Maroon 5 and the End of the Analog EraSennheiser this week released word that, with Maroon 5's "first tour to fully deploy Sennheiser Spectera, Dave Rupsch proves that wideband digital wireless is the future of high-stakes stadium audio."

"For 25 years, monitor engineer Dave Rupsch has occupied the high-stakes sonic cockpit for global icons like My Chemical Romance, Katy Perry, Megadeth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Jonas and more," a statement reads. "He has watched the industry undergo a digital revolution, seeing line arrays and consoles evolve into marvels of precision — yet one crucial link remained stubbornly tethered to the past. To Rupsch, a flawless, end-to-end digital IEM transmission was his 'white whale' and the 'utmost needed component to close the loop on modern concert audio technology.' This search felt like an elusive and unattainable goal for far too long."

"That search came to an end during the 2025 Maroon 5 tour. While Rupsch had spent years relying on industry-standard analog wireless systems, the increasing congestion of the UHF spectrum was becoming an unavoidable disruption."

Mark Chipeur, Business Development Manager at Sennheiser who worked directly with the band's audio team on Spectera deployment.

“Introducing Spectera to Maroon 5’s monitor team was about tackling real-world RF and workflow challenges head-on. Rolling the system out with them on the fly at the first Phoenix show in its especially congested RF environment was a true test, and Spectera delivered. Working closely with Dave throughout evaluation and deployment highlighted his deep RF expertise, thoughtful approach to system design, and ability to quickly translate new technology into a reliable, tour-ready solution. 

"Dave’s team had already coordinated their existing wireless Mics and IEM channels so we decided to use the clean RF spectrum in the Duplex Gap. Following this selection Dave wanted coverage not only on stage but also backstage. This helped us to determine optimal antenna placement for continuous performance.”

For further info, visit here.The post Maroon 5 and the End of the Analog Era first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Duetti secures $200m in fresh financing, led by $50m Series C equity investment from The Raine GroupThe funding consists of a $50 million Series C equity round led by Raine Partners and a $125 million private securitization.
Source

Ed Sheeran Is Letting Fans Curate His Setlists. You Should Too. Ed Sheeran is letting fans curate five songs in his setlist on his current tour. Is this something all artists should take note of?
The post Ed Sheeran Is Letting Fans Curate His Setlists. You Should Too.  appeared first on Hypebot.

Audiomack hits 50M monthly active users, adds Artist Pro toolkitAudiomack now has 50 million monthly active users fueled by 31% year over year growth. Learn how their human-powered curation and Audiomack Pro tools for artists are reshaping independent music discovery and marketing.
The post Audiomack hits 50M monthly active users, adds Artist Pro toolkit appeared first on Hypebot.

Remembering Those We Lost in 20252025 was a year where we lost many treasured musicians. Some legendary older artists whose time had unfortunately come, and some surprising younger names whose loss came as a sudden surprise. On AllMusic, we've tried to feature small tributes in recognition of these events, and now we look back at a selection of those who left their mark on music's history and will certainly be missed.

The Legal Beat: RAPPER RBX’S CLASS ACTION AGAINST SPOTIFYIn late 2025, Rapper RBX, whose real name is Eric Dwayne Collins, filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in California against streaming giant Spotify, alleging that Spotify failed to prevent streaming fraud. The action is on behalf of RBX as an individual and “on behalf of other members of the general public similarly situated.”

The lawsuit alleges that Spotify failed to prevent bots (bots are automated software programs that perform repetitive tasks over a network, also commonly known as fake users) from fraudulently inflating the number of streams for Drake, one of the most streamed artists on Spotify, with almost 81 million monthly listeners.

RBX first had success decades ago performing for labels Death Row Records and Aftermath Entertainment alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. He is Snoop Dogg’s cousin.

Spotify is a massive company with over 713 million users, which includes 281 million paid subscribers; it offers over 100 million songs to these users and leads the audio streaming market.

In particular, the suit alleges that Spotify allowed “billions” of bot-generated streams, which increased Drake’s streams. Drake is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit perhaps because plaintiff had no proof that Drake was involved in any streaming fraud.

RBX contends that some Drake songs have gotten “more than a hundred million streams” which were from “areas with zero residential addresses.” The lawsuit further alleges that Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) were used to disguise some streams and some were apparently created by bots that “moved unreasonable locations between songs.”

The plaintiff claims that Spotify’s failure to keep bots off its platform has caused “massive financial harm to legitimate artists, songwriters and other rightsholders” due to the fact that income earned from streams on Spotify is paid to artists based upon a percentage of the streaming marketplace and that percentage is diluted by the failure of Spotify to keep bots off its platform.

The lawsuit alleges that Spotify’s efforts to eliminate bots are “nothing more than window dressing, inadequate at best.” RBX further contends that the more users Spotify claims it has “the more advertisements it can sell, the more profits the company can report.” 

The suit further states: “[T]his mass-scale fraudulent streaming causes massive financial harm to legitimate artists, songwriters, producers, and other rights holders whose proportional share is decreased as a result of fraudulent stream inflation on Spotify’s platform.”

Spotify claims that it does not benefit from artificial streaming and invests in “always-improving, best-in-class systems to combat it and safeguard artist payouts with strong protections like removing false streams, withholding royalties and charging penalties.”

According to Spotify’s website, it pays artists from a revenue pool and calculates royalty payments from the pool based on an artist’s share of the total amount of monthly streams.

In 2025, shares of Spotify increased to a stock market valuation of a 100 billion dollars. Many artists complain about low streaming income, believing that platforms like Spotify pay too little per play, thus making it hard to earn a living wage for all but very successful artists. The pay per stream rate is only about $0.004 on Spotify.

GLENN LITWAK is a veteran entertainment attorney based in Santa Monica, CA. He has represented platinum selling recording artists, GRAMMY-winning music producers, hit songwriters, management and production companies, music publishers and independent record labels. Litwak is also a frequent speaker at music industry conferences around the country, such as South by Southwest and the Billboard Music in Film and TV Conference. Litwak has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer magazine for 2022-2025. Email Litwak at gtllaw59@gmail.com or visit glennlitwak.com.

This article is a very brief overview of the subject matter and does not constitute legal advice.The post The Legal Beat: RAPPER RBX’S CLASS ACTION AGAINST SPOTIFY first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Vocana and Sonicbids Launch ‘Pay the Artists’ Live Gig Series Across NYCPay the Artists will bring independent artists and discovery-hungry fans to five venues across New York City starting in January 2026.
The post Vocana and Sonicbids Launch ‘Pay the Artists’ Live Gig Series Across NYC appeared first on Hypebot.

Milk & Honey continues UK expansion, signing Grammy-winning mixer Dan Grech-MargueratGrech-Marguerat has worked on breakthrough projects for artists including Lana Del Rey, Halsey, George Ezra and The Killers
Source

Free Instagram Edits App For Musicians: Marketing Made EasierFor years, the workflow for marketing music on Instagram and other short video platforms was a fragmented mess. Film on your phone, Airdrop to a laptop, edit in CapCut or Premiere, export, and Airdrop back.
The post Free Instagram Edits App For Musicians: Marketing Made Easier appeared first on Hypebot.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Immersive Audio AlbumThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Immersive Audio Album category.

Take a listen to the nominated albums below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

All American F—boyAndrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)

ImmersedJustin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)

An Immersive Tribute To Astor Piazzolla — LiveAndrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)

TearjerkersHans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)

YuleMorten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediæval)

Duckwrth photo by Dana GoldsteinThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Immersive Audio Album first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

On… Warner’s cutbacks, and the bigger story.The following article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest ‘Tim’s Take’ email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.
Source

Songs in the Key of Change: a Martin Luther King Jr. PlaylistToday, January 19, 2026, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. From the team here at Hypebot, we're sharing a playlist of tracks that were inspired by or speak to the musical legacy of Dr. King's historic influence on the Civil Rights Movement.
The post Songs in the Key of Change: a Martin Luther King Jr. Playlist appeared first on Hypebot.

Australia Will See 38% Increase in Radio Royalty Rates After Copyright Tribunal RulingIn a decision that could reshape how recorded music is valued on airwaves, the Copyright Tribunal of Australia has set a new royalty rate for the broadcast of sound recordings by commercial radio stations.
The post Australia Will See 38% Increase in Radio Royalty Rates After Copyright Tribunal Ruling appeared first on Hypebot.

Let's Spend the Night Together: Mick Rock, David Bowie and the 'Don't Dream it, Be it' EthosTim Curry on set of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' - copyright Mick Rock

When Tim Curry strutted onto the big screen in a black garter belt, shimmering corset top, spiked stilettos and ruby red lipstick, it was a mindset-shifting moment in pop culture. Even those who initially disregarded the low-budget musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show as trash, had to admit the imagery in it was pretty unforgettable. Its catchy songs and sexy stylings seemed destined to be iconic from the start. 

Fifty years after its release, the film’s celebration of individuality, sexual freedom and freak-dom resonates more than ever. In celebration of the anniversary, Los Angeles definitely paid homage in significant ways last year, from panels and Q&A’s with stars (at The Roxy, The Academy Museum and The Grammy Museum) to special screenings, the most memorable of which brought a real time warp to Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s Cinespia and a surprise visit from a wheelchair bound but still bitingly droll Curry and alongside co-star Barry Bostwick aka “Brad,” plus the famed group, Sins O’ the Flesh (who got their start enacting the film at The Nuart theater in L.A.) doing choreo in front of the giant outdoor screen.  

Alaska Thunderfuck at FAB LA - by Steve Lucero for FAB LA

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS

A marvelous display took place in December via the lens of legendary rock n’ roll photographer Mick Rock, who released a Rocky Horror book this year documenting scenes from the set during the making of the 1975 cult classic.  Rock, best known for his vibrant work with David Bowie, as well as various album covers for Iggy Pop, Joan Jett and Queen, passed away in 2021, but as his wife Pati Rock told us (exclusively), he left behind an endless treasure trove of images, both digital and on film. The Rocky book is just the first of what she says will be many more upcoming tomes highlighting the decadent music figures and cultural game changers he shot like only he could. 

Using the Rock book as inspiration, curator Kii Arens, best known for the LA LA Land Gallery in Hollywood, welcomed fans to his new DTLA art space, FAB LA, with a mind-flipping thematic soiree featuring Picture Show-inspired art by a who’s who of L.A. luminaries. RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Alaska Thunderfuck (who did a sultry sync on, what else?— “Sweet Transvestite”) and DJs Sean Patrick (Simon Says) and Chris Holmes (Paul McCartney’s personal touring deejay) provided the entertainment.    

Abhora Rules, Amy Doan and pal at FAB LA - by Steve Lucero for FAB LA

Designer Michael Schmidt (known for making shiny luxe looks for the biggest pop divas in the world, including Madonna, Cher, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Rihanna) made Ms. Alaska’s Curry-covered frock, perfect for her Frank-n-Furter frolic through the beautiful DTLA building. We should note that beyond dress-up, Alaska had a triumphant year with her stage show Drag The Musical making a splash off-Broadway in NYC and that she's the co-host of Hot Goss, one of our favorite podcasts of the year on the Moguls of Media (MOM) network, co-created with fellow drag doll Willam Belli. 

Fab fashion was called for at this fete, and Plastic God (known for his collectable digital art portraits of music stars, and recent collab with Hello Kitty, melding the Sanrio cat with legends like Boy George, Eazy E and Axl Rose); former MTV VJ Jesse Camp (now sporting a mustache!); Johnny Stuntz (hair stylist for Mariah Carey and Trent Reznor); makeup artist Darian Darling, pretty in Barbie pink; and Sugarpill Cosmetics' Amy Doan and partner Abhora Rules from The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans 2; all delivered. Sequins, corsets and lip prints were just some of the Rocky references seen in the crowd.

Nick Launay and Jesse Camp at FAB LA - by Lina Lecaro

DATE WITH THE NIGHT

The plaster cast of a naked Susan Sarandon from the movie was the hit of the event. Nick Launay, a revered music producer whose worked with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Public Image Ltd, Gang of Four, Killing Joke and Amyl and the Sniffers, to name a few, is the owner of the piece and the tale of how he came to acquire the famed “Janet” statue is pretty wild.

"We still had no idea what the statue was," Launay told us, revealing that a friend identified the plaster mold of Sarandon several years after he found it in an old warehouse. It lived at his dad's place but, "eventually I decided “Janet” needed to be in Hollywood where I currently live," he explained. "I had it shipped, and then restored to its original beauty by a renowned art museum specialist."

Launay who is currently working with Danny Elfman, also told us he's open to selling the priceless piece (serious offers only). Contact him via his Instagram if you're interested.

In a related note, a little birdie told us that the former Oingo Boingo frontman will be popping up on SNL with A$AP Rocky, whom he plays drums for on the rockin' new release, Don't Be Dumb and the first single, "Punk Rocky," this Saturday.

A moment of silence for David Bowie at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- by Lina Lecaro

THERE'S A STARMAN...

From his glitzy persona to his profoundly poetic lyrics, creatives in Los Angeles share a kinship with David Bowie that lives on to this day. Ten years after his death, tribute events are flooding stages big and small across the country in January. On Jan. 10., the date of his passing a decade later, several celebrations took place in L.A. that conjured the icon’s spirit in the most evocative ways possible. Angelenos have a special kind of D.B. devotion. The music industry is based in L.A. after all, and there are few artists who don’t count the chameleon-like performer as an influence, especially in rock n’ roll. 

Though Bowie once called L.A. his “favorite museum” –and he didn’t mean it as a compliment– it did influence him in many ways. It’s where he recorded most of 1976’s game-changing Station to Station and found a confidante in Rolling Stone writer and future filmmaker Cameron Crowe following an into from Ron Wood.

Still, his overall disdain for the city is well-documented. Crowe’s 2025 memoir, The Uncool, highlights the period of creative struggle and substance abuse before Bowie left for Berlin and entered his "Thin White Duke" phase, and as the book outlines with earnest dismay, he did not enjoy reflecting on his “lost year in L.A.” as its known, nor Crowe’s RS’s cover story from that time.

That said, things were different when Bowie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb. 12, 1992. With wife Iman by his side, he was radiant and healthy, clearly appreciative of being recognized by the entertainment world, which always fascinated him and beckoned him to the big screen. He’d go on to make appearances in both 1996’s Basquiat and 2001’s Zoolander in the years that followed.

David Bowie's star -- by Lina Lecaro

We joined dozens of dedicated fans who gathered at the star – in front of the former home of the now-shuttered Knitting Factory L.A. music club, now an LA Fitness facility– to honor their favorite musician on the 10th anniversary of his death. To them, he was more than a music maker. He was a diety who encouraged fans to make art and be art and to express themselves "in beautiful ways," one of them said. They brought flowers, lit candles, and played his songs, culminating in a ritualistic circle around the star as “Black Star” played from a boombox. They all said they felt him there at that moment, and so did we.

Of course, Mick Rock famously captured Bowie, highlighting his magical Ziggy Stardust persona in the book, Mick Rock. The Rise of David Bowie. 1972–1973 (we'll never forget the opening party at the Taschen store on Beverly Blvd.) His Rocky Horror work was a year later, in '74, and very much in the same spirit, highlighting the outlandish expression ("don't dream it, be it"), androgyny and musical magic that still inspires so many to this day.

If you're in L.A., visit David Bowie's star in Hollywood and check out upcoming Bowie events this week including a Saturday evening tribute show from Music Connection-profiled artist Julian Shah-Tayler, a DJ-driven bar night next week, and the Celebrating Bowie tour at the end of the month, featuring members of Devo, Fishbone and Eagles of Death Metal, in February.

The Mick Rock 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' exhibit closes on Sunday, Jan. 18, but the book is available here. More info on the artshow here.

The post Let's Spend the Night Together: Mick Rock, David Bowie and the 'Don't Dream it, Be it' Ethos first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Duran Duran at the Honda Center, Anaheim, CARock and Roll Fame inductees (2022) Duran Duran played the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on January 8th. Duran Duran is 4/5 of their classic lineup with lead vocalist Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor. Dom Brown has been the guitarist since 2006 after Andy Taylor left the group for the second time. It’s been nearly 45 years since the group released their debut album and to this day the group continues to sell arenas worldwide. This short run of seven shows also included stops in Palm Desert, CA, Las Vegas, NV, San Diego, CA, and Phoenix, AZ. This 20-song set included a number of hits like “The Wild Boys,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “A View to a Kill,” from the James Bond film of the same name, “Notorious,” “Ordinary World,” and “The Reflex.” There were also covers of ELO’s “Evil Woman,” Rick James’ “Super Freak” mashed with “Lonely In Your Nightmare,” with the last song before the encore being “Girls On Film,” combined with Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.” They returned for a two-song encore of “Save a Prayer,” and “Rio.”

Photos by Alex KluftThe post Duran Duran at the Honda Center, Anaheim, CA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.