Joy To The Polls Confirms 2024 Concert lineup: DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, Carla Morrison, Durand Bernarr, Princess Nokia + moreJoy To The Polls (JTTP), the original joy factory in civic engagement, kicked off with a 9/29 all-star Broadway block party in Times Square in partnership with Broadway Votes, as well as a block party this past weekend in Philadelphia featuring activist and DJ Cosmo Baker, Sanovia, DJ Nash and The Positive Movement Drumline. Today, JTTP confirms a string of pop-up performances at early voting and Election Day polling locations in PA, AZ, NC & GA.

Initial performers include DJ Jazzy Jeff, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane and Rakim (Philadelphia 10/19), rapper Flau’jae and R&B star Tray Milz (Atlanta, 10/20), Princess Nokia and singer/songwriter/DJ Durand Bernarr (Philadelphia 10/26), Dreamville Records rapper Lute (Raleigh 10/29), and Carla Morrison (Phoenix 11/1), with more surprise artists on election day (11/5) in all 4 cities (Atlanta, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, Phoenix) – to be announced soon. 

Founded in 2020, JTTP has brought musicians including Rick Ross, Questlove and Jon Batiste out to polling sites across the country to initiate fun for voters in long lines, and released playlists from the likes of President Barack Obama, Selena Gomez, and Lin-Manuel Miranda for anyone to listen to while waiting to vote. In addition to playlists and pop-up performances, JTTP kicked off an original song series last month with Rhiannon Giddens, Crys Matthews, and the Resistance Revival Chorus’ cover of Peggy Seeger's "How I Long For Peace".

Amid efforts to restore “joy” to politics, few organizations capture the joy of political engagement as tangibly as Joy To The Polls. Commenting on this, Joy To The Polls cofounder Nelini Stamp says: 

“Since 2020, our work has inspired a movement of joy-centered activations to get out the vote as people began to understand the power of our cultural strategy. The Joy To The Polls secret sauce is surprise, delight, and human connection all wrapped up in the guise of pop-up DJ sets, roving concerts, and spontaneous sidewalk dance parties that have the power to transform the culture around voting. Using your voice at the ballot box becomes the community-focused celebration it should be— all while creating a protective, de-escalating presence outside polling places using the soft power of music, art, and communal joy. Look for us this election season and bring your own joy to the polls wherever you vote.” 

Photo credit: Ryan Collerd

Joy To The Polls On The Web:

Website | Instagram | Twitter/X | FacebookThe post Joy To The Polls Confirms 2024 Concert lineup: DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, Carla Morrison, Durand Bernarr, Princess Nokia + more first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

FLOSS Weekly Episode 804: The AI Alliance — Asimov was RightThis week Jonathan Bennett and and Dan Lynch chat with Anthony Annunziata about Open Source AI and the AI Alliance. We get answers to our burning AI questions, and talk about the difficulty of defining what Open Source means for these large models.

https://thealliance.ai/

Did you know you can watch the live recording of the show Right on our YouTube Channel? Have someone you’d like us to interview? Let us know, or contact the guest and have them contact us! Take a look at the schedule here.

Direct Download in DRM-free MP3.
If you’d rather read along, here’s the transcript for this week’s episode.
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Universal Music sues Chili’s restaurant chain owner over alleged copyright infringement in social media adsThe restaurant chain's owner Brinker reported $4.42 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ended June 26, 2024
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In key markets outside the US, TikTok’s revenues soared 75% to $4.6bn last year, but losses widened amid $1bn in legal costsTikTok's massive increase in European, LatAm and African revenue was more than offset by a sharp spike in expenses
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PreSonus Studio Pro One 7 arrives The latest version of PreSonus’s popular DAW is now available, and comes packed with new features that promise to make it the most innovative version to date.

Spitfire Audio releases FREE LABS Intimate Grand Piano
Spitfire Audio has released LABS Intimate Grand Piano, a free piano sound library for LABS. I can never get enough piano libraries, and I was particularly excited about this one because I know how much everyone loved the new LABS setup. OK, maybe love is a little strong, but everyone liked it, that’s for sure! [...]
View post: Spitfire Audio releases FREE LABS Intimate Grand Piano

The Live Music Crisis: Challenges Facing the IndustryIs live music facing an unprecedented crisis? Discover the major challenges shaking the industry and what it means for the future of concerts and events for artist big and small.
The post The Live Music Crisis: Challenges Facing the Industry appeared first on Hypebot.

Sureel AI offers music AI protection and monetizationSureel AI offers music AI protection and monetization as creators battle unauthorized use in AI models.
The post Sureel AI offers music AI protection and monetization appeared first on Hypebot.

Beatport Streaming adds lossless audio ability to play FLAC filesThe audiophiles asked – and Beatport answered. Beatport Streaming now has an option to play lossless FLAC files to subscribers of both the Beatport Streaming Professional plan and the Beatsource Streaming Pro+ plan. That means Beatport’s entire 12-million+-track library – along with Beatsource’s 7-million-strong gold mine – is now at your disposal to stream in high-quality, uncompressed, crystal […]
The post Beatport Streaming adds lossless audio ability to play FLAC files appeared first on DJ TechTools.

Musician’s Guide to LiveStreamingIn this Musician's Guide to LiveStreaming discover how to livestream with proven strategies used by successful musicians. Learn how to grow a fanbase, maximize revenue, increase visibility, and take full control of your virtual success.
The post Musician’s Guide to LiveStreaming appeared first on Hypebot.

AlphaTheta’s new DJ controller hosts a new feature for freely manipulating drum parts and creating original groovesAlphaTheta has launched a new four-channel DJ controller, compatible with rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro.
The DDJ-GRV6 arrives this October, though no official date has yet been revealed. It hosts a new Groove Circuit feature, allowing DJs to freely manipulate drum parts and create original grooves.

READ MORE: AlphaTheta’s new HDJ-F10 wireless DJ headphones are designed with a “meticulous focus on sound quality”

To use the Groove Circuit feature, available in rekordbox, DJs can simply press one of the dedicated buttons to swap the drum part of any track with a beat or break in a completely different genre while it’s playing, and add effects to create unique sounds. Paired with Serato DJ Pro, the DDJ-GRV6 can also manipulate and separate Stems using the Stems FX feature.
The controller’s layout is “inherited” from the Pioneer DJ CDJ and DJM setups, so it gives users a feel for playing on club-standard equipment and in turn, prepares them for the booth. AlphaTheta is Pioneer’s parent company, and has been since 2020. As we reported back in January, the corporation affirmed that its new DJ-focused products will now come with the AlphaTheta name, reserving the Pioneer DJ name solely for old products released during the Pioneer DJ era only.

The controller also includes a Smart Rotary Selector and Discover function, to help make browsing and selecting tracks faster. The DDJ-GRV6 can be used with both PC/Mac and mobile devices, and has a matte black finish and ergonomic design.
Its display is described by the brand as minimalistic, with indicators to offer intuitive access to necessary functions. The Groove Circuit is cleanly laid out above the Performance Pads with a “step up” in between, ensuring DJs won’t accidentally touch a jog wheel when they’re using it.
Check out more in the video below:

The DDJ-GRV6 will be available in mid October for $829 (excluding tax). Find out more information over at AlphaTheta.
The post AlphaTheta’s new DJ controller hosts a new feature for freely manipulating drum parts and creating original grooves appeared first on MusicTech.

Splice is now in Studio One Pro 7
Splice is now integrated into Studio One Pro 7—discover how to search, filter, and audition Splice sounds, all synced to your project’s key and tempo.

Softube introduce Layers plug-in Softube’s latest plug-in aims to offer the ultimate doubling and stereo-widening tool, and also packs in some helpful extras such as de-essing, multi-band compression and octave effects.

“We didn’t get anything good”: Ninajirachi on her disappointing experience with AI music generatorsElectronic producer and artist Ninajirachi has opened up about her disappointing encounter with AI music generators in the studio.

READ MORE: “What’s interesting about this song is there’s actually very little going on”: Watch Jack Antonoff break down Sabrina Carpenter’s Please Please Please

Speaking to MusicTech, Nina says that the value of AI in music production lies in its ability to improve the “brain to page” flow, bridging the gap between abstract musical ideas and concrete expression.
And while AI music generators have become increasingly popular for their ability to create background tracks and assist in music composition, they often fall short in delivering the emotional depth that human musicians bring to their work.
“We were trying to give it the most obscure prompts, just to see what we could get out of it,” says Nina of her experience with the tool. “We didn’t get anything good.”
That said, like many other musicians, Ninajirachi hopes that AI will evolve into a tool that assists rather than replaces human creativity.
“My hope for AI is that it develops in a way that’s assistive for creators and is not replacing the creative work,” she says.
Elsewhere in the chat, Nina also shares her thoughts on the democratisation of music technology, noting the way artists can now make music that sound “fully professional” at a fraction of the cost.
“In the past, someone would have to spend 20 grand on a studio, an engineer and a mix person to create something that people would deem consumable,” she says. “When I was in high school, I was making songs on my laptop that sounded fully professional. With a computer, you can hypothetically make any sound. That’s so awesome.”
The post “We didn’t get anything good”: Ninajirachi on her disappointing experience with AI music generators appeared first on MusicTech.

10 free sample packs for future house soundsAd feature with BandLab Sounds
As more and more boundary-pushing dance music enters the mainstream, artists like Ninajirachi are seeing success for their futuristic soundscapes, intricate rhythms, and shimmering textures. In this week’s free sample pack round-up, we’ve collected a selection of sounds perfect for those who want to channel that same energetic and experimental vibe.

READ MORE: Ninajirachi: “People love to ask artists how they’d describe their sound… I just want to surprise myself”

Whether you’re looking for glitchy percussion, glossy synths, or hyperpop-inspired vocal chops, these packs will help you freshen up classic noughties sounds and pave entirely new sonic pathways of your own.
Future Garage
Future Garage
Want to keep things strictly 130 BPM? This future garage pack features tons of dusty, foley-inspired loops to create off-kilter rhythms. You’ll also find deep and evolving bass sounds, ambient pads, and crunchy textures that strike a perfect balance between organic and synthetic.
Download Future Garage
Future Bass
Future Bass
Taking a cue from masterful sound designers such as Flume, these samples include ravey synth stabs, warped sonic texture, and attention-grabbing synths perfect for the festival stage. Alongside is a collection of hard-hitting drums and intense risers to get the energy flowing.
Download Future Bass
Future Glitch
Future Glitch
If you’re looking to get a bit weirder, the Future Glitch pack contains plenty of found sounds, synth phrases, and effects samples — all of which have been given a healthy dose of processing to turn them into something entirely new.
Download Future Glitch
Kawaii Future Bass
Kawaii Future Bass
From downsampled vocal chops to lush keys and whimsical lead lines, this future bass sample pack is heavily inspired by J-pop, video games, and anime. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a more upbeat and playful flavour.
Download Kawaii Future Bass
Kawaii Future Bass FX
Kawaii Future Bass FX
Building on the first Kawaii Future Bass sample pack, this collection provides all you need to transform your track into a detailed, release-ready production. Included are risers, foley-style percussion samples, and characterful ambience loops that deliver a nostalgic sound.
Download Kawaii Future Bass FX
Function Loops: Future Rave
Function Loops: Future Rave
It’s supersaw central with this Future Rave pack from Function Loops. Arpeggiated loops, dark textures, growling basslines, powerful 909 drum patterns — it’s all here, with a distinctly gritty, underground feel.
Download Function Loops: Future Rave
Cazzette
Cazzette
This high-energy sample pack from Swedish electronic producer Cazzette is brimming with aggressive sounds, featuring rumbling basslines, sharp metallic effects, and dynamic drum loops. Each sample is meticulously processed to bring out subtle details, ideal for crafting tracks to keep your listeners coming back for more.
Download Cazzette
Epic Stock Media: Fire Future Rave
Epic Stock Media: Fire Future Rave
Another pack that’s perfect for the main stage at an EDM festival, Fire Future Rave from Epic Stock Media offers up plenty of samples in the vein of tech and prog house. Want to get a bit heavier? There’s an abundance of low end here thanks to growling bass synths with a brostep flavour.
Download Epic Stock Media: Fire Future Rave
Tech House Vocals
Tech House Vocals
What floor-filling EDM anthem is complete without an earworm of a vocal hook? This pack features 105 samples, from spoken one-shots to longer melodic phrases — all of which have been run through distortion, autotune, and other characterful processing.
Download Tech House Vocals
Grimey Stutter House
Grimey Stutter House
This sample pack veers a little more leftfield, focusing mostly on synth loops that have been given a heavily percussive edge through liberal use of tremolo and rhythmic gating for a fluttering effect. You’ll also find minimal drums, analogue basslines, and eerie FX samples inside — perfect for that 3am warehouse set.
Download Grimey Stutter House
Driving Stutter House
Driving Stutter House
Serving up a more euphoric sound, this pack is inspired by the likes of Fred Again.. and Bunt, featuring highly rhythmic synths, pounding drums, and rolling basslines to keep the momentum going all night.
Download Driving Stutter House
[Editor’s note: MusicTech and BandLab are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.]
The post 10 free sample packs for future house sounds appeared first on MusicTech.