NOISY break down their new track, DANCEFLOOR: “The synths took it to another level”British indie-electro trio NOISY have released a video breakdown of their explosive new track, DANCEFLOOR featuring Charlotte Plank.
READ MORE: “Copy your favourite tunes” to learn production, advise Disclosure
The euphoric song is part of an upcoming collaborative mixtape titled FAST FWD: to friday [Vol 1]. “[DANCEFLOOR] was the first [track] that came about. That’s where we decided we wanted to do more collabs and explore different areas and sounds, and meet new artists.”
In the video, members Spencer, Connor and Cody run through the various elements of the new track, which they say is a “massive track” for them.
The foundation of DANCEFLOOR is a vocal sample that the band found on the sample marketplace Tracklib. You’ll hear the chopped-up sample in the intro of the track, which is layered with pitched-up and pitched-down versions of the sample, along with some overdub recordings to “beef up” the stack of vocals, Spencer says.
In the pre-chorus, NOISY introduces some progressive house-style synth chords to create a dramatic build-up.

The band recalls the synthesizers and sound design parts being the force that “took [DANCEFLOOR] to another level.”
Spencer, the band’s main producer, also breaks down the various drum sounds that were layered to comprise the intricate beat of the track. Combine those with the sample, progressive chords and powerful vocals from Charlotte Plank, and you’ll hear how much consideration went into DANCEFLOOR.
The band’s upcoming is touted to continue this sentiment, bringing in a diverse selection of artists from various styles and genres. Alongside Charlotte Plank, the collaborators include Tinchy Stryder, Master Peace and Frozemode, among others.
This won’t be the first collab on the band’s discography, either. They’ve previously collaborated with the likes of The Prototypes, 1991 and Zero, and have had liquid D’n’b royalty High Contrast remix their single 24/7.
On 8 September, Spencer, Connor and Cody will launch the mixtape at Signature Brewery Brew Hall, London.
You can buy tickets to the event at DICE and pre-save FAST FWD: to friday [Vol 1] now.
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UMG, Deezer ‘double boost’ launch upends streaming payments to artistsUniversal Music Group (UMG) has launched its long-promised artist-centric payment model with EU-based music streaming service Deezer. But unlike some of UMG’s other royalty experiments, this reveal comes with details. Continue reading
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Should you Release Music as an Album, EP, or Track by Track?What are the pros and cons of releasing new music as an album, an EP, or as individual tracks? You’ve recorded new music and are trying to decide whether to. Continue reading
The post Should you Release Music as an Album, EP, or Track by Track? appeared first on Hypebot.

U.S. Copyright Office pledges to keep an eye on the implications of AIThe U.S Copyright Office is to study AI and how generative artificial intelligence should or not not play a role in the music industry. by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0. Continue reading
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“Copy your favourite tunes” to learn production, advise DisclosureBritish dance duo Disclosure have offered advice for new producers, saying they shouldn’t be afraid to copy the sounds and techniques of their favourite artists as a way of learning.

READ MORE: Mac DeMarco: “I like to respect the way that recordings come to be”

The advice is offered during the pair’s recent Tape Notes podcast episode, in which the Settle creators unveil the production techniques and tools used on their latest album, Alchemy, and provide insights into the meanings behind some of its tracks.
“The best advice you can give someone starting out,” says member Guy Lawrence, “is ‘get in the studio and copy your favourite tunes all day’.
“That’s how you learn,” adds Howard.
“Yeah, then start to seep in some of your own [style] – like what you might do instead,” says Guy. “The first few songs of our career were just ripping off all of the UK underground. We were just like ‘I want to make tunes that will get us on to Boiler Room’.”

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Also in the podcast, the brothers discuss their priorities in terms of mixdowns on a project, saying that even if a mixdown isn’t perfect, by modern standards, as long as the song is “unbelievably good”, it’s okay.
“The song’s got to be unbelievably good if the mix is bad. Some of my favourite songs ever, the mixing is ‘bad’. ‘Bad’ is not a thing in mixing, it’s just ‘this way’ or ‘that way’,” says Guy.
At another point in the podcast, Guy reveals a cool technique used on Howard’s vocals in the track Looking For Love, that helps connect the song’s meaning with the production.
He achieves this by modifying the pitch formant of Howard’s vocals to match the emotional nuances in the lyrics by using Soundtoys’ Little Alterboy plugin. When the lyrics convey hope, he raises it, and when the mood turns sombre, he lowers it.
Listen to the full podcast via tapenotes.co.uk.
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SM Entertainment artists including EXO, Red Velvet and aespa to join HYBE’s superfan app Weverse next weekSM Entertainment artists will officially be joining Weverse on September 12
Source

AudioSourceRE’s DRUMLESS lets you extract drums in real-time from any recordingA new AI-powered plugin by AudioSourceRE, DRUMLESS, has been launched. It lets you separate drums from “any audio track”, says the brand.

READ MORE: Group test: Six of the best stem separation tools in 2023

The plugin offers high-quality separation, letting you “effortlessly” rebalance or completely isolate drum tracks from their existing recordings. This way, you can extract standalone drum tracks of exceptional quality from even the most busy recordings and use them in your own projects.
AI technology allows for real-time extraction of drum tracks from mixed audio. It identifies and eliminates instrumental bleed from drum tracks, enhancing audio quality.
DRUMLESS is designed for DJs, remixers and drummers who are hoping to extract their favourite beats from any recording, whether it’s to quickly sample a slick drum loop or play along to a drum pattern to practice. The developer also says mixing engineers can use the plugin to remix a track without the original stems.

The DRUMLESS plugin is compatible with popular DAWs like Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, and Cubase, guaranteeing a seamless cross-platform experience.
Stem separation is an in-demand feature for producers and DJs right now. In August, Serato launched the second iteration of its tool, Serato Sample 2.0, bringing stem separation technology as a plugin for your DAW for the first time.
It’s not just producers that now have simplified, quicker ways of extracting drums from recordings. Serato Stems was launched in October 2022, a feature that lets DJs isolate different elements of a song, with the brand saying it will “change DJing forever”.
This month, it looks as though Image-Line is looking to follow suit from Serato. A new video uploaded by a user teasing the upcoming FL Studio 21.2, shows an ‘extract stems from sample’ option, with options to extract ‘drums’ as well as bass and vocals.
It costs $99 and is downloadable from www.audiosourcere.com.
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Mastering The Mix’s FUSER plugin is “like having a personal mixing engineer”Plugin developer Mastering The Mix has released FUSER, a smart mixing plugin that is designed to resolve conflicting channels in a mix.
READ MORE: Best new mixing plugins, effects and VST instruments out this week

FUSER helps you create a more coherent mix by assisting you in setting volume balance, phase optimisation and mid/side-specific sidechain ducking. The plugin uses features Conflict Detection and Resolve Conflicts to provide you with a starting point in creating a clearer mix. The brand says FUSER is like “having a personal mixing engineer suggesting the perfect fixed for your unique song.”
Mastering The Mix offers some examples of where best to use FUSER. If the kick drum and bass parts of your mix are clashing, you can use the plugin’s Sidechain feature to quickly duck the bass and make room for the kick drum every time it hits.
How does this differ from sidechain compression? The company says that FUSER “achieves transparency by attenuating the frequencies and stereo position where conflicts occur,” but leaves the rest of the signal untouched.
Once you identify conflicting channels, you’ll put FUSER on the effects chain of the submissive channel, such as bass, and route the sidechain to the dominant channel, such as the kick.
The display panel lets you see the sidechain signal and the submissive signal playing together. A red glow will highlight mid channel conflicts, and a yellow glow will show you side channel conflicts. When you see any conflicts, hit the Resolve Conflicts button, and FUSER will get to work. You can then adjust the amount of processing using nodes, like in a graphic EQ, and alter parameter settings.
Check out the overview video below to see how FUSER works.

Reviews from the pros are already in, with multi-Grammy-winning mix engineer David Yungin Kim (credited on Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande and Nas records) saying: “As a mixer primarily in the hip-hop genre, I find it extremely important to have thumping low-end and clear, crisp vocals. I thought I was doing a decent job until I got my hands on FUSER.
“With FUSER I am able to get that next-level knock and clarity that I’ve been looking for my whole career. It’s really an amazing tool and it should belong in everyone’s plugin folder.”
FUSER is available for £49 and has a free trial available.
Learn more at masteringthemix.com
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Denon’s PerL revive the NuraTrue Pro earbuds with personalised soundDenon’s PerL and PerL Pro true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds are now available, boasting personalised sound capabilities.
READ MORE: NuraTrue Pro review: Your new favourite wireless earbuds?
If these look familiar to you, it’s because they’re remodelled versions of the NuraTrue Pro and NuraTrue earbuds by Australian startup brand Nura, which Denon’s parent company, Masimo, acquired earlier this year. This makes them the first Denon-branded Nura product to hit the market.
The earbuds feature Masimo AAT (Adaptive Acoustic Technology), allowing you to create and apply your own personalised sound profile to the earbuds. This works in the same way as Nura’s personalisation process did, measuring otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in your inner ear by playing a range of tones and frequencies and capturing the results.
Nura’s NuraTrue Pro Earbuds
Once your OAEs are analysed, your unique hearing profile is created and available to view on the Denon PerL app for iOS and Android. The brand says this profile provides “unparalleled depth, detail, and clarity – tuned perfectly to your own hearing and elevated by Denon’s vivid and spacious signature sound.”
Denon’s PerL Pro earbuds are capable of providing high-quality sound via Bluetooth. Again, this was a feature of the now-discontinued NuraTrue Pro, which were the first wireless earbuds to feature Qualcomm’s aptX lossless audio technology. Denon adds that the PerL Pro also creates “a surround sound effect,” presumably allowing you to listen to spatial audio formats with compatible devices.
Both the PerL and PerL Pro feature active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. PerL Pro uses eight microphones to offer a more accomplished sound-cancelling experience.
The PerL Pros offer eight hours of battery, with a further 32 via the charging case. The PerLs, meanwhile, pack six hours on battery with an extra 24 via  the case.
Will the PerL Pros and the new Denon PerL app retain the critical acclaim that NuraTrue Pro received? In our review of the NuraTrue Pro, we said: The NuraTrue Pros are my new favourite wireless earbuds. So much so that I’ve not reached for my other casual-listening headphones since unboxing them. Why? It’s simple – they just sound far better than the rest: rich, deep, detailed, and exciting.”
Keep your eyes peeled for a review of the PerL Pro on MusicTech.
The Denon PerL and PerL Pro headphones are now available for £299/$349 and £189/ $199, respectively.
Learn more at denon.com
 
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How to make artist centric artist centricDeezer and UMG announced a major (in both senses of the word) shake up of streaming music royalties. This is arguably the biggest streaming market development in years, as it will set the tone for market-wide change. There is no doubt that streaming royalties require a revamp. The system built for the music business of 20 years ago was always going to struggle to be fit for purpose in today’s business. There are some really positive elements to this proposal, but it can be even better. Indeed there is a risk that as it stands it will break as much as it fixes.

The problems with today’s streaming market are well known, but for the record, a few of the key ones are:

Music listening is becoming commodified

The volume and velocity of music released is excessive

Cynical entities are able to game the royalty system

Most artists do not earn enough

Artists are building audiences rather than fanbases

Artists struggle to cut through the clutter

The full list, of course, is far longer, but the selection shows how pervasive and structural the challenges are. Royalties are an important part of the fix, but nonetheless, just one part. The UMG / Deezer initiative addresses the top three in the list, but not the bottom three. And crucially, it rewards success at the expense of emerging artists.

Among a raft of elements, the UMG / Deezer initiative:

Halves the royalty ‘weight’ of artists with less than 1,000 monthly streams and 500 unique monthly listeners, while doubling that of the rest

Further ‘double boosts’ music that has been actively searched for by a user

The second item is a very welcome and long overdue move. Streaming has thrown together two old business models (retail and radio) and thrown them into one pot, pretending lean-back and lean-forward consumption are the same. They are not. This move will go a long way to disincentivising the commodification of consumption by rewarding active listening. If you get your listeners to pay attention, to look for you, then you are rewarded with higher royalties. So, top marks for this move.

The first item, though, is an entirely different issue and far less welcome. Why? Because it does a reverse-Robin Hood. It is redistribution of wealth in reverse, taking income from struggling, emerging artists and sharing it among those who have already found success. 

Between 2000 and 2022, artists direct (i.e., artists without record labels) grew streaming revenue by 60% while the majors grew streaming revenue by just 35%. As of 2022, artists direct represented 8% of global streaming revenue. This fastest-growing part of the streaming market accounts for the majority of the long tail of artists with less than 1,000 streams. Crucially, the number of artists in this group grows at the same rate as their revenue, so most are unlikely to ever break the 1,000 streams threshold. 

Which means that the fastest-growing and most dynamic part of the music business could become a permanent funding mechanism for the biggest labels and stars. The way funding programmes usually work in the wider world is that the better advantaged fund the less well advantaged, not the other way round. The idea of a teenage, aspiring bedroom producer having half their royalties taken to pay the likes of Taylor Swift feels like an odd reward for effort and creativity.

The 1,000-stream threshold is not actually a bad idea in itself. In fact, it could actually be used in a dramatically different way that would truly help rebalance the streaming economy.

Artists with less than 1,000 streams represent roughly 80% of all artists. Most generate less than $100 a year of streaming royalties. So, taking away the income from these emerging and long-tail artists may be morally questionable, but it is not going to exactly affect their ability to pay the rent. 

Roughly speaking, the total income from these artists accounts for about 1% of all streaming royalties. Which means that the impact on big artists is going to be pretty small. 

Sidenote: it is difficult to see how >1,000-stream artists will get an over ‘double weight’ without more money being put in the royalty pot or being taken from somewhere else. The “500 monthly listeners” might actually ensure the pool of the 1,000-stream artists. These are artists who are making the step up, beginning to get real traction, and need all the support they can get to kick on to the next level. The extra income would make a big difference to them. Supporting the next generation of artists is something that can truly be called ‘artist centric’.

Record labels are in the business of finding, nurturing, and investing in new talent. It is the single most important role the music business plays. A streaming royalty mechanism that takes from 80% of artists to redistribute to 20% does not feel very “artist centric”. But shift the equation slightly, and push all of the royalties of the

pure:EQ plug-in from Sonible pure:EQ offers a straightforward approach to EQ processing, employing the company’s neural network technology to generate a filter curve tailored to the input source.

Sheffield stars Toddla T and S Dog step into ‘The Steeze Factory’Sheffield hero Toddla T is an energetic, characterful collaborator who’s produced for an impressive array of rappers including Aitch, Roots Manuva, Skepta, Wiley and Ms. Dynamite. So, when rapper S Dog, a fellow northerner and Bad Boy Chiller crew affiliate (as pointed out by T’s die-hard BBCC fan son) came into his inbox, his authenticity, he says – and the fact he had a song called Yorkshire – meant the collaboration was a no-brainer.

READ MORE: Mac DeMarco: “I like to respect the way that recordings come to be”

Heading into Toddla T’s West London-based studio named by T as ‘The Steeze Factory’, the producer and rapper instantly bounced off one another, nodding to their Northern roots with a collection of garage and bassline bangers. MusicTech speaks to the pair about the collaboration and discover how Toddla T sets up an environment in his studio for vocalists to shine.

Toddla and S Dog, this EP is nuts! These tracks have a bassline flavor to them. Is bassline a genre you both hold close to your hearts?
Toddla T: I’m from Sheffield, so bassline is in our DNA, whether we like it or not. Growing up, it was the sound of the community, hugely influential to my sound and DJ sets. It’s never left the city; it’s an easy win for the dancefloor to this date.
S Dog: I’m completely the same as T. I’ve always grown up around bassline and have always been a massive fan of it. My younger self would have never believed I would be making it with Toddla T! There’s definitely a revival happening at the moment; the south side is finally catching on.
S Dog, shot by @shotbywez
Tell us about the linkup.
Toddla T: I was offered the session and checked out S Dog, and the first thing that jumped out was his authenticity. I particularly liked the fact he had a tune called Yorkshire.
S Dog: As soon as I got into the studio with T, I immediately knew something special was on its way. Bringing DJ Q in for a remix was the cherry on top.
Where were these tracks made?
Toddla T: It was all done on the spot in The Steeze Factory, lyrics and beats, minus //Brighter Days//, which was an idea from a while back. The Steeze Factory is my spot in West London.

How do you use your studio, Toddla?
Toddla T: I sublet a room in a complex. I don’t need much equipment-wise: M1 MacBook Pro, UAD Apollo 6x, UAD Sphere DLX mic. Ableton Live is the membrane.
Vocals are the most important thing to capture right. I voice in the room, as it’s the culture a lot of vocalists come from, so I want to make it as comfy as possible. Vibe over quality, always. I cannot stress how amazing the UAD C VOX is; it takes the room out of the recording on the way so well. I can have the air con on, kettle brewing, the lot. You don’t want to be setting up a booth when the vocalist is ready! I track into Ableton and have an Ableton Push by my side.
I have an upright piano, which is just a great vibe and also good for writing on. I got it off Gumtree for £50! The more expensive bit was transporting it and tuning it, as it was a full tone out. It records really well; the imperfection is what makes it vibier than any VSTi. I wack the UAD Sphere mic in the mic on stereo mode. No long ting.
S Dog, shot by @shotbywez
S Dog, do you enjoy collaborating? Working with people in music is important in the music industry. In what ways have you become a better collaborator over the years?
S Dog: I’m a big collaborator when it comes to music; I’m not much of a producer myself, so I have always worked with other producers when it comes to making my tracks. I’ve definitely opened up to more sessions in recent years, including with Toddla. T’s production is quite different from anything I’ve spat on before, but it worked so well, and we got on like a house on fire.
What atmosphere did you try to create in the studio?
S Dog: Toddla T and I are both energetic people, so we were constantly bouncing ideas off each other. T had a bunch of beat ideas ready to go and constantly spurred me on to try something out on them. His big energy definitely helped me be more creative in the studio.
S Dog, shot by @shotbywez
S Dog, what would you say to any upcoming MCs wanting to take their ideas to the next level and actually get music out there?
S Dog: Keep pushing your boundaries, man! Try things out that you wouldn’t usually do. Keep collaborating and try out ideas you wouldn’t have thought of before; you never know what might come out of a session.
Check out the rest of S Dog’s tunes and Toddla T’s productions via Spotify.
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Roger Linn’s iconic LM-1 drum machine revived as the Luma1 by Joe BrittOften hailed as one of the most legendary drum machines in the history of music-making, Roger Linn’s LM-1 will soon be making a comeback in the form of the Luma1.

READ MORE: Future Retro’s Vectra synth is back in production after halting operations during COVID-19

The Luma-1 is touted as an authentic recreation of the iconic LM-1 by Joe Britt, CEO of Afero in Silicon Valley.
Built with the blessings of Linn himself, the Luma-1 fully recreates the original design of the LM-1 — it uses the same audio path (vintage DACs and filters), runs the unmodified LM-1 software, and adds a secondary modern processor for adding highly desirable features like loadable sounds, USB connectivity, MIDI, and more.
According to the project’s Instagram page, the production of Luma-1 will be entirely US-based, including the enclosure, PCB, and component assembly. There’ll also be kits announced later this year for DIY aficionados.

A small batch of pre-assembled units is now available for pre-order, with a target price of $4,995 (like the original). All orders will be manufactured in the order they arrive (first come, first served) and delivered this year.
Of the project, Linn says on his website: “A few years ago, a friend of [Joe Britt] gave him one of my old LM-1 drum machines. He enjoyed playing with it, but he wished it had a few extra features like loading alternate sounds from files, and pitch and pan knobs on the front panel. So he decided to make his own enhanced LM-1.”
He adds, “I think it’s very cool that my friends Joe, Andrei, and Devin are breathing new life into the LM-1, recreating the original circuit, sound and timing while adding some useful modern features.”
“These guys are in it purely for the passion and are far better engineers than I am, so I’m honoured that they’re taking on this project. It’s entirely their project, but I’m staying in touch with them and giving some help along the way.”
Originally released in 1980, the LM-1 drum machine soon became a staple of 80s pop music, appearing on records by music legends the likes of Gary Numan, Michael Jackson and particularly Prince.
Learn more or pre-order the iconic reboot at Luma1’s Instagram page.
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Support Tours, Mental Health, the State of the Live Music Industry from a Booking AgentThis week, Ari is joined by.Daniel McCartney, Music Agent at UTA and Founder/CEO of Outlast Records.

Criminal gangs use fake Spotify streams to launder money, says Swedish newspaper investigationCriminal gangs involved in shootings and bombings in Sweden are using fake Spotify streams to launder money, respected Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported Tuesday. For several years, criminals have been. Continue reading
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