GEAR + TECH
The Chainsmokers, Disclosure, More Back Audius In $5 Million Funding Round
Blockchain-based streaming service Audius has announced it recently closed a $5 million funding round in partnership with some of the contemporary music scene’s most popular creators. Artists such as The Chainsmokers, Disclosure, Steve Aoki, Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, Pusha T, Mike Shinoda, and many others are throwing their weight—and their cash—behind Audius, helping to grow the crypto-powered platform’s footprint in the streaming economy. The high-profile capital infusion represents a powerful endorsement from the creator economy for the decentralized future of music. From a creator standpoint, Audius’ unique decentralized infrastructure offers creators a censorship-proof, direct-to-consumer experience. These characteristics have led artists to treat Audius as a t...
No Tickets, No Problem: You Can Now Enter Red Rocks By Scanning Your Palm
Thanks to a new partnership between Red Rocks and Amazon, we’re now a step closer to living in a real-life Black Mirror episode. Fans entering concerts at the iconic Colorado open air venue can now scan their palm in lieu of tickets or digital barcodes using Amazon One, the company’s biometric technology. After purchasing a pass to any given show, ticket-holders will be able to gain entry simply by hovering their palm over a touchless Amazon One device at the amphitheatre’s gates. An Amazon One palm reader. Amazon Prospective users must first enroll in the Amazon One program, which has to be done in person and takes less than a minute. Recommended Articles “When a ticketholder is ready to enter the amphitheater using their palm, there is a designated entry...
Don Diablo’s Most Ambitious NFT Drop Yet Comes With a Real-Life, Hexagonal Structure
Don Diablo is once again making NFT history with his most ambitious venture yet. The project, which he’s calling “Hexhibit III,” is a digital collectible with a real-world counterpart. Like something out of a science fiction movie, Diablo’s vision for the NFT takes the form of a futuristic, spaceship-like capsule towering at nearly twice his height. While he could’ve left it at that, Diablo then had what he calls a ludicrous idea: what if he replicated the structure in the real world? “I said, ‘What if you could stand inside an NFT, literally? That hasn’t been done before,'” Diablo told Rolling Stone. Though he didn’t disclose the financial resources needed to make it happen, he did suggest the cost to build the chamber was compar...
Apple Music Leverages Shazam to ID Full DJ Mixes, Compensate Rights Holders
In a streaming service first, Apple Music has launched a robust track-identification feature capable of analyzing full DJ mixes and ensuring music rights holders are paid. The feature was developed as an extension of Shazam’s proprietary track identification technology. Apple added Shazam to its growing portfolio of services via a highly visible $400 million acquisition back in 2018. DJ Mixes have proven to be a thorn in the side of content creators and digital platforms alike. Without an efficient methodology to break down a DJ mix into the sum of its parts, rights holders and DJ’s have historically been unable to effectively monetize them. Consequentially, many artists and labels have barred their music from appearing in DJ mixes outright, leading to the automated remov...
Coast to Coast kit list: what’s in my backpack
Our Coast to Coast kit list includes everything you’ll need for this classic long-distance journey across northern England I recently returned from hiking England’s Coast to Coast Walk. The 302km (188mi) unofficial footpath traverses England from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. To help other trekkers get the balance right, I’ve put together my usual post-trip kit list of everything I packed. Where possible, I’ve linked to the gear I carried for reference. [embedded content] Coast to Coast kit list As I live on the trail, I chose to walk from my home in Richmond to Robin Hood’s Bay and back (seven days), and then from Richmond to St Bees and back again (13 days). By the time I got home, I had completed the trail twice, so have a fair idea of the kit requi...
Facebook Gaming Expands Free Music Usage to Protect Creators
Facebook Gaming streamers now have more access to licensed music without fear of their content being taken down. Facebook recently revealed that two tiers of creators on their platform will be given access to a large library of popular music to use in their streams. Users in both the Level Up and Partner tiers can now use music from major labels in the background of their streams. For those unfamiliar with the platform: streamers are able to obtain Partner and Level Up status via a combination of activity, number of followers, and time spent streaming, similar to how Twitch operates its Affiliate Program. An announcement shared on Facebook Gaming’s official blog notes the company has been “working closely with the music industry.” It also mentions...
iHeartRadio Music Festival and OneOf Partner to Launch Seismic Drop of 1 Million Free NFTs
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Las Vegas’ iHeartRadio Music Festival is partnering with emerging NFT platform OneOf to mint a staggering amount of NFT poker chip collectibles. Up to one million NFTs will drop on OneOf between now and September 14th. Over the course of the next couple weeks, fans can visit OneOf daily in an effort to collect a complete set of chips, which will earn them eligibility for additional prizes. As Cointelegraph notes, fans who snag a complete set will earn a limited edition NFT designed by digital artist Cory Van Lew, who previously helped design collectible assets in partnership with the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Mike Tyson. Collecting all the chips also earns participants a chance to win tickets to the festival i...
The Robots Are Coming and They Like to Rave: What We Learned From Interviewing Sensorium’s AI Avatars
When Sensorium’s virtual PRISM world finally opens its doors to concert-goers later this year, don’t be surprised to find yourself striking up a conversation in the crowd—with an AI-driven avatar. It’s no secret AI has been a pillar of Sensorium Galaxy’s overall development strategy, but the technology—developed in partnership with Mubert—has been kept vastly under wraps. When it comes to AI, Sensorium’s computer-generated avatars serve multiple functions. Some are artists with the potential to produce an endless stream of electronic music in a live performance setting. The remaining AI personalities—each possessing unique behavioral traits and professional and personal backgrounds—are residents of the Sensorium ecosystem. They have the “freedom” to navigate t...
Elon Musk Introduced Tesla’s New AI Robot With a Human Awkwardly Dancing to EDM in Tights
On August 19th Tesla hosted “AI Day,” which came with a spate of details about the company’s innovative technology for their vehicles—and an AI robot. Dubbed Tesla Bot, its purpose will be to eliminate tasks that are considered “dangerous, repetitive and boring” such as using a wrench to fix a car part, according to CEO Elon Musk. The technology behind Tesla Bot is reportedly derived from the same mechanics powering its vehicles. “It makes sense to put that onto humanoid form,” Musk said. “This, I think, will be quite profound. Essentially, in the future, physical work will be a choice. If you want to do it, you can, but you won’t need to do it.” Elon Musk. Dan Taylor/Heisenberg Media Tesla Bot was announ...
How to prevent and treat blisters when hiking
Don’t let blisters ruin your time in the outdoors. Our guide on how to prevent blisters and treat them will keep your feet trail happy Whether you’re an experienced trekker or a newcomer to the trails, you will invariably suffer from one of the most common hiking injuries. Therefore, we’ve put together a simple guide on how to prevent and treat blisters when hiking. How to prevent blisters When it comes to blisters, prevention is always better than a cure. Knowing how to prevent blisters will save you from those painful footsteps later on. What causes blisters? Blisters are actually part of the body’s healing process and develop to protect damaged skin and help it recover. They can be caused by allergies, skin conditions, burns or even insect stings and spider bites. But the most common ca...
From Fan to Family: How Discord Gave Artists a Platform to Connect With Purpose
The social media landscape has changed over the past few years. Myspace took the world by storm when it launched in 2003. Then came Facebook a year later, revolutionizing the way that we connect with friends, family, and loved ones. But now Facebook’s imminent doom lingers like a roadkill stench, and other platforms are swooping in to pick up the slack. Twitter created a platform that allows people to share bite-sized pieces of information and join conversations from all around the world. YouTube has provided creators with a podium to share their stories and build their brands. TikTok has replaced Vine and filled the void of video memes millennials and Gen Z’ers yearned for during a global pandemic. While every social media platform has a unique position within the online social community,...
Protect Your Hearing Health With Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs
When we start to get ready for a live show, our minds don’t tend to go straight to hearing protection. However, the average concert causes damage to our ears after only seven and a half minutes of unprotected exposure. In an effort to combat Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), it is important to be aware of your exposure to loud sounds and always use proper protection—such as Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs—when being exposed to anything over 85dB for prolonged periods of time. Everyone knows live music events are loud, yet very few people seem to realize the dangers of the decibels. The average concert weighs in at about 98-110dB, evidently classifying as extremely loud and dangerous to hearing. Have you ever experienced that post-show ear-ringing? Not only is i...
