“When a subscriber pays $8 for Vocana and listens to just four artists, those artists each get $2”: This indie platform reckons it’s onto the future of streamingVocana, a new music service with a “truly user-centric payout model”, is now in its public beta testing phase.
As well as boasting fair compensation for artists, the platform also offers fan contact information for artists and a full range of MySpace-inspired social features. According to Vocana, it’s built around the goals and habits of musicians and fans, rather than labels or algorithms.

READ MORE: This new app is like Pokémon GO for music lovers

Vocana has inked deals with CD Baby and DistroKid already, and reportedly has more on the way. It was co-founded by entrepreneurs Jim Knight and Dale Chorba, who want to resolve the “streaming penny fraction”, and enlisted the help of industry expert Neil Sheehan.
According to a press release from the company, emerging and niche artists will earn from their very first stream within Vocana: “In simplest terms, Vocana’s model means that when a subscriber pays $8 for Vocana and listens to just four artists, those artists each get $2, instead of sharing a fraction of a penny with Drake and Bieber and millions of others paid out from one big pot of money,” it explains.
Along with giving emerging and indie artists a fairer share of the royalties, its payout model also precludes fraud, as “there’s no way to divert subscriber fees to artists these subscribers didn’t listen to”.
Vocana also presents artists with data about who is listening to their music, and fans can opt-in to share their emails with artists they like. They can also chat with other fans within the platform, notably through the use of hubs that act as digital hang out spaces, and are dedicated to specific genres or artists.
Its playlists are human-curated, and artists will eventually be able to pitch these curators directly from within Vocana by filling out a form. These curators are non-commercial radio DJs, “tastemakers”, and music influencers.

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“Independent music is on the precipice of blowing up, and not just in streaming. The indie sector is growing faster than the overall music market, and by some estimates should reach more than $71B by 2030,” states Vocana President, Neil Sheehan. “It’s the real heartbeat of music in an era with fewer global superstars.”
Sheehan continues, “Right now, only about four million tracks out of more than 200 million are served up algorithmically to listeners on services like Spotify. We want to surface music that isn’t from that thin layer of top tracks.”
To find out more or join the public beta, head over to Vocana.
The post “When a subscriber pays $8 for Vocana and listens to just four artists, those artists each get $2”: This indie platform reckons it’s onto the future of streaming appeared first on MusicTech.

5 Things to Know Before Signing A Merch Deal: Just ask NBA YoungBoy Just like a record contract or any other deal, you need to know the risks before signing a merch deal. Not knowing recently landed NBA YoungBoy aka YoungBoy Never Broke Again in court.
The post 5 Things to Know Before Signing A Merch Deal: Just ask NBA YoungBoy  appeared first on Hypebot.

MusiCares adds Free Health Support for Music ProfessionalsMusiCares has partnered with women's and family health virtual health clinic Maven to provide free health support for music professionals and musicians.
The post MusiCares adds Free Health Support for Music Professionals appeared first on Hypebot.

Bitwig Studio 6 beta now live Bitwig Studio 6 promises to represent a significant step forward for the DAW, introducing a range of new tools and functions while improving and expanding on its existing features.

Fracture Sounds releases Blueprint: Thumb Piano, a FREE characterful kalimba for Kontakt Player
I’ve been a fan of the Blueprint collection by Fracture Sounds from day one, and probably don’t need to repeat it, but I’m amazed at how far this series of free instruments has come. Their latest release is the Blueprint: Thumb Piano, a free characterful kalimba for Kontakt Player. The Blueprint collection now features over [...]
View post: Fracture Sounds releases Blueprint: Thumb Piano, a FREE characterful kalimba for Kontakt Player

Harmonox Audio releases BIRDS, a FREE bird sound library for Kontakt and WAV
Harmonox Audio offers the BIRDS ($10) Kontakt instrument and WAV sample pack for free for a limited time via Pluginomat. BIRDS is a collection of organic bird sounds designed for sound design, ambient composition, and anyone looking to add natural textures to their music. It includes samples from six different bird species and offers a [...]
View post: Harmonox Audio releases BIRDS, a FREE bird sound library for Kontakt and WAV

With DMs, Spotify takes its next step towards becoming a fully-fledged social media platformDMs are coming to Spotify. Yep, after the streaming giant integrated a continuous vertical scroll feature to its platform last year, it seems it’s taking another leaf out of the social media playbook by allowing users to direct message each other without ever leaving the app.
Spotify users have been able to share their favourite songs and playlists for some time, but have generally had to either copy and paste a link or send via WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram or some other external social messaging service. 
Now, the platform aims to keep more of these word-of-mouth recommendations – which it calls “one of the most powerful ways for people to discover” music – within its own service.

READ MORE: Google DeepMind, ElevenLabs, LANDR, and more to lead music tech discussions at ADE

“Spotify users have told us they want a dedicated space within the app to share songs, podcasts, or audiobooks they’re excited about with friends and family, and an easy way to keep track of recommendations,” the company writes in a new post on its Newsroom.
“For artists, authors, and creators, easier sharing means more word-of-mouth recommendations and helps create new fans. Our goal is to give users what they want and make those moments of connection more seamless and streamlined in the Spotify app.
How does it work?
Credit: Spotify
Spotify Messages will begin rolling out this week to Free and Premium users aged 16 and over in “select markets” on mobile devices.
At launch, Messages will be confined to one-on-one conversations with other Spotify users where you can share content – tracks, albums, podcasts etc – and react using emojis, a staple of other social media platforms.
Users will be able to begin a conversation using the same Share button they’ll be used to, only now there’ll be this new option. They’ll also see suggested people to message based on previous interactions, like mutual Jams, Blends, collaborative playlists and so on.
What is Spotify saying about Messages?
While it seems, initially, like Messages are a bid by Spotify to migrate many of the music-centric social interactions which take place off Spotify to its own platform, it still encourages users to continue sharing on other platforms.
“Messages on Spotify are designed to complement these integrations, not replace them, and we’re excited to continue offering more ways to drive hype for the Spotify content you love, wherever you are,” it says.
With the rollout of Messages, Spotify aims to put users “in the driver’s seat”, by enabling them to accept or reject message requests as they wish. Additionally, Spotify Messages are protected by industry-standard encryption, while the company will utilise “proactive detection technology to scan messages for certain unlawful and harmful content”. 
“This is just the beginning,” Spotify writes. “We’re excited to continue building and refining the experience for more Spotify users around the globe in the months ahead.”
In other news, a number of artists have recently left Spotify – including Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – following a large investment by CEO Daniel Ek in AI-driven military weapons company Helsing.
The post With DMs, Spotify takes its next step towards becoming a fully-fledged social media platform appeared first on MusicTech.

Old Dominion on Songwriting, Keeping Band Harmony and Maintaining a Die Hard Fan BaseThis week, Ari is joined by Matthew Ramsey, lead singer of Old Dominion, to discuss songwriting, touring, and artistic integrity.

Google DeepMind, ElevenLabs, LANDR, and more to lead music tech discussions at ADEAmsterdam Dance Event (ADE) has just added more events to its music tech-focused Pro schedule in the 2025 event. Prominent companies such as Google DeepMind, Soundcloud, ElevenLabs, and LANDR will all be represented in this latest round of presentations and panels at the yearly conference for global dance music.
READ MORE: Fake artists, real opportunities: Hoaxes and scams are holding back the potential of AI music
Google DeepMind, the AI research lab, will welcome its Director of Product, Jeff Chang, to host a talk on how AI is influencing different aspects of the music industry. He will provide live demos and dive into sample tracks to demonstrate exactly how artists working at Google DeepMind are developing AI-driven techniques to support, rather than replace, the creative process.
Soundcloud will host a presentation on how the platform continues to support independent artists by building on previous strategies like fan-powered royalties.
Another prominent speaker at ADE’s music tech events is Kosta Elchev, Executive Director for North America & Global Partnerships at COLORSxSTUDIOS and founder of The Department of Culture and Technology, two companies built on platforming artists with performance opportunities and other creative outlets.
Elchev will discuss the history of celebrating artists, going all the way back to ancient Egypt. He will elucidate why it has remained an essential part of society and how it exists in 2025.
ADE has also added new panels with this latest announcement. Check out the topics and participants below:
Building Music’s New Infrastructure: Data, Rights, and the AI Supply Chain

ElevenLabs
Music Product Professional Juliette Rolnick
MusicInfra
CEO Bjorn Lindvall
Human Native AI
CEO James Smith
Beatdapp

Rethinking AI Licensing and Artist Remuneration Models

Voice-Swap
Co-Founder Michael Pelczynski
LANDR
Founder & CEO Pascal Pilon
AI expert Virginie Berger

Sync’s Hi-Tech Future and What It Means for You

MAIA Universe
CEO & Co-Founder David Wille
Sizzer
Founder Sander van Maarschalkerweerd
Ringo
Co-founder & CEO Marcel Alexander Wiebenga

Learn more about the full programming of ADE 2025.
 
 
The post Google DeepMind, ElevenLabs, LANDR, and more to lead music tech discussions at ADE appeared first on MusicTech.

Gear Club Podcast spotlights Ed Stasium’s immersive Dolby Atmos remixes of The RamonesAccording to news on Tuesday, "The latest episode of Gear Club Podcast features legendary producer and engineer Ed Stasium discussing his groundbreaking work remixing The Ramones’ catalog in Dolby Atmos®. The episode, titled “Updating Punk Classics: Ed Stasium Talks mixing the Ramones, Talking Heads Using Eventide Plugins,” is now online at https://www.gear-club.net/episodes/edimmersive.""A longtime pioneer in creative recording techniques, Stasium shares how Eventide’s modern immersive plug-ins have become central tools in his process, bridging his classic analog methods with cutting-edge spatial audio," they said."Stasium, known for his work with The Ramones, Talking Heads and The Replacements, has a decades-long relationship with Eventide gear. He recalls relying on hardware such as the iconic H910 Harmonizer during the original sessions and now harnesses Eventide’s MicroPitch and Blackhole plug-ins to bring new depth and dimension to immersive remixes."“I’ve been using Eventide forever; back then it was two 910s, now it’s MicroPitch and Blackhole in my Atmos template,” said Stasium. “These plug-ins let me stay true to the original recordings while opening up the mixes in a way that makes them come alive in immersive audio.”"In the episode, Stasium walks listeners through his Atmos mixes of Ramones classics including 'I Wanna Be Sedated' and 'Surfin’ Bird.' He explains how Eventide’s plug-ins allow him to recreate the signature effects of the original analog sessions while expanding them into a 3D soundfield," they added. "From positioning drum room mics in overhead channels to re-imagining guitar harmonizer effects across surround speakers, Stasium demonstrates how immersive technology is reshaping the way iconic albums can be experienced.""Listeners also gain insight into Stasium’s original recording process, from his use of multiple microphones and overdubs to the creative limitations – and innovations – of working in late-1970s studios. By blending those techniques with today’s immersive tools, he is able to preserve The Ramones’ raw energy while offering fans an entirely new way to experience the music.""Gear Club Podcast offers an engaging and often irreverent deep dive into the world of audio recording, shining a light on the techniques, experiences, and behind-the-scenes stories shared by some of the most respected engineers, producers, artists and innovators in the industry. Blending technical insight with candid conversations, each episode celebrates the craft and culture of recorded sound. The podcast is proudly sponsored by Eventide, a pioneer in audio effects and recording technology.""For the complete, ever-expanding catalog of Gear Club Podcasts, featuring timeless interviews with leading artists, engineers, producers and studio pros that have drawn 50,000 subscribers, visit https://www.gear-club.net/. Gear Club Podcast episodes are also available on most podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and YouTube."The post Gear Club Podcast spotlights Ed Stasium’s immersive Dolby Atmos remixes of The Ramones first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

“No one’s better than him at that”: Bartees Strange on where Jack Antonoff excels as a producerBartees Strange recently spoke to NME following his set at Reading Festival this past weekend, where he opened up about his relationship with super producer and Bleachers frontman, Jack Antonoff:
“I produce a lot of records now, and I think the biggest thing is you become who you’re working with and you help them take a few extra steps they wouldn’t normally take,” Strange says. “The way you do that is by building trust. In the beginning, they’re only gonna listen to you so much, but by the end, they should trust you with everything. No one’s better than him at that.”
READ MORE: “He didn’t turn a knob. He didn’t give any technical advice”: System Of A Down guitarist on the magic of super producer Rick Rubin
Beyond his ability to build relationships with his collaborators, Strange went on to laud Antonoff for his work ethic and taste:
“I think it’s because he kind of approaches records like a plumber. He’s not a precious guy. He’ll pull up there early; he’s working hard. Everything’s set up. We can throw it at the wall. No idea is bad,” Strange says. “He’s not a tremendously talented player, so when he plays, it disarms the situation. He’s not a freaky guitar player or drummer. He’s just good at getting the ideas out. So after he plays, you’re like, ‘Oh, I can play that better, ’ and then it becomes a conversation. It’s very low-stakes, and it becomes really beautiful stuff because he has great taste. That guy’s great.”
Antonoff only came on to Strange’s third album Horror, the one that predicated his set at the legendary music festival, when it was in the final stages. However, Strange is quick to note that Antonoff “added a lot.”
“He helped me take it from 80 to 100 per cent, for sure. There were some songs that completely came alive once he got involved. He’s really good, man. I really like him,” Strange says. “All the structures and stuff stayed the same, and a lot of all the lyrics, but for example ‘Too Much’, he just kind of made that song sound like it was from outer space. [He added] all these weird ship noises and the synths, swells and dynamics were all things that he was able to build around the framework of my production.”
Watch the full interview with Strange on NME
 
The post “No one’s better than him at that”: Bartees Strange on where Jack Antonoff excels as a producer appeared first on MusicTech.

Ether breaks out against BTC, but new highs depend on $4.7K becoming supportEther rallied nearly 5% on Monday, but a true short-term trend reversal hinges on $4,700 flipping back to support.

Sottovoce DSP Sotto SpindownSotto Spindown is a free plugin that performs a vinyl spindown effect using a curve you can draw yourself. This effect is most notably used in transitions and outros. Features: Automation - An automation can be used to trigger the spindown at a certain time. Fadeout - The user can choose to fade out the sound or have it only spindown. Presets - With a preset selector and creator, users can save their own custom spindown curves. Read More

Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent that lives in ChromeAnthropic is the latest AI lab to offer an AI agent with the ability to view and take action in a user's Chrome browser.

Battery Repair By Reverse EngineeringRyobi is not exactly the Cadillac of cordless tools, but one still has certain expectations when buying a product. For most of us “don’t randomly stop working” is on the list. Ryobi 18-volt battery packs don’t always meet that expectation, but fortunately for the rest of us [Badar Jahangir Kayani] took matters into his own hands and reverse-engineered the pack to find all the common faults– and how to fix them.
[Badar]’s work was specifically on the Ryobi PBP005 18-volt battery packs. He’s reproduced the schematic for them and given a fairly comprehensive troubleshooting guide on his blog. The most common issue (65%) with the large number of batteries he tested had nothing to do with the cells or the circuit, but was the result of some sort of firmware lock.
It isn’t totally clear what caused the firmware to lock the batteries in these cases. We agree with [Badar] that it is probably some kind of glitch in a safety routine. Regardless, if you have one of these batteries that won’t charge and exhibits the characteristic flash pattern (flashing once, then again four times when pushing the battery test button), [Badar] has the fix for you. He actually has the written up the fix for a few flash patterns, but the firmware lockout is the one that needed the most work.
[Badar] took the time to find the J-tag pins hidden on the board, and flash the firmware from the NXP micro-controller that runs the show. Having done that, some snooping and comparison between bricked and working batteries found a single byte difference at a specific hex address. Writing the byte to zero, and refreshing the firmware results in batteries as good as new. At least as good as they were before the firmware lock-down kicked in, anyway.
He also discusses how to deal with unbalanced packs, dead diodes, and more. Thanks to the magic of buying a lot of dead packs on e-Bay, [Badar] was able to tally up the various failure modes; the firmware lockout discussed above was by far the majority of them, at 63%. [Badar]’s work is both comprehensive and impressive, and his blog is worth checking out even if you don’t use the green brand’s batteries. We’ve also embedded his video below if you’d rather watch than read and/or want to help out [Badar] get pennies from YouTube monetization. We really do have to give kudos for providing such a good write up along with the video.
This isn’t the first attempt we’ve seen at tearing into Ryobi batteries. When they’re working, the cheap packs are an excellent source of power for everything from CPap machines to electric bicycles.
Thanks to [Badar] for the tip.