Yes, LinkedIn banned AI agent startup Artisan, but now it’s backSeveral viral posts noticed that Artisan was banned. But the CEO tells us it wasn't for the reasons many thought.

Solana's stablecoin market cap surges by $900M in 24 hoursStablecoins are emerging as critical infrastructure across both decentralized and traditional financial applications worldwide.

MusiCares Continues Fire Relief Efforts with Over $15 Million in FundingMusiCares released a statement on Wednesday to announce that it had directed over $15 million towards fire relief, a year after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.

This includes, according to a press release, "$7 million deployed in the immediate aftermath of the fires to address urgent needs, along with substantial ongoing recovery support that continues today. In total, over 3,200 music professionals have been reached through direct financial assistance, health and wellness services, and long-term recovery throughout the region."

"Those funds have supported over 3,200 music professionals through direct financial assistance, health and wellness services, case management, equipment replacement, and long-term recovery support over the past year, as well as grants to trusted community partners including California Community Foundation, Direct Relief, and Pasadena Community Foundation to aid broader neighborhood recovery," a MusiCares representative told Music Connection. "Our new website outlining additional relief details pertaining to the fires can be found here: https://musicareslafirerelief.org/."

“The funding has already been put to work, what continues is the recovery,” Theresa Wolters, Executive Director of MusiCares, told MC. “For many music professionals, especially gig workers, the impact of a disaster doesn’t resolve in the first weeks or months. People are still rebuilding homes, replacing instruments, managing health issues from smoke exposure, and trying to stabilize their livelihoods. Our role is to stay with them for as long as it takes.”

“The music community shows up for one another in extraordinary ways,” said Wolters, via the press release. “Even a year later, we want people to know they are not alone and it is not too late to ask for help. Recovery looks different for everyone, and our role is to meet music professionals wherever they are in that journey.”The post MusiCares Continues Fire Relief Efforts with Over $15 Million in Funding first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

A1 Studio Productions Studio One Pro Next Level PresetsOver 60 custom Studio One Pro VST presets ready to track and mix with. A free production pack of A1 Studio's take on tools from your included content for beginners and advanced users, sure to include something for everyone. Including the A1 session template, track presets and .soundx files for three Impact XT velocity drum kits. Six Ampire XT amp sims along with bass, organs, Rhoads and patches for Presence XT, Mai Tai and Mojito. Multi instruments + FX chains with Open Air, Room Reverb & Fat Channel presets, all to help take your routing, tracking, instruments and mixing to the next level. Versions 6 and onward. Read More

Graphing Calculator Gets USB-C UpgradeUnlike Texas Instruments, whose graphing calculators have famously not made technological improvements in decades despite keeping the same price tag, HP has made a few more modern graphing calculators in the last few years. One of which is the HP Prime which boasts hardware from the mid-2010s including an ARM processor, a color screen, and rechargeable lithium battery. But despite this updated hardware it’s still using micro-USB for data and charging. [David] wanted to fix that by giving this calculator a USB-C port.
The first steps were disassembling the calculator case and removing the micro-USB port. The PCB is glued to the LCD screen which isn’t ideal, but he was able to work on it with everything attached. The parts are small enough to need a microscope, and with a hot air station he was quickly able to remove the USB port. His replacements from a generic online retailer were able to be soldered without much effort, but there was one major complication. The new USB-C ports didn’t account for the “On The Go” mode supported by micro-USB and were shorting a pin to ground which put the calculator into “host” mode instead of acting as a device. But using the microscope and cutting a trace on the PCB disabled this mode permanently and got the calculator working properly.
As far as modernizing calculators go, it seems like the HP Prime checks a lot of boxes, with the major downside that the LCD screen and more powerful processor means that the battery needs to be charged more often than the old TI calculators. Rather than carry a dongle around everywhere, [David] found this to be a much more efficient change to his trusty HP. If you’re still stuck using TI calculators, though, there are a few ways to modernize those as well like this build which adds a lithium battery or this one which ports a few Game Boy games to the platform.

UK music streaming subscription revenues grew by 3.2% YoY in 2025. So did inflation.Slowdown is particularly notable given that the UK subscription market benefited from yet another Spotify price increase in 2025, albeit towards the end of the year
Source

DAWJunkie releases Craze, a FREE crunchy phaser effect
Developer DAWJunkie has released Craze, a free crunchy phaser effect for macOS and Windows. The start of a new year is often when we hope and plan for change. But when it comes to DAWJunkie, I just want more of the same, and, as expected, the increasingly popular developer has delivered. DAWJunkie’s latest release is [...]
View post: DAWJunkie releases Craze, a FREE crunchy phaser effect

What is cloud rap? Exploring its history, sound, and influential artists
Learn about what cloud rap is and dive into its unique region-less origins, defining sounds, and influential artists.

2.5 million turn out for Guinness World Record-breaking New Year’s event on Copacabana beachNo matter where you were or what you did on New Year’s Eve, none of us were partying quite like those on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.
The massive Copacabana Réveillon event broke a Guinness World Record and is now certified as the largest New Year’s Eve celebration on the planet. It hosted 13 stages with 1,200 drones, and 19 barges used for a 12-minute-long fireworks display. It saw an estimated 2.5 million people attend.

READ MORE: It’s official – raving is the UK’s favourite way to celebrate New Year’s Eve

Alongside a roster of performers including Brazilian artists like Gilberto Gil and Rio-born pop and R&B singer Iza [as per DJ Mag], Alok also put on an hour-long set, who has shared some incredible snaps on his Instagram page, showcasing the vast scale of the event.
News outlet Agência Brasil reports that a total of 5.1 million people celebrated the arrival of 2026 when taking into account celebrations at other venues organised by the municipality. Take a look at the event’s highlights via Alok’s Instagram page below:

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Alok spoke to MusicTech for a cover interview back in 2022, in which he discussed Brazil’s electronic music scene. Alok became an international artist just as the Brazilian dance scene exploded, which occurred in the wake of an economic crash.
“Historically, Brazil’s scene has always been inspired and influenced by international talent,” he said. “But after this financial crash, promoters couldn’t afford to take chances or book these kinds of artists. As we couldn’t bring them to Brazil, we ended up creating our own scene and sounds. It’s been crazy how fast it’s happened.
“It’s interesting now that when international artists come to Brazil, they need to adapt their sound to succeed in our scene,” he explained with pride. “We have a lot of artists we can be thrilled for and it’s an undeniably exciting time. The majority of music loved here is by local producers.”
Find out more about Alok and view his full list of scheduled tour dates via his official website.
The post 2.5 million turn out for Guinness World Record-breaking New Year’s event on Copacabana beach appeared first on MusicTech.

Vintage King now lets audio professionals try out pro gear in their personal studios before buyingProfessional audio gear is expensive, and as an audio professional or studio owner, you want to be confident in how said gear fits into your workflow before committing to a purchase.
Now, thanks to a new Try Before You Buy program from pro audio retailer Vintage King Audio, audio pros can trial pro-grade equipment in their studios before parting with their cash.

READ MORE: Ireland has given artists a guaranteed income – is this how we fix a broken music industry?

With large purchases like professional audio gear, producers and engineers want to be confident they’re making the right one. 
The move is part of an effort by Vintage King to invest in a “more precise, scalable demo and consultation program” which serves customers across the US, by providing access to this gear in personal studios, commercial facilities and other creative spaces.
The introduction of the new Try Before You Buy Program also spells the immediate closure of Vintage King’s two physical showrooms in Los Angeles and Nashville.
“For years, our showrooms have been incredible places to connect, listen and learn,” says Chris Bolitho, Sales Director at Vintage King.
“But the way people choose gear has changed. More customers want to hear equipment in their room, with their workflow, on their schedule. This program allows us to meet them exactly where they are.”
How does Vintage King’s Try Before You Buy program actually work?
The Try Before You Buy program consists of four flexible ways to experience professional audio equipment before making a purchase:

Hands-on demos – customers can try out select gear in their own studios before committing to a purchase, allowing them to see how it integrates into their workflow.
Virtual gear demos – customers can jump on a virtual call with a Vintage King rep who will walk through features, sound and setup tips.
Console walkthroughs – get a personalised, interactive overview of consoles and control surfaces from Vintage King and its manufacturing partners.
In-person consultations – in select cities including LA, Nashville, Detroit and Atlanta, Vintage King consultants will visit studios to assess setups and offer “world-class sonic guidance”.

Vintage King also explains how the closure of its LA and Nashville showrooms means more events, popups, and generally a “more consistent customer experience nationwide”.
“Our goal isn’t fewer demos, it’s better demos,” adds Bolitho. “This model allows us to support more customers more thoughtfully, without geographically limiting who gets access to hands-on experience.”
You can learn more about the Try Before You Buy program at Vintage King.
The post Vintage King now lets audio professionals try out pro gear in their personal studios before buying appeared first on MusicTech.

DPA to introduce the 4099 Core+ The latest version of DPA's popular instrument mic features 10dB of additional dynamic range compared to its predecessor, and also benefits from a higher clipping point. 

UK Music Spending Climbs in 2025 — But Artists Still Face Tough RealitiesAccording to ERA, UK music streaming subscription income topped £2 billion in 2025, with vinyl sales surging by 18%. But that doesn't tell the full story.
The post UK Music Spending Climbs in 2025 — But Artists Still Face Tough Realities appeared first on Hypebot.

What the Heck Is “Gig-Tripping?”Live music is becoming reason enough to justify national and international travel for many music fans. What does this mean for the musicians and pros that power the live entertainment industry?
The post What the Heck Is “Gig-Tripping?” appeared first on Hypebot.

Learn to master your music with this course from two Grammy-winning engineersLooking to up your mastering game? Lurssen Mastering has enlisted a pair of multi-Grammy-winning engineers to craft the ultimate online mastering course. The 10-episode course is set to guide you through every step of the mastering process, as well as sharing a fool-proof mastering formula.
The aptly named How To Master Your Music, the course is led by four-time Grammy winner (and twelve-time nominee) Gavin Lurssen, and Latin Grammy winner Reuben Cohen. The pair have a whole host of iconic albums under their belts, with Lurssen mastering records from the Foo Fighters to Eric Clapton, while Cohen has mastered records by Metallica, Miley Cyrus, The Beatle’s John Lennon and more.

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Across the course’s 10 episodes, the accomplished engineers delve into a goldmine of tips and tricks, spanning from a simple introduction to mastering to more in-depth breakdowns of mastering chains, formulas and shedding light on mastering myths.
Using music composed, recorded and performed by Dave Kerzner, the course demonstrates a slew of mastering skills using IK Multimedia software. The full arsenal of tools used has also been compiled into a handy T-RackS Lurssen Mastering Bundle, which can be bought for around $230. That price will be slashed by 50% once enrolled on the course, however.

The kit includes the Lurssen Mastering EQ and EQual, as well as the Black 76 Limiting Amplifier, Brickwall Limiter, Bus Compressor and Classic Clipper. There’s also the De-Esser dynamic processor, analogue compressor Dyna-Mu, Stealth Limiter and Vintage Tube Compressor/Limiter Model 670.
The pair have shared some of their creative insights in the past, notably working with Audeze on a 7-part series of introductory mastering videos back in 2022. The aim of this new course will provide artists and engineers of all levels with an updated, truly comprehensive mastering guide.

Right now, the course is available at an introductory price of $118.80 (or $99 before tax). That’s a one-time price, meaning you’ll have lifetime access to the course, Pro Tools sessions, and downloadable material – including any future updates.
Head to Lurssen Mastering for more information.
The post Learn to master your music with this course from two Grammy-winning engineers appeared first on MusicTech.

Ireland has given artists a guaranteed income – is this how we fix a broken music industry?If you were given an unconditional amount of money every month, what would you do? For Irish musicians who took part in the country’s Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot program, the answer was simple: they made more music. 22 per cent more music, to be exact.
That was just one of many striking outcomes from the three-year pilot scheme, which offered a guaranteed income of €325 per week to 2,000 creative sector workers. Throughout the process, participants reported positive impacts on their mental health, career sustainability, and creative output. So successful was this program that the scheme has now been made permanent by the Irish government.

READ MORE: Are there too many synthesizers?

So, at a time when the music industry’s foundations seem to be eroding on a global scale, could some sort of guaranteed income be the solution?
That such a scheme is even politically possible tells you something about just how much disruption music makers currently face. The rise of music streaming platforms has allowed more people to release music than ever before in history, and at the exact same time, the amount of money artists can expect to earn from releasing music has fallen off a cliff, with many blaming the payment models and low subscription fees, of major players like Spotify.
At the same time, the rise of algorithmically driven music discovery, something that is ubiquitous across streaming platforms, seems to achieve the exact opposite of its stated intent. Recent studies indicate that those who rely primarily on algorithms are actually less likely to be exposed to new music, and that this is especially pronounced in younger listeners. For new and emerging artists trying to make a name for themselves, this is an especially concerning development.
Then there’s live music and touring. Traditionally, this has been the grassroots layer of the industry, in which most musicians learn and perfect their trade and earn a basic living. Post-COVID, however, we have seen live music venues struggle to make ends meet or close up shop entirely. At the same time, giants like Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, have been accused of predatory and monopolistic practices, leaving both artists and venues with less money in their pockets when the house lights go up at the end of the night.
Then there’s the multi-headed beast of AI. It’s only been a handful of years since music generators hit the mainstream, and yet it is now common for artists to compete against wholly generated music for streams. In some cases, musicians are left fighting artificial doppelgängers, who pilfer their name, image, music and royalties. Major labels, who initially cried foul the loudest, have now begun humming a much softer tune – as most clearly evidenced by Warner Music Group’s deal with Suno to license AI-music.
Making a career out of music has always been a narrow path, and emerging musicians especially have always been amongst the most economically vulnerable groups in society. Yet the current set of disruptions, when taken together, form a uniquely challenging environment.
Something clearly needs to be done – but is a guaranteed income scheme the only answer?
In the UK, artists, audiences, and politicians agree, at least in principle, that action is needed to tackle the country’s crisis of venue closures. A recent report has suggested a levy on arena and stadium tickets to help support smaller music venues, including live music clubs and spaces for electronic music. In the US, government action might help loosen the stranglehold that ticket companies currently have over the touring circuit.
On the streaming front, campaign groups like the Musicians’ Union are lobbying for the passage of new legislation on streaming remuneration with the aim of putting more money into the pockets of musicians. At the same time, booming vinyl sales and a surprising spike in people buying cassettes highlight a growing desire from music fans who want to get their hands on something tangible.
A revitalised live music scene, new laws on streaming royalties, increases in sales of physical media – all of these are promising developments that would, arguably, make guaranteed income schemes unnecessary.
Regarding Ireland’s pilot program, while many celebrated its success, a valid critique emerged regarding its exclusivity. While 2000 people saw a measurable benefit to their creative output and quality of life, some 6000 others applied and were not selected. Scaled up, such schemes necessitate uncomfortable conversations around who gets support, who doesn’t, and under what criteria.
Some less convincing pushback can be found outside the arts. One group of researchers skewered Ireland’s support for its cultural sector on moral grounds, writing: “Why should artists be entitled to or expect to earn all, or even most, of their income from their work as artists? And what is intrinsically unacceptable about an artist having more than one job?”
We can assume that these authors were not holding down a side hustle while they penned that research paper. But, on a more serious note, it’s worth noting that governments routinely subsidise entire industries when they are deemed to have national value or when that industry is struggling.
The music industry certainly has national value; in the UK, it brought in a record £7.6 billion just last year. But, despite plenty of profits at the top, the music industry as a whole is struggling. When a well-known, award-winning, double platinum-selling artist like Lily Allen has to sell feet pics to get by, just imagine how things look to young, emerging artists?
The key here is not that artists baulk at taking on secondary work; it’s that systemic income instability can become so overwhelming that emerging artists are not able to dedicate the time and energy necessary to get off that first rung of the ladder.
Ultimately, musicians are not clamouring for government-funded income schemes as a catch-all solution. By and large, they’re demanding society-wide action to strengthen the support pillars that let ‘musician’ become a viable working-class option for many, and a ticket to stardom for a few. Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts is at least a bold step in a positive direction – but if we can’t get it together to push back against the wider forces that are hollowing out the music industry, then it will never be enough.
The post Ireland has given artists a guaranteed income – is this how we fix a broken music industry? appeared first on MusicTech.