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
Dolly Parton at 80 is still doing the most, and it still works
A new all-star cut of "Light of a Clear Blue Morning," a travel stop opening in Tennessee, a summer show at the Stampede, and a children's hospital getting the check. A feature on one of the busiest people in music, period.
Sampledex built the notes app producers actually needed — and put it on the Mac App Store for free
The team behind the sample store just shipped a focused writing, task, and MIDI-chord workspace for producers. It's free, it's 7.5 MB, and it doesn't touch your data.
ALLBLACK drops If 16 Was A Letter and the West Coast is listening again
The Oakland rapper's new independent album lands with an all-star Bay-to-Daygo feature list, 10,000+ Spotify pre-saves and a fully artist-owned distribution deal.
Winamp just handed three artists $3,000 a month and a full team — meet the 2026 Creators Program class
Out of 4,000+ applications from 110 countries, Winamp picked Louve, Sorvina and Bleu Nuage. Here is what the program actually gives them, and why this is the artist-development model everybody else stopped funding.
Winamp for Creators just launched a website builder, Fanzone and merch shop — the streaming-only era is officially over
Website Builder, Fanzone superfan communities and integrated merchandising, all under one roof. Here is how Winamp for Creators is turning distribution into a full direct-to-fan business.
Future and Tyla just dropped Game Time — and hip-hop finally has a place on the FIFA World Cup soundtrack
The Cirkut-produced single lands on the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album, debuts live at the opening ceremony at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, and becomes the first hip-hop track ever on a World Cup album.
adidas Originals, Brain Dead and Disney turn the 1994 Predator into a street shoe for the 2026 World Cup
A three-way collab reimagines the original 1994 adidas Predator as a lifestyle sneaker with swappable Disney-pinned tongues, plus a full '90s-inspired kit range. Limited quantities from June 29.
Roland Melody Flip is here — and it is the first AI music tool built to make you a better producer, not replace you
Roland and Sony Computer Science Laboratories just launched Melody Flip: import any audio, get instant melodic ideas, keep 100% creative control. Free trial in May 2026.
Arturia Rev OCEAN turns any sound into an underwater dream — the reverb producers have been asking for
Released June 25, 2026, Rev OCEAN pairs FDN processing, multi-stage diffusion and three expressive modes to make instant atmosphere for drums, vocals, guitars and synths.