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
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.
Nike's June 2026 SNKRS Calendar: Every Upcoming Launch
A signature debut, a Jordan retro family rollout, two A Ma Maniére collabs, a Collina Strada Chuck 70 capsule, and a women's-only Shox revival — Nike's next ten SNKRS days, ranked and read.