SAMPLED▌ FRONT AND CENTER
Music producer contract: every clause explained, and the numbers that count as standard
Points, splits, work for hire and the sample clause — a plain-English walk through what actually belongs in a producer agreement before anybody hits record.
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MusicDolly Parton's career, start to finish: the songs, the albums, and the coat she gave everybody
From Locust Ridge radio to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — the records that matter, the copyrights she refused to give away, and what a working artist can actually take from sixty years of it.
MusicThe Opry is giving Dolly Parton back to the room that made her: how to watch tonight
Tonight the Grand Ole Opry dedicates its Saturday show to Dolly Parton, with Carly Pearce, Kathy Mattea, Molly Tuttle, Dan Tyminski and more. Here is the start time, the lineup and every free way to watch or listen.
// from the dispatch
Company review sites for B2B buyers: how to check if a company is legit before you sign
A working method for vetting a vendor, label, distributor or agency: which review platforms actually help, which public records back them up, and how to build a one-page dossier in under an hour.
Australia just drew the first hard line between AI-generated and AI-assisted records
ARIA's updated Chart Code of Practice takes effect with the chart published Friday, August 28. Fully AI-generated recordings are out. AI as a tool is still fine — and the difference comes down to who sang the lead.
SoundCloud now lets artists sell tracks directly — and it's taking zero commission
A beta that opened Aug 26 to roughly 200 Artist Pro creators turns SoundCloud into a direct-to-fan storefront, with the platform taking no cut. Here's what it means for independent artists.
Dolly Parton's impact on music: the songwriter who rewrote what a country star could own
She built a catalog, a business and a blueprint — and you can trace the line from "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" straight through Reba, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Miley Cyrus and Lainey Wilson.
How to prepare your mix for mastering: headroom, file format and the checklist
What to bounce, how much headroom to leave, what to do about the limiter on your master bus, and the exact file and paperwork a mastering engineer expects.
Small Fender amps compared: Frontman 10G, Mustang LT25 and Acoustasonic 40
Three inexpensive Fender combos, three completely different jobs: a no-frills first practice amp, a 25-watt modeling amp with a screen and USB, and a two-channel acoustic-and-vocal PA. Here is how to pick the right one.
The history of the Akai MPC — from the MPC60 to the new MPC Sample
How one drum machine with 16 rubber pads rewrote rhythm in popular music — the MPC60, MPC3000, 2000XL, 1000, Live and where the palm-sized MPC Sample fits in that line.
Best MIDI keyboard controllers in 2026: what to buy and why
What a MIDI controller actually does, the four specs that matter, and five keyboards worth buying — from a 25-key first controller to a 37-key sequencer that runs without a computer.
Best budget guitar pedals in 2026: what each one actually does
Compressors, wahs and multi-effects explained in plain language — what each pedal does to your sound, who actually needs one, and which budget picks are worth your money.