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
How to actually make a music video on CloneViral: a Marcus + Taylor walkthrough
Two agents, one song, zero After Effects. Here's the workflow that gets you something postable instead of another cursed AI clip.
CloneViral wants you to chat your way to a viral video — and it's scarier than it sounds
A new AI video tool puts a roster of specialist "agents" — a film director, a music video producer, a UGC ads creator — behind a chat box. Here's what it actually does, and where it fits for music creators chasing Reels.
Soulsfeng's $38 TrailBlaze cargos are the cotton workwear pant Gen Z actually wears
97% cotton, 3% spandex, sizes 26–35 in black, grey, and army green. The case for the $38 cargo pant doing rounds on TikTok.
Soulsfeng's outdoor lineup keeps creeping toward "festival survival kit"
Three foldable solar panels, a heated crossbody, a waterproof phone pouch, and a 1.68 lb sleeping bag — what actually earns a spot in the bag.
Soulsfeng's heated boots are getting weirder (in a good way): FuturaHeat-Y vs. FuturaHeat-Nova
One pair is a wireless-charging leather city boot. The other is a –40°F semiconductor-heated work boot with an app. Both come from the same outdoor brand quietly turning footwear into wearable tech.
Upskillist has a 28-day free trial and they don't take your card up front
No autopay trap, 14 categories, hundreds of courses. Here's what the free month actually gets you and how to use it without spending a cent.
You don't have to quit the dream: six side hustles that actually feed your music goals
A Gen Z read on building a creative-adjacent income — music marketing, teaching, analytics, psychology-style coaching — using short Upskillist diplomas instead of a four-year detour.
Prompt engineering for musicians: a real look at the Upskillist ChatGPT mastery course
Bio writing, pitch emails, marketing plans, lyric sparring — most artists already lean on ChatGPT but get mediocre output. Here is what a 4-week prompt mastery course actually fixes.
Graphic design for musicians: what an Upskillist diploma actually covers
Cover art, merch drops, EPK decks — the visual side of a release shapes how the music gets heard. Here is what a 16-week design diploma teaches and whether it fits an indie artist budget.