82% of Musicians Can’t Afford to TourHitting the road used to be a rite of passage for artists and how most earned a living. But now the majority of musicians can’t afford to tour. With rising costs and fewer paying venues, only the biggest names are making money while everyone else is struggling or staying home.
The post 82% of Musicians Can’t Afford to Tour appeared first on Hypebot.

The RD-78 – Behringer’s recreation of the “granddaddy to all drum machines”, the Roland CR-78 – has finally arrivedThe RD-78 – Behringer‘s hotly-anticipated emulation of Roland’s classic CR-78 drum machine – has finally arrived.
The brand first teased a CR-78 emulation all the way back in 2022, when it shared images of a PCB (printed circuit board) to its Facebook page. It shared the images alongside a clue of “in the air tonight”, alluding to Phil Collins’ use of the machine on his famed 1981 hit of the same name. Behringer later confirmed that the RD-78 was “up and running” in January 2024, with another post on social media.

RD-78 is now up and running! We are in the last stages of pre-production and are working closely with our beta testers…
Posted by Behringer on Saturday, January 27, 2024

READ MORE: Behringer BX1 synth is inspired by the classic Yamaha CS-80 and DX1, with more teases at NAMM 2025

The RD-78 recaptures the famed analogue tones of the original CR-78 drum machine, according to Behringer, bringing “the magic of the ’70s and ’80s back to life” in a compact, desktop format. It has true analogue circuitry for warmth and depth, plus added features to help users craft more complex beats.
It has 15 Drum Sounds with a newly added clap, 34 Rhythm Presets (including fills, rolls, and breaks), plus a 16-Step Sequencer. There are also individual volume and mute controls on board for each voice, plus enhanced connectivity options and ports for footswitches to control transport and trigger fills if desired.
Check it out in the demo below:

“In the world of drum machines, the 808 is most definitely going to be on top of everyone’s list,” says Behringer. “The distinctive 808 sound including the iconic ‘clap’ has been the backbone of many RnB, Hip-Hop and Techno tracks. But every icon must have a progenitor, right? Enter the CR-78.
“The grandaddy to all drum machines, had 34 built in rhythm patterns like rock, swing, waltz and shuffle plus individual drum sounds like kick, snare, cowbell, hi-hat and more. The CR-78 was one of the first to use a microprocessor and the first programmable drum machine that allowed users to save their own drum patterns. Artists like Phil Collins, Gary Numan and Peter Gabriel were just some of those who saw the potential in the CR-78 and made countless hits with its help.”
Not a company to rest on its laurels, the launch of the CR-78 shortly follows the arrival of its Chorus Symphony pedal, which recreates the original Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble from 1976. The original pedal encapsulated the chorus from the iconic JC-120 Jazz Chorus amplifier from Roland, Boss’s parent company, and offers the same “thick, syrupy and multidimensional” tone that was loved by artists such as John Frusciante, Brian May, Joe Satriani, and Andy Summers.
The RD-78 is available now, priced at $199. Find out more over at Behringer.
The post The RD-78 – Behringer’s recreation of the “granddaddy to all drum machines”, the Roland CR-78 – has finally arrived appeared first on MusicTech.

Spotify Q4 hits records, will ‘double down on music’ in 2025Spotify Q4 2024 earnings were announced Tuesday, ending its first year of profitability strong across most key metrics. During the earnings call, CEO Daniel Ek promised to "double down on music" after years of expansion in other audio and video categories and to accelerate new product releases.
The post Spotify Q4 hits records, will ‘double down on music’ in 2025 appeared first on Hypebot.

MeldaProduction PowerWoodwindsPowerWoodwinds The Orchestral Woodwind Powerhouse Power Woodwinds is an MSoundFactory instrument featuring a complete woodwind ensemble explicitly tailored for the versatile demands of... Read More

Native Instruments says bringing Maschine 3 to Maschine+ is a “top priority”Native Instruments will bring its Maschine 3 software to its Maschine+ hardware controller this spring, it has been confirmed.
In a new community blog post, NI’s Chris La Pietra – Product Lead for Maschine, Kontrol, and NKS Hardware Partnerships – has revealed that the launch is currently a “top priority” for the brand, and has shared some of the other features it is currently working on releasing this year.

READ MORE: Native Instruments Komplete 15 is still the essential mega bundle

First of all, NI says it will launch an update for its Maschine 3 software – Maschine 3.1 – within Q1 this year, though it has provided no official date for this as of yet. The update will follow on from the introduction of its parallel plug-in scanning for faster scanning and startup times, as well as its User Chords feature, which allowed users to capture and perform custom chords directly from Maschine MK3 and Maschine+ in controller mode.

NI will also carry out bug fixes to tackle frustrations with the current version of Maschine 2 on Maschine+. The update will include a kernel upgrade, the possibility to change sampling rate and buffer size for extended compatibility with USB class compliant audio interfaces, and bring several effects from its desktop portfolio. It will enter beta within the next week, eventually launching officially at some point in Q1.
As part of its mission to bring Maschine 3 to Maschine+ in Q2, NI is also exploring Stem Separation for standalone mode, “though its technical complexity means it may not be available in the upcoming release”. Additionally, it is also adding Kontakt 8 support and alongside the highly requested bounce-to-audio feature, Maschine+ users will also gain access to more CPU-intensive instruments: “The bounce-to-audio workflow will allow you to free up CPU resources, making it easier to work with high-quality sounds,” says NI. “We’re excited to hear what you’ll do with the new features.”
If you want to try the new Maschine features early, you can sign up to Native Instruments’ Beta programme. Check back on MusicTech for more updates on new Maschine releases as we get them.
The post Native Instruments says bringing Maschine 3 to Maschine+ is a “top priority” appeared first on MusicTech.

Gainlab Audio launch The Lieutenant With their new monitor controller, Gainlab Audio have taken the clever step of building in a trio of power outputs that can be manually or automatically sequenced from its desktop remote. 

As AI fakes proliferate, we need to draw a clear distinction between human-made music and AI-generated contentEver wondered what’s in your morning cereal? Easy – just turn the packaging over and, by law, you’ll see the maker’s clear list of ingredients. Flick on a morning playlist, however, and there’s no immediate way to tell if the song you’re listening to is real or AI-generated.
AI content is filling up streaming platforms. Some mimic the voices of living artists, some the voices of the deceased, and some are batch-generated and posted under the name of entirely fictional artists. All of it draws revenue away from working musicians.
A recent study by MusicMagpie, estimates that, on YouTube alone, there are already well over 1.5 million AI cover tracks. After analysing the 1,500 top-performing AI tracks, they found that Blackpink, Justin Bieber, and Kanye West were out in front as the most AI-plagiarised artists, racking up over 33 million views between them.

READ MORE: How will young people learn music and production in a post-AI music industry?

The study estimates that the music industry has lost over £10 million in revenue to AI-generated content, but this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Consider that one North Carolina musician, with a relatively small-scale operation, was allegedly able to generate hundreds of thousands of fake tracks, rack up billions of plays, and syphon off millions of dollars from streaming platforms. The true scale of revenue loss already occurring is likely far higher than we know.
Artists and labels are understandably upset by all this, with many voicing their support for the No AI Fraud Act in the US, and thousands more signing an open letter to protest the dodgy business practices that make much of this possible. Crucially, music fans are unhappy about the situation as well.
AuthorityHacker surveyed 1,200 music consumers and got some striking results: 93% said they did not value AI-generated music as highly as music produced by humans. And, while over 60% said they would consider listening to AI music, some 56% also said they would not willingly pay for songs generated using AI. Perhaps most striking: 89% of those surveyed want clear labelling for AI-produced music.
Image: Kemal Yildirim via Getty Images
Are these numbers surprising? Not really. Think of the perceptual difference between champagne and sparkling wine; can most drinkers actually taste the difference between a high-priced bottle of bubbly and a cheap one? No. But people want to know what region their wine came from and are perfectly willing to pay more for the real deal. That stamp of authenticity is enforced by government action that ensures winemakers are protected from counterfeiters. So, where is the protection for music makers?
We will soon arrive at a place where AI-generated music can match the catchy-ness, complexity, and audio fidelity of what human creators can do. Before we reach this parity, governments and industry must work together to put clear labelling rules in place and empower music consumers to make an informed choice regarding what kind of music they want to patronise.
Mandatory labelling for vocal deepfakes and wholly generated content is the obvious first choice, but an argument can be made that we shouldn’t stop there. Record labels, and even some artists, might baulk at the prospect of having to disclose whether a song was produced using AI mixing and mastering tools, but professionals at all levels of the industry – not just those at the top – deserve some protection from AI counterfeiting their work.
Music is not a luxury, it is woven into our society. Take the UK for example: for generations, its music scene has been hugely influential and a major commercial force, with UK artists routinely among the top-selling worldwide. To let that legacy drown in a sea of AI sludge would amount to cultural manslaughter.
Sure, the idea of top-shelf, organic, sustainably sourced music may seem slightly ridiculous – but a brief glance at the booming vinyl market provides plenty of evidence that people will pay more for something they believe has real value. Given a clear choice between human and machine-made music, there is every reason to suspect that the listening public will go for the flesh-and-blood option.
The post As AI fakes proliferate, we need to draw a clear distinction between human-made music and AI-generated content appeared first on MusicTech.

“At $99, this endearing plugin could easily become a firm favourite”: Wavea Flite review$99 for Creator version / free player version available, wavea.co 
Upon opening Wavea’s Flite plugin in your DAW, you will lay eyes on a pink and purple amorphous arm, the backdrop to Flite’s beautiful and minimalist plugin design. But is there more here than eye candy?
The answer comes quickly; beneath the slick exterior, Flite is a powerful hybrid multi-sampler and synth with a lot to give.

READ MORE: My Forever Studio: Sharooz wants the synths software can’t recreate

Flite quickly delivers a swath of delicious sounds. Running underneath the title bar is a shelf of eight macros with useful controls that reflect the chosen preset — a promising start for finding inspiration. Lying beyond these macros is an elegantly designed sound engine that is expansive in features and encourages further creative experimentation.
The preset library has all the bases covered with polished, creative and diverse sounds in all the expected categories; pads, keys, bass, loops and so on. There are plenty of options that will instantly satisfy producers who want to get straight into playing this instrument. The impeccable quality of these sounds is courtesy of Flite’s creator, Sharooz Raoofi, who sampled his own collection of vintage synthesizers for the library. Think Yamaha CS-80, Roland Juno-106, Jupiter-8, TB-303, TR-808 and 909, SH-101 and Oberheim OB-8, just for starters.

Sifting through presets is a delight in Flite. Digging into the library, there is everything from thick, layered and enveloping sounds such as ‘Detuned Piano’ and ‘Jazz House Stab’ to lush, atmospheric pads like ‘Calash’. Extending into sound design and film, you have classic Hans Zimmer synths for sci-fi scores with ‘Duphonic Kaos’, or you can mess with ‘Gremlins’ for sequenced glitches and warbles in the experimental electronics department.
Unfortunately, navigating presets is rudimentary. You can filter by sound type, but can’t search for presets by name. So get ready for a lot of scrolling.
It’s difficult to get annoyed about this since the 200-plus included presets are free in Flite’s open-access tier. While the free version gives you access to 2.5GB of samples, it limits you to using a reduced range of macros to shape the sound and won’t let you save custom presets.
Expanded sampler. Image: MusicTech
The Creator version, on the other hand, takes the preset library as a start and gives you a tantalizing number of ways to edit, craft and experiment with designing a sound all of your own—all for a compelling price of $99.
If you’re one to crank the dials of a new synth to test its limits, you’ll be happy to find that switching to Create mode displays the full extent of Flite’s creative sound engineering. There are four samplers, a three-oscillator synth engine, a note and modulation sequencer, envelopes, LFOs, noise, filters and built-in effects.
Flite has a decent enough effects section, including delay, flanger, lo-fi, reverb and vintage chorus — but it’s the Granular engine that really stands out. Adding even a small amount of granulation pries open a sound to increase texture and depth. Pads start to shift and evolve, bass samples start to warble and produce tension, and sequences can be enhanced with an unusual rhythmic chatter. So, if you’re seeking to push your sound in a slightly different direction, the Granular engine is a great place to start.
Macro overview. Image: MusicTech
Modules are displayed in a neat array, with quick-access settings available up front, which keeps everything in the main view manageable and easy to navigate. Flite has been wrapped in a well-designed user interface which makes its powerful engine accessible from the get-go.
With a calm colour palette and beveled edges, an intuitive interface and easy workflow, it’s clear that Wavea has paid a lot of attention to designing an instrument that feels fun to play. For those new to samplers and synths, it makes for an approachable entry point. More advanced users won’t be disappointed either.
With four identical samplers, layering samples and combining them with the synth engine — with its FM, virtual analogue and wavetable oscillators — offers plenty of room for crafting custom sounds. Flite also supports even finer degrees of tinkering. In the Macro Overview you can customise macros and stack up to four parameters on one dial, Meanwhile, when using the Modulation Overview you can have up to eight modulation destinations.
Modulation overview. Image: MusicTech
Annoyingly, it’s not possible to drag a modulation destination to an alternative slot on the matrix. Instead, you have to delete the destination and re-add it to a different slot by navigating a small dropdown menu, and then readjusting your settings once again.
Another place to experiment is the expanded Sampler view, where you can drag sounds into the Sampler matrix, mixing and matching as many as you like across the keyboard range. It also supports velocity layers, with up to 26 samples for each note. You can also save multisampled instruments as monoliths which can be instantly recalled.
Support for user-imported samples hugely expands the sonic capabilities of Flite to something far beyond a mere preset machine. Loading a preset, opening an unused Sampler and dropping in any old sample was a simple process but it led me to some surprisingly evocative results, perfect for sound design. From there, building up an entirely new instrument was both straightforward and thoroughly rewarding.
Play interface. Image: MusicTech
Flite is a plugin with big ambitions and it largely delivers on them. Aesthetic design meets functionality in equal measures and the results not only sound great – they inspire you to go beyond the instrument’s well-crafted presets to take all manner of creative leaps. At the same time, a high degree of surface-level accessibility and under-the-hood power makes this plugin suitable for both newcomers and experts.
For a cool $99, Flite is great value for money and this endearing plugin could easily become a firm favourite in your kit.
Considering that this plugin is the maiden flight from Wavea, you might expect it to be a little rough around the edges. Instead, Flite is warm, inviting and packed full of fun.

Key features

AU/VST plugin (MacOS 10.13/Windows 10 or higher)
200+ presets
2.5GB library of vintage synth samples from Sharooz Raoofi
4 customisable samplers
3-oscillator FM/virtual analogue/wavetable synth engine
8 macros
4 assignable parameters per macro
6 built-in effects (delay, flanger, lo-fi, reverb, vintage chorus, Granular engine)
Note and modulation sequencers
8-destination modulation matrix
Toggle between Create and Play interfaces

The post “At $99, this endearing plugin could easily become a firm favourite”: Wavea Flite review appeared first on MusicTech.

Melbourne Instruments announce Roto-Control The latest addition to the Melbourne Instruments line-up isn’t another synth, but rather a MIDI controller that allows their innovative motorised pot system to take control of third-party hardware and software.

USB Drives for DJs: What to Consider Before BuyingFor DJs, the choice of a USB drive can be a pretty important step in preparation. Making sure that your DJ flash drive is a reliable partner that stands up to the stresses of your DJ life is critical. In this article, we explore the essential factors DJs should consider when selecting a USB drive […]
The post USB Drives for DJs: What to Consider Before Buying appeared first on DJ TechTools.

The Grammys gets Bratty: Charli XCX wins three awards at the 67th Grammy AwardsLast year, it seemed like the whole world was consumed by Brat. The record was everywhere  – and it seems even the Grammy panel couldn’t resist Charli XCX’s high-energy club anthems. The Brat star walked away with three awards, as well as putting on a raucous live performance. It’s official: even the cold weather can’t pull the plug on a scorching Brat Summer.
Charli won Best Electronic/Dance Album for Brat, as well as Best Dance Pop Recording for Von Dutch. Brat also won Best Recording Package, celebrating the garishly bright green and pixelated text that has since become an iconic staple of Charli’s branding.

READ MORE: Grammy’s 2025: Dan Nigro is awarded Producer Of The Year after working on Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan albums

Charli also took to the stage to perform two Brat cuts, including her Grammy-winning single, Von Dutch, and Guess. Charli kickstarts the performance by exiting a flashy black car, complete with an XCX license plate, before strutting out in her signature black shades and a huge fur coat. She’s soon joined by her entourage, including models Julia Fox and Gabbriette Bechtel.

While Charli reigned as the evening’s partygirl, Beyoncé’s cowgirl era scored the grand prize of the evening. Cowboy Carter was crowned Album of the Year, beating out Brat. It also triumphed over André 3000, Sabrina Carpenter, Jacob Collier, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Taylor Swift. Beyoncé also won Best Country Album, as well as Best Country Duo/Group Performance, thanks to her collab with Miley Cyrus on II Most Wanted.
Beyoncé’s trio of awards rounds up her total number of Grammy wins to a whopping 35. Of course, this means she’s still won the most Grammys of all time – she’s just upped her record.
Elsewhere, The Beatles’ Now and Then, the AI-aided restoration of an old John Lennon demo, won Best Rock Performance. Justice and Tame Impala also took home the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Recording with Neverender.
Kendrick Lamar was the biggest winner of the night, however. He bagged a total of five awards, including Record of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. Every award was for his colossal Drake diss-track, Not Like Us. It’s worth noting that, in one night, Lamar won the total number of Grammys that Drake has throughout his entire career.

Read more music production news 
The post The Grammys gets Bratty: Charli XCX wins three awards at the 67th Grammy Awards appeared first on MusicTech.

Enjoy up to 96% off Universal Audio UAD plugin bundles in Plugin Boutique’s 13th anniversary saleUniversal Audio’s plugins are renowned for their stunningly accurate emulations of classic analogue gear, delivering that rich, warm sound producers and engineers have cherished for decades.
And more often than not, these plugins come with premium price tags – but not this time. As part of Plugin Boutique’s 13th anniversary celebration sale, you can grab a selection of UAD bundles at jaw-droppingly low prices, with discounts of up to 96%.

READ MORE: Native Instruments Kontakt 8: A leap forward or a stumble sideways?

That’s right – whether you’re after legendary compressors, must-have EQs, or lush synths, you can now get them at a fraction of the usual cost.
Of the bunch, the UAD Studio Classics bundle is the most massively discounted, going at a lovely $59, down from its usual $1,595.
This bundle features five legendary tools: the Fairchild Tube Limiter Collection, LA-6176 Signature Channel Strip, Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb, Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder, and the 175B & 176 Tube Compressor Collection. Together, they bring the unmistakable quality of analogue processing to digital production, giving your tracks that classic vintage feel while providing flexible control over dynamics, tone, and reverb.
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The sale also features 80% off the UAD Producer Edition bundle, now priced at just $79 (U.P. $399). This all-in-one bundle includes 23 industry-standard plugins and virtual instruments, giving you the tools needed to craft professional-grade mixes. From award winning instruments like the Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio and Moog Minimoog to iconic emulations like the LA-2A Leveler and 1176 Classic Limiter, this bundle is a dream for producers looking to add rich, analogue warmth to their tracks.
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The other bundles on offer include:

UAD Essentials Edition ($49, down from $299) – A must-have set of 12 UAD plugins and instruments for pro-level mixing and production
UAD Synth Bundle ($49, down from $597) – A trio of powerhouse synths: the Minimoog, PolyMax, and Opal Morphing Synth
UAD Triple Crown Compressor Bundle ($49, down from $897) – Three legendary compressors: Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection, 1176 Classic Limiter Collection and Fairchild Tube Limiter Collection
UAD Vocal Bundle ($79, down from $1,146) – A dream toolkit for vocal processing, featuring the Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip, Hitsville Reverb Chambers, Pultec Passive EQ Collection, and Teletronix LA-3A Leveler

With prices slashed by up to 96%, this is one of the best chances to get your hands on top-tier UAD plugins without breaking the bank. The sale runs until 2 March, so don’t wait too long to level up your plugin collection!
The post Enjoy up to 96% off Universal Audio UAD plugin bundles in Plugin Boutique’s 13th anniversary sale appeared first on MusicTech.

Bob Mould Discusses His New Solo Album, Upcoming Tour, and the '90sBob Mould spoke with AllMusic a month before the release of his upcoming album Here We Go Crazy, and was up for taking a look back throughout his career, as well as the story behind his latest solo effort.

Royer Labs Announces dBooster2Royer Labs announced the dBooster2 Dual Channel Mic Lifter and DI. Building upon the success of the company’s original dBooster, the dBooster2 provides two channel operation, with either channel being able to double as a super clean DI for electric guitars and bass or any unbalanced mono or stereo input.In terms of its design, the dBooster2 adds ¼-inch audio inputs with the same high fidelity as its Lo-Z inputs. The unit’s Hi-Z inputs can be switched between 0dB and +8dB of gain, and the two channels are completely independent from one another—enabling one to use a channel, for example, on guitar while the other channel accommodates a microphone. The dBooster2’s Class A input stages deliver crystal clean gain with virtually no noise or self-distortion.Designed like the front end of a high-end preamp, the dBooster2 lets users choose between more than doubling the mic’s original input signal to quadrupling it—all while maintaining an unrivalled amount of headroom with no loss of gain, regardless of the mic and preamp being used.When using the dBooster2’s DI inputs, users can select 0dB (unity) gain, or switch to 8dB of gain if more level is required, still taking advantage of the dBooster’s ultra-clean high-end electronics. In mic mode, the 20dB setting quadruples the input signal, providing plenty of clean boost for recording softer instruments and vocalists. For higher volume sources, users can switch to the 12dB setting to keep from overloading the preamp or digital interface with unmatched dynamic range.Dave Bryce, VP of Sales & Marketing at Royer Labs, commented on the company’s new dBooster2 Dual Channel Audio Lifter and DI, “The dBooster2 is the audiophile mic lifter. There truly is nothing else on the market that performs or sounds anywhere near it. Being designed like the front end of a high-end preamp, it delivers Immaculate sonic performance. The dBooster2 is not just louder, it’s better in every way. I encourage musicians and audio engineers alike to check it out.”The Royer Labs dBooster2 Dual Channel Audio Lifter and DI is available now. For pricing, contact your authorized Royer Labs dealer or contact Royer Labs at sales@royerlabs.com.royerlabs.comThe post Royer Labs Announces dBooster2 first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

US senator hints Trump’s latest EO could mean the US buying BitcoinWyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis suggested Donald Trump’s executive order creating a US sovereign wealth fund was a “big deal” for Bitcoin.