Nasra Artan promoted to Head of International A&R at Sony Music PublishingExec will take on a broader role in spearheading SMP’s international creative strategy
Source

Soundful becomes first AI music platform to enable stem exporting directly to Ableton LiveIn an industry-leading move, Soundful has become the first AI music platform to enable stem exporting directly to Ableton Live.
Using Ableton‘s ALS file format, users can now download their Soundful creations for use in the popular music making software and conveniently, the stems are named and aligned to keep perfect time.

READ MORE: “It unlocked all my creativity”: King Willonius on using AI for his comedic track, BBL Drizzy 

Until now, no other AI music platform has offered such a feature. The company has also said that they plan on expanding this feature to their other music titles in upcoming releases.
“At Soundful, our AI capabilities are materially different from other platforms because our customers are not looking to be entertained, they are looking for professional AI utilities to integrate into their workflow that meaningfully advance their craft,” says Diaa El All, founder and CEO of Soundful, in a press release.
“Today’s launch is illustrative of the commitment we made on day one. Enabling stem downloads natively into Ableton is a loud signal to our community and the industry, that if you are serious about what you do, we invite you to join us at Soundful.”
Launched in 2022, Soundful has quickly amassed a base of over 1 million users. In November, it launched a new ‘Soundful Collabs’ series campaign, bringing artists and producers on board to enable users to create tracks that sound like them, as well as “simultaneously pioneering a clear and ethical path for content monetisation.”
Among the names involved in the initial launch are 3LAU, Autograf, CB Mix, DJ White Shadow, Kaskade, and Starrah. But Soundful will be working on numerous other names throughout the campaign. The programme will provide a new revenue channel for artists, producers and labels involved, too, as they can earn income from every transaction.
Learn more at Soundful.
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SUPERBOOTH24: UDO Audio Super 8 UDO Audio gave us a demonstration of their new Super 8 polysynth at Superbooth 2024.

MLC sues Spotify for unpaid Songwriter Royalties, Spotify respondsThe Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) has filed a lawsuit against Spotify, seeking what it says are unpaid royalties due under its compulsory mechanical blanket license.....
The post MLC sues Spotify for unpaid Songwriter Royalties, Spotify responds appeared first on Hypebot.

1 week left to preregister .Music domain names for a $1.99 feeOne week remains before the May 24th deadline to pre-register a .MUSIC domain. Up to one million domains can be registered for free during this period.....
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TikTok supporters take legal action to save the platformWho has a stronger case that the TikTok ban is unconstitutional? TikTok itself… or its users? We may find out, as both are trying. by Mike Masnick of Tech Dirt. Continue reading
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ALM/Busy Circuits reveal the MFX Pedal The MFX Pedal brings the acclaimed effects and functionality of ALM/Busy Circuits' popular Eurorack MFX module into a standalone format.

Sony Music sends letter to over 700 firms over concerns they “may already have made unauthorised uses” of its music to train AISony Music has sent a letter to over 700 addressees including OpenAI, Google and Microsoft over suspicions they “may already have made unauthorised uses” of its music to train AI.
According to reports, Sony is forbidding anyone from training, developing or making money from AI by using its songs without permission. Allegedly, it has given firms a deadline to respond and says it will enforce its copyright “to the full extent permitted by applicable law”.

READ MORE: AI and the future of creativity: Takeaways from Music Matters 2024

The BBC states that the letter consists of several pages of demands, in which Sony Music Publishing asks each of its recipients to provide details of these songs it owns that were used to train AI systems, and how these were accessed. It also asks for the number of copies made of the songs, whether these still exist or not, and how long they existed for.
Additionally, it also wants to know why it was necessary for such copies to exist for the amount of time they did, if the firms did in fact have these copies to start with. It also specifies that ‘a copy’ is also inclusive of just a portion of a song.
However, SMP has also reportedly said it is willing to come to terms on licensing agreements for future use. Currently, it is the largest music publisher in the world.
Though it is unclear whether or not any laws have been broken at this time, it is believed that the EU’s upcoming AI Act could change the current landscape when it comes to how AI systems are trained.
Nana Nwachukwu, a lawyer at AI ethics firm Saidot, tells the BBC that new legislation “will mandate that all general-purpose AI models… must comply with rigorous documentation and transparency requirements”.
“This includes the obligation to publicly disclose detailed summaries of the training data employed, adhering to copyright holders’ opt-outs, and ensuring that all data usage complies with EU copyright laws.”
Last April, artists including Billie Eilish, Jon Bon Jovi, Ryan Tedder, and Robert Smith signed an open letter protesting the “predatory use of AI” in music. Issued by non-profit organisation Artist Rights Alliance, the letter – titled ‘Stop Devaluing Music’ – warned that artificial intelligence has the potential to “destroy the music ecosystem” if left unchecked.
It also called for developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to “cease the use of AI to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists”.
The full letter from Sony Music Publishing does not appear to be available publicly, though it has newly published a declaration of AI training opt-out on its official website.
MusicTech has reached out to OpenAI, Google and Microsoft for comment.
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“I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is actually a really good song!’”: Rick Rubin made Beabadoobee relearn all her demos on acoustic guitar before recording her new albumIndie pop artist Beabadoobee says Rick Rubin made her relearn all her demos acoustically before they recorded them for her new album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves.
The forthcoming album marks her third LP and is due to land on 16 August. This is the first time Beabadoobee – real name Beatrice “Bea” Kristi Ilejay Laus – has collaborated with Rubin, who’s produced huge records for the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jay-Z and more, and it wasn’t planned either.

READ MORE: “I’d love to sit with Rick, chew the cud and push him on his opinions”: Jacob Collier wants to have an in-depth discussion with Rick Rubin on the nature of good art

In an interview with The Guardian, Beabadoobee says, “It came as a surprise. There was no conversation about it, and I just didn’t think an opportunity like that would ever happen to me, [with] someone as legendary as Rick.”
For the record, Bea had begun working on demos with her longtime collaborator Jacob Bugden. The pair bought them to Rubin, who then made them strip them all right back to their acoustic bones, so they could really get to know them and also compare them to a finished product later on.
She tells the outlet the experience “really helped me look at the record in a much clearer light”: “It really helped my confidence as a musician – when I heard the songs, just me and acoustic guitar, I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is actually a really good song,’” she says.
Pretty much any artist who’s worked with Rubin comes away with a pocket full of stories about the experience. Beabadoobee even recalls his nonchalance about introducing her to Nick Cave. She remembers, “He’s like, ‘Before you start, can you meet my friend?’ And then Nick fucking Cave walks in! And I’m like, what the fuck?”

Similarly, pop artist Kesha also summed up her experience of working with Rubin as “everything everyone thinks it is and so much more” in a 2023 interview with Dazed in regards to her album, Gag Order.
“He really allows for the artist to go fucking mental and almost walk through the madness, and the music is a safe place to do that,” she said.
“I begged him to let me put auto-tune on a couple of things and it was really helpful and impacted me a lot to have him insist that I didn’t need it. I’m so happy he encouraged me not to use it. Because in the slight imperfections, that’s where you find humanity. Humanity is where you gain compassion. And with compassion there is connection.”
Beabadoobee’s This Is How Tomorrow Moves arrives on 16 August, and you can pre-order it now.
The post “I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is actually a really good song!’”: Rick Rubin made Beabadoobee relearn all her demos on acoustic guitar before recording her new album appeared first on MusicTech.

Amsterdam venue The Other Side becomes world’s first nightclub to adopt L-ISA Spatial AudioAmsterdam-based venue The Other Side is now the world’s first nightclub to adopt L-ISA Spatial Audio.
The Other Side is a former bicycle workshop that’s been transformed into a nightclub as well as a record label and agency representing DJs and producers. Its main, 900-capacity room utilises a fully immersive 14.1.5 L-ISA configuration “designed to wrap the audience in a 360-degree auditory experience”.

READ MORE: Watch two AIs sing a duet with each other in real time

Doeshka Vrede and Jasper Löwik, the duo who own and manage the club, are also both producers, musicians, and artist managers. Vrede says that with a club like this one, “the main product has to be sound”. The pair teamed up with Stefan Liem, a sound engineer and spatial audio expert already familiar with L-ISA spatial technology, to bring their vision to life.
According to a press release, Liem worked with Netherlands-based L-Acoustics Certified Provider, Audio Solvation, and designed a 5.1 Scene system consisting of one A15 Focus and one A15 Wide per hang.
Nine X12 coaxial enclosures provide surround sound, three each on the left, right, and back walls. Five further X12 are placed in the ceiling for overhead sound. Two stacks of four KS21 subwoofers are placed on either side of the stage for low-end extension, and two X8 coaxials are situated near the DJ booth for front-fill. The system is powered by one LA7.16i and five LA4X amplified controllers.
Visiting DJs can choose how they wish to use the technology – they can perform in stereo using L-ISA Stereo Mapper functionality, or they can delve into full immersive capacities with Liem’s guidance.
“L-ISA is amazing,” says Liem. “It was really important for The Other Side to be at the forefront of technology, to bring new experiences to our audience, and to have a high level of involvement from the artists who want to use it. All the right assets were there to get this whole project moving, and L-ISA has been much more stable than other immersive technologies that I’ve worked with. We needed everything to work seamlessly, and L-ISA does that.”
Vrede adds, “Since opening in November, we’ve created a big buzz. Many people talk about the sound system being the best in Amsterdam. It’s a new experience for both the audience and the performers. Everyone is excited to be a part of it,” she concludes.
Find out more about The Other Side.
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Decent Samples Release FREE Casio VL-1 Sample Library
Decent Samples has released a new free Casio VL-1 library for the free Decent Sampler.  Casio VL-1 is a peculiar device. It’s a monophonic synthesizer, sequencer, and calculator all in one.  Made in 1979, it is claimed to be “the first mass produced digital synthesizer ever”, with its warm and fuzzy sound that became iconic [...]
View post: Decent Samples Release FREE Casio VL-1 Sample Library

The Changing Faces of Melanie MartinezThe stage was set for Melanie Martinez at the KIA Forum, L.A., on Wednesday, May 15. Openers Beach Bunny and Men I Trust had warmed a ravenous crowd up to a deafening level. Turf had been laid across the stage, creating a sort of country party-vibe. The lights had gone down and, somehow, the screams had gotten louder. Giant bunnies had marched out like we were in a creepy Easter parade. Martinez appeared at the back on a raised platform. She raised the mic to her lips. And then...

Nothing!

The sound failed her at the vital moment. With the beats to opener "Cry Baby" relentless, the dancers doing their work admirably and seamlessly, the lack of vocals could have killed the momentum so meticulously generated. But Martinez's loyal fans wouldn't let that happen. Oh, hell no. Rather, the crowd took it upon itself to take Martinez's place and sing every lyric full-voiced. What could have been a disastrous intro to the show turned out to be one of its more inspiring moments. These people will carry Martinez on their backs if they have to. And for three quarters of that first song, they did.

This is Martinez's Trilogy tour, as she celebrates all three of her studio albums (2015's debut Cry Baby, 2019's K-12, and last year's Portals. It's incredible that it's been nine years since the debut, and since this writer sat down with her to discuss her post-The Voice career.

"I worked so hard after the show to show that I’m a songwriter and an actual artist, and not just someone on a singing show," she said back then. "At first, that is what people saw me as and it was really hard for me to prove that. I’m happy that my album’s out now because I’ve been working on it for almost two years and really putting together the concept. It’s great to be seen as an artist, because I worked for that."

Nearly a decade later, and it stands as a testament to Martinez's career that many have completely forgotten she was ever on The Voice. It really is a good thing that she didn't win. Here she is in 2024, headlining an all-arena tour, and the three albums that she showcased at the Forum prove that she's played the game her way.

She tackled the three albums in the order that they were released in L.A. Which meant Cry Baby first, and the title track. For "Carousel" she was sat on a giant, fluffy carousel before that exploded. For "Pity Party," inflatable birthday candles appeared before they were unceremoniously extinguished. "Mad Hatter" was a highlight -- rage and melody colliding in spectacular fashion.

That was her vibe for the first two albums -- the darkness of childhood. Taking traditionally sweet memories and amplifying the twisted side. She's the yin to the yang. The broken glass in the ice-cream.

For the sophomore K-12, she was a marionette for "Show & Tell" while "Teacher's Pet" detailed a very illegal and exploitative relationship. And for "High School Sweethearts," giant candies were revealed to feature messages such as "Die Slowly" and "Ur Gross." These lyrics are complex and quite devastating. We can often forget just how tough school can be, and Martinez reminded us, and then some.

The Portals album offered the biggest change of the evening. If the first two saw her progress from early youth to school days, Portals sees her move to another dimension entirely--that which exists between life and the afterlife. Martinez takes on the persona of Cry Baby, a four-eyed fairy-like creature with fins for ears.

This part of the set, like the album, began with the song "Death," which serves the theme--a constant cycle of life and death. This is clearly the headspace that the artist is currently in. Portals sees Martinez enjoying a creative freedom not seen since she first emerged, and the Bjork-esque pixie-ness of these songs is quite dazzling even if they aren't always as instant as those which came before.

"Tunnel Vision" is blessed with a rare intensity, while "Faerie Soirée" is delicate and mildly orchestral. As the set continues to single "Evil," we happily embark on Martinez's journey as we're forced to face our mortality, confront our behavior, examine our expectations.

And all that from a former reality star!

Photo credit - Ashley Osborn / Kia Forum Photos. 

'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski faces fraud, money laundering chargesPleterski and an associate were arrested months after multiple investor complaints and months of police investigation.

7 API innovators who changed music forever
We cover a few of the countless API innovators who have made landmark contributions to music that you should know about.

7 API innovators who changed music forever
We cover a few of the countless API innovators who have made landmark contributions to music that you should know about.