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
Platform brief: SiriusXM lands on Tubi, iHeart books Vegas and your LG TV, Tidal hands Phoebe Bridgers a phone-free MSG for a dollar
A companion to last weekend's back-office piece — a Sunday brief on what the platforms themselves shipped, signed, and programmed the past two weeks, pulled directly from the SiriusXM, iHeartMedia, Deezer and Tidal press rooms.
The summer touring desk: a Chappelle arena run, a new Kansas City amphitheater, and Spotify quietly becomes a box office
A Sunday roundup of the live-business news that actually moved the week of June 1, drawn straight from the Live Nation and Ticketmaster newsrooms — five days that put a comedy heavyweight on sale, opened a 16,000-seat room outside Kansas City, and tied a Spotify listening history to a reserved ticket window.
ISRCs on demand, The MLC re-upped, and a São Paulo verdict on fake streams: a June 2026 brief on the music industry’s back office
Three recent press releases — from IFPI and SoundExchange, from The MLC, and from IFPI’s anti-fraud Operation Authêntica — together describe how recordings get identified, how songwriters get paid, and how courts are treating paid streaming manipulation in 2026.
Skrillex drops 'Thistle' with Blawan, Randomer and MC Dricka as the CONTRA era opens up
A surprise UK-techno linkup arrives ahead of a 2026 festival run that runs Primavera to Bonnaroo to Head Trip — and turns Berlin's Kraftwerk into his new home base.
Melanie Martinez maps the Main Idea Tour, a 2026 arena run for a dystopian new era
After "Disney Princess" and a globe-spanning Trilogy Tour, the alt-pop architect lines up 24 arena nights across North America and Europe.
Alex Warren announces 'Wildchild,' drops 'Passenger' as a summer opener
The Best New Artist of 2025 maps out his sophomore album for August 28 and serves the first single as a top-down anthem.
Muse drop 'Nightshift Superstar' as 'The Wow! Signal' comes into focus
The fifth transmission from Muse's tenth album collides arena rock with French house — and the LP lands June 26.
Total Accord Fest Returns for Year Two Across San Francisco
The Bay Area creative agency brings The Seshen, Brijean, Elujay, and more to a two-week celebration of music, drag, and culture.
Primavera Sound 2026: The Cure, Skrillex and Ethel Cain headline Friday's livestream
Amazon Music, Twitch and Prime Video are pulling select sets from the Parc del Fòrum tonight — and the festival around it is the largest, and most parity-balanced, Primavera has ever staged.