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
Boy George just re-recorded Karma Chameleon with ethical AI — meet Artist Included, the company betting artists win this round
Founded by Paul "PK" Kemsley and Jeremy Rosen, Artist Included launches with a BMG-partnered reborn Karma Chameleon and a business model built entirely around creator ownership.
How a creative writing course actually makes you a better songwriter
Better verses, cleaner hooks, songs that actually say something. Here is what a 16-week creative writing diploma teaches — and where it earns its keep for a working songwriter.
Why every musician needs to learn video editing in 2026
Short-form is how artists get found now. Here is what a video editing diploma teaches, what it skips, and whether learning to cut your own content is worth the 16 weeks.
How to shoot your own press shots and cover art without hiring a photographer
Press shots, cover art, EPK visuals — every artist needs them and most cannot afford a photographer every quarter. Here is what a photography diploma teaches and whether the DIY route holds up.
Salomon and A-COLD-WALL* rework the ACS Pro into a $220 industrial trail shoe
Samuel Ross' A-COLD-WALL* strips the ACS Pro down to a floating cage, Kevlar mesh, and distressed eyelets — dropping in Black Olive and Bluing colorways for $220.
SP5DER and adidas turn the F50 into a street shoe for the 2026 World Cup
Young Thug's SP5DER label and adidas Originals reworked one of football's fastest boots into a silver, rhinestoned lifestyle sneaker — with Lamine Yamal fronting the campaign.
Half the year is gone: the mid-year checklist every producer should run on July 1
Royalties, splits, expenses, backups, and the boring stuff that costs you money in April if you skip it now.
A twelve-month plan to learn synthesis properly
A structured practice route from first patch to confident sound design, one skill per month.
The Prophet-5 sound: five underground tracks that built the legend (and where it lives now)
From boogie B-sides to ambient dubplates, the Sequential Prophet-5 quietly shaped half a century of underground music. Here are five records that prove it — and the GForce plugin trying to keep the sound alive in 2026.