Billy McFarland’s Fyre Festival brand is up for sale, as he describes the brand as “one of the most powerful attention engines in the world”Billy McFarland has announced that he is selling the Fyre Festival brand, as he describes it as “one of the most powerful attention engines in the world”.
McFarland was convicted of fraud over the original 2017 Fyre Festival, where attendees arrived to find all the talent cancelled, and promises of glamorous accommodation and catering were non-existent. The festival became the subject of the 2019 Netflix documentary, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened.

READ MORE: Electronic music dethrones indie on TikTok for the first time in app’s history: “Dance music has become more accessible and big in the commercial sphere”

A follow-up to the event, named Fyre Festival 2, was planned to run from 30 May to 2 June this year, but was cancelled just over a week ago, with claims that it would be rescheduled. Shortly after, it was reported that Shawn Rech, co-founder of streaming service TruBlu, had acquired some Fyre IP – including two trademarks – potentially allowing him to start up a new streaming service.
Now, in a new statement directly from McFarland, he says the Fyre brand is more widely available for purchase — including its “trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach, and cultural capital”. He says, “When my team and I launched Fyre Festival 2, it was about two things: finishing what I started and making things right. Over the past two years, we’ve poured everything into bringing Fyre back with honesty, transparency, relentless effort, and creativity. We’ve taken the long road to rebuilding trust. We rebuilt momentum. And we proved one thing without a doubt: Fyre is one of the most powerful attention engines in the world.
“Since 2017, Fyre has dominated headlines, documentaries, and conversations as one of the world’s most talked-about music festivals. We knew that Fyre was big, but we didn’t realise just how massive the wave would become. That wave has brought us here: to a point where we know it’s time to call for assistance. This brand is bigger than any one person and bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own.”
McFarland goes on to add that “there is a clear path for operators and entrepreneurs with strong domain expertise to build Fyre into a global force in entertainment, media, fashion, CPG, and more”: “For example, in the two years since we’ve relaunched Fyre Festival, Hollywood and entertainment executives have already licenced the brand to develop properties specifically in theatre, music streaming, and Free Ad-Supported TV.”
He also claims that following the postponement of Fyre Fest 2, which was due to happen in Mexico, the brand has been approached by several Caribbean destinations “eager” to host the event. You can read the full statement below:

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Interested buyers can learn more and fill out a brand offer form via the Fyre Festival website.
The post Billy McFarland’s Fyre Festival brand is up for sale, as he describes the brand as “one of the most powerful attention engines in the world” appeared first on MusicTech.

Splice’s final instalment of Oliver’s “Power Tools Decades” sample pack series is inspired by hit producers of the noughtiesSplice has officially released the final instalment of Oliver’s Power Tools Decades sample pack series, and this time he’s taken inspiration from the 2000s.
Power Tools Decades was launched by Splice and Vaughn Oliver (of production duo Oliver, a name which Vaughn still works under) in August of 2023 with the release of Power Tools Decades – 80’s. It featured 257 samples of synthetic drums, and was followed by a 90’s inspired pack (launched May 2024), which focussed on “modernising the raw grooves and energy of a decade that took hip-hop, house, and jungle into the mainstream”.

READ MORE: “Your favourite producer’s sounds are made here”: Vaughn Oliver shows off his synths and studio

According to Splice, this new pack channels “the groove and bounce of early 2000s drum programming”, and plucks inspiration from iconic producers like The Neptunes and Timbaland. Putting his own spin on things, Oliver layers “classic rhythms with modern processing, making them hit harder and sound more dynamic”.
Power Tools Decades – 00’s includes 177 drum loops, 10 clap loops, 62 full drum loops, 39 stripped drum loops, 10 high-hat loops, 32 percussion loops, seven shaker loops, 17 top loops, 124 one-shot samples, 20 Claps, 18 hi-hats, 29 kicks, 21 percussions, nine rims, and nine snaps.
“The 2000s had such a distinct rhythm and swagger. I wanted to capture that – but make it hit even harder with today’s tools,” comments Oliver. “For this pack, I leaned into live percussion and foley recording to give it that extra dimension and energy.
“I’m always so blown away with what producers and artists have made with my sounds and loops. I’m very grateful that I’m able to help and inspire other musicians, even in a small way,” he concludes.

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Kenny Ochoa, SVP of Content at Splice, adds: “After six chart-topping sample packs, Oliver has cemented his place as a cornerstone of Splice’s global producer community. His ability to consistently deliver pristine, punchy sounds has set the bar for quality in the sample game, defining some of the biggest records of the last decade. These sounds aren’t just about capturing nostalgia – they’re giving producers the tools to push sound forward.”
This sample pack concludes the Power Tools Decades trilogy, but Oliver is already working on another project for Splice called “Power Tools Presents”, for which he is planning to spotlight his favourite sound designers and collaborators. No further details on this project have yet been revealed.
Power Tools Decades – 00’s is available to download now via Splice.
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MPG Awards 2025: The Winners The MPG have released a full list of this year’s MPG Awards winners following a sold-out ceremony at The Troxy in London, UK. 

Video details
Video title:
Мои 16 лет
Artist(s):
Pchelsh
Genres:
Pop, Electronic
Release Date:
24-04-2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1D0rg9mT04
#newmusicvideo #VEVO #Music #LifeCycleLtd #artist #pop #electronic

Book Store: "Just 100 Questions" By Greg McVeighWriter McVeigh had the solid idea of asking a ton of people in the music industry one solitary question. He then compiled 100 of these into Just 100 Questions, and a fascinating collection of tips and anecdotes was born. Managers, engineers, mixers, producers, and of course musicians have their say, and we’re left inspired by Colin Hay (Men at Work)’s tale of audience growth, and the fact that MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer was highly motivated to create right up until he tragically left us last year. (Paperback) $38The post Book Store: "Just 100 Questions" By Greg McVeigh first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Federal Reserve withdraws crypto guidance for banksThe US Federal Reserve has announced it would withdraw guidance for banks engaging in crypto asset and stablecoin-related activities.”The Board is rescinding its 2022 supervisory letter establishing an expectation that state member banks provide advance notification of planned or current crypto-asset activities,” the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve explained in an April 24 statement.Any crypto-related activities will now be monitored through the Federal Reserve’s normal supervisory process, it said.The Federal Reserve is also rescinding its 2023 supervisory letter that impacted how state banks could engage in stablecoin activities.This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

Intel reverses course, opts not to spin out Intel CapitalSemiconductor giant Intel won’t spin out its venture arm, Intel Capital, after all. During Intel’s Q1 earnings call Thursday, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the company has reversed its decision to spin out its 34-year-old venture arm. Instead, Intel Capital will remain internal and continue to invest with Intel’s interests in mind. “We have made […]

VG Trumpet VG Jazz Tenor Saxophone VIYouTube/V56DGf1ZEho Virtual Instrument, VST, AU plugins, standalone application. Made by a musician, for musicians—designed to inspire and enhance your music: Five of the most common types of saxophone style sounds: Subtone, Warm, Smooth, Bright and Lead. It works with Windows and Mac as a standalone and will run as a plugin in all major DAWs (Cubase, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Reaper, FL Studio etc.) as VST/VST3/AU. Compatible with breath controllers (AirMotion, TEControl, MRTAudio), wind controllers (AKAI EWI4000s, EWI5000, Solo, Roland Aerophone AE-10, AE-20, Pro AE-30, Yamaha WX, Yamaha YDS, Berglund NuEVI, NuRad, EMEO, Robkoo R1, Clarii mini, etc.), and MIDI keyboard controllers. More than 410 unique samples. Recorded sample quality: 24-bit / 44.1 kHz. Custom designed, unique GUI. Aftertouch, Mod Wheel, and Keyswitches are the key features to morph and perform sounds while playing. Articulations: Falls, Squeezes, Soft attack, Accented attack, Bend. Expressive effects: Expression, Attack, Vibrato, Growl, Wah. Reverb, delay and stereo control to fit the instrument in every mix. Designed for electronic wind instrument performers, sound designers, and music producers. VG Jazz Tenor Saxophone Virtual Instrument Quick Start Guide (PDF). YouTube/qChu0Mm1SCo YouTube/r10qf-3NUd8 YouTube/SL5_cOum7qc YouTube/lnH9yqF_DZw YouTube/Afu8E3wnQtc Read More

Onkyo Receiver Saved With An ESP32[Bill Dudley] had a problem. He had an Onkyo AV receiver that did a great job… until it didn’t. A DSP inside failed. When that happened, the main microprocessor running the show decided it wouldn’t play ball without the DSP operational. [Bill] knew the bulk of the audio hardware was still good, it was just the brains that were faulty. Thus started a 4-month operation to resurrect the Onkyo receiver with new intelligence instead.
[Bill’s] concept was simple. Yank the dead DSP, and the useless microprocessor as well. In their place, an ESP32 would be tasked with running things. [Bill] no longer cared if the receiver had DSP abilities or even the ability to pass video—he just wanted to use it as the quality audio receiver that it was.
His project report steps through all the hard work he went through to get things operational again. He had to teach the ESP32 to talk to the front panel display, the keys, and the radio tuner. More challenging was the core audio processor—the obscure Renaisys R2A15218FP. However, by persevering, [Bill] was able to get everything up and running, and even added some new functionality—including Internet radio and Bluetooth streaming.
It’s a heck of a build, and [Bill] ended up with an even more functional audio receiver at the end of it all. Bravo, we say. We love to see older audio gear brought back to life, particularly in creative ways. Meanwhile, if you’ve found your own way to save a piece of vintage audio hardware, don’t hesitate to let us know!

HYBE teams up with Spanish-language TV giant Telemundo on ‘first-of-its-kind’ competition and reality show to form a Regional Mexican groupMembers of the winning group will win $100,000 and a recording contract with HYBE Latin America
Source

Arturia V Collection 11 released The latest version of Arturia’s powerful all-in-one virtual instrument collection is now available, bringing a total of seven new additions to the table.

The composer who scored The Last of Us has released a ronroco sample library with Spitfire AudioGustavo Santaolalla, a composer known for scoring the likes of The Last of Us and Brokeback Mountain, has teamed up with Spitfire Audio to release a first of its kind library based on the ronroco.
Santaolalla has used the ronroco, a double-stringed Andean instrument, as his signature voice for decades. Spitfire has captured its hair-raising sound by recording Santaolalla’s own ronroco in his LA studio, with his personal E-minor tuning and articulation choices too.

READ MORE: Venus Theory’s new free piano library is sampled from Benn Jordan’s unique upright Yamaha

Santaolalla’s ronroco can be heard within the scores of films such as Babel, The Motorcycle Diaries, and over both The Last Of Us games and its accompanying TV series. His use of the instrument makes for highly-emotional, and instantly recognisable soundscapes. As Spitfire Audio explains, the ronroco’s character stems from its five courses of double strings, with its middle course tuned to an octave, which creates “rich resonance and notable sustain”.

With the new Spitfire Audio library, composers and producers can experiment with multiple articulations, intuitive performance modes (Sequencer, Chord & Note), and built-in FX – these are programmed by Mike Georgiades, the developer behind Spitfire’s MG Soft Acoustic Guitar and MG Soft Nylon Guitar libraries. It also hosts a custom 32-step sequencer, with articulation per step, and a simple MIDI drag-and-drop to DAW feature.
Find out more and hear it in action below:

“Gustavo opened up the world’s ears to the creative possibilities of the ronroco thanks to his sensitive, luminous playing and intuitive yet complex compositions,” comments Spitfire Audio co-founder, Paul Thomson. “We want to offer these creative possibilities to more musicians, composers, and producers who love what they’ve heard in Gustavo’s score and want to incorporate that same feeling into their own projects. The instrument has inspired Gustavo and we are certain its virtual counterpart will inspire countless artists in new ways.”
Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla will be available for £139 ($169/€149) from 24 April. An introductory discount of 20 percent is available until 8 May. Find out more via Spitfire Audio.
The post The composer who scored The Last of Us has released a ronroco sample library with Spitfire Audio appeared first on MusicTech.

UK Grassroots Tours shrink and Ticket revenues fallThe Music Venue Trust has released its 2024 annual report which saw UK grassroot venue tours shrink. Ticket revenue fell 13.5%.
The post UK Grassroots Tours shrink and Ticket revenues fall appeared first on Hypebot.

Arturia V Collection 11: New plugins, price, V Collection Intro, and everything else you need to knowArturia has released V Collection 11, the latest instalment of its revered suite of plugins that emulate classic analogue synthesizers and acoustic instruments. Along with a handful of new emulations, V Collection 11 also introduces new additions to Arturia’s Augmented series and a new synth, Pure LoFi. Also new is the V Collection Intro bundle, which offers a slimmed-down version of the library at a lower price.

READ MORE: Best free plugins 2025: 15 free synths that you didn’t know you needed

Speaking to MusicTech about V Collection 11, Arturia explains: “As the market and contemporary music production evolve, one of our main challenges is to come up with new types of instruments to bring more versatility and complementarity for music makers, while remaining true to our identity…We take pride in the fact that our products are not simply content-based. They are the result of meticulous engineering, built to deliver pristine audio and long-term value.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the update.
Arturia V Collection 11. Image: Press
What’s new in V Collection 11 at a glance
Seven new instruments arrive in V Collection 11, bringing the total number of instruments up to 45. The new instruments are:

Jup-8000 V
SEM V
MiniBrute V
Synthx V
Pure LoFi
Augmented Mallets
Augmented Yangtze

In addition, the entire Augmented Series lineup receives a major update, as does the MiniFreak V (an emulation and companion synth to Arturia’s MiniFreak hardware).
The Jup-8000 V, SEM V, Synthx V and MiniBrute V are all emulations of hardware synths. Meanwhile, Pure LoFi, Augmented Mallets and Augmented Yangtze are all new, original instruments. Why did Arturia opt to create these particular instruments?
“Certain instruments have played a crucial role in shaping musical eras and cultures,” Arturia tells MusicTech. “These instruments remain indispensable for musicians today, whether producing music that adheres to established aesthetics or forging innovative musical paths…The new original instruments allow us to infuse the pure DNA of the brand.”
Truthfully, only four of the seven new additions are truly ‘new’. The SEM V is a remake, while the MiniBrute V and Synthx V were released in 2025. Still, there’s a lot to unpack — check out a breakdown of each instrument later in this article.
V Collection Pro and V Collection Intro — how much do they cost, and what’s the difference?
V Collection Intro is a new tier for Arturia’s plugin suite.
As expected, V Collection Intro is a “compact, carefully curated” suite of 10 V Collection plugins. This comes at a lower price of €199/$199 and gives you Analog Lab Pro, Mini V, Jun-6 V, Prophet-5 V, DX7 V, PureLofi, MiniFreak V, Stage-73 V, Augmented Grand Piano and Augmented Strings.
Meanwhile, the full suite — now sold as V Collection Pro — is  €699/$699.
Speaking to MusicTech, Arturia says V Collection Pro is “aimed at contemporary music producers, beatmakers and nostalgics,” boasting instruments that “cover the whole spectrum of the music era.” The brand adds that V Collection Intro is better viewed as “a starting point for [producers] beginning their journey with our instruments.”
Arturia V Collection 11. Images: press; edited by MusicTech
But, hang on — isn’t Analog Lab already a sort of V Collection Intro? Not exactly, Arturia says.
“Analog Lab and V Collection have always taken different approaches,” a spokesperson says. “Analog Lab prioritises efficiency, providing access to a wide variety of sounds in one place and encouraging creativity by simplifying preset exploration. V Collection, on the other hand, offers a deeper, more focused experience.”
All the new V Collection 11 instruments in detail
Jup 8000-V
Arturia’s Jup-8000 V is an emulation of Roland’s JP-8000 analogue modelling synth, first released in 1996.
The plugin packs seven synthesis engines, a surgical filter, a multi-arpeggiator and a melodic sequencer. Arturia also says it reverse-engineered every detail in the circuitry of the JP-8000, making sure to replicate the powerful Supersaw oscillator that the original synth was celebrated for.
The Jup-8000 V also has an expanded, modernised effects section with 18 effects, including a new Trance Gate.
Arturia Jup-8000 V. Images: press; edited by MusicTech
SEM V
The Oberheim SEM was one of Tom Oberheim’s first synth creations. Released in 1974, the monophonic synth became the foundation for the legendary synth maker’s most celebrated instruments. Arturia brings this to your DAW as the SEM V.
Here’s the thing — the plugin itself is not new. Arturia’s been flogging the SEM V since 2012, but this iteration is remodelled from the ground up. It sports a sleeker, more modern interface, but also has some additional quirks.
The SEM V has a 12dB/oct state variable filter, just like Oberheim’s original, that Arturia claims is “smooth, musical and endlessly expressive.” Elsewhere, dual oscillators, two ADS envelopes, and eight voices of polyphony make up the synth’s sound engine, letting you move beyond the monophonic nature of the original. In addition, an Advanced Panel offers access to a deep modulation engine, an effects rack, a multi-arpeggiator and expressive tools.
MiniBrute V
Arturia’s MiniBrute has become a modern classic in the synth world. The brand’s software recreation, which reimagined it from monophonic to polyphonic,  was released in May 2024, but only as a standalone synth for €199. Now, it comes bundled into the V Collection.
You can check out our news story to get the full lowdown on the MiniBrute V.
Synthx V
Another synth that was released standalone before V Collection 11 is the Synthx V. This emulation revives the coveted Elka Synthex polysynth released in 1981.
Touted by Arturia as a “stereo dream machine”, the Synthx V is a multitimbral synthesizer that boasts the same dual-engine architecture that combines two layers of synthesis. There are also two digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs) for “lush, warm and characterful analogue sounds,” says the brand, and a multimode filter based on the CEM 3320 multimode filter in the original. Plus, the beloved Chorus effect from the original Synthex has been emulated here, too.
Again, you’ll get the same multi arp function, modulation page, expanded effects, and more in the Advanced Panel found in other V Collection instruments.
Pure LoFi
Arturia Pure LoFi Images: Arturia; edited by MusicTech
This unexpected addition is an Arturia original. Pure LoFi is, unsurprisingly, all about giving you lo-fi sounds. It’s a polyphonic synthesizer that has nine different hardware modes to emulate the sound of vintage samplers, which include tape-focused samplers like the Mellotron, digital samplers like the Akai MPC60 and E-Mu SP-1200, and VHS-style samplers similar to modern plugins used in lo-fi hip-hop.
READ MORE: The E-mu SP-1200: How one sampler ushered in a revolution
Pure LoFi also has six different lo-fi modes for a variety of gritty, degraded textures, plus three sound design engines that let you combine acoustic instruments and samples with digital synthesis.
Augmented Series
New to the Augmented series (Arturia’s sample-based synths) are Augmented Mallets and Augmented Yangtze.
Mallets is focused on bringing you the sound of the marimba, vibraphone, celeste and tubular bells. You can blend these sounds with a built-in synth engine for hybrid sounds, and get expressive with the plugin thanks to MPE support.
Yangtze, meanwhile, offers a palette of traditional Chinese instruments, again combined with a synth engine to get creative. This plugin boasts six instruments, 38 articulations and 30 process and multisample articulations, plus MPE support.
Arturia has updated the entire Augmented range with a new interface and workflow, a host of new features, plus new sampled content and factory banks for Augmented String and Voices.
Arturia Augmented Yangtze. Images: Arturia; edited by MusicTech
Should you buy Arturia V Collection 11?
We awarded the V Collection X a 9/10 score in our 2024 review, but the price has jumped up by $100 since then. Is it worth the extra expense?
We’ve been working on a review of the V Collection 11 over the past few weeks and will be sharing our critical thoughts with you soon. Sign up for the MusicTech newsletter for weekly product reviews, features and guides.
In the meantime, we asked Arturia why producers should consider the V Collection 11. The brand responded:
“We’ve been 25 years in the making, refining our skills to deliver premium instruments.
We consistently push the boundaries to elevate the user experience by improving our engine sound quality, expanding extra features, refining interfaces and workflow, and adding presets and content. This allows us to keep our product portfolio up to date and continue to catalyse the creativity of music makers.”
Learn more about V Collection 11 at arturia.com. 
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Can Superfan platforms solve the musician income crisis?Can superfan platforms solve the creator and musician income crisis? As the industry embraces superfans, a look at the potential and limitations of superfans platforms to help creators earn a living.
The post Can Superfan platforms solve the musician income crisis? appeared first on Hypebot.