Music Business News Last Week: Equity, Rock, Super ListenersMusic business news last week included Chartmetric reports on gender roles in music and rock's latest resurgence, Spotify targets Super Listeners, and much more...
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New Music Critique: AhhmandaContact: vivavillamusic@gmail.comWeb: instagram.com/_ahhmanda_Seeking: Label, Booking, New listenersStyle: Psychedelic Rock, Alternative, IndieAhhmanda’s debut track “Holy Mountain” introduces a promising new voice in psychedelic rock. The Los Angeles-based artist leans into hazy distortion and swirling textures, crafting a moody, atmospheric sound that pulls the listener in. It’s a bold move to submit just one song for review, but it mostly paid off—“Holy Mountain” feels intentional and vibey, if still a bit raw. “I only have one song out so far (my first),” she notes, “and more to come very soon.” It’s a solid foundation that hints at a distinct artistic identity in the making.The post New Music Critique: Ahhmanda first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?Ether is showing renewed strength as tight supply, rising demand, and bullish technicals align, pushing ETH toward a possible $9,000 target.

Intel is spinning off its Network and Edge groupIntel will remain an anchor investor in the stand-alone company, which produced $5.8 billion in revenue in 2024.

Massive Aluminum Snake Casting Becomes Water Cooling Loop For PCWater cooling was once only the preserve of hardcore casemodders and overclockers. Today, it’s pretty routinely used in all sorts of performance PC builds. However, few are using large artistic castings as radiators like [Mac Pierce] is doing. 
The casting itself was inspired on the concept of the ouroboros, the snake which eats its own tail if one remembers correctly. [Mac] built a wooden form to produce a loop approximately 30″ tall and 24″ wide, before carving it into the classic snake design. The mold was then used to produce a hefty sand cast part which weighed in at just over 30 pounds.
The next problem was to figure out how to create a sealed water channel in the casting to use it as a radiator. This was achieved by machining finned cooling channels into the surface of the snake itself. A polycarbonate face plate was then produced to bolt over this, creating a sealed system. [Mac] also had to work hard to find a supply of aluminum-compatible water cooling fittings to ensure he didn’t run into any issues with galvanic corrosion.
The final product worked, and looked great to boot, even if it took many disassembly cycles to fix all the leaks. The blood-red coolant was a nice touch that really complemented the silvery aluminum. CPU temperatures weren’t as good as with a purpose-built PC radiator, but maxed out at 51 C in a heavy load test—servicable for [Mac]’s uses. The final touch was to simply build the rest of the PC to live inside the ouroboros itself—and the results were stunning.
We’ve featured a few good watercooling builds over the years. If you’ve found your own unique way to keep your hardware cool and happy, don’t hesitate to notify the tipsline!

From Concord’s $1.76 billion ABS transaction to Universal Music Group’s EU scrutiny… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest music biz headlines from the past few days, all in once place.
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Vocal comping: The 4 steps for getting perfect vocals
Learn about what vocal comping is and explore key tips and tricks you can apply to get the best final results possible.

Get VZtec Overdrive stompbox plugin for FREE
VZtec Overdrive is a plugin that emulates a hardware pedal made by the same brand. The pedal is a hybrid of several classic circuits, equipped with additional controls for gain and tone shaping. If this is within your area of interest, why not get its digital sibling for free? The plugin works with macOS, Windows, [...]
View post: Get VZtec Overdrive stompbox plugin for FREE

DamyFx Mr FlangerMr Flanger is a classic, warm modulation effect that creates a distinctive "flying" or "jet-like" sound by mixing the original signal with a delayed, time-modulated copy of it. Controls and Their Function: Rate (Modulation Frequency) Controls the speed at which the modulated delay oscillates (in Hz or BPM)Phase. Adjusts the phase shift between the oscillations of the left and right signals (if in stereo). Depth Determines the intensity of the modulation, or how much the delay varies from the base time (min). Min (Minimum Delay) Sets the minimum delay (in ms) applied to the delayed signal. Feedback (Regeneration) Controls how much of the delayed signal is fed back into the input, creating resonance. Dry/Wet (Original/Processed Signal Balance) Adjusts the mix between the original (dry) and processed (wet) signals. Read More

KOMA Elektronik launch the Sensei Designed to connect modular rigs with the outside world, the Sensei can be paired with a wide range of external sensors that allow users to take control of their instrument using light, temperature, touch, movement and more. 

Mix Dojo from Sifu Audio Sifu Audio have announced the release of a new standalone application that’s been designed to provide users with a see and hear how their mix stacks up against their favourite reference tracks. 

Book More Live Shows with these Bandsintown HacksIn addition to being the top global destination to discover and market live concerts, Bandsintown can also be used by artists, managers and agents to book more live shows.
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Why Strong Artist Brands Matter to Fans TooA strong brand isn’t just good for the artist; they matter to fans too, They make the fan experience more personal, meaningful, and connected. This is about more than just music. It's about identity, community, and feeling seen.
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Another band is pulling their music from Spotify due to Daniel Ek’s military investmentsIndie rock outfit Xiu Xiu have announced they are removing their music from Spotify, citing CEO Daniel Ek’s “investments in AI war drones” as the final straw. The band now joins a small but growing list of artists cutting ties with the streaming giant in protest.
In a statement on Instagram, the group writes: “We are currently working to take all of our music off of garbage hole violent armageddon portal Spotify. It is taking longer than we had hoped due to procedural complications but will be completed soon. Thanks for the support and patience.”

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A post shared by Xiu Xiu For Life (@xiuxiuforlife)

Earlier this year, Ek led a €600 million round of investment in Helsing, a German defence-tech company that develops AI software to enhance military weapons systems and other equipment. His involvement with Helsing has faced heavy criticism from artists and listeners alike, especially given Spotify’s long-standing tension with musicians over royalty payouts.

READ MORE: Spotify posting AI-generated songs of dead artists without permission, new report reveals

Expanding on the band’s decision in a new interview with Anthony Fantano, Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart says: “We’ve wanted to for a long time. I mean, I’ve never been a fan of streaming. It devalues music generally. It makes music disposable.”
Stewart adds that their prior efforts to leave the platform stalled when “no one [their labels] really wanted to do it,” but Helsing was the line they could no longer cross.
“The reason for us at the time was just, we thought that they treated bands badly. But when the announcement came that Spotify head Daniel Ek was using Spotify funds to directly invest in AI war murder drones… There was just no conceivable way that we could be involved in something like that.”
And though Stewart acknowledges that Xiu Xiu “being off of Spotify is not going to make any real financial impact for them”, he says that “it really has more to do with our conscience”.
“Hopefully for the small number of people interested in Xiu Xiu, possibly it encourages them just to be aware of this issue and not to, in some small way, fund the murder of what will undoubtedly be brown people all over the world so a small number of white billionaires can make some more money.”
Xiu Xiu’s decision follows a similar move by art-rock outfit Deerhoof earlier this month, who wrote, “We don’t want our music killing people,” as they announced plans to pull their catalogue from Spotify.

Learn more about Xiu Xiu via their official website.
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UK government backs label-led measures to boost artist income: “This government is committed to supporting a thriving music sector”The UK government has followed up on its promise to review how musicians are paid by streaming platforms, unveiling a series of measures “designed to deliver real benefits for UK creators”.
In July last year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport convened the Creator Remuneration Working Group (CRWG) to address long-standing concerns about artists’ streaming payouts. The session brought together key stakeholders from across the music industry, including record labels, streaming platforms, trade bodies, artist representatives, music publishers and collecting societies.

READ MORE: “Labels have found a new way to put artists in a position where they seem to be making a lot of money, but they essentially own nothing”: Rick Beato and Anthony Fantano discuss the impact of Spotify and streaming

Now, a year on, a new set of reforms has been introduced – centred around a set of guiding Principles from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and fresh commitments from major labels. Together, these aim to support fair remuneration for creators and help strengthen the growth of the overall UK music sector.
“As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, this government is committed to supporting a thriving music sector where creators can build sustainable careers and are fairly rewarded for their work,” the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport says in a statement.
The newly adopted Principles, endorsed by both the BPI and the Association of Independent Music (AIM), will offer tailored support to legacy artists, songwriters, and session musicians. UK arms of the three major labels – Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group – have also pledged to implement these Principles through bespoke programmes.
Among the key changes is a focus on “legacy artists”, including programmes to “disregard unrecouped advances”, bespoke marketing tools to help increase streaming engagement, and “clarity about how legacy artists can seek and obtain contract renegotiation that appropriately remunerates them”.
Support for songwriters and composers is also a major part of the initiative. Both Warner UK and Universal UK have committed to paying £75 per day (per diems), on top of expenses, to songwriters who attend label-organised sessions, with the sum offered as a non-recoupable cost to their advance.
Meanwhile, Sony UK will fund a new Songwriter Support Programme, in partnership with the Ivors Academy, to provide financial support and assistance to songwriters.
For session musicians, per an agreement reached in late 2024, the BPI and the Musicians’ Union will increase session fees. The government has also committed to continue looking at the issue of streaming remuneration for session musicians, with a follow-up meeting with industry stakeholders scheduled for September 2025.
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