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Music production, DJing, recording, mixing, mastering, software and the technology shaping modern music.
SQ8L, the long-dormant Ensoniq SQ-80 software emulation, has returned as an unofficial free 64-bit beta for macOS, Windows and Linux. The rebuild could make the instrument usable again in current DAW setups, but producers should treat it as beta software.
Orra Audio has released Orra Key, a free macOS and Windows plugin that detects the key of samples and loops, provides chord previews, and supports drag-and-drop MIDI chord export.
Arturia has released the free AstroLab 2.0 firmware update, adding a Sound Edit system, more than 60 new sounds, new instruments, and performance and workflow improvements.
Bubblegum is a free polyphonic pitch-editing plugin for Linux, macOS and Windows, reported to let users move, tune and stretch individual notes within recorded chords.
The US Copyright Office has launched a notice of inquiry into music-streaming fraud, according to Music Business Worldwide. The move could affect how fraudulent activity, usage data and royalty distributions are examined across streaming.
Italy's consumer watchdog is investigating Suno over reported terms-of-service concerns involving price changes, account terminations, US arbitration and a content licence said to require users to waive moral rights.
Sony Music says it has asked online platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI-generated deepfakes impersonating artists including Harry Styles, Adele and Michael Jackson. For producers, the figure highlights the release and marketing risks around unapproved voice cloning and artist-identity
Novation has launched FLpad and FLpad Mini, its first MIDI pad controllers dedicated to FL Studio. Developed with Image-Line, both combine 64 RGB pads with sequencing, pattern and transport controls, while FLpad adds velocity-sensitive pads.
Germany's highest civil court has ruled that the use of a two-second Kraftwerk sample in Sabrina Setlur's 1997 track 'Nur mir' qualifies as a pastiche under German law from June 2021 onwards. The decision is important for sample-based producers, but it is not a blanket licence to use copyrighted
Applied Acoustics Systems has released AAS Player 2.0, a redesigned free instrument plugin that adds sound-specific editing controls, a new browser and more than 650 starter sounds.
Spitfire Audio has released Phoenix, a hybrid synthesiser created with Grammy-nominated composer and producer Brian Transeau (BT), combining material from his private archive with orchestral recordings.
BandLab has upgraded AutoMix, its AI-assisted mixing tool for existing BandLab projects. AutoMix analyses audio and MIDI tracks, then adjusts track volume and panning across the mix.