GEAR + TECH
deadmau5 and Zytara Partner to Launch Groundbreaking Digital Banking Experience
Canadian electronic music icon deadmau5 has formed a groundbreaking partnership with Zytara, an innovative fintech company, to change virtual banking as we know it. The partnership will offer the first-ever branded digital banking experience, according to a press release shared with EDM.com. Zytara’s technology is said to enable fans to “interact with deadmau5’s brand” through the company’s banking app, where they can discover merchandise, concerts, pop-ups and more. Fans will also be able to receive a deadmau5-branded virtual or physical debit card, which can be used at 45 million merchants worldwide. Zytara’s debit cards with deadmau5 branding. Zytara Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles This shape-shifting partnership is the latest i...
Spotify Acquires Cutting-Edge AI Voice Modeling Company Sonantic
Sonantic is bringing a slew of new voices to the Spotify platform. Co-founded by Zeena Qureshi and John Flynn in 2018, the AI voice company has been acquired by the streaming giant, TechCrunch reports. Sonantic’s technology addresses two key functions. First, the company has the capabilities to produce high quality text-to-speech results fit for a professional studio. And perhaps more intriguingly, Sonantic enables the creation of vocal models based on samples. The company has also worked with professional actors to synthesize their voice into a programmable format. Using this program, actors can complete multiple voiceover projects simultaneously without actually having to be present. Each time their vocal program is utilized commercially, the actors receive a royalty payment. ...
Armin van Buuren Is Streaming an Original Concert Film—But Only for One Night
For one night only, fans have the opportunity to discover a lot more about one of trance music’s most tenured icons with the premiere of This Is Me. The forthcoming film details the life and experiences of Armin van Buuren, but June 30th will be the one and only date to catch the flick. The iconic “This Is What It Feels Like” producer is teaming up with HYMN to make this exclusive event a reality. Combining legendary moments on the silver screen with innovations in Web3, HYMN creates a path for artists and fans to share in a piece of music and cinematic history. Armin van Buuren is streaming his “This Is Me” concern film one time only. HYMN Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles Creating 1,234 Armin van Buuren NFT collectibles, HYMN is curating a collect...
Microsoft Developed Glass for Norway’s “Doomsday Vault” Capable of Storing Music for Thousands of Years
Your favorite songs may well live on for thousands of years to come, thanks to a new innovation in the world of musical storage. First there was the CD. Then the MP3. Now the silica glass capsule, courtesy of Microsoft. In case it seems curious that the next evolution in music storage is transitioning from a digital format back to analog, that’s because these particular songs need to withstand whatever forces known and unknown the universe has at its disposal. Last year, Elire Management Group announced the development of a Global Music Vault, also known as the “doomsday vault” due to its ability to withstand ice and snow at a depth of 1,000 feet. The vault is being developed on the Svalbard archipelago north of Norway and will safeguard timeless works from the Beat...
All the DJ Gear We Wanted to Take Home at NAMM 2022
Road-weathered faces rubbed elbows and tilted hats scratched records in what may be the largest such expo on the continent. Even those in the music industry can tally up the music festivals and the international artist tours, and still there will be few learning experiences as prized as the NAMM Show. It’s here where roadies, live performance artists, back-of-house technicians, production experts and more exchange knowledge with representatives from prestigious tech providers like Pioneer DJ, Harman/JBL, Cerwin Vega, Technics, Guitar Center and AudioTechnica, among many others. Organized by the National Association of Music Merchants, the NAMM Show is the first opportunity for many to see and experiment with all the newest gizmos for live performance and studio recording. From microp...
LALAL.AI’s Stem Separation Technology Opens Up a New World for Music Producers
Want to practice for an audition, learn how to play a song part, or remix your favorite tune? LALAL.AI has got your back. Over the past years, we have seen an influx of AI platforms—particularly online—that aim to streamline music creation processes such as audio mastering or sample selection, allowing musicians and artists to spend more time on honing their craft. Serving millions of DJs, producers, vocalists, dancers and other music pros, audio service LALAL.AI has cemented itself as a leader within the stem separation space. While many AI platforms offer solutions to processes that are being carried out by humans, LALAL.AI is taking things a step further by utilizing artificial intelligence to extract vocals and instrumental stems from audio and video sources. Its multiple us...
Tiësto Makes His Foray Into NFTs With “All Access Eagle” Launch At EDC Las Vegas
Tiësto has revealed his plans to enter the NFT arena, with the superstar producer teasing the beginning of a new line of digital assets. While there’s still much to be revealed regarding Tiësto’s forthcoming collection, the key to accessing his upcoming Genesis NFT launched over the weekend at EDC Las Vegas. The theme of the collection centers around the eagle – a recurring image seen across the “Don’t Be Shy” producer’s album artwork and live visuals. The All Access Eagle NFT represents phase one of his efforts in the space, and grants holders VIP access to purchase his forthcoming Genesis NFT titled “EAGLE.” The All Access Eagle NFT additionally includes the promise of early access to new music, plus additional perks yet to ...
Snapchat Launches Four Augmented Reality Lenses At EDC, Showcasing the Technology’s Long-Term Utility
Snapchat and EDC are affording festival-goers new ways to capture the magic of America’s largest dance music festival. Part of Snap’s recently announced multi-festival partnership with Live Nation, the company has developed and launched a handful of augmented reality lenses curated for EDC Las Vegas and beyond. Attendees who open Snapchat at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be greeted with a slate of new lenses to transform their experience under the electric sky. Bring EDC’s iconic neon owl to life with the Night Owl lens and watch it soar across the sky on your phone in real time. Meanwhile, utilizing the Daisy lens gives users the ability to sprout towering neon flowers from the ground at their feet, creating new digital landmarks and unique opportunities for content ...
A complete travel photography gear guide
We’re often asked about the gear we take on our travels. In response, we have written a detailed and complete travel photography gear guide I have been involved in film or photography throughout the course of my career: initially as a camera operator, video editor and AV engineer, later as a teacher in digital media, and now as a travel writer. I’ve published photography in a range of magazines, newspapers, books and websites including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, The Telegraph and The Independent among others. I even provided the photography for a recipe book once. I’ve also sold stock images for several years on Shutterstock and iStock by Getty Images, and my photography plays a prominent role throughout our travel blog and social channels, particularly Instagram. ...
The Chainsmokers To Share Stake In Album Royalties With 5,000 Of Their Biggest Fans
The 5,000 biggest fans of The Chainsmokers will soon become part-owners of the duo’s newly released fourth LP – So Far So Good. Partnering with 3LAU‘s NFT marketplace, Royal, The Chainsmokers are turning over 1% of the ownership rights from the album back to their fans. Each token, which will be given away for free on the platform, effectively represents 0.0002% of the ownership interest. Fans who hold these tokens will receive the monetary benefits that come with such ownership, including entitlement to a fractionalized portion of the cash flows for each stream generated. Additionally, the 5,000 NFT holders will earn exclusive perks including access to The Chainsmokers themselves via a private Discord channel and more. “We are also planning giveaways an...
Beatport Launches New Genre, Amapiano
Digital music marketplace Beatport has added a new genre to its platform, amapiano. Amapiano is a South African-born genre that has risen to prominence over the past few years by way of artists like DBN Gogo, Focalisti, and Major League DJz, as well as labels such as Jozi Entertainment, Thupa Industry, and PianoHub. Previously, the amapiano genre was categorized under other genres on Beatport’s platform. These included Afro House, Deep House and Dance/Electro Pop. This new categorization will allow Beatport to properly promote these genres through banners, playlists and more. The increase in promotional power will enable fans to more easily discover the sounds and artists of amapiano and amplify exposure for its artists. South Africa has been a rich cultural...
Roland’s AIRA Compact Synthesizers Are Pocket-Sized, Powerful Hardware for Beginners
Everything is getting smaller and more portable, including synths. Roland‘s new AIRA Compact devices utilize Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) instead of resistors and capacitors to make sounds. While you won’t exactly get the tried-and-true analog sound, you’ll receive powerful modern processors that closely resemble that of their analog counterparts. Additionally, you’ll also get the same amount of tweaking and manipulation. The AIRA Compact line includes the T-8 Beat Machine, J-6 Chord Synthesizer, and E-4 Voice Tweaker. The T-8 Beat Machine features classic Roland drum machines like the TR-808, TR-909, TR-606, and TB-303. The J-6 Chord Synthesizer is modeled after Roland’s JUNO-60 synth. And the E-4 Voice Tweaker features a microphone input for art...
