MusicTech

While Frap Tools is typically known for its Eurorack modular synths, the Italian company is branching out. Magnolia comes as Frap Tools’ very first keyboard synthesiser, and it’s rammed with all of the brand’s signature analogue sounds, from the Brenso to the Cunsa. The Magnolia boasts an eight-voice polyphony, with two ‘Carrier’ and ‘Modulator’ oscillators. The pair of oscillators are derived from the company’s 30HP Brenso, reworking the module’s two triangle-core oscillators... The post The Magnolia might be the most alluring synth launched at this year’s Superbooth appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

A collection of studio gear belonging to late British DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall is now up for auction. His family is selling 12 pieces of his production arsenal via Soundgas, including sequencers, vintage synths and pedals. The auction is now live, and is scheduled to end Sunday May 11 at 11pm BST. Highlights of the collection include a Roland Juno-60, Moog Rogue, Dunlop TS-1 Stereo Tremolo pedal, and an Ensoniq DP/4 parallel effects processor. There’s also a Roland Rhythm TR-77 drum machine, a Sequential Circuits Pro synth, and a Tech 21 Comptortion pedal... The post Roland Juno-60 and Moog Rogue among 12-piece Andrew Weatherall gear auction appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

In search of gear that matches your studio’s dark, minimalist vibe? Look no further, for Teenage engineering is giving its ultra-portable Field System a fresh look. Starting 10 June, three of the tech company’s compact audio devices – the TP-7 recorder, TX-6 mixer, and CM-15 microphone – will be available in a sleek black finish. While the internals remain unchanged, the updated exteriors give the devices a distinctly different vibe, adding a chic twist to the company’s signature retro-futuristic aesthetic. One device, however, is being left out of the blackout treatment: the OP-1 Field, which will retain its current silver finish... The post Teenage Engineering just gave its Field System a sleek black makeover – and we want it more than ever appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

LANDR Sampler is a new AI-powered sample organising plugin described as the “smartest way to play your sample library”. Building off the Montreal-based company’s reputation for integrating AI into music production tools, LANDR Sampler functions as both an instrument and a sample library organiser... The post LANDR Sampler uses AI to organise your sample library – could this be a godsend for producers? appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Arturia and Native Instruments (NI) have confirmed a new product partnership under the ongoing NKS Hardware Partner Program, making it easier to use NKS plugins with Arturia hardware. From here on out, the mainstay NI integration technology, Native Kontrol Standard (NKS), will be integrated into Arturia hardware. So far, Arturia has confirmed that three machines will be part of the initial rollout: KeyLab MK3, KeyLab Essential MK3, and MiniLab… The post Arturia owners – you can now integrate Native Instruments’ NKS plugins into your Arturia hardware appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Novation has unveiled a series of new products in time for this year’s Superbooth, which is currently being hosted in Berlin. The new offerings include the Launch Control XL 3 MIDI control surface, two white Launchkey MK4 keyboard controllers – in 49-key and 37-minikey formats – and a limited-edition Bass Station II designed in partnership with famed British graphic designer Ian “Swifty” Swift... The post Novation just launched a slew of new products at Superbooth, including a limited-edition Bass Station II with artwork from an acclaimed graphic designer appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Moog has launched a new compact and “performance-ready” synth that promises to “deliver the iconic Moog sound through a modern lens”. The new product, which is called Messenger, is a monophonic analogue synth suited to both beginners and seasoned pros. It mixes analogue warmth with innovative functionality, and it has an intuitive hands-on interface suited to players of all levels. The synth was shortly teased by the brand earlier this month (6 May), with more details landing just in time for Superbooth... The post Moog Messenger: Everything you need to know on features, pricing, and availability appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Until 15 May, Plugin Boutique is hosting an exclusive sale on Excite Audio plugins and bundles – and the savings range from 50% right up to a massive 78% off, if you know where to look… One of the hottest deals comes in the form of the Complete Excite Audio Bundle, which now costs just £239 rather than its usual price of £478. The bundle comes with all 16 of Excite Audio’s extensive library of plugins and instruments, from the Bloom series of vocal and instrumental effects, to visual analysis plugin VISION 4X, to Lifeline Console’s ability to add warmth of analogue audio processing to your mix... The post Plugin Boutique is hosting a massive Excite Audio sale – including all 10 Bloom plugins for just £149 appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Bastl Instruments has launched a new “experimental”, patchable sample player, inspired by its popular Kastle Drum synth launched in 2020. The new Kastle 2 Wave Bard brings the Kastle range “to the next level”, according to the brand, with user-uploadable samples, stereo, effects, plus better sync and patch capabilities. It’s compact and runs on 3 AA batteries or USB-C, and it “loves to jam” with other portable gear thanks to sync in/out ports and an audio input... The post Bastl Instruments’ Kastle 2 Wave Bard is a “semi-autonomous” patchable sample player for discovering new rhythms and riffs appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Spotify has recorded even more growth across the first quarter of the year, with its highest subscriber net adds since 2020. The platform has shared its latest Q1 report, revealing a record high operating income (its profit after deducting operating expenses), which rose to €509 million across the quarter, and a premium subscriber count of 268 million – an increase of 12 per cent year over year, marking the the second-highest Q1 in Spotify’s history. Monthly active users reached 678 million (up by 10 per cent Y/Y), and total revenue was also up by 15 per cent to €4.2 billion... The post Spotify records its highest subscriber net adds since 2020 in first quarter of 2025 appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

AI in music isn’t just a looming future – it’s already here. And according to a new study, a surprising number of producers and musicians are secretly using it in their work, even as public stigma keeps them quiet. The study, titled AI in the Music Industry – Should You Fight It, Ignore It, or Embrace It?, surveyed more than 100 industry professionals and music consumers with the aim of sparking conversation around AI use and helping creatives better prepare for what’s ahead. In a new interview with Entrepreneur, Sonarworks CEO Helmuts Bems discusses the most striking findings from the research – chief among them, just “how widespread the use of AI tools already is in the professional music industry”... The post “Everybody thinks that it gives them a professional edge… however, you are somehow a villain if you use it”: New study reveals widespread use of AI among music producers, though most “do not want to publicly talk about it” appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

In a bid to expand its reach into the plugin market, Splice has acquired British virtual instrument library purveyor Spitfire Audio for a reported $50 million, according to the Financial Times [via Music Business Worldwide]. In a press release shared with MusicTech, the company says its decision to purchase Spitfire comes as the plugin market is valued at $640 million, and the wider music software and services sector “exceeds $7 billion”... The post Splice acquires Spitfire Audio for a reported $50 million appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Arturia has released V Collection 11, the latest instalment of its revered suite of plugins that emulate classic analogue synthesizers and acoustic instruments. Along with a handful of new emulations, V Collection 11 also introduces new additions to Arturia’s Augmented series and a new synth, Pure LoFi. Also new is the V Collection Intro bundle, which offers a slimmed-down version of the library at a lower price… The post Arturia V Collection 11: New plugins, price, V Collection Intro, and everything else you need to know appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

A new study has revealed that a large number of emerging producers and DJs feel that the electronic music industry is a “closed club”. The study, which was carried out by the Pete Tong DJ Academy and shared during a talk from CEO Alex Tripi at the International Music Summit (IMS), collected responses from 15,000 DJs and producers who use the academy... The post Over 60% of emerging producers and DJs feel “the electronic music industry is a closed club”, with social media presence prevailing over skill appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Bitwig Studio entered the DAW scene in 2014 and, since then, has gained countless new fans, thanks to combining some killer features of other DAWs with innovative features that are all its own (and that are now being copied by those same competing DAWs). It’s a big success story that the company is aiming to replicate with the launch of its very first hardware product, Bitwig Connect 4/12... The post Bitwig Connect 4/12: Excellent for Bitwig users, still pretty good for everyone else appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

With The Guardian calling 2024 the year of the “precipitous decline of UK nightclubs”, it’s evident that the clubbing industry has been struggling. A Capital On Tap report even suggests 57% of London’s clubs will close by 2030 – but 2025 could change that. According to the report, London lost nearly 18% of its clubs and pubs between 2022 and 2025. Based on these figures alone, the UK capital is on chart for a steep decline. However, a string of new London clubs have already opened this month alone... The post Another new club is opening in London – despite predictions that 57% of clubs will be closed by 2030 appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

“It all started with Inspector Morse,” begins Fish56Octagon, talking to MusicTech backstage ahead of his debut Cambridge gig. “It was an episode called ‘Cherubim & Seraphim’ and featured the 90s illegal rave scene,” enthuses the car influencer turned viral DJ and producer who is in his mid-40s but prefers to keep his identity hidden. Just 12 years old when he watched it while on a family holiday, and he was mesmerised. His parents? “Horrified.” … The post Fish56Octagon: “Music production is the hardest, then social media — DJing is the easy part” appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

With less than 100 ever produced, the three-tiered Yamaha GX-1 is something of synth legend. First released in 1973, the extremely rare model marks Yamaha’s historical entry into the synth market. And one is currently up for auction for £99,950. But this isn’t an ordinary GX-1. The synth was once owned by none other than electronic visionary Aphex Twin. While in his possession, he also asked Colin Fraser of Sequentix to restore the synth to its former glory, as well as requesting the addition of MIDI functionality... The post Aphex Twin’s MIDI-modified Yamaha GX-1 is up for sale – for just £100,000 appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

The Ivors Academy – one of Europe’s largest professional associations for music writers and composers – has issued a strong warning to Suno, the company behind AI-powered music generator Suno AI… The post “The latest example of unethical AI firms stealing the livelihood of lyricists, songwriters and composers”: The Ivors Academy wants Suno to remove its ReMi lyrics generator appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Mark Ronson’s latest DJ set left more than just the crowd buzzing – it also sent him straight to the hospital. The Uptown Funk producer took to Instagram Wednesday (3 April) to update fans on his recent injury, posting a picture of himself lying in a hospital bed, giving a thumbs-up. In the caption, he explains how an attempt to compensate for poor sound quality at a recent DJ gig went spectacularly wrong… The post “The house PA was so bad that I tried to one-hand turn the stage monitor towards the crowd…” Mark Ronson shares injury update after DJing gig gone wrong appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Udio, the AI-powered music platform currently embroiled in a copyright lawsuit from major record labels, has launched a new tool called Styles — which lets users “create new songs using an existing song or audio clip as a style reference”. The post AI music firm Udio’s new Styles tool lets users “create new songs” using existing songs as references appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article Credit: MR.Cole_Photographer/Getty Images

It’s no secret that clubs and live music venues are struggling. As the Music Venue Trust scrabbles to sustain grassroot venues, 2023 saw a sharp decline in venues, with 125 independent venues shutting shop. While last year only saw 25 venues closing, including Bath’s iconic Moles, The Guardian considered 2024 to be the year of the “precipitous decline of UK nightclubs”, with 17 clubs shutting within the first quarter of the year... The post Two dance venues open in East London in quick succession – is the UK’s nightlife scene looking up? appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Bandcamp’s direct-to-artist approach isn’t just “timeless”, it’s also well-equipped to navigate the challenges of an AI-driven music industry, says General Manager Dan Melnick. Speaking to MusicRadar in a new interview, the executive posits that Bandcamp’s system is the norm, while streaming – where artists often receive only fractions of a cent per play – is the outlier… The post “Staying in the streaming world and trying to play that game is probably more of a threat”: Bandcamp executive says its business model is “timeless” and “well positioned for the age of AI” appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Timbaland has slammed today’s music as “bland” and “boring”. In a new interview with The Inner Court, the producer – who’s crafted hits songs for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Madonna, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and more – shares his thoughts on the current state of music and AI’s role in it... The post Producer Timbaland thinks today’s music is “bland” and “boring”, calls AI the only thing with a “pure soul” right now appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Launched in 1998 as a simple MIDI drum machine named FruityLoops, FL Studio has become one of the production community’s most beloved DAWs. Its intuitive interface and robust feature set have attracted a diverse user base, from those at the very start of their journey to seasoned pros like Martin Garrix and Metro Boomin. No matter what stage you’re at, incorporating a hardware controller into your setup can transform your workflow. Tactile control over effects, more efficient sequencing and arranging, highly expressive performances of virtual instruments — controllers can foster a more intuitive and hands-on production process. Whether you need a realistic weighted keybed, knobs and faders for dialling in automation, or a pad-based setup for live performance, the right hardware controller will keep you in your creative flow and your eyes off the screen. And to help you find your MIDI controller soulmate, we’ve selected eight of the best options for FL Studio... The post Best MIDI controllers to buy in 2025: 8 best FL Studio controllers to buy appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article