Spotify could exit Turkey amid government probe over ‘provocative’ playlists (report)The company is considering all options including “pausing its operations in the market or exiting Turkey altogether," The Times (UK) reported, citing sources.
Source

Win $1,000 and get your remix released on EMPIRE via our contest with Farrah Fawx
Craft a club edit of Farrah Fawx's "Slippery" for the chance to win $1,000 and get your remix released with EMPIRE.

Celestion Introduces the Truvox 1225 Mid-Bass LoudspeakerPremier manufacturer of professional loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement applications Celestion has released a fresh model in the form of the Truvox 1225 speaker. A new 12-inch mid-bass driver offering exceptional performance at a highly competitive price point, the Truvox 1225 is available through retailers and is ideal for two- and three-way sound reinforcement systems thanks to several technical aspects including its continuous power handling of 600 watts and a high-sensitivity efficiency of 96dB. The cone of the Truvox 1225 is reinforced with fiberglass and a triple-roll surround offers stability, making the model built to last. “We believe the Truvox 1225 to be the best performing mid-bass transducer in its class, offering exceptional power handling, efficiency, and most importantly, outstanding sonic performance,” Celestion’s Head of Marketing Ken Weller said in a press release.The post Celestion Introduces the Truvox 1225 Mid-Bass Loudspeaker first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

FiiO announce SP5 monitors The latest addition to the FiiO range is described as a “bold new chapter in desktop and nearfield listening precision”.

Mastering The Mix EQ AcademyEQ Academy is an ear-training tool for music producers. Play through 100 interactive levels that sharpen your EQ instincts — from gain and frequency to Q and mid/side. This is hands-on practice, not just another plugin or passive tutorial. You're actively training your ears in real time. Track your improvement with real-time stats and global rankings. Compete in Battles to test your skills against other producers. Unlock the Challenge Builder to target your weak spots, and import your favorite tracks to train with the music you love. EQ Academy is 100% free — just subscribe to the Mastering The Mix mailing list to get access. Read More

Concert ticket prices increased 80.5% in 3 years, 4X inflationConcert tickets prices increased 80.5% since 2021 according to a new study. Since 1996,  concert prices ballooned 428.7% from just $25.81 to $136.46.
The post Concert ticket prices increased 80.5% in 3 years, 4X inflation appeared first on Hypebot.

HITS Act becomes law in a Big Win For Independent ArtistsAs the HITS Act becomes law, independent artists and labels get a major new tax break on recording expenses. This is be a financial game-changer for anyone making music outside the major label system.
The post HITS Act becomes law in a Big Win For Independent Artists appeared first on Hypebot.

“It’s unstoppable”: ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus says artists who resist AI are “stupid” and “luddite”Naturally, AI is a topic which divides musicians. Some have strong opinions on its potential negative implications – Gary Numan recently said he believed “it will be the end of mankind” – and others are more keen to embrace it as a useful tool for creativity.
Take ABBA‘s Björn Ulvaeus, for example. In a new interview with Times Radio, he explains that AI is a “great tool that never existed before”, and says that artists who try to resist it are “stupid” and “luddite”.

READ MORE: “It’s performing exceptionally well”: X Audio Systems issues update on its “revolutionary” XTRIKE synth prototype

Many musicians – and indeed people from a variety of industries – fear AI’s potential to replace humans in certain fields. But Ulvaeus says this fear is unfounded.
“[AI] is in no way a substitute for a songwriting partner,” he says. “No, it’s a tool. But it’s a great tool that never existed before, where you can reference anything in the world of music, and which you can use as a sounding board, and you can try new things on.”
He continues: “For instance, when I’ve written something, maybe eight bars, I can record them with a lyric, and just ask it, where would you take me if you went into this or that realm of music? What would it sound like? Usually it comes back with garbage, but sometimes there is something that might point me in a new direction.
“I can get in touch with my AI at any time. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I can try new things. Whenever you feel like it, whenever you have an idea, you can try it out with your AI partner.”
When interviewer Jane Mulkerrins notes musicians including Elton John who are rallying against AI in creative industries, Björn Ulvaeus adds: “If they try to block it, it’s stupid. It’s luddite.”
“There’s no point trying to do that, because it’s unstoppable,” he concludes.
Despite being founded in the early ‘70s – and officially hanging up their boots in 2022 – ABBA are no strangers to embracing new and emerging technology. The Swedish band were one of the first acts to create a large-scale high-profile virtual concert experience using holograms with their now-massive Voyage shows.
A chief area of concern regarding AI in music is that surrounding proper licensing, attribution and remuneration. 
Recently, Suno and Udio – two of the biggest AI music generators – were sued on behalf of ““independent artists whose rights have been trampled the most”.
The lawsuits – filed by country musician Tony Justice and his 5th Wheel Records label – argued that “independent artists, Plaintiffs, and Class Members will never be able to claw back the intellectual property unlawfully copied” by the companies, and alleged that these platforms “undermine the existing streams of revenue, including licensing markets, for independent music, which the Copyright Office itself recognised as valid and protectable under copyright law.”
The post “It’s unstoppable”: ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus says artists who resist AI are “stupid” and “luddite” appeared first on MusicTech.

HOFA release System Ducker plug-in System Ducker is capable of hosting third-party plug-ins, and can be used to keep the likes of delay and reverb from overwhelming dry signals in a mix, as well as offering a simple way for podcasters and content creators to lower background audio automatically when their voice channels are live. 

“It’s performing exceptionally well”: X Audio Systems issues update on its “revolutionary” XTRIKE synth prototypeX Audio Systems has revealed XTRIKE, a “revolutionary” new prototype wavetable synth.
Hailing a “new era in sound design”, the Swiss brand’s latest creation is still in prototype phase, with a pre-launch on Indiegogo, where customers can sign up for an exclusive €200 early-bird discount.

READ MORE: It’s Amazon Prime Day, but these music retailers are also hosting insane deals on keyboards, synths and plugins

At its core, the XTRIKE features dual-daisy architecture, combining a magnetic bender with an expressive pad surface, offering a “tactile, soft-impact-driven interface that feels like a percussive instrument while harnessing the full power of a modern synthesizer”.
Credit: X Audio Systems
The synthesizer itself features four-voice polyphony, and also features an intuitive auto-tuning and micro-tuning engine for precise pitch control, a 16-step sequencer for crafting “complex compositions directly” on the synth, and a looper with 20 seconds of stereo sampling, looping, processing and multilayering.
X Audio Systems is transparent about the status and availability of the XTRIKE at this time.
“Our team is committed to refining the instrument until its design and performance meet our exacting standards,” it writes. “To achieve this, we are implementing minor adjustments before moving to production.”
Credit: X Audio Systems
It notes that the prototype’s features are “performing exceptionally well”, with its graphical display “both visually stunning and highly intuitive”.
“Our current focus is on enhancing the interface, particularly the tactile pad. We are dissatisfied with the responsiveness and appearance of the current silicon pad, which is glued to the faceplate,” the company continues. 
“We are reverting to our original concept of an independent, mechanically isolated pad. By integrating a PCB interface, as used in our initial testing, and fitting it into a dedicated slot in the faceplate, we aim to significantly improve sensitivity and user experience. Additionally, the pad will be available in various colours with a distinctive, creative design.”

Further pricing info and timelines are unavailable at this time, but we’ll endeavour to keep you updated as we know more.
For more info, head to XTRIKES’s Indiegogo page.
The post “It’s performing exceptionally well”: X Audio Systems issues update on its “revolutionary” XTRIKE synth prototype appeared first on MusicTech.

Meta acquires voice startup Play AIMeta has acquired Play AI, a startup that uses AI to generate human-sounding voices.

Real-world asset tokens are the new ETFs — CoinFund presidentTokens are a new financial wrapper, akin to the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that debuted on US exchanges in 1993, Christopher Perkins said.

2025 One Hertz Challenge: Ham Radio Foxhunt Transmitter[Jim Matthews] submitted their Ham Radio foxhunt transmitter project for the 2025 One Hertz Challenge.
This is a clever Spartan build. In order to create a radio beacon for use in a “fox hunt” [Jim] combined a SR-T300 walkie talkie module with a phototransistor and oscillating LED circuit. The phototransistor and oscillating LED are secured face-to-face inside heat shrink tubing which isolates them from ambient light. When the LED flashes on the phototransistor powers the radio which transmits a tone in the UHF band.
A fox hunt is a game played by radio enthusiasts in which players use radio signals to triangulate and find a hidden beacon. [Jim]’s circuit is the beacon, and when it’s powered by a three volt CR2032 battery, it transmits a strong signal over several hundred yards at 433.5 MHz, within the amateur radio UHF band.
If you’re interested in radio beacons you might like to read about the WSPR beacon.

zazz Transient EnhancerVST plugin for enhancing transient sounds. The plugin captures the initial portion of a transient (with detection controlled via the Trigger section), time-stretches the snippet (with adjustable pitch), and layers it with the original transient. The plugin introduces 250 ms of latency. Read More

Emphaseas x Pretender Release MASSIMIZER, a Free Sidechain Ringmod and Compressor Plugin
Emphaseas and Pretender have released MASSIMIZER, a free sidechain ringmod and compressor effect plugin available on a pay-what-you-want basis via Gumroad. You can download it for free by entering zero at checkout, or choose to support the developers with a donation. MASSIMIZER is a dynamics processor that combines compression and ring modulation. Both effects can [...]
View post: Emphaseas x Pretender Release MASSIMIZER, a Free Sidechain Ringmod and Compressor Plugin