New Music Critique: The MIDI World of FreedomContact: angelcross826@aol.comWeb: themidiworldoffreedom.bandcamp.com/album/luna-sparksSeeking: Label, Booking, Film/TVStyle: Electronic MIDI Plunderphonics

There’s a lot of fun to be had here. The MIDI World of Freedom is, according to the small amount of information we could dig up online, an experimental MIDI project created by a musician called Angel Cross in 2021. They’re best known for the Luna Sparks album, which features reinterpretations of Oasis and Nickelback tunes (perhaps among others). Ultimately though, this earns points with us due to the originality of thought, combined with some healthy, warm nostalgia for that old MIDI sound. “Two Universes” and “I Miss You” are a ton of fun, and sometimes that’s enough.The post New Music Critique: The MIDI World of Freedom first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Con Raso of Tuned Global Shares His 2026 Music PredictionsHypebot's Future Predictions series is back. Join us as we ask the music industry's expert analysts what they think might unfold in the world of music in 2026.
The post Con Raso of Tuned Global Shares His 2026 Music Predictions appeared first on Hypebot.

Black Box’s Livia Tortella on Her Top Artist Brands of the DecadeBlack Box shared their widely-anticipated annual "Top Artist Brands" analysis, expectedly featuring some bombshell picks. We talked to CEO Livia Tortella about their list.
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From YouTube pulling its data from Billboard’s charts to HYBE’s new partnership with Tyla’s managers… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
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Signing Stories: Luke PrestonDate Signed: September 2025Label: Big Loud PublishingType of Music: CountryPublicity: Corey Brewer and Rachel Heatherly / Big Loud, corey@bigloud.com, rachel@bigloud.comWeb: bigloud.com

When Luke Preston moved from Clearwater, FL to Nashville, TN in 2011, his mission was to earn a living in the music industry however possible. While working at a grocery store, a friend who was on a major label invited Preston to play bass for him. He said yes, even though he hadn’t touched the instrument since middle school. 

Preston then secured his first songwriting deal in September 2019 and began writing alongside a number of artists affiliated with Big Loud Records, the country music juggernaut founded by GRAMMY-winning songwriter Craig Wiseman. “I started working with Kashus Culpepper, who I’m a big fan of,” reports the tunesmith, whose other musical affiliations include The Lone Bellow, Corey Kent, and Kip Moore, plus Owen Riegling, another Big Loud musician. “The label has a bus they send out when their artists go on tour, so they can write while they’re on the road,” he goes on. “And I got asked to write with Kashus a few times.”

Adam Romaine, Big Loud Publishing’s Sr. Creative Director, loosely manages the bus, and Preston hit things off with the man colloquially known as Romie. Over the course of their time together, Romaine learned that Preston’s publishing deal was coming to an end. Notes Preston, “It was fortuitous timing.”

The rising songwriter had been meeting with other people around town, yet Preston felt a connection with the staff of Big Loud. On top of his friendships with Romaine and Culpepper, there was Sarah Knabe, who played a significant role in boosting the career of another musical buddy, Elvie Shane. Preston stresses how much he values her creative input. 

Preston also puts stock in the quality and nature of the artists on Big Loud. “They’re always pushing into new territory instead of chasing after what’s already successful,” he tells. “It feels like a good fit for me to get in the room and work with some of those people.” The post Signing Stories: Luke Preston first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Indie music publishers saw revenues grow 5.1% to $2.9bn in 2024: IMPFThe IMPF is raising the alarm about the risk of AI to songwriters' and music publishers' income
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In The Trenches with Lamont Harper of The UC TheatreLamont Harper has been the marketing director of the 1350 seat UC Theatre in Berkley, CA since 2021. An experienced music marketer, he constantly refines his ticket selling strategy "with a focus on efficiency, user experience, impact, and affordability."
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Facebook Limits Links Unless You Pay: What Musicians, Venues & Music Marketers Need to KnowAs Facebook limits links, learn its impact and some workarounds as artists, venues, and music marketers scramble to promote shows, releases, and more.
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FILM - TV - THEATER - GAMES: DROPSMilan Records released Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (Original Motion Picture Score), featuring music by Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers. For the biographical film about one of rock music’s most beloved icons, Bruce Springsteen, and the making of his acclaimed 1982 album Nebraska, Fraites composed an intimate and emotional score centered on a weathered upright piano, layered with warm synths and sweeping orchestral textures. His music evoked the raw vulnerability at the heart of Springsteen’s story, which complements the film directed, written and produced by Scott Cooper and starring Jeremy Allen White as the Boss. Contact Christian Endicio at christian@whitebearpr.com for more information.

The Twits (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Film) has been released worldwide, which includes a score by composer Oli Julian that showcases his signature mix of wit, warmth, and orchestral creativity, as well songs by new wave/punk icon David Byrne of Talking Heads fame. The release accompanies the first-ever feature adaptation of beloved author Roald Dahl’s classic children’s tale, published in 1980. A lifelong admirer of Dahl, Julian captured the grotesque humor and heart of the animated comedy with a chaotic musical approach that combined banjos, jaw harps, Balkan brass, and musical saws with lush orchestral and choral textures. For more information, contact Christian Endicio at christian@whitebearpr.com.

Americana troubadour Jim Stanard continued his inspiring late-in-life musical rise with a featured interview and live performance on ABC7-TV’s popular morning program Suncoast View, where hosts praised him for “seeing his dreams of a successful musical career come true.” At 76, the Sarasota, Florida, resident reached No. 1 on the RMR Charts and reached one million views on his recent music videos from his acclaimed album Magical. With heartfelt performances like “Lookin’ Back” and cinematic storytelling in “Kansas,” Stanard has been compared to Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, and John Denver, proving it’s never too late to chase the dream. Learn more by contacting Seth Cohen at seth@sethcohenpr.com.

Ballad of a Small Player (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Film) is out now, featuring a score by Academy Award-winner Volker Bertelmann, who’s known for work on All’s Quiet on the Western Front, Conclave and more. For this film, Bertelmann teamed up with director Edward Berger and delivered an evocative, atmospheric soundscape that echoed the film’s exploration of memory, loss, and redemption. Delicate piano motifs, textured strings, and haunting ambient tones come together to capture the story’s melancholy, mystery, and the emotional turmoil of the characters, played by Colin Ferrell, Fara Chen, and Tilda Swinton. For more information, contact Christian Endicio at christian@whitebearpr.com.

Nobody Wants This Season 2: The Soundtrack was released worldwide, featuring 19 all-new tracks from top artists including Selena Gomez, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Role Model, and more. The genre-spanning collection arrived alongside the second season of Netflix’s hit rom-com, showcasing the GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum selling Gomez’s new single “In The Dark,” a dance-pop anthem produced by Andrew Watt, Cirkut, and Louis Bell. Curated by The Core Records and Interscope, the album brought together chart-topping stars and rising voices across pop, rock, and country to accompany the story of this unconventional romance, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. For further details, contact Annabelle Bartsch at annabelle.bartsch@umusic.com.

A House of Dynamite (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Film) it out now, showcasing a score by Academy Award-winner Volker Bertelmann. Teamed up once again with director Kathryn Bigelow, Bertelmann composed a textural score that pivots from quiet psychological unease to sweeping moral reckoning. Bertelmann uses low woodwinds, brass swells, pulsating bass, and subtle synth layers on these 26 tracks that deliver high tension to this dramatic apocalyptic thriller starring Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson. Contact Christian Endicio at christian@whitebearpr.com for more information.The post FILM - TV - THEATER - GAMES: DROPS first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Billboard just made ‘free’ streams worth more on its US charts. YouTube is still not happy – and is pulling its data.Paid streams will still be weighted more favorably than ad-supported plays on Billboard's chartd, but by a smaller margin than before.
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Bandsintown High Notes showcases Independent VenuesIn addition to celebrating the year in live music for fans and artists, Bandsintnown’s newly released High Notes showcases the independent venues that makes those magical moments possible. As 2025. Continue reading
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Podcaster, Writer & Consultant Jay Gilbert’s 2026 Music PredictionsHypebot's Future Predictions series is back. Join us as we ask the music industry's expert analysts what they think might unfold in the world of music in 2026.
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Italian Blackened Atmospheric Death Metal Project Frostmorner Signs With WormholedeathAccording to news on Tuesday, "Italian blackened atmospheric death metal project Frostmorner is proud to announce its official signing with Wormholedeath. The collaboration will see the worldwide release of Frostmorner's debut album, Orbital Kaos, scheduled to drop on February 13, 2026."

"Founded by Mario and rooted in Sicily, Frostmorner began its journey in 2019. What started with the support of other musicians soon evolved into a fully solo project, allowing Mario to build a sound that reflects his vision without compromise. Over the years, Frostmorner has caught the attention of magazines, fanzines, and radio stations, opening the door to collaborations and conversations with artists across the extreme metal world."

“Orbital Kaos marks the first full-length chapter of Frostmorner and showcases the project’s foundation: a blend of blackened intensity, atmospheric layers, and death metal grit. The album pulls inspiration from Nile, Hypocrisy, Belphegor, and Death, while weaving in modern influences from Lorna Shore and Rings of Saturn. Its thematic core draws from a lifelong fascination with Lovecraft, mythology, space, and horror."

"The album’s title captures its essence. Each track stands on its own, shaped by its own narrative and energy, yet all orbit around the central concept of Kaos. The result is a record built on fragmentation, unpredictability, and tension: an audio universe where no two moments land in the same place."

The post Italian Blackened Atmospheric Death Metal Project Frostmorner Signs With Wormholedeath first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Beggars Group has acquired majority ownership of XL Recordings, documents showUK-headquartered indie music company Beggars Group has been the majority owner of XL Recordings since October 2024
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Bandsintown’s High Notes Reveals the Artists, Genres & Cities That Led Live Music in 2025Bandsintown's 2025 High Notes recap is here. Learn which artists, stages, and cities made this year count! Plus, dive into your own personalized recap to discover what powered you through 2025.
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