Sonora Cinematic releases FREE Drift cinematic expansion pack for Audiomodern Soundbox
Developer Sonora Cinematic has released Drift, a free cinematic expansion pack for Audiomodern’s Soundbox. For those unfamiliar, Soundbox is a customizable MPE sampler that aims to give users ultimate control over any sound. If you have an MPE controller, such as a Roli Seaboard, you can adjust multiple parameters simultaneously in real-time based on the [...]
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NIVA ’25 Day 2: Indie Live Music Community Looks ForwardNIVA '25 Day 2 was filled with actionable insights, community building and meaningful discussions about the future of independent live music. The annual convention of the National Independent Venue Association continues in Milwaukee through Wednesday.
The post NIVA ’25 Day 2: Indie Live Music Community Looks Forward appeared first on Hypebot.

MIDI Innovation Awards: Deadline approaching The deadline for entires into the fifth annual MIDI Innovation Awards is now just two weeks away.

DistroKid now lets you upload unlimited full-length music videos to SpotifyThe prominent music distribution platform, DistroKid, has announced an expansion to its video distribution service, DistroVid. Artists can now use it to upload unlimited full-length music videos to Spotify.
Unlike before, when Spotify only associated looping video clips with music releases, artists can have their music videos within their Spotify profiles, allowing fans to engage with more forms of their content output.

READ MORE: YouTuber explains why Aphex Twin evokes nostalgia across generations, including those who weren’t alive during his heyday

Currently, Music Videos on Spotify is in the beta stage. The feature is not available in the United States or Canada, but Premium subscribers in 98 other markets, including the UK, can watch videos. The update allows users to easily switch between songs and their associate music videos by simply tapping the “Switch to video” button above the playing song.
“DistroVid makes it easy for independent artists to get their music videos everywhere, with unlimited uploads and zero commission. We’re excited to now include Spotify as a destination,” says Phil Bauer, President of DistroKid. “I’m so impressed by how seamlessly video has been integrated – listeners can instantly switch between the music video and audio track with a single tap, making it feel like a native, fluid part of the Spotify experience.”
Launched in 2013, DistroKid has grown into the world’s largest distributor of independent music. DistroVid was added to the service in 2022, giving artists the ability to upload music videos to multiple DSPs, including Apple Music, Vevo, Tidal, Boomplay, and now Spotify. The service costs $99 per year, and DistroKid takes no royalties from artists for any uploads.
“As an independent artist, growing my career is all about finding authentic mediums for discovery,” says NYC rapper Marlon Craft. “DistroVid and the ability to add music videos to Spotify creates an opportunity – if the visuals can live where people discover and listen to the music, it can allow visual art to market the music itself in a way that is super direct and impactful.”
Find out more information at DistroVid.
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“High-quality audio at an affordable price point”: KRK’s new Kreate Series monitors are aimed at producers, podcasters and content creatorsKRK has launched its new Kreate Series studio monitors, which introduce three new two-way monitors designed to suit a range of audio applications, aimed at “producers, podcasters and content creators alike”.
The Kreate Series – comprising three-, five- and eight-inch models – aims to deliver playback with “clarity and accuracy”. It does this via woven glass fiber cone woofers – which provide “amazing dynamics, good damping and tight and punchy mids and lows” – and Hybrid Class D and Class AB amplification for superior power and headroom.

READ MORE: Meet the Solid State Logic Oracle – a revolutionary new analogue console with instant recall and reset capabilities

The monitors also feature woven-textile dome tweeters with neodymium motors, which expands the frequency range of the Kreate 5 and 8 models to up to 40 kHz and that of the Kreate 3 to 33 kHz.
Credit: KRK Systems
KRK has also fitted the Kreate Series with acoustic boundary correction and tuning EQ, which can be used to minimise any issues with your acoustic environment. In terms of audio input, Kreate monitors can stream music wirelessly, via Bluetooth, or through balanced and unbalanced analogue inputs.
The trio of monitors are currently available in two different variations: black and yellow or latte and black. The Kreate 3 model comes as a pair, while the larger Kreate 5 and Kreate 8 are available separately. With the selection of sizes and colourways on offer, KRK hopes to attract producers working with a wide range of setups.
Credit: KRK Systems
“The Kreate Series offers professional-grade sound and flexible functionality that empowers emerging artists, producers, podcasters, and all creators to embrace high-quality audio at an affordable price point,” says Sterling Doak, Senior Director of Marketing for Gibson, KRK’s parent company.
“The monitors fill a vital space in the KRK lineup and are ideal for those who demand quality without compromise. As the new introductory solution within the portfolio, the Kreate Series will enable users to begin their creative journey with confidence.”
A pair of Kreate 3 monitors will set you back by £138, while a single Kreate 5 or Kreate 8 costs £129 or £173, respectively. For more info, head to KRK Systems.
The post “High-quality audio at an affordable price point”: KRK’s new Kreate Series monitors are aimed at producers, podcasters and content creators appeared first on MusicTech.

WA-CX24 stereo valve mic from Warm Audio The WA-CX24 is said to deliver an authentic recreation of AKG's praised design, but with a price tag far below that of surviving original models. 

Paul Koehler: Full-time Drummer AND Major Artist ManagerPaul Koehler is both the drummer for the iconic emo hardcore band Silverstein and a music industry entrepreneur. In addition to touring and recording full-time for the past 25 years,. Continue reading
The post Paul Koehler: Full-time Drummer AND Major Artist Manager appeared first on Hypebot.

YouTuber explains why Aphex Twin evokes nostalgia across generations, including those who weren’t alive during his heydayIn his latest video, content creator Meditations for the anxious mind dives into why Aphex Twin has become a symbol of nostalgia across multiple generations, including Gen Z, who weren’t alive when he released his seminal albums: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992), Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994), or …I Care Because You Do (1995).
“Aphex Twin doesn’t evoke nostalgia for a bygone past, but rather for a future that never arrived,” Frankie McNamara says.

READ MORE: Meet the Solid State Logic Oracle – a revolutionary new analogue console with instant recall and reset capabilities

McNamara begins the video from the perspective of those who were around during Aphex Twin’s – real name Richard David James – heyday. Specifically, “cool dads”, who he says now play with their kids where they once took acid while listening to Aphex Twin.
“Clinging on to the last crumbs of their cultural capital, they proudly wear their Selected Ambient Works merch as a quiet mating ritual to alert other dads who don’t have time to take pingers anymore, and work as brand strategists with pension funds, hustling hard for a midsize startup that pretends to love the environment,” McNamara says alongside several men who look to be in their 40s or older.
Then, McNamara shifts to Gen Z, claiming they long to live with the techno-optimism James provided and that those “cool dads” were able to enjoy when they were growing up:
“Gen-Z, disillusioned from the culture they grew up with and unable to define the present moment, have become nostalgic for a past they weren’t even a part of. A past where the future seemed possible. Where subcultures were based in identities rather than hashtags and aesthetics.”
McNamara goes on to comment on James’ music specifically:  “When music wasn’t made to be a trending TikTok sound on a ‘Get Ready with Me’ video, but to melt your sense of time and space in a field somewhere.”
James’ music champions obscurity and rejection of the mainstream, which McNamara connects to his observations about Gen-Z, who grew up with their entire lives on display in corporate social media applications. He contends that the entire generation longs to be “hidden,” anonymous to all except those with whom they can relate on aspects like a love of Aphex Twin.
“Aphex Twin’s weird, unbranded aesthetic offers an escape from hypervisibility,” McNamara says.
But even someone as rebellious and groundbreaking as James still performs at the occasional mega-fest like Coachella or Field Day. As leftfield as Aphex Twin is, the music still serves as a means of unity. As long as people are uniting through their values, culture will persist and advance.

The post YouTuber explains why Aphex Twin evokes nostalgia across generations, including those who weren’t alive during his heyday appeared first on MusicTech.

Sampleson’s Tactile turns your mouse and trackpad into a “cinematic” software instrumentSampleson has released its new plugin, Tactile, which allows any sound to become a cinematic soundscape using your mouse or trackpad. As the name suggests, the sense of touch can become a primary engine for music creation.
Simply take any audio file or a combination of two audio files, and drag them into Tactile’s interface. The sounds form a visual grid across an X and Y axis, which users can navigate using their mouse or trackpad to create spacious ambient mixtures of both. If you only used one sound, the same effects would be applied to the single source.

READ MORE: Meet the Solid State Logic Oracle – a revolutionary new analogue console with instant recall and reset capabilities

“Your trackpad becomes an instrument,” says Augusto Filocamo, developer at Sampleson. “Instead of triggering notes, you’re shaping sound with movement. It’s intuitive, immersive, and gives you total freedom to explore.”
Tactile’s basis for turning different audio bits into ambient sounds is granular synthesis and spectral freezing. Wherever you click on the grid, the freezer captures that specific moment, and then the movements activate two granular processors that resample sources, stretching them into the sweeping noises that define the ambient genre and cinematic textures.

Tactile can be used to individually record audio generated by the trackpad motions, or it can be integrated into a DAW, with every movement converted into parameter data.
“Whether you’re brushing across field recordings or caressing orchestral stems, each movement reveals a new sonic layer. It’s not just playback – it’s performance. Designed for ambient artists, sound designers, and explorers of texture,” Sampleson writes in the product description.
This is the latest product from Sampleson geared towards producing cinematic music, coming after the audio generator, Scaper, the analog soundscape plugin, SkyWaves, and more.
Tactile is available for purchase as a standalone app and as a plugin for macOS and Windows. The introductory rate is $29 with a regular rate of $49.
Learn more at Sampleson.
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Beats, BAYO and the OP-1: How Michaël Brun makes music that bridges culturesThis weekend on 28 June, Brooklyn-based producer and DJ Michaël Brun will be bringing his beloved BAYO show to his local venue — the Barclays Center. It’s a far cry from the event’s roots: a modest show with audiences as small as two dozen around the US and Caribbean, to a sold-out arena of 19,000. The biggest show of his life might be on his doorstep now, but the journey to this point, naturally, hasn’t been so short.
Brun moved to Indiana from Haiti 18 years ago to enrol in military school, later moving to North Carolina as a pre-med student. With serious aspirations to become a doctor, he’d only considered music as a hobby outside of school. That’s until his 2011 bootleg remix of Angus & Julius Stone’s Big Jetplane picked up traction on the practically now-vintage Hype Machine blog. He soon worked on music with Dirty South and EDM giant Hardwell, which catapulted him into the EDM scene. He’s since worked with Calvin Harris, Alicia Keys, J Balvin and Victoria Monét, and has played at festivals including EDC, Ultra, Tomorrowland, and Coachella.
“The actual experience of going to an electronic music show was always a spectacle,” says Brun. “The spectacle of a performance is such a major part of the show, which differentiates it from traditional bands. And I felt like in Haiti, everything was organic, personal and very improvisational, which was the opposite of EDM. So I just wanted to create my version of both: warm, welcoming, fun, safe, all the good things. That’s where the cultural differences were helpful. I don’t think I would have found this balance with BAYO if I hadn’t spent half my life in Haiti and the other half playing shows around the rest of the world. I’m just super grateful,” says Brun.
While preparing for BAYO’s biggest outing yet, Brun is still churning out music. The recently-released Elevate is a summer anthem made alongside collaborator Shiraze, with hints of amapiano, Caribbean rhythms and warm vocals. Often starting with stripped-down voice notes, Brun’s workflow spans continents and hotel rooms, powered by a laptop and OP-1 Field.

We catch up with the Haitian producer to unpack his studio rituals, tech essentials, and the creative philosophy behind his sound.
You’ve got to tell me more about BAYO — what am I missing out on here?
“So, if you translate BAYO from Haitian Creole, it means ‘to give’ and ‘to give it to them’. And the idea for that was always how rich Haiti’s culture is, and how little people know about it. The initial version of the show was basically taking everything from the music side, things that I worked on that I thought were really special, and putting it into the context of the show.
“We’ve had over 100 artists over the past nine years, and you never know who’s gonna show up; there are bands, DJs, there’s me and my guests that I bring out. It’s a full surprise lineup for the entire night, and we have a lot of cool elements — dance, food, videos, everything. And it’s just, it’s like you’re getting transported into the ideal day in Haiti at the beach, with your favourite music that you haven’t heard yet. So that’s like the whole premise of it. And I encourage, if you’re in New York, to come to it, but also, I think we do it across different parts of the world, so I hope everybody gets a chance to experience it.”
What does your schedule look like right now, with BAYO and planned music releases?
“There’s gonna be a couple more shows [after the Barclays Center], so I’m still prepping that and just making sure that the experience of the shows continues to feel really special. On the music side, I’m always working on a lot, but Elevate is the 12th single I’ve released with Astralwerks, and it now feels like a collection of songs that I’m really proud of. I’ll probably end up making a compilation of them so everyone can hear them in context.
“I’m just learning from every past thing I did. I really am excited to continue developing what I’ve built with BAYO into the music side of things.”
You’ve collaborated with some serious talent — how do these partnerships generally form?
“Generally, a lot of my collaborators are friends. So in the case of Shiraze and Elevate, we met at a dinner in Harlem and became friends and made Soweto [in 2018]. And we play so much FIFA [laughs], like, we’ve hung out in life a lot. It makes the actual process of making music always feel just a hang and there’s not too much pressure or expectation. That’s the best way to create.”
When you’re moving from the couch into the studio, how does that first idea come up? Are you starting with a beat or a melody—what’s the foundation?
“Yeah, for us, specifically, Shiraze and me, almost everything we’ve ever done has started with drums and a chord progression. We get that set and then build off of it. But I’ve done songs with a lot of different people in different ways. Sometimes it’s with an acoustic guitar, and then we build up production later. Sometimes it’s an already completed thought, an acapella, and then I’ll build from that. Sometimes, I have a beat that’s fully fleshed out, and I’m like, ‘Yo, what do you think of this?’ So I’ve worked in all kinds of different ways, but it’s fun to build in the room with another artist. I think there’s something magical about it.”
Michaël Brun in his studio. Image: Xander @stf.productions
What kind of setup are you working with to make sure you can get into making a track quickly when inspiration hits?
“So, for vocals, there’s this amazing Colombian producer called Mosty. He has this vocal chain with all stock [Ableton Live] plugins. And it’s so good; I’ve been using that as my starting point for vocals recently. For space, Valhalla is my go-to — VintageVerb is just so versatile across the board. So I use that on everything from vocals to drums to synths and everything in between.
“My process recently, too, is working more with audio. I just try to print MIDI to audio as fast as possible, to commit and then get crazy with it later. I don’t like keeping it so open [with MIDI], I think working with audio takes away the minutia, and keeps the vibe and the energy as a whole. But now that’s pretty much it, anything audio, whether it’s a sample, a one-shot, that’s how I build out the track. That’s what I’ve been using recently. Oh, and Teenage Engineering — I use the OP-1 Field a lot.
Is the OP-1 Field helpful just when you’re making beats on the road or when you’re in the studio, too?
“Yeah, I think it’s the size for me. The thing that’s so appealing about the Field in particular is—like, I had the original OP-1 as well, but I barely used it; I always felt like I couldn’t integrate it into my setup properly. But I was really committed! I thought, ‘This thing is so unique, maybe there’s something I’m not understanding.’ And I got the Field, and I was blown away. It’s so amazing sonically; it’s so lush. I use it as my keyboard, as synthesizer, as a drum machine, and as a MIDI controller. I basically use it as an extension of my laptop.
“I use my phone a lot for voice notes as well. The voice notes help me get the organic side. And then the laptop plus Ableton Live — that’s everything else that you could ever want, right? So it feels, it feels like a good combo between those three things.”
Michaël Brun in his studio. Image: Xander @stf.productions
It sounds like you’re able to lay down your ideas pretty quickly. Do you have any rituals or techniques to stay creative in the studio and on the road?
“Yeah, something passive is just accepting that, if I make stuff, some of it’s gonna be bad, some of it’s gonna be good, right? It’s about allowing that to happen. I think the ritual of just accepting whatever life is gonna throw at you, even outside of music, is very important, but in the context of music, it’s saying, ‘today I got nothing, but it’s fine. I’m not gonna be hard on myself. There’s always tomorrow, and I’ll try again.’ That allows me to create with a level of passion and in a very consistent way.”
With your music and BAYO, you’re kind of bridging Haitian culture with global electronic music — how intentional is that?
“To me, it’s all related. When I work with some bigger artists, I’m using techniques I learned from the more regional-specific projects to make those mainstream things feel different. And I learned that, with the general mainstream structure, the hook and simplicity are super important, so I try to remember that on the smaller projects, so they feed each other in a lot of ways. And I’m really grateful that I get to make stuff that constantly is inspiring. And it’s from, like you mentioned, some really big artists in the world, to upcoming artists that are incredibly talented, that you just haven’t heard about yet. That’s really exciting to me as a producer, as a listener, and I think it makes my music more enriching.”
The post Beats, BAYO and the OP-1: How Michaël Brun makes music that bridges cultures appeared first on MusicTech.

Icons On Screen: Unforgettable Music Videos by Women Artists from the '80s and '90sWhat did it mean to be iconic when MTV was blossoming, and the very concept of the music video was still (relatively) undefined? From powerful political statements to trailblazing innovations in art and technology, here are some of the most unforgettable music videos by women artists from the '80s and '90s.

FalconX joins Crypto.com as partner for Lynq institutional settlement networkRising institutional interest in crypto may include the settlement sector, especially stablecoins, which have seen a 55.5% growth in market cap in one year.

Grace Jones Shows Her Jazz Hands in HollywoodPhoto credit Timothy Norris, courtesy of the LA PhilharmonicOver two days in June, the Blue Note Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl saw some of the shining stars from the jazz and jazz-adjacent worlds showcase their wares. The likes of The Soul Rebels, Derrick Hodge, The Hands of Time and many more wowed a crowd of jazz heads in the gorgeous Bowl setting. On the first day, The Isley Brothers headlined but we were there for day 2 only.On the Sunday, we arrived in time for former Return to Forever bass man Stanley Clarke and his new band N 4EVER. His previous outfit were known for a progressive jazz-fusion sound that brought new fans into the jazz fold. He's continued with that theme, and his set at the Blue Note Fest was eye-opening.Photo Credit Farah Sosa, Courtesy of the LA PhilharmonicWILLOW has clearly been on a mission to stretch her legs, spread her wings and make a real go of this music lark in recent years. Her transformation from indie-alt darling to serious singer and songwriter with the ability to genuinely blend genres has been quite staggering.Her set at Blue Note was a career-spanner, though focussed on jazzier recent effort Empathogen. She got big cheers for older songs, and rose to the occasion in front of a serious music-loving audience.Photo credit Timothy Norris, courtesy of the LA PhilharmonicNobody was stealing Grace Jones' thunder though. How would that even be possible? The icon has seen so many trends come and go, and she's literally stood tall above them all.Opening with Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing," which she covered for her album of the same name back in the day, Jones played the art-pop diva throughout. Multiple costume changes that featured multiple pieces of extravagant headwear only added to the idea that Jones is a unique individual--a genuine artist who doesn't really believe in walls and has broken through many ceilings.There were other covers that she has made her own over the years: The Police's "Demolition Man" and The Pretenders' "Private Life," plus, later, Roxy Music's "Love is the Drug." All proved that her ability to blend classic soul with art-rock has benefitted her massively.Of course, "Pull Up to the Bumper" (with guest Janelle Monáe) and the closing "Slave to the Rhythm" were the highlights. But the entire set was a joy.
Edit this setlist | More Grace Jones setlists
The post Grace Jones Shows Her Jazz Hands in Hollywood first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

India’s GoKwik raised a small $13M round for a hefty leap in valuationGoKwik, an Indian startup that offers a suite of integrated e-commerce products, has raised a small round of $13 million, which it calls a “growth” round, that has boosted its valuation to $450 million pre-money. While the new funding round, led by RTP Global, is 63% smaller than its Series B of $35 million, announced […]

Universal Audio Dream '65 Reverb Amplifier The Universal Audio Dream '65 Reverb Amplifier pedal is an exquisitely engineered amp emulator designed to encapsulate the timeless tones of the iconic mid-'60s American tube combo amplifiers, famously utilized by a diverse range of artists from Muddy Waters to The Beatles. Leveraging Universal Audio's powerful dual-engine processing and world-class UAD modeling technology, the Dream '65 delivers the quintessential bold cleans, rich tube breakup, and a truly divine spring reverb and vibrato, bringing the sound of a vintage "golden unit" amplifier directly to your pedalboard or DAW. This pedal goes beyond simple emulation by offering three distinct amp voicings: Stock, Lead, and D-Tex. The "Stock" mode provides the pristine, shimmering cleans and sweet, early breakup that define the original amplifier, perfect for country, pop, and blues. The "Lead" mode introduces a more aggressive midrange punch and increased gain, ideal for searing lead lines and classic rock tones. For those seeking the legendary "Texas blues" sound, the "D-Tex" mode delivers a hot-rodded version with significantly boosted gain and midrange, reminiscent of the tones popularized by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Each of these modes benefits from an adjustable Boost control, offering up to 10dB of clean gain to further push the amplifier into overdrive, allowing for nuanced control over saturation and dynamics. A core component of the Dream '65's authenticity is its meticulously modeled spring reverb and vibrato effects. These are not merely digital approximations but faithful recreations of the tube-driven, immersive spatial qualities and lush warbling found in prized vintage units. Furthermore, the pedal incorporates Universal Audio's renowned Dynamic Speaker Modeling technology, derived from their acclaimed OX Amp Top Box. This provides a selection of classic mic and speaker combinations, allowing users to achieve album-ready direct tones for recording or live performances. With three onboard speaker/cab/mic options and additional downloadable cabs upon registration, the Dream '65 offers immense flexibility in crafting the perfect guitar tone. For extended control and customization, the UAFX Control mobile app connects via Bluetooth, providing access to an onboard noise gate, custom tones, artist presets, and the ability to fine-tune various parameters like tone stack settings, output tube bias, and power supply stiffness, mirroring the subtle characteristics of original hardware. Features: Three Authentic Amp Voicings: Stock: Replicates the classic '60s American tube combo with sparkling cleans and sweet breakup. Lead: Offers an aggressive midrange punch and increased gain for powerful lead tones. D-Tex: Provides a hot-rodded, Texas-inspired sound with significant gain and midrange boost, reminiscent of SRV's tone. Authentic Spring Reverb & Vibrato: Faithfully modeled tube-driven spring reverb and vibrato effects from a "golden unit" amplifier. Dynamic Speaker Modeling: Features meticulously captured speaker cabinet, microphone, and room tones derived from the OX Amp Top Box. Includes three onboard speaker/cab/mic options (e.g., Celestion Greenback 25W, original Oxford 12K5, Electro-Voice EVM12L). Bonus downloadable cabs available upon product registration (e.g., 4x12 UK V30, 2x12 JBF120, 1x12 Black EV12). Boost Control: Provides up to 10dB of clean gain to push the amp voicings into further overdrive. UAFX Control App Integration (Bluetooth): Access to an onboard noise gate. Custom tones and artist presets. Preset recall and archiving. Enhanced editing options for hidden parameters, including tone stack variations, output tube bias, and power supply stiffness. Versatile Tone Shaping Controls: Independent Volume, Overdrive, Output, Bass, Middle, and Treble controls, with secondary functions accessible for deeper customization. Dual-Engine Processing: Powerful UAFX dual-engine ensures realistic and responsive amp and effects modeling. Buffered Bypass: Maintains signal integrity even with long cable runs. Analog Dry-Through: Preserves the integrity of your guitar's dry signal. USB-C Connectivity: For firmware updates via computer. Rugged Construction: Built with Universal Audio's renowned craftsmanship for durability. Mono/Stereo Operation: Supports both mono and stereo setups for versatile integration. 4-Cable Mode: Allows bypassing your amplifier's preamp when the pedal is engaged, effectively adding more channels to your existing amp. Save and Access Presets: Easily save and recall your favorite tones using the right footswitch. https://youtu.be/6-GOoHbBMFU Read More