Investors predict AI is coming for labor in 2026 The exact impact AI will have on the enterprise labor market is unclear but investors predict trends will start to emerge in 2026.

Live Nation moves again to dismiss DOJ antitrust suit, claims ‘Zero Proof’Live Nation and Ticketmaster delivered a bold new filing on December 29th in its ongoing antitrust battle with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The entertainment giant claims prosecutors have produced no credible evidence showing its business practices cause real-world harm to artists, venues, or fans.
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Why Did So Many Music Festivals Cancel in 2025?The 2025 festival season saw out some of live music and DJ culture's most beloved festivals due to surges in costs, an exodus of sponsorship, and a “saturation of sameness.” Let's talk about it.
The post Why Did So Many Music Festivals Cancel in 2025? appeared first on Hypebot.

Full Bucket Music MicroWaveConverterMicroWaveConverter is a program to convert single wave cycles contained in a WAV file to a (MIDI SysEx) User Wavetable file for the Waldorf Microwave 1 (firmware revision 1.2 or higher). It is available for Microsoft Windows only and uses NAudio by Mark Heath for reading WAV files. I originally developed MicroWaveConverter for Piet Wagner who also Beta-tested it. Read More

194db Audio releases FREE Vox Relief Lite vocal processing plugin
194db Audio has released Vox Relief Lite, a free vocal processing plugin for macOS and Windows, designed to quickly clean up vocal tone and help vocals sit better in the mix. In plugin-land, the word “Lite” in a plugin’s name usually suggests a stripped-down free version with a paid upgrade coming later. That might be [...]
View post: 194db Audio releases FREE Vox Relief Lite vocal processing plugin

MusicTech’s favourite free plugins of 2025Although there are no end of expensive plugins vying for your attention, you shouldn’t overlook some of the amazing free tools that are also available. We’ve put together a list of our favourite free plugins and tools from 2025 so you can get creative in the studio whilst saving your wallet.

READ MORE: MusicTech’s favourite outboard gear releases of 2025

Native Instruments – Massive X Player

Native Instruments’ Massive X is an incredibly powerful synth, but it’s also a bit of a beast to program.
Earlier this year, the company released the Massive X Player as part of its free Komplete Start package. This lightweight plugin comes loaded with 60 presets, but with the option to add further sounds from a large collection of paid-for expansion packs. You can tweak each sound using 8 macros, or the large expressive X/Y pad in the middle of the interface. The pad also has an Animator that lets you morph between macro settings using 12 set paths.
Find out more about the Massive X Player at native-instruments.com.
Lunacy Audio – Haze

Lunacy Audio is known for its rich and visually appealing sound design tools, such as Beam and Cube. Its free Haze plugin is no exception, with a mix of mysterious sounding chorus, lush phasing, ethereal algorithmic reverb and a unique spectral dispersion engine. It lets you create shimmering textures and atmospheric soundscapes with ease. Controls like Density, Spread and Smear Frequency are presented with a beautiful graphic in the centre that helps show what’s happening sonically.
Find out more about the Haze plugin at lunacy.audio.
Eadie Audio – Eno
This is a slightly more unusual tool. Instead of offering any sound, Eadie Audio’s Eno plugin can help prompt your brain to provoke creativity. The idea is based on Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies and will provide unique suggestions every 30 seconds to get you to think outside the box when it comes to both writing and production. It can also be used to activate a screen blackout mode to help you truly hear your music.
Find out more about the Eno plugin at eadieaudio.netlify.app.
Infinite Digits – AmenBreakVST

If you like chopped and effected breakbeats in a jungle/breakcore style, then this could very well be your dream plugin. It’s built by Infinite Digits and has gone through various hardware and software revisions over the last 5 years. It is now a fully fleshed out product that’s described as a performance-based, multi-playhead sample mangler with auto-slicing, sequencing and bespoke effects. It lets you chop and rearrange samples in a number of creative ways, saving hours of fiddly programming and offering up a powerful performance tool. The free version is feature packed with all the core functionality, but it runs in mono. You can upgrade to stereo and with a few extra features and effects for the minimal cost of $29.
Find out more about the AmenBreakVST at amenbreakvst.com.
u-he – Zebralette 3

With the release of the immense Zebra 3 synth getting closer and now in public beta, u-he has put out the free version, Zebralette 3. It features a single oscillator taken its bigger sibling, with spline-based editing, various morphing options, a pair of waveform mangling algorithms, and an audio engine switchable between traditional waves and additive synthesis. You also get two LFOs, ADSR and MSEG envelopes, a modulation matrix, and reverb and delay effects, making this a surprisingly powerful package.
Find out more about the Zebralette 3 at u-he.com.
Mastering The Mix – EQ Academy

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It’s all very well having the latest kit and software, but if your ears aren’t up to scratch, then your music will still sound amateur. EQ Academy is a standalone app that offers gamified ear-training to help improve your EQ instincts. It includes 100 interactive levels, real-time progress tracking and global rankings to help sharpen how you hear frequencies, gain, Q and mid/sides. There are a broad range of tracks included, plus the ability to import your own to practice on, and you can also compete in battles against other producers.
Find out more about the EQ Academy at masteringthemix.com.
Forever 89 – Visco 2.0

 
Technically, Visco is a paid plugin, but the demo is fully functional and only displays an upgrade reminder that occasionally appears, so we’ve decided to include it here. It’s an incredibly fun and creative sample-modelling drum machine that lets you morph between two samples on each of its 8 tracks, and then lets you edit using the unique blob interface. Version 2 dropped earlier this year and added a new Tonal synth engine, so you can now work with chromatic sounds alongside your percussive grooves.
Find out more about the Visco at forever89.studio.
United plugins/JMG Audio – HyperspaceCore
Here’s another freebie that’s a cut-down version of a bigger product. Don’t let that fool you, though, as HyperspaceCore is a deep and powerful algorithmic reverb that’s capable of creating vast sounding spaces. An X/Y pad lets you morph between different characteristics of the sound, alongside a range of reverb controls that you’d normally expect to find. On top of this, there’s a modulation control, a built-in ducker, a randomiser, two special FX controls for adding metallic resonance and epic long tails, and the ability to focus processing on the musical or noise elements of the signal.
Find out more about the Hyperspace Core at unitedplugins.com.
Sonimus – DelaySon

If you’re looking to add a bit of vintage tape delay warmth to your tracks, then this one could be for you. DelaySon captures the character of classic echo machines to deliver an authentic analogue sound. The clear interface provides controls for delay time, feedback, mix amount, modulation, tone, L/R offset and more, allowing you to create vintage slap-back echoes, subtle rhythmic delays, or more experimental long and modulated tails.
Find out more about the DelaySon at sonimus.com.
SoliderSound – S Doubler

Although double tracking vocals and instruments the hard way will most often yield the best results, it can be time-consuming, and sometimes you may only have access to a single track. S Doubler lets you add 4 thickening voices, with controls for the stereo spread and distance that add an extra sense of dimension. You can also shift the tone using a tilt EQ, limit the frequency range so that you’re not widening the lows, and balance the effect between the middle and sides.
Find out more about the S Doubler at solidersound.com.
The post MusicTech’s favourite free plugins of 2025 appeared first on MusicTech.

VSL expand Synchron Special Brass VSL have recently introduced four new Single Packs for their acclaimed Synchron Special Brass sample library series, further expanding the palette of brass instruments recorded in the large Stage A of their Vienna Synchron Stage.

Your Support Helps Organizations Like We Make NoiseNAMM released a statement on Tuesday to say that, "As we continue highlighting the organizations supported through NAMM Foundation global grantmaking, this week, we’re proud to share the work of We Make Noise, which advances global gender equity through music & technology. They blend music creation, technology training, community building and career development needed for success in the music industry."

"From songwriting and recording to digital production and performance, We Make Noise provides students with opportunities to explore their creativity while developing confidence, community and career-building skills."

"The NAMM Foundation grants support 57 organizations, expanding music-making and career mobility worldwide. Programs like We Make Noise demonstrate how grassroots music education can empower the next generation of artists, producers, engineers and innovators."

"We Make Noise provides free and low-cost access to contemporary music education, including digital recording, songwriting and production camps, performance ensembles, creative workshops and an online global Hub connecting creators across more than 20 countries."

"Their programs intentionally cultivate safe, inclusive spaces where women and gender-expansive participants build technical fluency, professional networks and a sense of belonging. These experiences serve as entry points into music careers and cultural leadership, helping participants move off the sidelines and into the rooms where creative decisions are made."

"Lamond GenNext Award – Connecting college students to career opportunities and mentorship at The NAMM Show."

"Women of NAMM Leadership Fund – Supporting mentorship and leadership development for women shaping the music industry’s future."

"Your year-end gift helps sustain these programs and continues the legacy of music your generosity makes possible."

DONATE NOWThe post Your Support Helps Organizations Like We Make Noise first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Nova Sound Falling Into Winter Fest - Sound FX Master CollectionNova Sound Presents: A New WAV Master Collection, Free WAV EP and Free WAV Sound Pack! New equipment Arrivals! Falling Into Winter Fest – Sound FX Master Collection A complete seasonal sound effects collection capturing the warmth, nostalgia, and atmosphere of the holidays—from Thanksgiving through Christmas. This master collection blends cozy family moments, festive gatherings, and immersive environmental foley inspired by fall and winter. Featuring 450+ high-quality sound effects, including: Leaves, trees, wind, and gentle breezes. Suburban ambience and outdoor environments. Festival and community gathering atmospheres. Campfires and pumpkin smashing. Thanksgiving dinner and dining scenes. Christmas gift wrapping and paper sounds. Snowfall, snowing, and snow day ambiences. For film, games, holiday content, ambience design, and seasonal soundscapes. Snow Fall – Sound Library Part of the Falling Into Winter Fest Collection, Snow Fall offers over 100 high-quality snow, ice, water, and snow machine sounds. Features: High-quality WAV files. 24-bit / 48 kHz. Ready to load directly into your DAW or sampler as synth patches. Bring seasonal magic to your music — Merry Christmas. Free WAV Sound Pack – 10+ High-Quality Sound FX Celebrate the release of the New WAV EP and the Falling Into Winter Fest Sound Master Collection, featuring 450+ sound effects for your projects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwrbrVd2tCc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYwZCWeLCE4 Read More

Xcc700: Self-Hosted C Compiler for the ESP32/XtensaWith two cores at 240 MHz and about 8.5 MB of non-banked RAM if you’re using the right ESP32-S3 version, this MCU seems at least in terms of specifications to be quite the mini PC. Obviously this means that it should be capable of self-hosting its compiler, which is exactly what [Valentyn Danylchuk] did with the xcc700 C compiler project.
Targeting the Xtensa Lx7 ISA of the ESP32-S3, this is a minimal C compiler that outputs relocatable ELF binaries. These binaries can subsequently be run with for example the ESP-IDF-based elf_loader component. Obviously, this is best done on an ESP32 platform that has PSRAM, unless your binary fits within the few hundred kB that’s left after all the housekeeping and communication stacks are loaded.
The xcc700 compiler is currently very minimalistic, omitting more complex loop types as well as long and floating point types, for starters. There’s no optimization of the final code either, but considering that it’s 700 lines of code just for a PoC, there seems to be still plenty of room for improvement.

Almost 80 European deep tech university spinouts reached $1B valuations or $100M in revenue in 2025According to Dealroom’s European Spinout Report 2025, 76 European deep tech and life sciences spinouts have either reached $1 billion valuations, $100 million in revenue, or both.

It’s official – raving is the UK’s favourite way to celebrate New Years EveWhether you’re planning to dance the night away or watch the fireworks at home, there’s a New Years Eve celebration to suit everyone. But, if you’re from the UK, we’re willing to bet that you’ll be out raving this year.
In a new study shared by ATV Today, ticketing platform SeatPick tallied up search statistics to discover this year’s most in-demand NYE events. According to Google Analytics, the Brits love a good rave; on average, Google was clocking in around 598 searches for ‘New Years Eve raves’ each month as the end of the year drew nearer.

READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week

The avid hunger for a wild rave is a sure sign of Britain’s flourishing nightlife; despite fears that the UK club and rave scene have been on the decline, this shows a clear desire to get out and take advantage of the rave havens still going strong.
Clubs were also within the top 10 most in-demand NYE events, coming in third place with 245 average monthly searches. Again, a great sign of Brits embracing club culture, despite the overwhelming number of club closures over the last few years.
In terms of specific regions, clubbing was the most-searched activity specifically Luton and West Bromwich. So, if you’re still pondering where to celebrate the New Year, that’s where the most wild festivities might be taking place.
Elsewhere, the statistics also highlight a love for live music. Concerts earned 220 average searches, coming in fourth place, while other variations (‘live music’, ‘festivals’ and ‘opera’) also ranked within the top 10.
Of course, SeatPick’s statistics also serve as a reminder that not everyone is a party animal. The second most popular search for New Years Eve has been cinema screenings, earning 459 average searches. The seventh most popular search was also for spa days, so it seems like plenty of British people are keen to relax and replenish before 2026 rolls in.
“New Year’s Eve has become far more than a traditional night out,” SeatPick’s chief executive, Gilad Zilberman explains [via ATV Today]. “It’s now a reflection of how people choose to connect and celebrate.”
Regardless of whether you’re planning to dance the night away or cuddle up on the sofa with the fireworks, just make it a night to remember. Or one to forget, if that’s what you’re after…
The post It’s official – raving is the UK’s favourite way to celebrate New Years Eve appeared first on MusicTech.

Soft Loop Audio releases FREE Harmonic Echo generative MIDI plugin
Soft Loop Audio has released Harmonic Echo, a free generative MIDI delay plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. I was contacted by the developer behind Soft Loop Audio about this release, and instantly loved the concept. After spending some (very short, unfortunately) time with Harmonic Echo, I can safely say it’s unlike any MIDI effects I’ve [...]
View post: Soft Loop Audio releases FREE Harmonic Echo generative MIDI plugin

A Guide to Using Apple Music for Artists to Promote Your New MusicA guide for promoting your music through Apple Music for Artists. Here's everything you need to know if you're an indie artist.
The post A Guide to Using Apple Music for Artists to Promote Your New Music appeared first on Hypebot.

The Usual Suspects officially release JE-8086, a FREE Roland JP-8080 emulation
Developer the Usual Suspects has officially released JE-8086, their free Roland JP-8080 emulation for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The Usual Suspects announced plans to release a Roland JP-8080 emulation a while back, and as expected, it generated quite a buzz. The excitement over any release from The Usual Suspects is merited and comes from an [...]
View post: The Usual Suspects officially release JE-8086, a FREE Roland JP-8080 emulation