COURT HOLDS LIVE NATION MONOPOLIZED THE MARKET FOR CONCERT TICKETSA Federal court jury in New York recently held that Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, had an illegal monopoly on concert ticket sales. Live Nation/Ticketmaster used its dominant position in the market to make things more difficult for its competitors.

The witnesses in the trial included Live Nation head Michael Rapone and Ben Lovett from the group Mumford & Sons.

Over 30 states sued Ticketmaster, claiming that it dominated major concert venue sales and maintained high prices with their anticompetitive practices in large entertainment venues.

Concert goers have long complained about exorbitant ticket prices. This recent verdict in the antitrust trial against Live Nation could mean lower ticket prices in the future but it does not appear it will happen immediately.

One week after the trial began on March 2, the federal government entered into a $280 million settlement. Some states agreed to participate in the settlement which must still be approved by the judge. However, over 30 states decided to continue with their lawsuit in court.

The jury concluded that Ticketmaster overcharged $1.72 per concert ticket in 21 states and Washington D.C. due to Live Nation’s anticompetitive actions.

The acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Omeed Assefi, stated the verdict was “a fantastic outcome for the American people... DOJ and some states settled their cases and got instant relief. The remaining states received a liability finding and will now move on to the next phase of a remedies trial. Everyone but Live Nation wins with this scenario.”

 The judge in the case, Arun Subramanian, will be the person who decides what the remedies are. It could be divestments by Live Nation of some of its companies or ordering Live Nation and Ticketmaster (they merged in 2010) to separate. Live Nation will also be required to pay back millions of dollars in overcharges.

During the trial, Live Nation argued that it was not a monopoly and stated that the jury’s verdict “is not the last word on this matter” as there are motions pending which may decide whether the rulings on liability and damages will stand. Live Nation also stated that it should not have to pay over $450 million in damages.

Ticketmaster is the largest ticketer of live events in the world. During the trial, Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney for the states, testified that Ticketmaster has an 86 percent share of the ticket sales market at “major concert venues” which he said are the 250 U.S. amphitheaters and arenas that can accommodate 8,000 people and have more than 10 concerts a year. Live Nation contends that their market share is only 44 percent if smaller venues are considered.

Ticket prices have skyrocketed in the last few decades. According to Bloomberg, as Streaming income became a less profitable source of income for musicians, artists have turned to touring and are charging a higher base cost. In addition, live events boomed after the pandemic.

GLENN T. 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 COURT HOLDS LIVE NATION MONOPOLIZED THE MARKET FOR CONCERT TICKETS first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

The internet is being rebuilt for machinesAs AI agents move from experiments to production, AWS, Cloudflare, and others are redesigning cloud infrastructure for a future dominated by machine-generated internet traffic instead of human users.

SEC Commissioner Peirce defends crypto privacy tools against surveillance pushThe leader of the regulator's Crypto Task Force said privacy-enhancing technologies can strengthen investor protection and urged regulators not to treat them with suspicion.

Camping on Unconventional WatercraftThe fjords of Norway are world famous for their beauty, but even though the word itself is Norwegian, there are fjords all over the world in areas that used to be covered in glaciers. One of these areas is the Pacific Northwest of North America, we herit’s actually possible to travel by boat from the Seattle area all the way into Alaska without going to the Pacific Ocean, and although plenty of people make this journey by boat, [Matt] is planning on doing this journey on a jet ski with a custom camper on the back.
Normally a jet ski wouldn’t be the ideal platform for a multi-day on-boat adventure because of their size, but [Matt] found perhaps the largest jet ski ever made and he got a deal on it since it had previously been wrecked. Once he repaired the hull damage, he cut a sheet of plywood in half and put a hinge in the middle so it can unfold over the top of the jet ski but fold it away when he’s traveling. With the basic concept in place he took it right out on the water to a campsite before finalizing the construction of the rest of the tent, including the installation of a door, a window, and some interior lighting.
During that first night, a storm cropped up and pushed the craft out to shore while [Matt] was sleeping, so after realizing, waking up, and motoring back to shore, he made sure to tie the craft to a rock to avoid similar situations before going back to sleep. But besides some motion sickness which prevented him from cooking inside his camper, the rest of the adventure went off without a hitch. Before taking it on the Inside Passage he has been thinking of a few improvements like outriggers to keep it from rocking while he sleeps. [Matt] is no stranger to unusual camper builds, though, we recently featured his other camper which is an electric car converted to explore abandoned railroads.

MousePlugins X-OrX-Or is a focused mono synth built for bass parts, sub layers, pedal tones, and simple two-oscillator saw sounds. The voice architecture is deliberately narrow: two free-running saw oscillators feed a resonant low-pass filter, then a loudness envelope and output stage. OSC A tracks incoming MIDI, while OSC B can be offset by semitones and cents for octave/fifth stacks or subtle detuned beating. A crossfade control blends the two oscillators. The filter includes cutoff, resonance, and a dedicated attack-decay contour envelope for plucky bass movement. The loudness envelope uses attack, sustain, and decay, with soft retriggering so legato note changes do not force the envelope abruptly back to zero. Glide is available for overlapping MIDI notes, while non-overlapping notes retrigger normally. X-Or also includes a resizable interface with a live waveform/spectrum chart and output meters, plus preset save/load, A/B compare, copy/paste, undo/redo, and user preset import/export. X-Or is free of charge. It requires no license key, no activation, no account, and no internet connection. Key Features. - Free monophonic bass synthesizer. - Two free-running saw oscillators. - OSC B coarse and fine tuning. - Oscillator mix crossfade. - Resonant low-pass filter. - Dedicated filter contour envelope. - Loudness attack/sustain/decay envelope. - Soft retrigger for smoother legato transitions. - Optional glide for overlapping notes. - Built-in waveform and spectrum display. - Output meters. - Preset save/load and import/export. - A/B compare, copy/paste, undo/redo. - VST3 and CLAP. - Windows and Linux. - No activation, no account, no online check. System / Format. - Plugin formats: VST3, CLAP. - Platforms: Windows 10/11 64-bit, Linux x86_64. - macOS: not included in the initial release. - Latency: 0 samples. - Price: free. Read More

Deconstruct Minimal from Sonicware Described as a “hypnotic groove machine”, the Deconstruct Minimal draws inspiration from an array of classics, and as with all of Sonicware's offerings, packs some serious features into its modest footprint. 

Reservoir deployed $120m on acquisitions and advances in latest fiscal year, as its annual revenues grew 11% YoY to $175.7mReservoir Media has published its fiscal Q4 (calendar Q1) and full-year financial results for its fiscal 2026, ended March 31, 2026.
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Song structure: How to build a song (with examples)
Learn how to turn musical ideas into full tracks with essential song structure tips, examples, and techniques.

I Tested 6 Free Kontakt Alternatives – These 2 Won
I use Kontakt, so I’m not going to pretend it suddenly became useless. The full version of Native Instruments Kontakt is still the sampler format that many commercial library developers build for. Kontakt Player, the free version, is also worth having if you want to use officially licensed libraries from developers like Heavyocity, ProjectSAM, Sonokinetic, [...]
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SSL announce the SSL 1 The new addition to SSL's interface range is aimed at both newcomers searching for their first device and experienced producers looking for a portable system. 

ANWIDA Soft’s Stereoid Light stereo enhancer is FREE for a limited time
Stereoid Light is the little brother of Stereoid, ANWIDA Soft’s premium stereo enhancer plugin – and it is free for a limited time. Although Stereoid Light is a streamlined plugin, it’s built on the same core principles as the premium version. It uses a subtle decorrelation algorithm, a microtonal detuner, and a calibrated delay to [...]
View post: ANWIDA Soft’s Stereoid Light stereo enhancer is FREE for a limited time

deadmau5 is selling signed synths, studio gear – and giving away a space-themed mau5head – through ReverbIf you’ve ever watched a deadmau5 studio tour and thought “I need whatever strange machine is blinking behind him”, your chance may have finally arrived.
Reverb has announced the upcoming launch of the Official deadmau5 Reverb Shop, and it’s bringing a little bit of everything from the deadmau5 universe with it. The online storefront will be packed with signed synths, studio gear, rare memorabilia and assorted oddities pulled directly from Joel Zimmerman’s personal archive.
The launch also follows Reverb’s recent tour of Zimmerman’s famously overstuffed Toronto-area studio, where the producer revealed his collection of rare synths, sprawling modular rigs and enough blinking LEDs to power a small city. Now, parts of that world are officially going up for sale.

READ MORE: Take a look at the Lego prototype of Ableton Push: “It was playful and not permanent, that’s what allowed us to go through many iterations”

Alongside signed production gear such as a Korg microKORG, Akai MPC Key 37 and Moog Labyrinth, the shop also includes deadmau5 x Telegrapher Fox speakers, merch, and posters featuring the late Professor Meowingtons.
Among the more unusual items is a fully functional one-to-one pixel aspect ratio “Mini Cube” display model based on the QB3 visual design Zimmerman reportedly used at home while developing visuals for his live show.
And because this is deadmau5, there’s also a giant helmet involved.
Fans who sign up ahead of the shop launch can enter to win the one-of-a-kind “Space mau5head” helmet – a space-themed version of the iconic headpiece previously used in a Las Vegas installation.
Beyond the gear itself, part of the proceeds from the shop will go towards Toronto Cat Rescue, a volunteer-run no-kill animal rescue organisation based in Zimmerman’s hometown.

Sign up now at Reverb.
The post deadmau5 is selling signed synths, studio gear – and giving away a space-themed mau5head – through Reverb appeared first on MusicTech.

Arturia Memory V turns the rare vintage Memorymoog into a modern synth€149 / $149, arturia.com
Many consider the Memorymoog to be a polyphonic version of the ever-popular Minimoog, and while purists may point to the Memorymoog’s Curtis oscillator chips as being inferior to the Minimoog’s discrete oscillators, the two classics certainly have a lot in common: Three oscillators, the third able to flip between tone generation and LFO duties, the classic Moog ladder filter built from discrete circuitry, and even the general layout follows the same pattern.

READ MORE: Arturia Pigments 7 review: “Almost a no-brainer at $199”

The closest most of us will ever get to this super-rare beast is a digital model. Cherry’s Memorymode already scratches that itch, but now Arturia, which knows a thing-or-two about synth modelling, has joined the fun with the new Memory V. This is no slavish copy, though. Let’s take a look.

A tidier control panel
Although capturing the aesthetics and general appearance of the Memorymoog, Arturia has woven changes into Memory V’s control panel. Immediately apparent is the reduction in the number of buttons, the original having used these extensively to help with its new-fangled patch storage and recall feature.
Gone too are some of the quirkier labels printed below the controls (‘Unconditional Contour’, anyone?). And of course, given a plugin’s near-limitless patch storage, the Memorymoog’s name-defining feature – a calculator-like panel of buttons and LED displays used for patch management – has been replaced by a newly minted Unison button and Detune dial, alongside a handy oscilloscope. Touted as being context-aware, this oscilloscope switches what it shows depending on which control you’re working with. However, it can show only four sources (Main Mix, Oscillator 3, LFO, and Voice Modulation signals). I find the context-aware switching more hindrance than help.
Original presets on the Memory V. Image: Press
Does Memory V sound authentic?
Visual modifications aside, Memory V’s modelled innards are a close match to the vintage hardware, so-much-so that the synth comes with the original’s entire preset collection… all 100 of them! Sadly, I don’t have a Memorymoog kicking around my studio so can’t make a direct comparison, but the sound matches up well to the many recordings and videos that are out there. Of course, no two Memorymoogs would sound exactly the same anyway!
I’m old enough to remember the early eighties, and listening to those presets is like being transported back to that time when sounds like this were interesting and novel, but my modern ears don’t find these sounds so appealing. Yes, they’re rich and fat and cutting and creamy, and all the other things we expect from a Moog, but they’re authentic to the point of sounding dowdy and old fashioned.
Thankfully, and true to form, Arturia hasn’t stopped at recreating the original instrument, retrofitting Memory V with modern features that give the synth a thoroughly contemporary and exciting voice, all without sacrificing the unique, and sometimes quirky, qualities of the original. Some of these changes are relatively minor, such as the option to double the polyphony to 12 voices, the ability to switch the filter from the standard 24dB/octave slope to a gentler 12dB/octave, and optional bass compensation for the resonance control. But some have a far greater impact, adding entirely new synthesis tools to Memory V’s vintage core.
Envelope modulator on the Memory V. Image: Press
Memory V’s modern modulation
The first of these is the addition of three modulation slots, each able to load any of five modulators taken directly from Arturia’s flagship synth, Pigments.
Envelope provides a graphical ADSR envelope with variable curves between nodes, velocity sensitivity, and the ability to delay the attack phase by up to four seconds. The Function modulator creates a curve that can also operate as an envelope, or can be looped for a more LFO-like outcome. Curves can be intricately shaped by hand, and there’s a library of common shapes included for loading.
Random does exactly what it says, and is perfect for producing sample-and-hold effects and to apply unpredictability to synth parameters.
The last pair are essentially pattern sequencers. Voice Modulator provides one such pattern per synth voice, stepping through the sequence with successive key presses. It’s ideal for mimicking the subtle voice circuit variations of analogue synths. Finally, Mod Sequencer creates repeating patterns with which to modulate parameters.
There’re a number of real-time modulation sources too and, as with the continuous modulators, these are assigned via simple drag-and-drop. Mod wheel, keyboard tracking, key-on and key-off velocity, channel aftertouch and MPE Slide are all supported.
Additionally, there’s a set of four macro controllers. By default these use the same vague names across all presets – Brightness, Timbre, Time and Movement – but these can be changed on a per-patch basis, and you can of course use them to drive whatever parameters you like.
Function modulator on the Memory V. Image: Press
Other enhancements on Memory V
Unsurprisingly, Arturia has added a comprehensive effect section to Memory V. The four effect slots can operate in send or insert mode, and can choose from 18 effects, again taken directly from Pigments. There are reverbs, delays, a wide selection of filters, EQ, distortions, and modulation effects. The collection also includes a couple of effects modelled on classic hardware, namely Flanger BL-20 and Chorus JUN-6 (a Roland chorus on a Moog synth? What next, cats lying down with dogs..?).
Last, but by no means least, there’s the polyphonic and polyrhythmic Multi-Arp. This runs up to four simultaneous arpeggiator lines, each having its own note pattern, rhythmic pattern, gating, length and synchronisation. The novel interface breaks things down into three sections: Arp defines the note pattern (there are 30 to choose from), Rhythm the rhythmic pattern, and Note defines gate, velocity and note repeat.
Each section has its own visualisation and settings, two of which are intuitive and self-explanatory. The Arp visualisation, however, uses patterns drawn on a five-by-five grid of dots to give a loose visual representation of a note pattern. But it’s too loose, the visual pattern often bearing little resemblance to the note pattern. There’s also no means to program custom patterns, which is disappointing.
Thankfully, a more concrete real-time readout of the notes is shown along the bottom of the Multi-Arp panel and, if all else fails, individual arpeggio lines can be soloed and/or disabled so that you can focus on just the line(s) you’re interested in.
Despite my gripes, I really enjoy working with this arpeggiator. It just begs to be fiddled with, and the results of that fiddling are always fascinating, usually complex, and often inspirational. Polyrhythms are a doddle, you can dial in velocity and gate randomness, various arpeggio parameters can be modulated, and you can even force arpeggios to match a chosen key and scale.
Effects on the Memory V. Image: Press
Should I get Arturia Memory V?
Once again, Arturia has breathed new life into an old synth that few of us would otherwise get our mitts on. Memory V oozes classic synth sensibilities and delivers an authentic Moog-like sound – why, you can almost smell the heady aroma of dust being baked on hot circuitry!
Such raw authenticity may not excite contemporary ears (although synth wave producers will love it), but Arturia’s additions bring the synth bang up to date, and make Memory V a far more versatile and satisfying instrument than the original could ever hope to be.
Multi-Arp on the Memory V. Image: Press
Key Features

Plugin instrument for VST, AU and AAX hosts
100 original Memorymoog presets
200 all-new presets
3 oscillators blending square, saw and triangle waves
Option to double original 6-voice polyphony to 12-voice
Oscillator 2 to Oscillator 1 syncing
Unison mode with detune
Vintage dial for mimicking aging hardware
Model of original discrete Moog ladder filter
Optional 12dB/octave filter slope
Optional filter resonance bass compensation
Dedicated ADSR envelopes for amp and filter
4-channel Multi-Arp polyphonic arpeggiator
Effects stage with 4 processing slots
3 slots for hosting advanced Pigments modulators (Envelope,
Function, Random, Voice Modulator, Mod Sequencer)
MPE Slide support

The post Arturia Memory V turns the rare vintage Memorymoog into a modern synth appeared first on MusicTech.

Maniac Audio DarkQProDarkQPro — Flagship Parametric Equalizer. The flagship of the Maniac Audio EQ line — a no-compromise, modern parametric equalizer built for surgical precision and creative tone-shaping in equal measure. Up to 24 bands, dynamic EQ on every band, spectral dynamics, M/S processing, real-time analyzer, undo/redo, and over 30 factory presets. Band engine: Up to 24 fully independent bands — each with its own frequency, gain, Q, filter type, slope, and dynamic behavior. 7 filter shapes: Bell, Low Shelf, High Shelf, Low Cut, High Cut, Notch, Tilt Shelf. 5 slope options: 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 dB/oct (with up to 16-stage cascade for flat-top 96 dB/oct bells). Filter curve types: Digital, Butterworth, Linkwitz-Riley. Per-band Stereo Mode: Stereo / Left / Right / Mid / Side. Dynamic EQ on every band: Per-band threshold, attack (default 60 ms), release (default 200 ms), range. Upward, downward, and bidirectional compression modes. Auto Threshold for hands-free dynamic shaping. Custom sidechain frequency per band — detector listens at a different frequency than the filter. Spectral Dynamic mode — 32-band per-frequency dynamics, each frequency moves independently for transparent, surgical dynamic control. Spectral Target mode — visual frequency targeting (FabFilter-style). Phase modes: Zero Latency — minimum-latency RBJ biquad implementation. Natural — analog-matched Orfanidis prototype (musical phase response, oversampled internally). Read More

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