Denise Audio release Perfect Room 2 Perfect Room 2 expands on the Dynamic Room Response engine found in the original, promising to deliver ultra-clean reverbs with enhanced tonal control.

Independent Artist Release Checklist: Free DownloadFrom best practices to essential tools, this free guide offers a complete independent artist release checklist.
The post Independent Artist Release Checklist: Free Download appeared first on Hypebot.

CES 2025: Gadhouse’s new COSMO Solar turntable brings retro vibes and modern features without breaking the bankCES 2025: Gadhouse has updated its COSMO line of portable turntables with a splash of new colours and extra features.
Introducing the COSMO Solar Edition, which blends the striking retro-inspired aesthetics of its predecessor with enhanced audio capabilities. In addition to the existing Lucid White option, users can now choose from three vibrant new colours: Venus Red, Jupiter Green, and Neptune Blue.

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True to its retro-futuristic spirit, the COSMO Solar is packed with a variety of features for both vinyl aficionados and modern music listeners. We’ve got integrated stereo speakers for convenient listening on-the-go, as well as RCA outputs for you to connect to external audio systems.
Aside from the turntable itself, users can stream music via Bluetooth, or listen to their favourite radio stations using the built-in tuner. USB and SD card slots are also included for playing digital music files. You can even record your vinyl records for digital archiving via the USB port on the COSMO Solar.
Image: Gadhouse
“COSMO’s Solar Edition elevates both aesthetics and performance, creating a deeper connection to the music you love.” says Petch Teosuwan, co-founder at Gadhouse.
The best part? You don’t have to break the bank for all these lovely features, as the COSMO Solar arrives at a supremely affordable $199/£199.
The new turntables will be available worldwide from February 2025.
For those looking for something a little more traditional, Dutch hi-fi brand Lenco earlier recently launched three new turntables, the LBTA-165, LBT-215BK, and LS-570WA, which cater to a range of budgets.
Among the trio, the £199/$249/€219 LBTA-165 stands out as the most affordable option. This fully automatic, belt-driven turntable can play records at both 33 and 45 RPM speeds. It features auto-return and auto-start functions, making it perfect for those who are just starting their journey into vinyl records.
The deck – available in Black or Wood finish – also comes pre-fitted with an Audio Technica AT3600L Moving Magnet cartridge and includes a switchable pre-amplifier, as well as Bluetooth transmission for connecting to headphones or speakers.
Learn more at Gadhouse.
The post CES 2025: Gadhouse’s new COSMO Solar turntable brings retro vibes and modern features without breaking the bank appeared first on MusicTech.

“Music is back – thanks to streaming and the vinyl revival”: UK music sales reached record high in 2024UK music sales in 2024 reached a record high – and it’s mostly thanks to streaming and vinyl.
Altogether, music fans spent £2.38 billion on subscriptions to streaming services and physical music, particularly vinyl. Consequently, music revenue jumped by 7.4 per cent in 2024, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA). Sales of vinyl have also increased for the 17th year running.

READ MORE: Spotify allegedly using ‘ghost artists’ to minimise royalty costs

This is the highest music revenue has been since 2001, where sales reached £2.2 billion. It’s reflective of the music industry finally recovering from and adapting to the digital age, which cut down the value of the industry by billions.
“Music is back – thanks to streaming and the vinyl revival,” says Kim Bayley, the chief executive of ERA [via The Guardian]. “For decades it was new release activity which drove most revenues. Digital services and retailers have become the drivers of the market.”
Consumer spending on streaming subscriptions surpassed £2 billion for the first time last year, growing by 7.8%. Meanwhile, spending on CD, cassette and vinyl increased by 6.2 per cent to £330 million.
However, the figures are not adjusted for inflation, so total UK spending on music is still likely to be less than the level recorded in 2001.
In total, spend on streaming makes up about 85% of total UK music revenue, and 88% of the albums bought  However, ERA doesn’t believe the industry is on course for a digital-only future.
Spotify. Credit: Piotr Swat/Getty
“We continue to believe that digital and physical channels are complementary and vital for the health of the entertainment market overall,” Bayley says.
Despite this increase in revenue, the industry’s increased monetary value doesn’t seem to be translating to greater financial gains for artists. The news comes at a time where artists’ take home pay is squeezed by higher touring costs and streaming services attempting to pay out less and less in royalties.
For example, in August, it was reported that Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek earned more money from the platform in the past 12 months than any other artist ever has. The Swedish streaming giant also caused controversy by demonetising all tracks that have been streamed less than 1,000 times in the last 12 months and padding out listeners’ playlists using “ghost artists” to reduce its royalty costs, according to a new report.
“A record-breaking year for whom?” questions Tom Gray, the chair of the UK songwriters’ body the Ivors Academy. “Music creators are not seeing a fair share of this success.”
“We urgently need to rethink how streaming revenues are distributed. The whole industry can see the potential harms of AI on the horizon and yet we haven’t even got our own house in order.”
Naomi Pohl, the general secretary of the Musicians’ Union, is in agreement. “Sadly, professional musicians, artists and songwriters are not enjoying the boom represented by these figures.
“They are facing multiple problems including the high cost of living and touring, stagnating public arts funding, problems touring in the EU post-Brexit and, crucially, they are not receiving their fair share of streaming revenue.”
Indeed, the rise of AI-generated content on streaming platforms is having a damaging effect on artists’ ability to recoup their fair share of royalties. Producer and content creator Benn Jordan – who recently developed an algorithm that can detect if music has been made by AI or not – has told MusicTech of his plans to speak to TuneCore, DistroKid and other platforms which distribute music to streaming services “about changing their terms to disallow 100 per cent AI-generated content, and revoke royalties to people uploading Sudo/Udio creations while posing as human artists”. He added: “I don’t care if there’s AI music on Spotify. I just care it’s siphoning royalties away from musicians.”
The post “Music is back – thanks to streaming and the vinyl revival”: UK music sales reached record high in 2024 appeared first on MusicTech.

deadmau5 partners with Telegrapher on limited-edition versions of its analogue speakersPro audio manufacturer Telegrapher has partnered with renowned electronic producer and DJ deadmau5 on a limited-edition line of its analogue speakers.
The collection includes limited-edition models of Telegrapher’s Gorilla, Fox, and Elephant active speakers, which “reflect the innovative spirit of both deadmau5 and Telegrapher” by blending “cutting–edge analogue sound technology with striking visual design.”

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Designed for audio purists, sound enthusiasts, and fans of deadmau5 alike, the lineup is said to “deliver the clarity, depth, and emotional resonance that have become the hallmark of Telegrapher’s offerings.”
Each speaker is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by deadmau5 — real name Joel Thomas Zimmerman, and can be purchased exclusively from the musician’s mau5hop online store.
Image: Telegrapher
Explaining how the collaboration came about, deadmau5 says that Telegrapher reached out via Instagram a few years ago with some of its speaker ideas, “so I looped him in with one of my studio engineers at the time.”
A few years later, “they sent me one of the first pairs of the Gorillas [subwoofer] and said ‘well let me get your thoughts on this’. I was like ‘great’ so we set them up here [in my studio] and they were awesome.”
“I was really impressed with them,” says deadmau5. “I just love the clarity and the stereo image that I was able to attain.”
Image: Telegrapher
He adds, “I do have these other mains that I use but they’re just overpowering sometimes and you don’t really get a good sense of spatialisation so I tend to A/B a lot of that with the old [Yamaha] NS10s that I use. But then since we put the Gorillas in I was like ‘wow these are like NS10s but they’re actually good.’”
Erce Kaslioglu, CEO of Telegrapher, says of the partnership: “Collaborating with deadmau5 has been an incredible journey. Joel’s relentless pursuit of perfection mirrors our commitment to crafting audio products that deliver precise and emotionally immersive sound. This speaker line is a testament to what’s possible when innovation and passion come together.”
Fans attending this year’s NAMM Show (23-25 January) can check out the limited-edition lineup and other Telegrapher speakers in Booth #16119 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Learn more at Telegrapher.
The post deadmau5 partners with Telegrapher on limited-edition versions of its analogue speakers appeared first on MusicTech.

Nektar Panorama CS12 gains Cubase & Nuendo support Nektar's Panorama CS12 is no longer reserved for Logic Pro users, and will now happily take control of Steinberg's Cubase and Nuendo DAWs.

What to expect at NAMM 2025The biggest music technology convention on the planet is fast arriving. The NAMM Show 2025 will promise — as it does every year — thousands of product demos, a plethora of performances from acclaimed artists, more talks and panels than you can possibly attend, and a healthy dose of sensory overload.

READ MORE: Will The NAMM Show thrive or barely survive after 2024’s encouraging show?

At the Anaheim Convention Centre in California, you’ll see guitars, synths, drum machines, brass instruments, audio interfaces, monitors, metronomes and more. There are 3,500 music companies exhibiting this year, so there’s plenty of exciting news for all kinds of musicians, DJs, and producers.
The NAMM Show is officially exhibiting on 23 January 2025, with a press preview day on 22 January, but there will be tons of product announcements in the weeks and days leading up to the big day.
MusicTech will be on the show floor when it kicks off, but here’s a glimmer of the major moments we expect to see.
Image: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images
Behringer’s back
Uli Behringer’s audio brand has been a famous absence at previous NAMMs, even parodying the conference with a mock BAMM Show in ‘Banaheim’ in 2020. Now, after 10 years, the company, and other companies in its Music Tribe group, will return to showcase “groundbreaking new products”, plus the chance to chat with founder Uli Behringer and his team.
Behringer’s synth launches are often hot news in the studio world. The German company has become notorious for releasing budget-friendly synthesizers that are heavily inspired by vintage synths that are expensive to pick up second-hand. Though its practices have been touted as controversial, many customers have praised Behringer for offering iterations of coveted synths at a lower price. We’re expecting Behringer to show off a few of its recent synths and perhaps announce some new ones.
“We are back at NAMM after ten years!” said the brand on social media. “Don’t miss the chance to meet Uli and the team, and be among the first to experience our groundbreaking new products!”
Aston Microphones, TC Electronic, Midas, Tannoy and more Music Tribe brands will be exhibiting, too.

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And Fender, too…
Fender took a four-year leave of absence from NAMM, having last exhibited in 2020’s edition. Much has happened since that time — including an acquisition of music tech brand PreSonus. Fender’s CEO Andy Mooney has promised some exciting new drops at NAMM, so we’ll be eager to see whether we’ll see some updates to PreSonus’ gear lineup and its beloved DAW, Studio One.
Stevie Wonder
Almost every year, Stevie Wonder heads to The NAMM Show (and occasionally the AES Show in New York), to scope out the latest innovations in music. Of course, as Mayor of the NAMM Show, it’s only fitting that he checks in to see how his tinker town of music gear is keeping.
Last year, we spotted him checking out new products by Beyerdynamic and Teenage Engineering. We wonder what will pique the music icon’s interest this year?
Stevie Wonder at the Teenage Engineering booth during The NAMM Show 2024. Image: Sam Willings
Artificial Intelligence
The most exhausting and exciting innovation in music production over the past couple of years has been Artificial Intelligence. For better or worse, AI has been cropping up in plugins, DAWs, music distribution services, vocal processing platforms and more. Though hailed by some as a creative boon and by others a creative nuisance, it appears that AI is here to stay, which leaves music makers and manufacturers in the precarious position of navigating this new landscape.
At NAMM 2025, various events challenge the topic of AI, from panels with the likes of Jordan Rudess on Exploring the Potential of AI in Live Music Performances, to workshops with Chris and Tom Lord-Alge on Commanding Your Career in the Age of Atmos, AI and Beyond.
It’s inevitable, too, that you’ll see a whole bunch of new plugins and hardware that come equipped with AI algorithms to enhance whatever task they’re designed to do. And who knows what else? Hell, there was even a smart BBQ with generative AI announced at CES.
Attendees demo the OB-X8 synthesizer at the Oberheim booth during the NAMM Show in 2022. Image: Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Synths, synths and more synths
From bespoke modular synths to futuristic software synths, you can definitely expect a plethora of synth drops at NAMM. We’re yet to hear any rumours from legendary names in the space like Oberheim and Moog — who have previously shown off flagship synths at the show — but we have no doubt that there’ll be some pretty noteworthy unveilings nonetheless.
One area that’s always a blast is the Korg booth; the brand often displays prototypes, reissues of classics, and more wacky designs. We’ll definitely be passing through there.
Spatial audio events
Yep, people are still talking about spatial audio. Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio are still the leading formats in the space (pun intended) and we’ve seen a lot of home audio devices integrate the tech for a novel listening experience. It’s still an area in development and perhaps hasn’t convinced everyone of its prowess yet, but we’re certain that there’ll be a ton of workshops, some new spatial audio plugins, and more audio devices that support the format.
Last year, this writer sat in an egg-shaped chair that had spatial audio… It was actually pretty cool.
Image: Solodome
Innovations in the live sound space
Touring and gigging have always been crucial components of an artist’s success. But with the decline in physical music sales, many artists are relying on live show revenue more than ever. That means more extravagant shows and listening experiences, which consequently puts pressure on live sound teams to build, produce and engineer shows with more precision and versatility. We wager that a few live sound brands will have some slick resolutions to these modern challenges.
Speaking to TPi Magazine, NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak says: “People want the highest quality at the lowest weight because of the associated cost increases with trucking equipment from gig to gig. There is also a push for safer rigging systems. As a result of these trends, we are seeing a lot more companies showing the innovation that is driving their technology… One of the other aspects we’ve seen in the live industry is the increased pressure professionals are facing to create a perfect listening space. Increasingly, audiences are demanding flawless audio environments in venues that were never designed for live music.”
A-list artist performances
NAMM is always rife with talented artist performances, whether it’s at the Hilton Hotel nearby, at a random gear booth, or on many of the surrounding stages at the Anaheim Convention Center. This year’s show will have over 170 acts play on the stages around the Center, with three particular noteworthy performances.
Jack White, who has been announced as the winner of the NAMM TEC Award, will headline the awards show on 23 January. Meanwhile, Jacob Collier will perform onstage at NAMM’s Grand Rally for Music Education on 25 January, and Peter Frampton will be an integral part of the NAMM Global Media Day.
Jacob Collier. Image: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
More focus on music marketing than usual
This year, NAMM has expanded to a five-day event rather than its usual four-day format. The first two days (21 and 22 January) will play host to the NAMM Marketing Summit. Here, musicians, manufacturers and other industry professionals can attend workshops on digital marketing, business development and content creation.
Keep up to date with NAMM news and more on MusicTech.
The post What to expect at NAMM 2025 appeared first on MusicTech.

Cody Fry on Leaving a Major Record Label and Finding His Niche Fronting OrchestrasThis week, Ari is joined by Cody Fry, an orchestral arranger of contemporary music, to discuss going indie after his major label deal.

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Frank Black Discusses his 2025 Teenager of the Year Tour and '90s RockSongwriter and Pixies frontman Frank Black spoke with AllMusic shortly before his tour's January 15th launch, and was willing to look back on his early solo years, how the music business has changed, and if there could ever be another alt-rock uprising like there was in the early '90s.

CES 2025 Day 1: Honda, BMW, X’s victory lap, and the first show floor gadget revealsCES 2025 is officially underway in Las Vegas. Monday’s press day saw keynotes from Samsung, Nvidia, Toyota, and Sony, among others, while Tuesday was all about the exciting new gadgets on the show floor. TechCrunch reporters are on the ground giving you the latest reveals at the conference.  Below, you’ll find a list of the […]
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Court stays order in SEC v. Coinbase case pending appealJudge Katherine Failla granted Coinbase’s request for an interlocutory appeal, citing different courts’ interpretations of what constituted a security under the SEC’s purview.

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Gaze Upon This Omni-directional Treadmill’s Clever LEGO ConstructionWant to see some wildly skillful LEGO construction? Check out [Banana Gear Studios]’ omni-directional treadmill which showcases not only how such a thing works, but demonstrates some pretty impressive problem solving in the process. Construction was far from straightforward!
A 9×9 grid of LEGO shafts all turning in unison is just one of the non-trivial design challenges.
In principle the treadmill works by placing an object on a bed of identical, rotating discs. By tilting the discs, one controls which edge is in contact with the object, which in turn controls the direction the object moves. While the concept is straightforward, the implementation is a wee bit more complex. LEGO pieces offer a rich variety of mechanical functions, but even so, making a 9×9 array of discs all rotate in unison turns out to be a nontrivial problem to solve. Gears alone are not the answer, because the shafts in such a dense array are a bit too close for LEGO gears to play nicely.
The solution? Break it down into 3×3 self-contained chunks, and build out vertically with gimbals to take up the slack for gearing. Use small elastic bands to transfer power between neighbors, then copy and paste the modular 3×3 design a few times to create the full 9×9 grid. After that it’s just a matter of providing a means of tilting the discs — which has its own challenges — and the build is complete.
Check out the video below to see the whole process, which is very nicely narrated and illustrates the design challenges beautifully. You may see some similarities to Disney’s own 360° treadmill, but as [Banana Gear Studios] points out, it is a technically different implementation and therefore not covered by Disney’s patent. In an ideal world no one would worry about getting sued by Disney over an educational LEGO project posted on YouTube, but perhaps one can’t be too careful.

The Helicone: Toy or Mathematical Oddity?We always enjoy videos from the [Mathologer], but we especially liked the recent video on the Helicone, a toy with a surprising connection to mathematics. The toy is cool all by itself, but the video shows how a sufficiently large heliocone models many “natural numbers” and acts, as [Mathologer] puts it, acts as “microscope to probe the nature of numbers.”
The chief number of interest is the so-called golden ratio. A virtual model of the toy allows easy experimentation and even some things that aren’t easily possible in the real world. The virtual helicone also allows you to make a crazy number of layers, which can show certain mathematical ideas that would be hard to do in a 3D print or a wooden toy.
Apparently, the helicone was [John Edmark’s] sculpture inspired by DNA spirals, so it is no surprise it closely models nature. You can 3D print a real one.
Of course, the constant π makes an appearance. Like fractals, you can dive into the math or just enjoy the pretty patterns. We won’t judge either way.
We’ve seen math sequences in clocks that remind us of [Piet Mondrian]. In fact, we’ve seen more than one of those.