All articles tagged with #musictech
NAMM 2026 showcased an unprecedented wave of guitar gear, from new multi-effects and amp models to innovative guitars and accompanying tech, including epic polys, acoustic synths, budget samplers and AI/integrated features, signaling a broad push toward expanded sounds, versatility, and performance options for players.
This week's edition of Installer highlights two must-watch tech documentaries: one on global surveillance inspired by Ronan Farrow's article on government hacking, and another on consumer manipulation tactics akin to 'The Great Hack.' Additionally, the newsletter covers a new powerful synthesizer from Teenage Engineering, a massive Amazon Echo device, and a minimalist podcast app. It also features tech insights from Rich DeMuro, a tech reporter, and shares community recommendations on various tech and entertainment topics.
Code snippets in recent builds of Spotify for Android suggest that the long-delayed lossless audio feature may finally be arriving as part of an optional "Music Pro" add-on, which will also include DJ remix features. This add-on will be available for Spotify Premium subscribers at an as-yet-unknown price. The code samples also hint at a headphone optimization feature and more advanced library filtering. Spotify has not yet commented on these developments.
Spotify introduces a new AI Playlist tool for premium subscribers in Australia and the U.K., allowing users to input prompts referencing various themes and receive a custom playlist generated by AI. The tool, currently in beta, enables users to modify the playlists and experiment with different styles and tempos, offering endless possibilities for music curation.
Taylor Swift's music has returned to TikTok after being removed due to a licensing dispute between Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok. It's unclear how Swift's music made its way back, but it's possible she struck a separate deal with TikTok as she owns her masters. The removal of UMG artists' music from TikTok had a significant impact on the platform, affecting countless videos and viral dances. Despite reported dismal royalty payments, TikTok remains a crucial platform for music discovery, and the return of Swift's music coincides with the upcoming release of her new album.
Spotify is introducing music videos in a beta feature available in 11 markets, including the UK, Germany, and Brazil. Users can access the videos from the Now Playing screen, with a "Switch to Video" option appearing for supported tracks. The feature is available on iOS, Android, desktop, and TV devices, requiring a Premium subscription to watch. Spotify aims to provide artists with another way to engage listeners and cultivate fans through this new offering.
Spotify's music discovery has been criticized for years, and the loss of Every Noise at Once, an unofficial music genre directory created by a former Spotify employee, has further hindered users' ability to find new music on the platform. Despite recent efforts to improve discovery features, users feel confined within a walled-off bubble of repetitive recommendations, leading to nostalgia for older internet radio services and consideration of alternative platforms like TikTok. Every Noise at Once provided a simple and effective way to explore new genres and music, highlighting a missing native utility in Spotify's current music discovery experience.
Apple Music will offer artists a bonus payout of up to 10 percent in royalties for songs available in spatial audio, with the pro-rata shares for spatial plays being calculated using a factor of 1.1. This move comes as an increasing number of new songs are being released in both Dolby Atmos and stereo, with a 5,000 percent increase in spatial audio availability since its 2021 launch. Spatial audio is supported across Apple's new devices, and is also available on Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, Netflix, and HBO Max, while Spotify is yet to introduce a similar offering.
Two students, Larry Lu and Kathryn Zhang, have developed an electronic orchestra baton that allows users to conduct music at home. The baton uses a Pico W and an IMU to detect the conducting speed and transmits this data to another Pico W, which then plays audio files at the corresponding tempo. The system also features a visualizer that pauses when the baton is set down. This innovation uses DMA and SPI communication to control audio output and visualizations, adjusting the playback speed by manipulating the DMA audio channel timer.
Apple is reportedly planning to give "added weighting" to songs that offer a Dolby Atmos mix, potentially increasing the royalties that artists receive from Apple Music. The change, which hasn't been officially announced yet, aims to further promote the adoption of the immersive audio format. Apple supports Dolby Atmos across its devices, while other tech players like Amazon and Sonos also offer Atmos-optimized speakers. Spotify, on the other hand, still does not support spatial audio listening. Apple's move could help strengthen its standing with artists and publishers amid recent challenges faced by its competitor.
KISS has unveiled their virtual avatars at their final farewell tour performance, signaling a "new era" for the band. The avatars, created by Pophouse Entertainment with help from Industrial Light & Magic, will be used to produce "immersive, avatar-powered" concerts. Unlike ABBA Voyage, KISS's shows will be fully pre-recorded with no live music. The success of ABBA Voyage, which made $2 million per week, has inspired other legacy acts to explore virtual live shows.
Kiss, the iconic rock band, closed out their farewell tour with a surprise as they transformed into digital avatars during their encore performance. The avatars, created by George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic, allowed the band to continue their legacy in a new digital form. This cutting-edge technology opens up possibilities for virtual concerts and global performances, with Kiss expressing interest in a kind of digital immortality. The music industry has seen an increase in experimentation with digital avatars, with artists like ABBA and K-pop groups utilizing similar technology. Kiss fans can look forward to potential future avatar concerts.
Spotify confirms its new royalty model, which includes demonetizing low-played tracks, charging fees for streaming fraud, and monetizing "noise" tracks after two minutes of listening. The company argues that these changes will generate an additional $1 billion in revenue for emerging and professional artists over the next five years. Meanwhile, Spotify is reportedly looking for a new ad agency as it reduces marketing spend. In other news, Pushkin Industries, co-founded by Malcolm Gladwell, has seen multiple layoffs and leadership changes, leading to its employees unionizing with the Writers Guild of America, East.
Spotify has confirmed the details of its upcoming changes to its royalty model, aiming to better support artists dependent on streaming revenues. The changes include introducing a minimum threshold of 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months for tracks to generate recorded royalties, charging labels and distributors for flagrant artificial streaming, and increasing the minimum track length for functional noise recordings to two minutes. Spotify believes these policies will drive an additional $1 billion in revenue towards emerging and professional artists over the next five years.
Love Hultén, a designer known for creating custom instruments, has incorporated ferrofluids into their latest creations, resulting in mesmerizing visualizations. One of their recent projects features a KORG minilogue xd synthesizer encased in a ferrofluid-animated display. Love Hultén drew inspiration from DAKD Jung's ferrofluid-display Bluetooth speaker project. In addition to the ferrofluid synths, Love Hultén has also created a stunning "Chunky Mother-32" commission that combines a Moog Mother 32, a Roland TR-08, and a Hologram Electronics Microcosm, along with a pull-out keybed.