Spotify Fresh Finds playlists drive new fans to Indie ArtistsSpotify is marking the 10th Anniversary if its indie focused Spotify Fresh Finds playlists with some stats that show just how important this cluster of genre specific playlists is for new artists.
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Can Indie Artists Still Afford to Tour?Can indie artists still afford to tour? Going on the road might look fun, but for most independent artists, it’s a financial gamble they can’t afford to lose. Discover why so many are saying no to the road, and how you can tour smarter without going broke.
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Iconic guitar amp brand Marshall enters the soundbar game with the Heston 120Marshall has made its long-anticipated entrance into the home audio space with the launch of the Heston 120.
As the brand’s first-ever soundbar, the Heston 120 aims to do more than just pump up your Netflix marathons. It’s designed to deliver a “colossal audio experience for both TV and music,” blending Dolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial sound with Marshall’s signature analogue flair.

READ MORE: This soundbar optimises sound specifically for where you’re sitting in a room

“We know that soundbar owners use their soundbar to listen to music, yet most soundbars are not built for both music and TV,” says Anders Olsson, Senior Product Manager at Marshall Group. “This gave us a reason to exist and an opportunity to really shine with our legacy in music and audio.”
Inside, the Heston 120 features 11 drivers firing in multiple directions to bounce sound across the room. The result? Deep, rumbling, lifelike bass, clearer dialogue, and a more expansive soundstage whether you’re watching a blockbuster or spinning a playlist.
Boasting HDMI eARC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE Audio with Auracast, and even RCA inputs, the Heston 120 is future-proofed for just about any setup. It integrates directly with Spotify, Tidal, and internet radio stations – with presets available via the tactile knobs or the new Marshall app, which now includes room calibration to help you find the perfect acoustic fit for any space. The soundbar also comes with a range of different sound modes to fit the moment, including Music, Movie, Night and Voice modes.
Credit: Marshall
“We spent hundreds of hours fine tuning Heston 120,” adds Ed Camphor, Audio Technology and Tuning Lead at Marshall Group. “It was important to us that we spent equal time and effort on both TV and music, not one over the other. Everything inside is tailored and engineered to have very specific roles to give you an optimal audio experience.”
True to its roots, Heston 120 is dressed in wrapped leather trims, knurled metal knobs (for bass and treble tuning), and a brushed metal panel, all nodding to Marshall’s iconic amp heritage. It’s also built to last, featuring repairable and replaceable parts, including the fret, end caps, and the drivers and circuit boards.
To celebrate the launch, Marshall has partnered with MTV Cribs for a new special starring Dan and Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, with a cameo from alt-rock duo Nova Twins. The episode, streaming now, offers a look inside the band’s eccentric home, The Hawk’s Nest, with Marshall sound taking center stage.
The Heston 120 is available for pre-order now for £899.99 at Marshall’s website, with general availability starting 3 June and select retailers getting stock from 16 September. More models in Marshall’s new TV sound range, including the Heston 60 and Heston Sub 200, are expected to launch later this year.
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Fender launch Fender Studio Available for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux, Fender Studio allows users to record their guitars, vocals or other sources with just a single tap, and comes packed with authentic amp and effects emulations. 

Fender Studio: The closest thing to PreSonus Studio One in your pocket?Fender Studio has arrived, and with its one-tap recording, range of amp sims and jam tracks and simple-to-understand user interface, it could very well be a disruptor to existing simplified DAW offerings like GarageBand and BandLab.
Available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux, Fender Studio can be downloaded on any computer or mobile device, offering a simple recording and editing solution for anyone looking to quickly capture their ideas when inspiration strikes.

READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week

It adds to Fender’s growing portfolio of apps, which also includes Fender Play, Fender Tone and Fender Tune. Fender Studio itself is free; all you’ll need is an audio interface. Fender’s recently launched compact Link I/O, for example, will do the trick.
An offering from an out-and-out guitar brand, many of Fender Studio’s features are aimed at guitarists, like a range of amp sims emulating its Mustang and Rumble amps, as well as a series of effects and a tuner. 
But it is essentially a one-stop recording solution, so vocalists and other musicians can also record and capture ideas using their device’s microphone.

The app also offers 20 jam tracks ranging in style from pop ballads all the way through to metal. Each of these tracks is a multitrack session, so users can transpose, mute, solo, speed up and speed down elements as they would in any conventional DAW.
Sharing DNA with Studio One (Fender acquired PreSonus in 2021), Fender Studio also comes with a selection of studio-quality audio editing tools, including a compressor, EQ, reverb and delay, and vocal effects like de-tuner, transformer, ring modulator and vocoder.
“I’ve always said to the team, anyone should be able to just hit a single button on their phone and be able to start recording,” said Fender CEO Andy Mooney. 
“We’ve built exactly that. We believe Fender Studio will enable more music creation than ever before by serving the needs of today’s creators and that will drive sustained growth for our company and our industry. I’m proud of what the team has created and can’t wait to hear what gets recorded in Fender Studio.”

“Fender Studio represents our continued commitment to providing players and musicians of all levels with great sounding, easy to use recording tools,” said Max Gutnik, EVP & GM of PreSonus, Jackson, Charvel, Gretsch and EVH Brands. 
“Whether you are new to recording or a seasoned pro, Fender Studio delivers authentic Fender tones and intuitive editing capabilities to record, jam, create and inspire, for free. We are super-excited to release Fender Studio and hear all the amazing music it will help bring into the world!”
Fender Studio is free and available to download now. For more information, head to Fender.
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Soma Labs Flux is what happens when Theremin heritage meets modern sound engine£1,299 / $1,300 / €1,300, somasynths.com
Soma Labs doesn’t necessarily have a monopoly on oddball instruments that seem custom catered to film scores and experimental noise makers, but it’s certainly a leader in the area. The Lyra series, The Pipe, The Pulsar 23, Ether, RoAT, Terra… The list goes on and on.

READ MORE: Arturia’s V Collection 11 Pro almost made me forget I had other plugins

Flux is the latest addition to its stable of wild instruments. Underneath the hood, there’s a complex digital synth with physical modeling and abrasive FM capabilities. But what makes the Flux special isn’t the synth engine — it’s how you play it.
Flux seems inspired by the likes of the Theremin and modern controllers like the ROLI Seaboard. You don’t touch Flux, you wave your hands over it while holding magnetic ‘bows’. These look nothing like the sort of bow you associate with a cello, however. Instead, they’re small, hourglass shaped, with north and south magnetic poles at either side. Your hands’ position is then tracked in three dimensions, both over the ‘timbral sensor’ on the left and the note board on the right to control various parameters from volume to filter cut-off or tremolo speed. Essentially, it combines the complex multi-dimensional control of the Seaboard with the touch-free heritage of a Theremin.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
The appeal of Flux is 100 per cent in the way you interact with it. It requires patience and accuracy, which can be frustrating at first. It doesn’t necessarily lend itself to lightning-fast licks or expansive chords, even though it is capable of polyphony. Instead, it’s best approached as a machine for drones, pads and lilting melodic passages. It can be beautiful when you gently coax melodies out of it, or suffocatingly ominous when you lean into long, low drones.
Getting comfortable finding notes on the right-hand side is a lot easier than I expected it to be. The markings make it pretty easy to visualise your place, and there is note quantisation if you need it to help ease into things. Quantisation does come in handy when using plucky or bell-like sounds, where you’re likely to come down from the top more quickly to ‘strike’ notes. For smoother patches, I prefer to come at the notes by sliding up from the bottom of the board, which I find more accurate.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
Gliding over the board to string notes together is satisfying, but the more interesting part of Flux is the timbral sensor on the left which gives you a ton of control over the expression of individual notes. It’s comprised essentially of three magnets in a row that turn the area in an XYZ pad that you wave a second ‘bow’ over. This can turn thin vox-style leads into low rumbles, strum notes like a guitar, or play back arpeggios faster as you move to the right. This also opens the filter as you move upwards and increases velocity as you get closer in the Z axis. It’s a shockingly simple but powerful tool that elevates the Flux beyond just being a big fancy Stylophone.
Adding even more versatility, the magnetic bows have two poles, which give you different effects when you flip them over. On the note board this usually just transposes everything up or down. But on the timbral sensor it can completely transform a synth patch into something new or control a completely different set of parameters.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
While playing the Flux might sound intimidating, it’s actually pretty approachable. It’s everything else about Flux that gets a little confusing. Changing presets, synth algorithms, controlling release… Basically everything on the Flux requires placing your fingers on one or two touch-sensitive nubs and then moving the bow over the note board. The act of touching ‘R’ and then moving to the right to extend the release of a note makes sense. But trying to remember what each button does both in normal mode and bow flipped mode is difficult. Thankfully, there’s a cheat sheet that I keep handy when having a play. Creating custom patches is also annoying. That all said, you don’t have a ton of control over the synth engines anyway, so this is an instrument where I’m inclined to just stick with presets.
There are 37 synth algorithms in total, with eight variations of each, providing plentiful jumping-off points for designing sounds. But your actual ability to tweak settings is limited beyond that. Your best bet for actually crafting unique timbres is through manipulating the magnetic bows and adding external effects pedals. Flux has a built-in reverb and delay, but they’re somewhat mediocre, with limited controls and you can only use one at a time.
Certain Flux algorithms can also sound thin. Sometimes this is by design, for instance with the VOX algorithm which is based on classic Theremin designs. A Theremin can sound beautiful, otherworldly, creepy, but rarely is it described as thick or meaty. To bring body to many of its patches, I heartily recommend bringing an analogue delay to the party, as well as a spacious reverb. I often pair it with the Chase Bliss Thermae and the Death by Audio Rooms and the results are thrilling. That combination feels custom-tailored to score work. Melodies are bigger and cut more, drones rattled your guts, and plucks become atmospheric abysses.

Like most of Soma Labs’ instruments, Flux is decidedly niche. It’s £1,299, which isn’t prohibitively expensive, but also isn’t cheap. You also need to be invested in the particular sound and style of Flux, which is decidedly experimental. If you’re often doing game score work, or work in what Soma likes to call ‘academic music’ (what most would probably just call experimental), Flux will certainly seem appealing.
Key features

37-note touch-free note board
37 synth algorithms
12-note polyphony (polyphony dependent on the preset)
6-pole magnetic ‘timbral sensor’
4 magnetic ‘bows’
Onboard reverb and delay
Balanced stereo outs
Headphone out
Dimensions: 1000 х 114 х 30 mm
Weight: 1.7 kg

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Zeds Dead sampled a century of sound to create their new sci-fi bass odyssey“Ideas? I got a million dreams. That’s all I do is dream. All the time.”
A Million Dreams by Zeds Dead begins with these wondrous sentences spoken by the piano legend, Duke Ellington.

READ MORE: Myd locked himself in the studio for 168 hours and livestreamed every minute — but did it really help him finish an album?

“This is not piano, this is dreaming,” he continues.
Ellington passed away in 1974. In order to include his whimsical oration on their new album, Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness (RSIH), Zeds Dead, consisting of Zachary Rapp-Rovan and Dylan Mamid, had to find a sample…one they almost didn’t clear.
Image: Press
“It was difficult to get in touch with [Ellington’s] people about it. We thought it wasn’t gonna happen. Then his grandson responded and apparently liked the song. We were really stoked,” Rapp-Rovan tells MusicTech.
“It’s hard to clear samples. We would get to these places where we’d have something in the track, and then we would have to take it out and replay it, and it wouldn’t sound as good.”
The bass-fueled production duo didn’t just splice in Ellington’s voice, though. In the video they sampled, his hands float around on the piano, providing a brief aural glimpse into his dreams. Zeds Dead took an instance of his playing and built a serene drum & bass track around it.
As two producers who started their music careers making hip-hop, sampling is their lifeblood. But over the years, they faced many frustrating cases with the opposite outcome of A Million Dreams.
“It’s hard to clear samples. We would get to these places where we’d have something in the track, and then we would have to take it out and replay it, and it wouldn’t sound as good,” Rapp-Rovan says. For a while, they enjoyed the challenge of creating music from scratch, but on RSIH, they renewed their affinity for the historic production technique. “In the last three years, we’ve been sampling like crazy, and for this album, we just said, ‘Let’s just have fun with it and try to clear it at the end.’”

RSIH is Zed Dead’s first LP in nine years, and sampling is at the core of the album’s multi-layered artistic concept. The fictional “spectrum of intergalactic happiness” is where the sound and light waves from all the TV shows, music, video games, and movies have been living after they left speakers and screens and floated out into space. Each song on the album represents a channel on an old-timey TV cruising through the cosmos, transmitting these frequencies as sound and visuals, with the samples serving as the most direct connection back to the original source.
The full breadth of the concept exists in the album’s accompanying film, which is filled with visual samples. Everything broadcast after 95 years of copyright protection enters the public domain. So, with the help of visual director Callum Gillies, they combined their chosen clips from the massive public library with found footage to create a psychedelic visualiser that pairs seamlessly with each song.
“We were playing around with those kinds of ideas. Where could the channel be changed to?” Rapp-Rovan says.
The next layer of the concept is the live show. Zeds Dead project clips from the film and display the videos associated with the samples on-screen during the live set. From Al Pacino’s threatening speech in Scarface that fuels their hard-hitting house cut, Bad Guy, to Ella Fitzgerald performing her soaring vocals of Summertime by George and Ira Gershwin. Zeds Dead morphed the latter into their gripping dubstep track, One Of These Mornings.
Image: Press
“The live show is a representation of musical culture over the last 100 years through the lens of bass music,” Rapp-Rovan says.
This historical exploration goes back to Mamid and Rapp-Rovan’s earliest years together. When they were first breaking through, they’d remix songs from pop artists into their bass-heavy signature to bring familiarity to the audience (a technique they still recommend to younger producers trying to get noticed).
“Early on, I thought remixing a popular song was a cool way to showcase your style and creativity, because if they know the original, then they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of clever,’ versus a song that comes out of nowhere,” Rapp-Rovan says.
This instinct proved right when their 2009 dubstep remix of Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation catapulted them into popularity. The track was an unofficial bootleg at first, then Blue Foundation eventually permitted them to release it. It remains Zed Dead’s highest-streamed song on Spotify with over 63 million plays, and the UKF YouTube video has over 174 million views.
Image: Press
Remixing and sampling are two sides of the same coin in repurposing a previous work, and both Eyes on Fire and Ella Fitzgerald’s iconic voice are united in the inspiration they provided to Zeds Dead.
“[Sampling] gets your juices flowing. You might hear something, and it might move you in a certain way. We might make something based around the sample, and the sample might not even stay in at the end of the process. But it could have sparked something or inspired something,” Mamid says, leaning into their interest in musical history. “You’re connecting to a different era. You’re bringing something back; connecting to a real moment.”
“There’s some sort of magic in the studio those people were in at that moment, and it’s sometimes intangible. You’re honing in on something that they didn’t necessarily even see,” Rapp-Rovan continues.
Zeds Dead created a framework for the album by visiting different moments throughout time via samples. Each moment was populated by different kinds of artists, whether it be musicians, actors, or anything in between. Then each of those moments created a framework for a track.
“Focusing on individual songs is zooming in heavily to a micro level, and then zooming out and thinking about everything else conceptually was really interesting,” Mamid says. “Once you open this rabbit hole, you can keep going down. It led to a lot of discussions between us, thinking about the overall project as one thing. It’s not that we hadn’t done that before, but we definitely went in more on this project.”
Image: Press
As they went deeper into the rabbit hole of the concept, production served as a source of light. Shifting away from the magical and the mystical and towards the technical, in the modern era, where there are thousands of plugins, modules, and synths, it was samples that helped them lessen choice paralysis.
“Once we figured out the concept, it helped to get our heads around what it could be and what made sense for it,” Rapp-Rovan says. “We wanted to make an album like some of the classic albums we listen to, where you listen to the whole thing. They all have some sort of criteria. That’s always been a big part of our whole thing: the challenge of taking some source material and flipping it into something that’s interesting and unique.”
However, the inspiration from that source material also led them down endless roads. Every song on RSIH has multiple versions in different tempos and drum patterns on a hard drive somewhere (ideal for switching things up during their live sets).
“The options are still overwhelming sometimes because not only are there so many choices, but we are also passionate and make so many styles of music. Even with a sample, we might try to flip it into 10 different styles,” Mamid says.
In their quest to follow their endless creative interest, they approached every track with a new set of plugins, hardware, and other pieces of tech. One dictum that guided the process was simple. They wrote on a whiteboard while they were making the album, “fuck shit up,” and one method of doing so was resampling.

They took a sample or an original piece of audio they created and manipulated it until they landed on a version miles beyond where they started. Not only did this create a unique sonic palette, but it also added to the gritty audio aesthetic related to the concept of frequencies coming through retro TVs.
“One thing I’m a big fan of is removing a lot of high and mid frequencies from a sound, using distortion to add back in harmonics, and then continuing to do that over and over and over again to bring certain things out of sounds,” Mamid says. Beginning this process with another sample adds a unique flavour to the final product, no matter how mangled it may be, or even if the sample was at a low bitrate. “The characteristics of the sample are something that you can’t necessarily get through synthesis.”
“This album went through many phases,” Rapp-Rovan says. “It ended up being remixes of ideas and remixes of those ideas, which I think was interesting for us because remixing is something that is very much like sampling, and something that we’ve done our whole time making music. So it was an interesting journey,”.
Zeds Dead would quickly shirk the notion that they are on the same level as a legend like Duke Ellington, but RSIH was the product of a million ideas coming together in the same way Ellington had a million dreams. The duo would certainly encourage artists sampling their ideas 50 years after their time.
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Allen & Heath unveils new generation of Qu mixers featuring Dante support: “Every aspect of the mixer has been re-thought”British audio brand Allen & Heath has unveiled six new Qu mixers that bring 96 kHz FPGA and DEEP Processing capabilities, Dante options, and a host of workflow and hardware enhancements to the digital mixing platform.
“Every aspect of the mixer has been re-thought, the XCVI core, enhanced I/O capability, all the way to the screen and faders,” says Senior Product Manager Keith Johnson. “We’ve completely reimagined the UI, keeping the simple layout and workflow that Qu is known and loved for.”

READ MORE: The best rotary mixers to buy in 2025: 15 best mixers for DJs

Across the board, the mixers deliver 38 inputs (32 mono/linkable, 3 stereo), 12 mixes, 4 matrix, 6 FX engines with dedicated stereo returns, plus SLink port for connection to the Everything I/O ecosystem of remote expanders.
Each model is also packed with versatile recording and playback options, with an integrated 32×32 USB-C audio interface, 32-channel multitrack support via SD card, and simple stereo recording and playback through the USB-A port, whatever your application.
Users can choose between three frame sizes, each available with or without integrated Dante connectivity: the compact Qu-5 and Qu-5D offer 17 faders, 16 XLR inputs and 12 XLR outputs; the Qu-6 and Qu-6D expand that to 25 faders, 24 XLR inputs and 16 XLR outputs; and the Qu-7 and Qu-7D provide 33 faders, 32 XLR inputs and 20 XLR outputs. The three Dante variants include an integrated 16×16 48/96kHz Dante interface.
Credit: Allen & Heath
And while the new mixers retain the much-loved look and form factor of the original Qu series, numerous hardware improvements have been made to enhance sonic performance and mixing experience.
Updated mic preamps and high-performance 96kHz converters ensure pristine signal integrity from input to output. Every channel now includes a display and a chromatic meter for quick visual feedback, while the new touchscreen boasts improved clarity and responsiveness.
The new Qu also continues to deliver on the brand’s “walk up and mix” ethos with four customisable fader layers, more assignable SoftKeys, and flexible routing options in addition to the classic 1:1 Qu routing. Users can also look forward to a revamped user interface that promises greater speed and ease of use, with key mixing functions always under your fingertips, be it via the dedicated hands-on controls, or the touchscreen.
In addition, Qu now features the Feedback and Gain Assistants from the CQ series to take the stress out of setup and speed up soundchecks. And as mentioned, all new Qu mixers are DEEP Processing ready, with the upcoming V1.1 firmware offering a suite of optional add-ons from the flagship dLive series, including acclaimed emulations of legendary studio compressors and preamps.

Learn more at Allen & Heath.
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7 Artists to Soundtrack Your Brat Summer RevivalWith the one-year anniversary of Brat just around the corner, many may be wondering: will 2025 see a brat summer? During her performances at Coachella, Charli xcx encouraged fans to keep the fire of Brat Summer burning and hinted at a revival with possible successors to the throne. Here are 7 artists to help you recreate or reminisce about Brat Summer in 2025.

Bitcoin fractal analysis forecasts new all-time highs above $110K by end of weekKey takeaways: Bitcoin onchain and technical data suggest new all-time highs are imminent.Glassnode data shows most Bitcoin wallet cohorts accumulating BTC. A daily timeframe bearish divergence signals fading momentum, raising doubt on BTC’s ability to rally into the $120,000 to $130,000 range.Bitcoin (BTC) price rallied back above $105,000 during the US market trading session, after forming a double bottom pattern in the 1-hour chart. Bitcoin 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewAvailable liquidity around the $102,500 zone was swept, possibly laying the foundation for new Bitcoin price highs this week.Bitcoin fractals hint at new all-time highsBitcoin’s current range between $106,300 and $100,600 represents a similar setup to its previous range between $97,900 and $92,700. The price action pattern can be summarized into three different conditions: Range lows and range highs led to immediate trend reversal. A double bottom occurred after range highs ($97,900 and $107,144) were formed. The double bottom formation occurred above range lows, sweeping internal liquidity levels, but the bottom.Bitcoin price fractal analysis. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin could consolidate between $103,500 and $105,200 (orange boxes) over the next 24 hours, mirroring its earlier sideways movement between $95,800 and $97,300. If this pattern holds, it could increase the chances of Bitcoin breaking above $107,000, potentially reaching new highs above $110,000 this week.Conversely, a failure to hold $103,500 could lead to a retest of the $102,000 support. This would be treated as an invalidation of the price fractal, which could open the possibility of new lows under $102,000 in the coming days. Related: Bitcoin ignores Moody’s US debt downgrade, rallies back to $105K after profit-taking sell-offWill Bitcoin overcome a daily bearish divergence?Glassnode revealed a significant shift in Bitcoin investor behavior, with the latest Accumulation Trend Score chart showing small holders with less than 1 BTC joining the bullish trend at a score of 0.55. Larger cohorts holding 100–1,000 BTC and 1,000–10,000 BTC exhibited strong accumulation scores of 0.9 and 0.85, respectively. Bitcoin accumulation trend score. Source: GlassnodeOnly the 1–10 BTC cohort remains in distribution. The heatmap, transitioning from blue (distribution) to red (accumulation), suggests growing market confidence. Historically, such trends have preceded BTC price rallies. However, crypto analyst Bluntz noted a bearish divergence on the daily chart, which could dampen BTC’s hopes for a new all-time high this week. A bearish divergence takes place when the price is forming a higher high, but the relative strength index (RSI) indicator is forming a higher low, meaning that buying pressure is beginning to fade as prices soar. Bitcoin bearish divergence by Bluntz Capital. Source: X.comSimilarly, Bitcoin analyst Matthew Hyland pointed out that if the bulls want to remain in control, they need to push prices higher in the coming weeks. Hyland said,“BTC is now on the clock and probably needs to make a move to $120k-$130k in the coming weeks to make a higher high on the RSI and avoid any weekly bearish divergence from being confirmed.”Related: Bitcoin bull market 'almost over?' Traders split over BTC price at $105KThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Judge pressures Apple to approve Fortnite or return to courtA federal judge is asking Apple to approve Fortnite’s submission on the U.S. App Store or return to court to explain the legal basis as to why it has not done so. In a new filing, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers confirms the court has received Epic Games’ latest motion, where it demands that […]

Hollywood Independent Music Awards Call For Entries—Deadline June 15thEach year, the Hollywood Independent Music Awards (HIMA) carves out space for originality, risk-taking, and true independent spirit, bringing together artists from across the globe who are driven not by radio play, but by passion, innovation, and a refusal to conform.Now, with the 2025 edition on the horizon, HIMA is officially calling for music submissions—and the deadline is set: all entries must be received by June 15.This year’s awards season comes with a meaningful new mission. In response to the Los Angeles wildfires that devastated many in the music community, HIMA is pledging a portion of its 2025 revenue to the Guitar Center Music Foundation. A statement from the organization discloses that this initiative is “dedicated to helping those affected in the music community by replacing instruments and equipment,” allowing musicians to rebuild what matters most, their ability to create.Here’s what artists need to know:The submission deadline is June 15, 2025.

Music is eligible if it was released any time after January 1 of the prior year, or is scheduled for release before the end of this year.

Unreleased tracks are allowed—private links are accepted, and HIMA makes it clear: “We will not share or display to the public unreleased music unless we request and receive authorization.”

If a song or piece wasn’t selected for nomination last year, it can be resubmitted for 2025 consideration.

Each submission must include only one link per entry, per category.

Album submissions require a separate form, available on the HIMA website.

All music is reviewed by the HIMA Selections Committee.

Actual audio files like MP3s, WAVs, or MP4s will not be accepted.Nominations will be posted under the “AWARDS” section at www.himawards.com, and winners—along with special recognition honorees—will be announced at the main event and online thereafter.For indie artists, this is more than just a chance to win an award, it’s a chance to be part of a community, to contribute to a cause, and to have your work heard by people who genuinely care about music made with heart.To review the full submission guidelines or to enter your work.The post Hollywood Independent Music Awards Call For Entries—Deadline June 15th first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Tracey Brakes on 5 sound design tips with Serum 2
From wavetable tricks to workflow insights, Tracey Brakes shares five invaluable sound design tips that she learned over the years from using Xfer Record's Serum.

Easy Panels With InkJet, Adhesives, and Elbow GreaseNothing caps off a great project like a good, professional-looking front panel. Looking good isn’t easy, but luckily [Accidental Science] has a tutorial for a quick-and-easy front panel technique in the video below.
It starts with regular paper, and an inkjet or laser printer to print your design. The paper then gets coated on both sides: matte varnish on the front, and white spray paint on the back. Then it’s just a matter of cutting the decal from the paper, and it gluing to your panel. ([Accidental Science] suggests two-part epoxy, but cautions you make sure it does not react to the paint.)
He uses aluminum in this example, but there’s no reason you could not choose a different substrate. Once the paper is adhered to the panel, another coat of varnish is applied to protect it. Alternatively, clear epoxy can be used as glue and varnish. The finish produced is very professional, and holds up to drilling and filing the holes in the panel.
We’d probably want to protect the edges by mounting this panel in a frame, but otherwise would be proud to put such a panel on a project that required it. We covered a similar technique before, but it required a laminator.If you’re looking for alternatives, Hackaday community had a lot of ideas on how to make a panel, but if you have a method you’ve documented, feel free to put in the tip line.

Bruno Crolot to leave Spotify for a role at BelieveExec originally joined Spotify as General Manager for France and Benelux in 2016
Source