Song Athletics release Ruiner plug-in Song Athletics have introduced Ruiner, a versatile ‘sound destruction’ plug-in designed to give users a variety of creative controls to manipulate audio.

TikTok may block millions of independent artists by late OctoberTikTok may block millions of independent artists in late October after walking away from negotiations with indie trade group Merlin. Merlin represents about 15% of the global music market. It’s. Continue reading
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“I’ve played to millions of people in my lifetime and I wouldn’t know how to contact them”: James Blake bemoans artists’ lack of ownership of fan dataIt’s no secret that unless you’re a big name artist, you’re going to have a hard time making ends meet by releasing music alone. Music sales figures are in the toilet – and quite frankly, aren’t coming back – thanks to the rise of streaming services, which themselves don’t exactly offer strong payout figures.
And it’s a commonly issued response that artists can still rely on touring and live performance to generate revenue, but it’s never that simple. Touring is an expensive game, and as venues, staffing and planning have to be booked ahead of time, it can be a gamble which results in losses if ticket sales are poor.

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

And that’s not even mentioning some of the other factors at play in 2024, like Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing, for example, which put a rather big dampener on Oasis’s recent reunion tour announcement. Or the fact that, in general, live music is still controlled by a monopoly of bigger companies.
In a long Instagram post last week, singer-songwriter and producer James Blake shone a light on the decreasing viability of touring for many musicians, and how large companies taking ownership of fan data is playing a big part in that decline.
“If you are a fan and you wanna see me perform, please sign up for free at the link in bio cause otherwise you might never hear about any of my shows,” the post reads. “I’m not going through the monopolies any more. I’m not having my fans and myself be ripped off by people who don’t care the way we do about live music. They own all of our mailing lists and won’t let us use them to reach our fans.”
Blake, who is now an independent artist, says he’s less able to get the word out about his upcoming shows without data he has relied on previously, which is owned by ticketing companies, promoters and labels.
“Every show I’ve ever done for 13 years, a company has taken the data,” he writes. “I didn’t know how important that was at the time.”

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Now, since his post went viral – amassing over 135,000 likes at the time of writing – Blake has appeared on BBC News to discuss the issue of big companies withholding artist and fan data.
“I’d like to see more transparency from ticketing companies,” he says [via MusicRadar]. “I’d also like to see artists building their own audiences and owning their own data; data is a very important part of this…
“For the last decade we’ve seen companies harvest our fan data, which means phone numbers and emails of people who come to see us. I’ve played to millions of people in my lifetime and I wouldn’t know how to contact them to tell them I’ve got a show coming up.
“I’d liken it to a heist. Over the years, a lot of musicians haven’t understood the importance of gathering fan data in order to market to your fans. It’s such an important part of it, in the sense of, if I’m a fan I’m going to want to hear when my favourite band is in town. I’m not going to hear that if I don’t even see their posts. Musicians are in the hands of the people who own their data, ultimately.”

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The post “I’ve played to millions of people in my lifetime and I wouldn’t know how to contact them”: James Blake bemoans artists’ lack of ownership of fan data appeared first on MusicTech.

5 Key Strategies for Promoting MusicPromoting music requires a fresh approach to stand out in a competitive landscape. Discover five key strategies for promoting music that every artist needs to know. 5 Key Strategies for. Continue reading
The post 5 Key Strategies for Promoting Music appeared first on Hypebot.

Become the Musician Every Band Wants to HireBreaking into the music industry is tough, with only 71,000 of 1.3 million new artists in 2023 making it to a “career” stage. Learn how to build your personal brand and become the musician every band want to hire.
The post Become the Musician Every Band Wants to Hire appeared first on Hypebot.

Chris Liepe releases FREE Vocal Menace all-in-one vocal processor
Chris Liepe has released Vocal Menace – an all-in-one vocal effects processing plugin. Chris Liepe is a vocalist and educator whose videos have amassed tens of millions of views on YouTube. As well as his YouTube channel, online courses, and private tuition, you can hear Chris Liepe’s voice on many commercial projects, from theme songs [...]
View post: Chris Liepe releases FREE Vocal Menace all-in-one vocal processor

HEDD Audio unveil HEDDphone TWO GT HEDD Audio unveil the HEDDphone TWO GT, a premium upgrade to their acclaimed HEDDphone TWO.

Audiocube release free software expansion Audiocube's library includes a variety of sound types, such as drums and percussion, acoustic instruments, synthesizers and raw waveforms.

AlphaTheta’s new HDJ-F10 wireless DJ headphones are designed with a “meticulous focus on sound quality”AlphaTheta, the parent company of Pioneer DJ, has unveiled its latest flagship professional wireless DJ headphones, the HDJ-F10. Featuring a newly developed driver, superb sound isolation and ultra-low latency wireless communication via the brand’s proprietary SonicLink technology, these cans are designed with a “meticulous focus on sound quality” and are suitable for a wide range of environments, from DJing live sets to music production in the studio.

READ MORE: The BBC Sound Effects Archive now has over 33,000 free samples ready to download

For those new to SonicLink, the technology is “engineered specifically for professional DJs to deliver wireless audio seamlessly to your ears”. SonicLink transmits sound with just 9 milliseconds of latency – 20 times faster than the commonly used Bluetooth SBC codec – enabling accurate monitoring and mixing. All you have to do is connect the dedicated HP-TX01 transmitter (sold separately) to a DJ mixer, and you’re ready to go.
As far as sound quality is concerned, “you’ll hear everything loud and clear” when using the HDJ-F10, says AlphaTheta. The all-new 40mm driver features a PEEK-PU-PEEK composite film diaphragm made from two different materials, delivering a high-resolution sound across a wide range of frequencies.
Not only do the headphones provide high-quality sound reproduction at high volumes, they also feature all-new earpads and housing structures that offer superb sound insulation, surpassing even the Pioneer DDJ flagship HDJ-X10 model. All this means you can now monitor crisp, punchy kick sounds, even while in a noisy DJ booth.
And with the inclusion of Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency modes, it’s easy to switch between your music and outside conversations as and when you like.
Image: AlphaTheta
AlphaTheta’s new flagship headphones are also built to withstand life on the road. They’re highly durable, having passed the stringent US Military Standard MIL-STD-810g shock test so you can enjoy lasting durability.
As for battery life, a full charge on the HDJ-F10 gives you up to 30 hours of playback when using Bluetooth, or 9 hours of use when SonicLink is engaged. You can also play your set with a wired connection using the included cable.
The HDJ-F10 professional wireless DJ headphones is priced at $389 excluding tax, while the HP-TX01 transmitter will cost you $129 excluding tax. The full set is available at $499.

Learn more at AlphaTheta.
The post AlphaTheta’s new HDJ-F10 wireless DJ headphones are designed with a “meticulous focus on sound quality” appeared first on MusicTech.

TechCrunch Space: The dawn of the space ageHello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. Flagging again that the final agenda for the Space Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt is now live. I’ll be pushing this event for the next few weeks, given that we’re just a bit over a month away! We’d love for you to join us. Want to reach out with […]
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Ethereum gas fees rose 498% in two weeks as network activity surged — ReportAn uptick in Ethereum network activity was accompanied by a 498% rise in ETH gas fees. Will Ether price respond?

Creed's "Summer of '99 Tour" Brings a Sold Out Show to BuffaloThe sheer dominance of Creed was undeniable in the late '90's and mid 2000's. The band rise to incredible heights seemingly overnight, with the breakout success of songs like "Torn" and "What's This Life For" saw their debut album, 'My Own Prison' rise to meteoric success.

Not long after, I had the chance to first see them near the top of the bill at Woodstock '99, just a few short months before the release of their sophomore effort, 'Human Clay.' When The Doors' Robby Krieger joined the band on stage for covers of "Roadhouse Blues" and "Riders of the Storm," Creed's legacy seemed solidified as one of the biggest rock bands of my era.

"Stapp's charismatic stage presence took me right back to that breakout performance at Woodstock '99 and I could tell immediately that Creed is back!"

A few short years later, Creed once again dominated the airwaves with their third album, 'Weathered' before disbanding in the mid'2000's. While a reunion was attempted on a few occasions, which included a tour and an album (2009's 'Full Circle'), the moments seemed to feel forced and were met with similar reception from audiences and album sales.

This time, it felt different. Scott Stapp has clearly worked very hard on his own personal comeback and the remainder of the band has continued to see success as Alter Bridge, with vocalist Myles Kennedy rounding out their lineup. Creed may have felt like an afterthought, as the band didn't seem to be desperate for any kind of reunion, certainly not just for nostalgia's sake.

When Creed announced their 'Summer of '99 Cruise' last year, the news was immediately met with a huge positive response. So much so, that they added a second cruise after the first sold out. The following tour that took place this summer was the natural follow-up, allowing Creed to bring a few select bands to venues across the country. If there was any doubt that the time was right for Creed's return, all doubts were put to rest as this tour has sold out virtually every seat on the tour!

Finger Eleven's Scott Anderson helps get the crowd warmed up at Darien Lake in Buffalo, NY

This particular leg of the tour featured support from 3 Doors Down and Finger Eleven, both bands that also enjoyed a respectable amount of success at the same time as Creed's original peak of popularity. Finger Eleven opened the show up with a 45-minute set featuring a selection of songs which included the monster hits "Paralyzer" and "One Thing" as they warmed up the crowd, which was quickly filing in.

After a quick changeover, 3 Doors Down took the stage and unloaded an hour-long set of career spanning hits. All night, I kept hearing fans reflect on how they knew every song that 3 Doors Down played during their 13-song performance this evening. Similar to Creed, the band had early success with multiple hits on each successive album from both their debut (2000's 'The Better Life') and 2002's 'Away From the Sun' including "Kryptonite," "Loser," "Here Without You" and "When I'm Gone." All of these and more were featured in the setlist.

3 Doors Down's Brad Arnold powered through and impressive selection of hits on the 'Summer of '99 Tour'

To say 3 Doors Down is also experience a bounce on this tour is likely an understatement. While their biggest days may be in the rearview mirror, there's no question this band has had some incredible staying power over the years. They sound fantastic and the crowd enjoyed every hit. I suspect, given the success of this tour, that we'll see more of 3 Doors Down again on the road very soon!

Finally, it was time for Creed to take the stage for their latest sold-out performance! The stage went black shortly after 9pm as the band's "Creed" logo flashed on the video wall behind the stage. The fans understood the assignment, as they all began chanting "Creed," "Creed," "Creed" in unison, as the band's name continued to flash.

As the band casually took their places on stage, they opened up with "Bullets," "Torn" and "Are You Ready?" the opening tracks from each of their first three albums. The sheer presence of this band on stage was impressive. They each appeared to really enjoy bringing these songs back to the stage again after such a long absence. As mentioned earlier, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips are no strangers to the stage, having been actively touring with Alter Bridge for twenty years now.

Creed's Mark Tremonti at Darien Lake

Every time I'm photographing a show, I make it a point to try and focus on every member of the band on stage (despite capturing the drummer often proves to be quite difficult, sorry Scott Phillips). On this night, I was drawn to Scott Stapp's presence. There's no doubt this was in part due to my desire to see just how much this man has rebuilt himself over the last several years. From the start, it was evident that Stapp is unquestionably committed to this band and to himself and it was a joy to see. Stapp's charismatic stage presence took me right back to that breakout performance at Woodstock '99 and I could tell immediately that Creed is back!

Just like 3 Doors Down before them, Creed powered through a set with hit after hit, including "My Own Prison," "What If," "One" and "With Arms Wide Open." All of this, before closing out the set with "One Last Breath" and "My Sacrifice."

What a show! From start to finish, this lineup was awesome! Perhaps this tour could have happened sooner, but it feels like the right time was now. There's no doubt that fans lined up to see some of the biggest bands of the 2000's and there's no doubt that everyone got precisely what they came for. I'm undoubtably less objective that I'd like to be when writing a show "review," so let's just call this what it is. I'm a huge music fan and I had an absolute blast covering a band that was inescapable a few decades ago. They looked fantastic, they sounded just as good, and I hope everyone that had the urge to check them out this summer took the opportunity. If not, I have a feeling you'll get another chance very soon!

The post Creed's "Summer of '99 Tour" Brings a Sold Out Show to Buffalo first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Doing 1080p Video, Sort Of, On the STM32 MicrocontrollerWhen you think 1080p video, you probably don’t think STM32 microcontroller. And yet! [Gabriel Cséfalvay] has pulled off just that through the creative use of on-chip peripherals. Sort of.
The build is based around the STM32L4P5—far from the hottest chip in the world. Depending on the exact part you pick, it offers 512 KB or 1 Mbyte of flash memory, 320 KB of SRAM, and runs at 120 MHz. Not bad, but not stellar.
Still, [Gabriel] was able to push 1080p at a sort of half resolution. Basically, the chip is generating a 1080p widescreen RGB VGA signal. However, to get around the limited RAM of the chip, [Gabriel] had to implement a hack—basically, every pixel is RAM rendered as 2×2 pixels to make up the full-sized display. At this stage, true 1080p looks achievable, but it’ll be a further challenge to properly fit it into memory.
Output hardware is minimal. One pin puts out the HSYNC signal, another handles VSYNC. The same pixel data is clocked out over R, G, and B signals, making all the pixels either white or black. Clocking out the data is handled by a nifty combination of the onboard DMA functionality and the OCTOSPI hardware. This enables the chip to hit the necessary data rate to generate such a high-resolution display.
There’s more work to be done, but it’s neat to see [Gabriel] get even this far with such limited hardware. We’ve seen others theorize similar feats on chips like the RP2040 in the Pi Pico, too. Video after the break.

Reservoir Media faces activist investor call for ‘strategic review to maximize shareholder value’Irenic Capital, founded by Adam Katz and Andy Dodge, owns around eight percent of Reservoir
Source

iPhone 15 Gets Dual SIM Through FPC PatchIt can often feel like modern devices are less hackable than their thicker and far less integrated predecessors, but perhaps it’s just that our techniques need to catch up. Here’s an outstanding hack that adds a dual SIM slot to a US-sold eSIM iPhone 15/15 Pro, while preserving its exclusive mmwave module. No doubt, making use of the boardview files and schematics, it shows us that smartphone modding isn’t dead — it could be that we need to acknowledge the new tools we now have at our disposal.
When different hardware features are region-locked, sometimes you want to get the best of both worlds. This mod lets you go the entire length seamlessly, no bodges. It uses a lovely looking flexible printed circuit (FPC) patch board to tap into a debug header with SIM slot signals, and provides a customized Li-ion pouch cell with a cutout for the SIM slot. There’s just the small matter of using a CNC mill to make a cutout in the case where the SIM slot will go, and you’ll need to cut a buried trace to disable the eSIM module. Hey, we mentioned our skills needed to catch up, right? From there, it appears that iOS recognizes the new two SIM slots seamlessly.
The video is impressive and absolutely worth a watch if modding is your passion, and if you have a suitable CNC and a soldering iron, you can likely install this mod for yourself. Of course, you lose some things, like waterproofing, the eSIM feature, and your warranty. However, nothing could detract from this being a fully functional modkit for a modern-day phone, an inspiration for us all. Now, perhaps one of us can take a look at building a mod helping us do parts transplants between phones, parts pairing be damned.