SAMPLED▌ FRONT AND CENTER
Is LUNA Really Free? The Free DAWs Worth Downloading on Mac, Windows and iPad
Universal Audio's LUNA now costs nothing on Mac and Windows. Here is what that gets you, plus the other free DAWs worth your time, including Sampledex on iPad, Mac and Windows.
// also right now
GearWhat Equipment Do You Need to Start a Video Podcast at Home?
A home podcast studio built from gear I actually use: a 4K webcam, a pair of tracking PTZ cameras and the headphones every broadcast booth already owns.
FeatureIs Sampledex for iPad a Real Free DAW, and What Can It Do?
Robert Clemons has brought Sampledex from the Mac to the iPad as a free download. Here is what it does, what it can't do, and who it's for.
// from the dispatch
Caroline Rose started a label in May and is releasing her own album on it in October
SUCK Records' first full-length is hers. The artist-owned imprint is having a moment — here is what one actually costs you.
Phoebe Bridgers ended a six-year gap with sixteen songs
Lost Weekend arrived Friday on Dead Oceans — her first solo full-length since 2020. The gap itself is worth talking about.
Fridayy's Tension is a lesson in how to run an album rollout
His third album landed Friday via Def Jam, with Mariah the Scientist on "Death Do Us Part." The week-out trailer is the part worth stealing.
Effective altruism, explained for business — and what it says about AI in music
What effective altruism actually is as a business framework, which people in and around music already operate this way, why the tech world adopted it so hard, and how the same logic lands on AI, record labels and the value of a song.
The majors in 2026, part 3: Sony Music
Sony's music segment posted ¥562.0 billion in quarterly sales, up 21%, with operating income of ¥105.9 billion — plus a raised full-year forecast on the back of consolidating Recognition Music Group.
The majors in 2026, part 2: Warner Music Group
WMG's 2026: a fiscal Q3 with revenue up 10% and net income of $200 million, an abrupt CFO exit, Tom Corson promoted to COO, and an AI strategy built on buying attribution technology.
The majors in 2026, part 1: Universal Music Group
UMG's 2026 so far, read from its own filings and press releases: double-digit revenue growth, the Downtown consolidation, a €500m buyback plus a €250m Pershing Square exit, and a licensed-AI strategy built on settlements.
Megan Thee Stallion went to Interscope and kept everything
A distribution deal, not a record deal. She keeps her masters and her publishing, Hot Girl Productions stays the label, and Interscope handles the world. Here is what that structure actually is.
Erykah Badu and The Alchemist finally put a date on it
After more than a year of delays, the collaborative album lands 28 August via Control FREAQ and Young Recordings, with new single "Witch Doctor" out now.