includes the immersive space and science films in planetariums, but there’s a whole world of art and cultural films and performances for fulldome that have nothing to do with space or science.
Sometimes fulldome is only a film. Sometimes it’s a live performance with immersive visuals inside a dome. While its arena-like scale and new curved LED technology makes Sphere a completely new beast, other smaller venues use projectors to achieve a similar effect.
Some of these purely artistic fulldome shows can be seen in planetariums if they have the resources and interest to show them. When they do, it can work wonderfully. The Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science in Boston, for example, now has an evening fulldome programme including music and drag performance that’s become so successful it subsidises the planetarium’s space and science activity. In the UK, Dynamic Earth planetarium in Edinburgh has programmed fulldome art films during the Fringe, and We The Curious planetarium in Bristol has hosted VJing and fulldome films during the music festival Simple Things.
U2 performing during the opening night of U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 29, 2023. Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
There are also fulldome venues around the world which are, like Vegas’ Sphere, dedicated to arts and culture rather than to space and science. The Vortex dome opened in LA in 2010, hosting anything from ballet to EDM parties. The pandemic closed that particular dome, but the team behind it are now working to open a network of permanent fulldome venues.
Wisdome opened in LA from 2018-2023 as a fulldome park filled with temporary domes up to 700-person capacity in size. Opening with trippy Android Jones film Samskara and the accompanying art exhibition, it also hosted gigs, gong baths and meditation sessions. Wisdome also cheekily popped up as an unofficial addition to SXSW 2022, where it set up a dome park outside the Austin Convention Center and put on a whole programme of live music and fulldome film.
The Satosphere (SAT) in Montreal, Canada, is one of the most well-respected fulldome venues in the world. Located at the Society for Arts and Technology, it’s a lab that offers artist residencies for the creation of new fulldome art. SAT is unusual in the fulldome world because it has full floor-to-ceiling projection. Think of a planetarium, with its screen beginning at about head height, or Sphere where a large section of the wall is covered by the rows of seating. Instead, SAT is nothing but a dome-shaped screen down to the floor and around the space, with no permanent seating, giving the effect of total immersion, as well as total flexibility for artists to try out new things.
Art historian and curator Sir Nicholas Serota at Devonport Market Hall’s 360 immersive dome in Plymouth. Image: Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images
There are currently two venues in the UK dedicated to fulldome art. Market Hall in Plymouth is modelled on SAT in Montreal, with floor-to-ceiling immersion. It’s a place where fulldome art can be both seen and made, all inside a historic building repurposed for creative business. CultVR in Cardiff is an artist-run experimental venue and lab with late-night events and live music, and its dome is suspended from the ceiling inside a warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
A dome can be used as scenography, a canvas, or a cinema screen. It can incorporate interactivity from wearable tech, motion sensors, game controllers and audio input. Added to this, audiences are put inside the screen rather than simply watching it, and that makes it a fun tool for artists to play with.
One musician who’s recently created a show for fulldome venues is British turntablist DJ Yoda, aka Duncan Beiny, who saw the potential to use this immersive screen to create a new kind of experience for audiences at his AV shows. After taking part in a lab event run by Live Cinema UK* at the CultVR dome, he developed a fulldome version of his existing show with new visuals created just for the dome.
The Sphere in Las Vegas during the opening night of U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere on September 29, 2023. Image: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
“I started off working with just audio,” says Beiny, “and then I started working with video. My whole interest in DJing has been about what other places you can push it and where else you can take it with technology.
“At one point I thought to myself, ‘3D might be an interesting thing to investigate or holographic stuff or projection mapping’. But when I saw the dome at Cardiff, it made me realise that it’s a really interesting way to make the video infinitely more immersive than a 2D screen in front of you.
“I work with samples a lot, especially video samples from YouTube and from movies,” he adds. “But I feel like the dome aspect allows you to make that much more immersive and much more about environment. For instance, I’ve done a lot of stuff with Stranger Things, the [Netflix] show, and previously I would have taken clips from Stranger Things and used that in an audiovisual show. But with the dome, I can actually put people in The Upside Down [a concept in the show], like in the actual kind of environment.”
Existing shows for fulldome are many and varied, featuring film, dance, theatre, repurposed virtual reality, immersive games and live music. The fulldome community in the UK is particularly strong; as well as having two UK fulldomes, a lot of creative work for fulldome is produced in the UK, and the Fulldome UK Festival is one of the most respected events in the world dedicated to the art.
The Sphere lights up for the first time in Las Vegas in celebration of Independence Day on July 4, 2023. Image: Greg Doherty/Getty Images
The fulldome community was full of excitement about the opening of Las Vegas’ Sphere, and its potential to make people aware of fulldome through its huge marketing campaigns. The outside of Sphere, with its dome-shaped LED screen measuring 112m high and 157m wide, has provided an ever-changing light show to passers-by, whether they’re on foot or in a plane. We’ve seen the Sphere’s exterior as a giant emoji watching people fly in and out of Vegas, as a huge basketball, a pumpkin, a monstrous eyeball, a cat playing with lasers, the list goes on.
But it was for this reason that Sadiq Khan just shot down the idea that London will have its own Sphere. Light pollution might be a non-issue in Vegas, but it doesn’t work so well in residential cities. Without the glowing exterior, Sphere can’t charge advertisers, and the Vegas model may not work. This hasn’t deterred the Mayor of Tees Valley from reaching out to Sphere operators the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company (MSG) to start the massive ball rolling on a Sphere in Teesside.
Regardless of whether we see a Sphere venue open in the UK, we can expect fulldome in general to grow as more people realise its potential for all kinds of performance. Planetariums, temporary domes and new fulldome venues are all still available, and there’s a global network of fulldome obsessives ready to ride the wave Sphere has set in motion.
*[Editor’s note: Alongside being a contributor to MusicTech, Kate Wellham is also the immersive coordinator at Live Cinema UK]
The post How Las Vegas’ Sphere is inspiring fulldome performances around the globe appeared first on MusicTech.

Nashville Venue Defends Merch FeesThis week, Ari is joined by Sara Barnett, General Manager of the Brooklyn Bowl Nashville.

HeadRush introduce ReValver 5 The latest version of HeadRush’s amp modelling software has arrived, boasting improvements to the ACT cabinet modelling and EQ matching, integration with the company’s hardware pedalboard units and more.

XLN Audio’s Life brilliantly transforms the world into a drum kitSick of sample libraries? Bored of generic beats? The inspiration you’ve been looking for, it turns out, might just be hidden in the squeak of a hallway door, the beep of a crossing light, or the hum of a refrigerator. This is the premise behind Life, the new release from Sweden-based developer XLN Audio, creator of the revered RC-20 Retro Colour lo-fi plugin. Life comes with the promise to make personalised percussion out of everyday noise.

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The idea that anything can be music is nothing new; using non-musical sounds as drum samples is a well-worn production trick. What makes Life special is not necessarily the end result – it’s how, and how fast, you get there.

The basic premise is this: using the Life Field Recorder mobile app for iOS and Android, you can go out and capture any noise that piques your interest. You upload the recordings to your XLN account and seamlessly sync to the Life desktop app or DAW plugin. Once there, the recordings you’ve gathered are automatically analysed for salient audio features and, based on this analysis, the file is neatly sliced into segments. But that’s not all; the app ingeniously generates dozens of rhythmic patterns to accompany your new sample instrument.
The whole process of analysing the source file and generating rhythmic patterns takes roughly three seconds on our M2 Macbook Air, and the results are genuinely awesome.
The sound of some street Karaoke in Vietnam becomes a perfect starting point for an EDM track, and rolling the dice to get a second variation lands on something closer to industrial techno. The chugging sound of a washing machine is transformed first into a lazy hip-hop beat, and then into something hard to quantify but enjoyable nonetheless