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
GForce x Sequential: the first official Prophet-5 plugin, and what 'official' is worth
A soft Prophet-5 with the actual Sequential logo on it dropped today. In a market full of unofficial clones from Arturia and u-he, the question is whether a license still moves the needle.
Two paths through the catalog economy: Boy George's AI gambit vs. HarbourView's Chaka Khan buy
In a single week, two opposing legacy-catalog strategies surfaced. One sells a stake to a fund. The other tries to use AI to take ownership back.
Spotify's live-video pivot meets its Universal AI deal — the bundle thesis gets real
Concert streaming, narrated magazine articles, emoji reactions, AI licensing. In two weeks Spotify has quietly become a different kind of company.
The Atlantic just named the four datasets training the AI music boom
Millions of copyrighted recordings — Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, the whole canon — are circulating among AI developers in four specific datasets. Here is what that means for the lawsuits already in motion.
Sampling your own analog synth into a library
Multisampling, round robins, and when a sampled patch beats the real thing on a deadline.
Soulsfeng: How David Feng and Fahad Al Ali Built a Cult Outdoor Sportswear Brand
From OEM roots as Future Footwear Technology to running shoes, heated apparel, and art-house collabs — the wind-named label is quietly stacking athletes, artists, and Olympians.
Hybrid setups: analog voices, digital brains
Sequencing hardware from a DAW without losing the immediacy that made you buy hardware.
Summer Smash 2026: Lyrical Lemonade turns Bridgeview into a three-day rap and rave
Lil Uzi Vert, Skrillex and Playboi Carti headline the Chicago festival's 2026 edition — 50+ artists, three stages, June 12–14 at SeatGeek Stadium.
World Cup 2026 Opens With a Global Soundtrack as Music Takes Center Stage
From Mexico City's opening ceremony to fan festivals across the U.S., music is playing a major role in welcoming the world to the tournament.