John Legend shares his go-to chord progressions
John Legend shares some of his favorite chord progressions that he instinctively reaches for when trying out the new sounds inside of Splice INSTRUMENT.

How to choose a DAW as a beginner
In this in-depth guide, we break down how to choose a DAW as a beginner that's best for you, covering everything from budget to unique features and more.

Oliver talks production tips, the “Espresso” sample, ’00s hip hop, and more
Oliver discusses his tips for producers, biggest sample placements, philosophy on music creation, and more.

What is a MIDI keyboard?
Learn all about the basics of MIDI keyboards, and find out how to start making music with one.

Julian Bunetta (One Direction, Teddy Swims) gives an exclusive studio tour
Veteran hitmaker Julian Bunetta (One Direction, Teddy Swims) invited us to his Nashville home to give the Splice community an exclusive studio tour.

Keeril Makan named vice provost for the artsKeeril Makan has been appointed vice provost for the arts at MIT, effective Feb. 1. In this role, Makan, who is the Michael (1949) and Sonja Koerner Music Composition Professor at MIT, will provide leadership and strategic direction for the arts across the Institute.Provost Anantha Chandrakasan announced Makan’s appointment in an email to the MIT community today.“Keeril’s record of accomplishment both as an artist and an administrative leader makes him exceedingly qualified to take on this important role,” Chandrakasan wrote, noting that Makan “has repeatedly taken on new leadership assignments with skill and enthusiasm.”Makan’s appointment follows the publication last September of the final report of the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee. At MIT, the report noted, “the arts thrive as a constellation of recognized disciplines while penetrating and illuminating countless aspects of the Institute’s scientific and technological enterprise.” Makan will build on this foundation as MIT continues to strengthen the role of the arts in research, education, and community life.As vice provost for the arts, Makan will provide Institute-wide leadership and strategic direction for the arts, working in close partnership with academic leaders, arts units, and administrative colleagues across MIT, including the Office of the Arts; the MIT Center for Art, Science and Technology; the MIT Museum; the List Visual Arts Center; and the Council for the Arts at MIT. His role will focus on strengthening connections between artistic practice, research, education, and community life, and on supporting public engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.“At MIT, the arts are a vital way of thinking, making, and convening,” Makan says. “As vice provost, my priority is to support and strengthen the extraordinary artistic work already happening across the Institute, while listening carefully to faculty, students, and staff as we shape what comes next. I’m excited to build on MIT’s distinctive, only-at-MIT approach to the arts and to help ensure that artistic practice remains central to MIT’s intellectual and community life.”Makan says he will begin his new role with a period of listening and learning across MIT’s arts ecosystem, informed by the Future of the Arts at MIT report. His initial focus will be on understanding how artistic practice intersects with research, education, and community life, and on identifying opportunities to strengthen connections, visibility, and coordination across MIT’s many arts activities.Over time, Makan says he will work with the arts community to advance MIT’s long-standing commitment to artistic excellence and experimentation, while supporting student participation and public engagement in the arts. He said his approach will “emphasize collaboration, clarity, and sustainability, reflecting MIT’s distinctive integration of the arts with science and technology.”Makan came to MIT in 2006 as an assistant professor of music. From 2018 to 2024, he served as head of the Music and Theater Arts (MTA) Section in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS). In 2023, he was appointed associate dean for strategic initiatives in SHASS, where he helped guide the school’s response to recent fiscal pressures and led Institute-wide strategic initiatives.With colleagues from MTA and the School of Engineering, Makan helped launch a new, multidisciplinary graduate program in music technology and computation. He was intimately involved in the project to develop the new Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building (Building 18), a state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2025. Makan was a member of the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee and chaired a working group on the creation of a center for the humanities, which ultimately became the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC), one of the Institute’s strategic initiatives. Since last year, he has served as MITHIC’s faculty lead. Under his leadership, MITHIC has awarded $4.7 million in funding to 56 projects across 28 units at MIT, supporting interdisciplinary, human-centered research and teaching.Trained initially as a violinist, Makan earned undergraduate degrees in music composition and religion from Oberlin and a PhD in music composition from the University of California at Berkeley.A critically-acclaimed composer, Makan is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Luciano Berio Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome. His music has been recorded by the Kronos Quartet, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the International Contemporary Ensemble, and performed at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and Tanglewood. His opera, “Persona,” premiered at National Sawdust and was performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and by the Los Angeles Opera. The Los Angeles Times described the music from “Persona” as “brilliant.”Makan succeeds Philip Khoury, the Ford International Professor of History, who served as vice provost for the arts from 2006 before stepping down in 2025. Khoury will return to the MIT faculty following a sabbatical.

Visit me in 1974 LAThis week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari hops on for a solo episode to talk about Brassroots District—a decade-long passion project fusing immersive theater, hard-grooving funk, and 1970s world-building.

Get a free playable sample preset for Splice INSTRUMENT
Download our free playable sample preset for Splice INSTRUMENT—grab these presets during the drop window and they’re yours to keep forever.

Get a free distorted synth bass for Splice INSTRUMENT
Download our free synth bass preset for Splice INSTRUMENT—grab these presets during the drop window and they’re yours to keep forever.

What is classical music? A beginner’s guide to history, composers, and key works
Discover the origins of classical music, explore its renowned composers, and learn about the key works that have shaped this timeless genre.

SoundCloud Distribution Full Review: An Honest AssessmentIn addition to its original discovery features, SoundCloud now offers built-in music distribution to major streaming platforms.

Brodinski on his sonic identity, production techniques, and new sample pack
In this exclusive interview, legendary producer Brodinski shares insights into his sonic identity, production techniques, and more.

Get a free glitchy synth pad for Splice INSTRUMENT
Download our free synth pad preset for Splice INSTRUMENT—grab these presets during the drop window and they’re yours to keep forever.

MNDR on her noise music roots, writing “Vroom Vroom” with Charli XCX, and more
Hear MNDR (Charli XCX, Calvin Harris) discuss the full breadth of her career, from her roots in experimental noise music to becoming one of pop's most in-demand writers.

Splice at The 2026 NAMM Show
Splice will be at the NAMM Show (January 20-24) in Anaheim, California to speak about the latest in AI innovation and music education across the industry.