Splice has now integrated with Pro Tools as part of a “game-changing” updateSplice is now available directly within Pro Tools as part of a “pivotal” new upgrade, meaning users now have access to its loops, FX, and one-shots without leaving the DAW.
The integration arrives as Avid launches the Pro Tools 2025.6 update. It also delivers MIDI improvements, an AI-driven Speech-to-Text tool, an expanded ARA ecosystem, more tightly integrated ADR and reconform workflows, plus a new in-app dashboard.

READ MORE: These free music-making apps for iPhone and Android are a must-have for creators

To use Splice within Pro Tools, music makers can simply drag audio clips from the Pro Tools timeline directly into Splice’s AI-powered “Search with Sound” panel to match samples by rhythm, key and tempo. You can also preview the samples and then drag them back into your session. There are over 2,500 free samples to experiment with, but you can unlock the full library via a monthly paid subscription if you wish.
Kenna Hilburn, SVP, Product at Avid, comments, “Whether producers and artists are sketching out ideas, building out tracks, or applying final touches, Pro Tools’ Splice integration provides a more powerful environment for creating music – giving users the ability to quickly find the perfect sound while staying in their creative flow.”
Kenny Ochoa, SVP of Content at Splice, also adds: “Putting Splice directly into the creative workflow is core to our mission. This integration makes it easier than ever for Pro Tools users to access our AI-powered discovery and world-class sound library – right where they’re making music.”

As for other enhancements arriving via the update, smoother MIDI creation now means that key editing tools are integrated directly into the MIDI Editor so you don’t have to switch windows. The new Speech-to-Text AI engine also helps to accelerate dialogue and music editing, and you can now search any audio file via a dedicated transcript window for speech/lyric information.
Avid’s expansion of the Pro Tools’ ARA ecosystem also brings “tighter, faster and more flexible” integration with key partners. Users can now experiment with Waves’ Sync Vx to align multiple vocal tracks, and Dreamtonics Synthesizer V – a tool for generating and sculpting vocal tracks by sketching out melodies and writing lyrics, offering a collection of recorded vocals which are licensed from real singers.
To view a full round-up of all the new features available with the Pro Tools 2025.6 software update, head over to Avid. 
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Stranger Things composer Michael Stein gets hands-on with the Moog MessengerYou’ve probably heard Michael Stein’s music. Outside the world of screen composing nerds, his name might not have the instant recognition of a Zimmer or Elfman but, alongside his writing partner, Kyle Dixon, his score for Netflix’s Stranger Things has racked up over a billion hours of listening time.
The duo’s retro synth scoring style has gone beyond being an intrinsic part of The Duffer Brothers’ smash-hit show. Along the way, it earned the composers a Grammy, an Emmy, and a slot performing alongside a host of luminary composers at the inaugural edition of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ new composer-centric music festival, Future Ruins. It should come as no surprise, then, that when Moog was scouting for someone to trust with its as-yet-unreleased Messenger synthesizer, Stein seemed like a safe pair of hands.
A compact-powerhouse-monosynth that promises classic analogue sounds and all the modern comforts, the synth community’s anticipation amped up around its early June release. Stein, however, had already heard the Messenger loud and clear.

How the Moog Messenger became Stein’s all-in-one synth
Initially, Stein says he set out to write some original music that would feature the new synth, but ultimately created an entire track using nothing but the Messenger. “It was very different; an edge-case kind of scenario,” Stein recalls of the writing process. “I was playing chords on other instruments, playing through the filter on the Messenger just to figure out the mood – but once I started recording, I just mono multi-tracked everything.
“Some of the chords were probably seven or eight notes,” Stein continues. “I didn’t even know if it would work as a poly synth, but I’d start with a sound, do a four minute pass, and then it’d like ‘okay, I hear it coming together.’ Just to evolve it layer by layer was a really fun way to work, honestly.”
You can hear the results of that process accompanying Messenger’s trippy promo video above. There’s rich bass tones, sci-fi leads, and pulsing percussion, but also some top-tier sound design – such as the surreal bird chirps you can hear in the track’s quieter moments. “I did all of the foley and sound effects on the Messenger, and I wouldn’t actually have been able to do that with a lot of the other synths I have,” remarks Stein. “There’s just this versatility to the filter and the architecture of the feedback and resonance boost. For a lot of those sounds, I didn’t even use the oscillators; I used everything as an FM source to the filter and then used the filter as a resonator and played the pitches of the foley on the keys.”
Image: Moog
Stein says that after spending time with Messenger, he’d now consider himself an advocate for the instrument. “It does a lot of things that I would maybe go to a modular for,” Stein says of its capabilities. “I was doing a lot of very active FM percussion with the sequencer, and that’s something I would do on the modular first, but I can achieve those results faster on this.
“To make something driving and repetitive, you have to introduce a lot of nuance to animate the sound over time,” he continues. “So, the ability to modulate the decay or the attack allows you to get nuanced expression into the patch. I can make a sound like that on the Messenger in, like, a minute. If I patched it on the modular, I’d be there 30 minutes later, still tweaking and getting lost. And I can’t keep a modular patch up very long, so I’m just gonna destroy it within a couple of days or a week. And then it’s gone.”
Michael Stein and Moog: A history
Of course, this is far from Stein’s first outing with Moog. After discovering synthesisers in his early twenties and getting “kind of obsessed”, the composer says he’s owned a number of the company’s instruments. His initial attraction to the brand? The bass, of course. “They’re always able to go one note lower and keep the harmonic content of a sub bass,” Stein enthuses. “Most things, once you go below C, it starts to disappear. On every Moog, you can go down two steps lower. You can go to A, and it still sounds harmonically there. It doesn’t flub.”
Over the years, those unbeatable bass tones have repeatedly found their way into Stranger Things, with the Micro Moog providing pads, sweeps, and rises on the show’s first season, while a Minimoog was brought on board to add some 70s prog vibes in season two. However, it’s the Mother 32 that gets cited as the most prolifically used Moog throughout the series.

“The Mother 32 has been a very, very relevant synth on Stranger Things scores,” states Stein. “It does a thing where, if you have two of them and you set their sequence time or the pattern link differently, you get these rolling, evolving, kind of Tangerine Dream style polyrhythmic sequences. They can just roll through a scene and keep it moving.”
Analogue warmth has become synonymous with Stranger Things’ most famous musical moments, and with Stein’s work as a composer more generally. “I like the interaction with it,” he says of his lifelong connection to analogue. “I tend not to save a lot of patches, I like starting from a blank canvas rather than a preset. Also, there’s something about the tuning, where you naturally have to tune them all together, and it’s based on how you feel. I like dissonance a lot, so when everything is perfect, it doesn’t feel right to me. Really, it’s just a lot easier to get what I want with analogue equipment.”
Inside Stein’s studio: The hybrid analogue-digital hub powering Stranger Things and SURVIVE
That love of analogue is evident from his recently renovated studio, which bristles with an impressive amount of patch cables, dials, rack units, and general gadgetry. At the same, Stein makes clear that he’s not an “analogue purist”, and regularly makes use of digital tools as part of his process and in the design of his studio.
“Everything has to get to the computer at some point,” Stein concedes. “So that’s easily the hub. My studio is designed so that there’s no limitation on what it can’t do, which means it takes a long time to set up. I like communication from every direction: I can get CV from the computer, all the synths can now talk back to the computer for their MIDI. I believe your studio is like an instrument itself, you have to play the room.”
We’re curious, how does a small form factor synth like Messenger slot into such a packed workspace? “I’m actually a big fan of it, and I like the form factor,” he readily replies. “It’s small and I can move it around. It reminds me very much of my Micromoog. But, because it’s got two oscillators, it’s more like a Multimoog, and then it’s got all these crazy modern probability stuff that is very now.”
Not only is the form factor and feature set a draw card for Stein, but he says one of the Messenger’s biggest strengths is its versatility. “It’s kind of a chameleon,” Stein says after a moment’s thought. “It’s somewhat neutral. It sounds like a Moog, the envelopes are snappy, and it’s got very good routing. But I like that it doesn’t have some built-in saturation or super-acidy filter where it can’t be used for everything.”
Image: Moog
What Stranger Things superfans need to know about Season 5’s musical return
When he’s not in the studio scoring alongside Kyle Dixon, the pair also make up half of the Texas-based instrumental-electronic band, SURVIVE. “It’s a little different,” Stein says of his work across the group’s four albums. “It’s instrumental, but there’s no picture, so it’s not like scoring. You need to put in a lot of little sounds and production techniques so that, sonically, it tells its own story.”
Stein says the group are sitting on easily an album’s worth of material and hopes to get it out sometime soon. However, the vast majority of his time and attention, naturally, is focused on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.
“We’re in it,” he says of the workload. “Deep in the process and working every day, 6 to 7 days a week.”
While the composer can’t give any details regarding the plot, he hints at a musical palette that is coming full circle. “[Sonically] it has a lot of ties to the last season,” Stein allows. “It’s kind of a continuation, but it also definitely feels like it’s arching back to earlier seasons as well.”
That doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of surprises, and Stein emphasises that the music will break out in new ways. “We’re always trying to reinvent how we approach various scenarios,” the composer affirms. “If we’re revisiting themes, then we want to make them new. So, there’s the horror stuff, the action stuff, the cute stuff, and there’s also a lot of stuff we still have no idea about – because we just aren’t there yet.”
With all possibilities on the table, it’s safe to assume that fans can expect Stein and Dixon’s score to continue breaking new ground while delivering those oh-so-nostalgic arpeggios, sizzling sweeps, and warbling pads. Who knows – we might even hear a Messenger in there somewhere.
Learn more about the Moog Messenger at moogmusic.com.
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Avid unveil Pro Tools 2025.6 Pro Tools 2025.6 features integration with Splice, a new AI-powered Speech-to-Text function, support for a number of industry-leading post-production tools, MIDI Editor improvements and much more. 

Splice x Pro Tools: Unlocking a new era of seamless creativity
Splice is now integrated into Pro Tools—discover how to search, filter, and audition Splice sounds, all synced to your project’s key and tempo.

Electric car brand to introduce the sounds of Abbey Road Studios to its vehiclesElectric car brand Polestar is set to introduce an Abbey Road Studios Mode to some of its audio systems via an over-the-air software update.
Inspired by the iconic recording studio and described as a “brand-new audio experience”, the new audio mode will be available to owners of the Polestar 3 SUV, exclusively for those fitted with the optional Bowers & Wilkins audio system.

READ MORE: New recording studio by Abbey Road, Adidas and Co-op offers “decades of audio expertise and cutting-edge gear”

Abbey Road Studios Mode brings four new sound presets, as well as an additional Producer mode which lets users tailor the sound to their liking using simple controls to alter the tonality and ambience in real time.
Each preset “draws on the sound of the control rooms and live spaces whilst taking inspiration from the studios’ original EMI-era equipment”. Each of these modes have been curated and designed by the studios’ engineers.
The four key modes include Intimate, Open, Energised, and Expansive. The Intimate preset “evokes the intimacy of sitting in the producer’s chair in the studio control room”, and delivers a warm and detailed listening experience inspired by vintage sounds. The Open preset captures the essence of the studio environment where the music is actually performed, so playback sounds as if you’re right among the artists.
Both Energised and Expansive modes are inspired by the studio’s live room, with the former providing lively playback which is “broad, energetic, and engaging”, and the latter “immersing the listener in the ambience” of the space, enhancing the depth and dimension.

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Michael Lohscheller, Polestar CEO, comments: “The Bowers & Wilkins sound system in Polestar 3 is already world class, but this new Abbey Road Studios Mode takes it to another level.
“Its ability to deliver an audio experience so closely inspired by the Abbey Road Studios’ sonic signature means you’d swear you were right there in the legendary London building, not driving a performance SUV. And to be able to deliver this functionality directly to our customers in an overnight OTA update can only be considered something of a smash hit.”
Find out more via Polestar, or learn about Abbey Road Studios.
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Samplab releases Resynthesizer AI-Powered Sample Rebuilder Plugin
Samplab has released Resynthesizer, an AI-powered plugin that transforms one-shot samples into playable instruments using an on-device synthesis engine. Resynthesizer takes a unique approach by analyzing your audio and rebuilding it from scratch. The plugin separates the harmonic and percussive elements of a sample and lets you shape each one independently. You can adjust parameters [...]
View post: Samplab releases Resynthesizer AI-Powered Sample Rebuilder Plugin

91% of creators say they use AI in some form during their creative process, per new Epidemic Sound reportEpidemic Sound – a prominent platform for licensing music and sound for online creators – has shared a new report on the landscape of content creation, and how music continues to be a key factor in creator success.
According to the recently released The Future of the Creator Economy Report 2025, “94 per cent of content creators say that music contributes to content’s success.” The report shows music’s influence in other areas such as strengthening brand relationships, driving audience engagement, and boosting discoverability.

READ MORE: Is UK music retail heading for a monopoly? This YouTuber thinks so – he explains why

Elsewhere, the report touches on how content creators are using artificial intelligence to fuel their creative process. It says that 91 per cent of creators use AI in some form, up 7 per cent from 84 per cent in the 2024 report. Of the creators using AI, 43 per cent use it for music discovery or adaptation. The report does not state how much creators are using AI for pure music creation.
The report also says that creators are discerning when choosing music for different types of content. 27 per cent of creators prioritise songs with strong hooks for short-form content, and the same percentage implements consistent songs with a good flow for longer-form content. One overarching quality is emotionally rich music, which has a strong presence in both short and long form.
A high metric was seen in relation to confidence about music licensing. 93 per cent of all creators feel they have a decent understanding of the process, ensuring that artists behind the music will receive their fair share.
Oscar Höglund, CEO and Co-Founder of Epidemic Sound, says: “The creator economy has come of age. Today’s creators are more ambitious, strategic, and empowered than ever before, leveraging everything from direct-to-fan monetisation to AI-powered production tools to build sustainable, audience-first businesses. Our latest report shows just how crucial music is in this landscape as a driving force behind engagement, discovery, and emotional connection. At Epidemic Sound, we’re proud to help creators soundtrack their success and navigate this evolving ecosystem with clarity, creativity, and control.”
View the full report at Epidemic Sound.
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Is UK music retail heading for a monopoly? This YouTuber thinks so – he explains whyGAK, Bax Music, and now PMT. Major music retailers in the UK are having a rough go of it, as all three of those major brands have closed this year. Notably, PMT was the fourth-largest UK music retailer by revenue, with dozens of stores throughout England and Wales selling everything from guitars and drums to headphones and DJ equipment.
But the rise in online shopping and the ability of online-first retailers to offer customers lower prices via fewer overheads otherwise associated with brick-and-mortar retail have contributed to its increasingly unsustainable business model, and it just entered administration last week.

READ MORE: “Analogue in all the right ways: fast, expressive, and alive”: Universal Audio introduces Anthem Analog Synthesizer

For these reasons, according to YouTube music industry commentator KDH, the music retail business is “heading towards a monopoly”.
“Physical stores will always have more overhead than a warehouse that can buy in bulk and ship out. I said it two months ago back when GAK went under, and I believe it,” KDH says. “I remember one comment was laughing at it. But every day it’s getting truer and truer. We are heading towards a monopoly, which is not good for the end consumer.”
KDH says larger retailers are now able to consolidate and grow their market share via their ability to buy from suppliers in bulk, which leads to lower prices for their customers, something smaller retailers are unable to provide.
One brand that continues to survive in the current market is Behringer, which focuses on sound equipment and DJ gear. Behringer is a subsidiary of a major conglomerate in music products called Music Tribe. Other subsidiaries include Coolaudio, Tannoy, and Lab Gruppen.
With the support of Music Tribe, which is worth over $2 billion, Behringer was able to court “Super Partners” in prominent retailers like Sweetwater that buy wholesale orders of products. As with any retail environment, wholesale amounts to lower prices for individual items, savings that are passed on to the consumer.
“As small retailers close down, and now even the bigger retailers close down because they can’t compete with online prices, well, what’s gonna happen?” KDH adds. “You’re gonna be left with one or two who might have started out cheap, but then when there’s no competition, raise the prices up.”
KDH goes on to predict that a monopoly won’t sprout up overnight, but that it is impending:
“That probably will happen. It’s not gonna happen immediately, but it’s gonna happen in, I don’t know, 10 years.”
“A store like PMT whose annual turnover is tens of millions is not closing because kids don’t want to play music or people aren’t buying music gear,” he continues. “It’s closing because it can’t compete against online.”
Watch KDH’s full analysis of the situation below:

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Hit Songwriter/Producer on Publishing Deals and Artists Taking Credit for Songs They Didn’t WriteThis week, Ari is joined by Justin Gammella to discuss the realities of professional songwriting, music publishing, and AI in music.

Sonicware release LIVEN Evoke Sonicware's latest LIVEN synth has been built around a new Acoustronic Flux Oscillator engine that creates sounds using a blend of acoustic and electronic sources.

AllMusic Feature - Albums Released on This DayA fun item that many users may not know about is our "Albums Released On This Day" feature on the homepage of AllMusic. Each day we highlight albums throughout history that were released on this date, from rock, to jazz, to hip-hop, to classical and every genre in between. Scroll down to see today's albums.

25% Bitcoin price rally set to follow today’s correction if history repeatsA Bitcoin price drop below $102,000 could be followed by a swift 25% rally to new all-time highs.

V-MODA Introduces M-100 PRO and M-10 HeadphonesV-MODA announced on Tuesday that it has added two models to its respected lineup of DJ headphones used by top artists around the world.

"The M-100 PRO is the new flagship in the long-running M-100 series for professional DJs, updated with next-generation sound quality and features," they said in a press release. "The M-10 offers authentic V-MODA performance in a streamlined design for up-and-coming DJs and electronic music performers."

Details directly from V-MODA follow

M-100 PRO Headphones

Since its introduction in 2012, the V-MODA M-100 series has been loved by legions of DJs worldwide for its stylish design and distinctive sonic character. The M-100 PRO carries on the M-100 legacy with evolved tuning and many improvements based on community feedback. Pro performers require top-quality headphones, and the M-100 PRO meets their needs with outstanding sound, comfort, and durability.

The M-100 PRO features ceramic-coated drivers and bass ducts for crystal-clear reproduction of kick drums, hi-hats, and other sounds that define the groove. The closed-back design and comfortable memory foam ear pads provide a wide, punchy soundstage and excellent sound isolation while performing in loud clubs and on booming festival stages.

Swivel ear cups extend the comfort, enabling seamless switching between stereo monitoring and one-ear listening for monitoring other sources and engaging with audiences. Detachable coil (3 m) and straight (1.5 m) cables are included to suit different workflows and gear setups.

The M-100 PRO features the rugged metal frame and signature shields of previous models, enhanced for even greater durability. The foldable design and included carrying pouch take up minimal space while traveling, and the ear cups are now detachable, allowing users to purchase replacements as needed.

M-10 Headphones

The M-10 embodies the distinctive V-MODA look and sound that’s been a DJ favorite for over a decade. Replacing the popular Crossfade LP2 model, these beat-tuned phones provide the deep bass and high-end clarity needed to hone DJ skills and deliver mesmerizing performances.

The M-10’s closed-back, over-ear configuration produces an immersive soundstage with excellent sound isolation. Large ear cups with memory foam cushions offer extended comfort, while the solid build will stand up to years of intense music sessions. Detachable coil (3 m) and straight (1.5 m) cables are included, along with a carrying pouch to protect the phones while on the go.

Availability & Pricing

The V-MODA M-100 PRO will be available for USD $299.99 and the M-10 for USD $179.99, both in mid-Q3. 

To learn more about the M-100 PRO and M-10 Headphones, visit Roland.com.The post V-MODA Introduces M-100 PRO and M-10 Headphones first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

OpenAI’s $200M DoD contract could squeeze frenemy MicrosoftThe contract could put the model maker in competition with the OpenAI services that Microsoft wants to sell to the DoD.

Emergence Audio Flute TexturesFlute Textures is an innovative virtual instrument designed to transform the traditional flute into an expressive and evolving cinematic soundscape. This Kontakt-based library redefines what a flute can be, moving beyond conventional articulations to offer rich, atmospheric, and unpredictable textures ideal for film scoring, ambient music, and modern sound design. Through meticulous sampling and advanced engine capabilities, Flute Textures breathes life into compositions with its unique sonic palette. At the core of Flute Textures lies Emergence Audio's proprietary Infinite Motion Engine 2.0 and Non-Static Sampling. The Infinite Motion Engine allows for dynamic and continuously evolving sounds, ensuring that compositions remain fresh and inspiring. Non-Static Sampling infuses each note with subtle, unique variations over an extended period, capturing the natural complexity and richness of live instrumentation and creating a constantly evolving sonic landscape. The library was crafted from deeply sampled performances by renowned flutist Veronika Vitazkova, capturing every nuance and blending organic breathiness with profound atmospheric depth. This combination of traditional acoustic beauty and cutting-edge sound design makes Flute Textures an essential tool for composers and producers seeking to explore new sonic frontiers. Flute Textures provides a wide array of sonic possibilities, ranging from gloomy dystopian drones and sparkling trills to evocative swells and rhythmic pulses. It includes over 170 carefully designed presets that offer instant inspiration, covering diverse genres and emotional contexts. Beyond the presets, users have access to more than 100 parameters to craft their own unique sounds, including various effects like convolution reverb, delay, chorus, phaser, rotator, stereo imager, distortion, saturation, LoFi, and tape saturation. The intuitive interface and NKS compatibility ensure a seamless workflow, allowing for quick integration into existing studio setups and providing a powerful, yet accessible, tool for creative exploration. Features: Cinematic Flute Instrument: Transforms the traditional flute into an evolving, cinematic sound source. Infinite Motion Engine 2.0: Enables dynamic and continuously evolving soundscapes. Non-Static Sampling : Infuses each note with subtle, unpredictable variations for organic depth and realism. Deeply Sampled Performances: Features meticulous recordings by flutist Veronika Vitazkova. Versatile Sound Palette: Capable of creating drones, trills, swells, rhythmic pulses, and atmospheric textures. Extensive Presets: Includes over 170 inspiring presets to jumpstart your creative process. Customizable Parameters: Over 100 parameters for detailed sound design and modulation. Integrated Effects: Built-in effects such as convolution reverb, delay, chorus, distortion, and more. Kontakt Player Compatible: Runs in the free Kontakt Player or the full version of Kontakt. NKS Compatible: Offers seamless integration with Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol and Maschine hardware. Lightweight Download: A compact library size of 5.3 GB. https://youtu.be/Cmlm82-Q0fE Read More