Benn Jordan vs TuneCore: “23 albums nuked overnight with no warning”Benn Jordan‘s music, under his alias The Flashbulb, has been taken off streaming platforms, allegedly due to “streaming fraud” – and he is not happy.

READ MORE: Benn Jordan is done with making gear videos and reviews, cites “super toxic” community as cause 

Speaking to his audience via his Gumroad page, Jordan recounts the experience of finding his music removed from digital streaming platforms (DSPs): “Last Friday (10 February, 2024), I randomly pulled out my phone in the studio to reference one of my soundtracks for a composing collaboration. ‘Huh. My phone is bugging out,’ I complained.
“Then I noticed dozens of notifications: various listeners letting me know their feelings regarding my removal of all of my music. ‘What… the… fu?’
“And just like that, poof. I was erased from Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, YouTube Music, and virtually everywhere music is sold or streamed. I logged into TuneCore (my primary digital distributor since 2007), and without warning or any communication, they removed a total of 23 albums.”
Taking to Twitter, Jordan posted screenshots of his TuneCore artist page and a conversation with TuneCore, which claims Spotify had “identified and removed a high amount of streams” from his royalty calculation due to “evidence of abnormal streaming activity” on his releases. It also claims to have conducted “an additional internal investigation” and confirmed the evidence.

On what fucking planet is it okay to ban an artist with 1.6 million annual listeners without any communication?
Is this literally what happens when you criticize the way streaming platforms treat musicians?
You had one job, @TuneCore. pic.twitter.com/PZJYtRNXg4
— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) February 10, 2024

“An ‘internal investigation’ has confirmed ‘evidence’ of streaming fraud on Spotify,” Jordan writes on X/Twitter.
“Therefore, The Flashbulb and my other music has been permanently removed from all platforms. 23 albums nuked overnight with no warning or communication.
“Give me a fucking break TuneCore.”

An "internal investigation" has confirmed "evidence" of streaming fraud on Spotify.
Therefore, The Flashbulb and my other music has been permanently removed from all platforms. 23 albums nuked overnight with no warning or communication.
Give me a fucking break @tunecore. pic.twitter.com/AmCiybhYj4
— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) February 12, 2024

After TuneCore’s CEO, Andreea Gleeson, responded to inform him his enquiry would be handled after the weekend, Jordan responded: “I guess the guy who deletes 23 albums without warning or communication works weekends and the support staff that deals with the artist(s) and label affected doesn’t.
“Good thing my 300k monthly listeners don’t listen to music on weekends.”

I guess the guy who deletes 23 albums without warning or communication works weekends and the support staff that deals with the artist(s) and label affected doesn't.
Good thing my 300k monthly listeners don't listen to music on weekends. https://t.co/16IQBgt34V
— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) February 12, 2024

Jordan has provided MusicTech with a folder of his correspondences with TuneCore, along with his streaming history across multiple platforms including Spotify. One item mentioned that the removal of his music could amount to $500,000 worth of losses.
He later said that TuneCore’s support had “finally” reached out to him and accused him of fraud, and he is now having to meet with legal counsel as a result.
Gleeson has responded to the backlash: “Thanks for the candid feedback and totally agree that we need more and deeper weekend support. This is something we are actively working on expanding.”
Jordan also tells MusicTech: “Whether this is malice related to my Spotify criticism or simply negligence, this is dystopian for reasons much larger than myself or my loss of income. While being erased from existence and gaslit is among one of the worst things that can happen to an artist, if there was one fight I was born to fight, it’s this one.
“I have millions of listeners and my music is on over 300,000 active playlists. These listeners pay a fee to listen to this music, and now it seems to be unavailable even if they downloaded it. The streaming music industry is so broken that it can no longer provide the simple transaction it spent billions of dollars trying to replace.”
The “Spotify criticism” Jordan alludes to includes a variety of video essays posted to his YouTube channel, such as How Money Laundering W/ Spotify Works, and Why Spotify Will Ultimately Fail. In his correspondence with TuneCore, he states that he has “never been involved in any type of streaming fraud. In fact, I’ve done extensive journalism to expose it.”

MusicTech has reached out to TuneCore for comment.
Jordan is offering his entire discography for download at a ‘pay what you want’ price tag. “Pay what you want. Seriously,” reads the message on Gumroad. “If you’re broke, pay the minimum and enjoy the music. If you’re generous, this will certainly help me out as I’ve just had a significant portion of my income cut off and may be entering an expensive legal battle.”
Read more at The Flashbulb Gumroad page. 
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“Move over, Taylor – Queen Bey is in the house!”: TIDAL servers crash after Beyoncé drops two new songs during Super BowlTIDAL servers struggled to cope after Beyonce dropped two new singles at the weekend, with fans reporting difficulty in signing up to the high-definition music platform.

READ MORE: Over one million “manipulated” tracks on streaming services are “diverting revenue away” from artists, recent study shows 

During Sunday’s Super Bowl, Beyonce appeared in an advert for telecommunications company Verizon, in which she attempted a series of “firsts” in a bid to try and break the internet provider’s service. At the end of the advert, she ordered: “Drop the new music.”
Moments later, a video posted to her Instagram confirmed the release of a new country album, ACT II, which is set to drop on 29 March. She also debuted two new singles, TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. 
Beyonce’s bid to break the internet seemingly worked as far as TIDAL was concerned, with fans struggling to sign up for accounts. Members of The Atlantic‘s team tested this by trying to sign up and failing to do so, being met with a ‘504 Error Gateway’ message.

“Beyoncé – a genius at marketing – may have just won the night and the battle for attention with her Verizon Super Bowl commercial, new album announcement AND two new singles. All within an hour!” they remarked.
“Move over, Taylor? Queen Bey is in the house!”
In other TIDAL news, the company confirmed in December that over 10 per cent of its team was to be laid off over the coming months.
“The team is going to be smaller than we are today by the end of next year,” Jack Dorsey, CEO of TIDAL parent company Block, Inc. wrote in his notice to employees. The cuts will be determined “through performance management, scoping our work and restructuring to remove duplication and redundancy”.
“I believe it’s important to be upfront and transparent about all this, so you all can make your own decisions if you need to,” he expanded. “You may not be up for the uncertainty or shrinking our team, and want to leave. That’s perfectly reasonable. But I’d rather us provide the information than to work secretly in the dark.”
The post “Move over, Taylor – Queen Bey is in the house!”: TIDAL servers crash after Beyoncé drops two new songs during Super Bowl appeared first on MusicTech.

Spotify partners with Bandsintown to supercharge live music discoveryShows listed on the global live music discovery platform Bandsintown will now also appear on Spotify.
The new partnership provides greater visibility and discovery for artists, venues, and festivals of all sizes at a time of rising costs and increased competition...
The post Spotify partners with Bandsintown to supercharge live music discovery appeared first on Hypebot.

Soundtoys EchoBoy is just $49 at Plugin Boutique until Friday – saving you $150Plugin Boutique is on a roll with its deals at the minute, and this week it has worked with effects plugin brand Soundtoys to offer up to 75 per cent off on a number of its popular products, including the EchoBoy, the SuperPlate and the PanMan.

READ MORE: You can get up to 93% off Sonnox, Solid State Logic, UJAM plugins over at Plugin Boutique right now

Right now until Friday 16 February, as part of the Soundtoys February Mini Sale, you can find the US brand’s delay effect, EchoBoy, on offer for just $50. Its 2023-launched award-winning SuperPlate reverb is also down from $149 to $50, saving you 67 per cent.

Other notable discounts include 60 per cent off on the Devil-Loc Deluxe limiter, which is, according to Soundtoys, a “crushing, pounding, aggressive compressor for massive drums”, its rhythm auto-panner, the PanMan, and PrimalTap, a modelled retro dual delay with a Freeze feature allowing for lo-fi pitch-warped loops and delays.
Or, if you’re struggling to pick just one of these fantastic effects plugins, the huge Soundtoys Effect Rack, a plugin suite including all of the aforementioned plugins, plus the widely-used Crystallizer, Decapitator, Radiator and FilterFreak, has been made available for just $179, down from $299.
If you’re unfamiliar with Soundtoys’ collection of effects plugins, we advise you to get on board with the hype. And that’s not just us saying that – MusicTech has interviewed a ton of producers in recent years, and Soundtoys plugins have been recommended again and again.
In 2022, for example, producers Toyboy & Robin told us about how Soundtoys Decapitator was essential in the making of their track Think It Over, saying it “adds that extra ‘bite’ to so many different sound sources”. DC Gore also praised the same plugin for its “flexibility, sound, ease of use and low DSP”.
Max Tundra, commended for pioneering hyperpop, told us in the same year that the Soundtoys Effect Rack was “astonishingly versatile in terms of bang for buck”.
The Soundtoys Feburary Mini Sale ends this Friday 16 February.
Check out these and more plugins via Plugin Boutique.
The post Soundtoys EchoBoy is just $49 at Plugin Boutique until Friday – saving you $150 appeared first on MusicTech.

What are fan subscriptions and why are they so important for musicians?Fan subscriptions can strengthen direct artist-fan relationships and provide another revenue source for musicians. But they aren't right for everyone...
The post What are fan subscriptions and why are they so important for musicians? appeared first on Hypebot.

Sony Music Publishing expands in MENA with new Dubai office, names Dounia Chaaban as Managing DirectorExec will report to Sony Music Publishing's Senior Vice President of International, Dan Nelson
Source

Warm Bender & RingerBringer pedals from Warm Audio Warm Audio's latest pedals recreate two early Tone Bender designs and Moog's popular MoogerFooger ring modulator. 

What should you charge for CDs and Vinyl? How much will fans pay?With the popularity of streaming, physical media is not as essential to fans as it used to be. So, how much are they willing to pay for CDs and vinyl, and what does it take to turn a profit...
The post What should you charge for CDs and Vinyl? How much will fans pay? appeared first on Hypebot.

Donna Summer’s estate accuses Kanye West of I Feel Love “copyright infringement”Donna Summer’s estate has reacted to what it deems to be an unauthorised interpolation of the late singer’s 1977 hit I Feel Love by Kanye West in his recent track, GOOD (DON’T DIE).
In the song, you can seemingly hear a version of the Giorgio Moroder-produced dance hit under the lyrics, “I’m Alive, I’m Alive, I’m Alive” sung by West in the same style as the original’s “I feel love, I feel love, I feel love”.

READ MORE: Fred Again.. has produced a track on Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s VULTURES album

As reported by Billboard, on Saturday 10 February, Donna Summer’s estate posted an story on the official Donna Summer Instagram account that read: “Kanye… asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love, he was denied… he changed the words, had someone re-sing it or used AI but it’s I Feel Love… copyright infringement!”
Here are the two tracks for your comparison:

It’s far from the first time West, whose collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign, Vultures 1, was also released on Saturday, has come under scrutiny for sampling or interpolating other artist’s music without their permission. On Friday 9 February, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne also hit out at the controversial artist, saying he’d asked to sample a song but was “refused permission because he is an antisemite”.
According to Osbourne, West went ahead and used the sample anyway, playing it at a Vultures 1 listening event in Chicago on Friday night.
He wrote on X, “Kanye West asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of Iron Man from the US Festival without vocals and was refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many. He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night. I want no association with this man!”

. @KANYEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “IRON MAN” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS & WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM…
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) February 9, 2024

“We get so many requests for these songs,” Ozzy’s wife Sharon Osbourne told Billboard on Friday, “and when we saw that request, we just said no way.” She added, “We’ve been in touch with his team … And it’s also an issue of having respect for another artist.”
On Saturday, she posted to X: “The Osbourne family have never wanted any association with Kanye West. He is an anti-semitic fool who spews his rhetoric out into the world, Kanye you fucked with the wrong dude this time. Sincerely, Sharon Osbourne.”
For more artist news, head to MusicTech.
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Reflex Acoustics Release FREE Dynamic Range Meter Plugin
Reflex Acoustics releases free Reflex Dynamic Range Meter plugin for macOS and Windows. Reflex Dynamic Range Meter is a free plugin that allows users to visualize the dynamic range of their track across the frequency spectrum. Music means different things to different people, and I’m a firm believer that the process of learning and creating [...]
View post: Reflex Acoustics Release FREE Dynamic Range Meter Plugin

Spotify introduces new TikTok-style vertical feed for discovering new musicSpotify has introduced a new TikTok- and Instagram Reel-style feature that allows users to vertically scroll through a limitless feed of short snippets of an artist’s music.
The feature – accessible via a GIF-style button on the left hand side underneath an artist’s monthly listener count or an album title – shows short sections of an artist’s music videos or dynamic album artwork alongside the brief song clips, with the goal of enabling users to discover more music quicker.

READ MORE: Spotify to launch in-app purchases, hints at “superfan clubs” to come

Additionally, each discography is accompanied by hashtags of relevant genres, which users can hit to jump to a broader genre-based feed to discover other artists and songs.
Spotify users can click the GIF-style icon to access the new vertical scrolling feature. Credit: Sam Roche/MusicTech
A source from Spotify tells The Standard: “This is all part of our ongoing effort to enable listeners to discover fresh finds, while also allowing them to quickly sample content they can enjoy later.”
From within the vertical feed, users can add tracks to their liked songs to revisit later, while there are also quick buttons to share and mute tracks and follow an artist.
The new feature is evidence of the increasing cross-pollination occurring between tech giants and their services. Just last year, TikTok began rolling out TikTok Music – its own music streaming platform – and now Spotify, the biggest player in the music streaming world, is taking a leaf out of the user experience of TikTok itself.

New Spotify feature allows you to scroll through an artist’s discography like TikTok.
It previews 30 seconds of each song. pic.twitter.com/83Pc77O2u3
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 10, 2024

In other news, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek last week cashed out 250,000 shares in the company worth $57.5 million, following reported strong financial earnings in the final quarter of 2023.
The post Spotify introduces new TikTok-style vertical feed for discovering new music appeared first on MusicTech.

MeldaProduction launch MCenter plug-in MeldaProduction’s latest plug-in pairs simple Mid-Side balance control with spectral processing that offers more in-depth control than traditional decode/encode matrices. 

Arturia Pigments 5 – still one of the best soft synths for sound design€199 (option to spread payment across two, three or four monthly payments), free update from Pigments 4, arturia.com
Arturia’s growth over the last couple of decades — from small-scale software developer to music technology behemoth has been remarkable — and has given us a host of hardware and software music-making tools that many producers find essential. A prime example of this, for us, is Pigments, arguably one of the most versatile and powerful software synthesizers ever created.

READ MORE: Is DJ Studio the perfect DAW for DJs?

Pigments 5 grabs the attention as soon as you play any of the presets from its impressively vast collection. Whether basses, leads, pads, sound effects, or any other flavour of sound, Pigments comes packed with stunning, inspirational patches that thunder, scream, sing and dance their way into your ears.
Such remarkable creative breadth and depth would be impossible were it not for Pigments’ adaptable synthesis engine. This is immediately familiar and welcoming, following a tried-and-tested subtractive synthesis architecture and layout, the synth’s flexibility emerging from the modular nature of each stage.
Arturia Pigments 5 Sequencer
Pigments 5’s sound engines
The oscillator stage is made up of three Engines. One of these, the Utility Engine, is fixed and always provides a pair of flexible noise generators with an array of noise patterns, a basic analogue-style oscillator, and an audio input that can replace the second noise generator, letting you feed external signals into the instrument.
The remaining pair of Engines are where the real action is at. In these, you can load any of four oscillator models, each offering a different character, thanks to their methods of waveform generation.
The first oscillator model, Analogue, provides a classic three-oscillator setup with more than a hint of Minimoog about it (although, unlike a Minimoog, Pigments can operate polyphonically). There’s a standard set of analogue waveforms, hard-syncing between the first two oscillators, and a noise generator with variable colour. Noise can be mixed with the engine’s output, as expected, but can also be blended with Oscillator 3 and used as a frequency modulation source for the first two oscillators. The model’s convincing analogue sound can even be enhanced by dialling in some analogue-style tuning drift.

The Wavetable model comes with a large collection of wavetables and lets you import custom ones. The model can traverse, warp and reshape your chosen wavetable in all sorts of ways, providing a near-limitless palette of waveforms and noises.
Pigments’ Sample model hosts up to six samples simultaneously, taken from the large internal library or imported from your own. Samples can be assigned to key and/or velocity maps, chosen randomly, cycled in a round-robin pattern, or chosen via a modulator or controller. Better still, alongside traditional sample triggering and looping, the model also includes a granular mode, turning any sample into an endlessly mineable source of unique timbres.
The final model, Harmonic, generates sound using additive synthesis principles but, unlike an actual additive synthesizer, it operates in a way that’s manageable and controllable. That’s not to say it’s straightforward — Harmonic is Pigments’ most complicated model — but its mysteries do yield to exploration and experimentation, and allow the creation of a wide range of timbres that are markedly different to those produced by the synth’s other oscillator models.
Arturia Pigments 5 Harmonic Model
The flexible filters and effects of Pigments 5
Each oscillator engine can mix and balance its output between two filter slots, and these slots can load any one of eleven filter models. There’s a standard multimode affair, and a clutch of more specialised filters such as comb, low-pass gate and formant. Alongside these are a range of filters modelled on iconic filter circuits such from the likes of Moog (Minimoog), Korg (MS-20) and Roland (Jupiter 8).
Rather than give a binary choice on whether the filters are connected in series or parallel, Pigments allows you to blend between these two methods. Alternatively, the filters can be split entirely, with each routing its output to the subsequent effects section as a discrete signal. This all makes for tremendous versatility in how raw waveforms are shaped.
The modular ethos continues into the effects section, which provides two insert chains that receive the output from the filters, and a third auxiliary chain that operates as a send/return loop following the insert chains. Each chain is made up of three slots with a choice of 18 high-quality effects, many taken from other Arturia plugins. As with everything else in Pigments, the routing of the effects chains is very flexible, maximising the creative options available.
Topping things off is Pigments’ advanced arpeggiator/sequencer, which has had a couple of tweaks in this new version. The sequencer is better than many standalone pattern sequencers — ideal for generative music thanks to its polyrhythms, probability, and intelligent pitch quantisation and harmonisation, all of which can be triggered and transposed by the notes you play.
As well as driving Pigments, the sequencer’s MIDI output can be routed to other synths, making it a seriously powerful production tool.
Arturia Pigments 5 FX
Is Pigments 5 the best soft synth?
Bringing life to Pigments’ sound is a large collection of modulators – three each of envelope, LFO, function curve, and random generator, blends of which can be created using the three combinators. There’s extensive real-time control too, with the usual suspects of velocity, mod wheel, aftertouch and key tracking joined by MPE and pitch/slide support, and four macro controllers that can themselves be controlled by other modulators.
Managing this stack of modulation sources is a breeze, with each having a panel that visualises its activity and from where you can drag-and-drop the source onto any destination parameter, including effects and sequencer parameters.
This elegance exemplifies much of Pigments’ design, as despite its ludicrous adaptability the instrument is easy to navigate and operate for anybody familiar with subtractive synthesis. Controls are laid out logically and sensibly, visualisations are intuitive and clear, and interactions are obvious and consistent. And, let’s face it, the instrument looks good, inviting you to dive in and start playing.
All of this synthesis power comes at the cost of CPU power, but this does depend on how many of the various synth and processor slots are in use, and has been improved in this latest edition. The other updates in this new version are welcome too. Minor though they are, they’re more than enough to keep Pigments firmly pegged as one of our absolute favourite synths.
Arturia Pigments 5 Wavetable Model
Key features

Plugin and standalone instrument for Windows and macOS
Monophonic or up to 32-voice polyphonic
MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) support
Accessibility features
Micro tuning
Integrated tutorial system
Oscillator models: Analogue; Wavetable; Sampler; Harmonic
Filter models: MultiMode; MS-20; SEM; Matrix 12; Jup-8; Mini; Surgeon; Comb; Phaser; Formant; Low Pass Gate
Effects: Delay; Tape Echo; PS Delay; Reverb; Shimmer; Compressor; Multiband Dynamics; Multi Filter; Parametric EQ; Distortion; Bit Crusher; Super Unison; Chorus; Chorus JUN-6; Flanger; BL-20 Flanger; Phaser; Stereo Pan

The post Arturia Pigments 5 – still one of the best soft synths for sound design appeared first on MusicTech.

RELEASE DETAILS
Release title:
last december
Main artist name:
Verti
Release date:
16th Feb, 2024
https://publme.lnk.to/lastdecember
#newmusic #Release #Music #indepedent #artist #hiphop #rap

Ten Songs For Valentine's Day HatersSome people might be feeling down about their single status or a recent breakup, annoyed by the rampant commercialism of a day supposedly dedicated to love, or just in a cynical mood. If any of the above sound like you, you may appreciate this compilation of "anti-Valentine" songs, best enjoyed on February 15th while eating all the leftover half-price candy.