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
Australia just drew the first hard line between AI-generated and AI-assisted records
ARIA's updated Chart Code of Practice takes effect with the chart published Friday, August 28. Fully AI-generated recordings are out. AI as a tool is still fine — and the difference comes down to who sang the lead.
SoundCloud now lets artists sell tracks directly — and it's taking zero commission
A beta that opened Aug 26 to roughly 200 Artist Pro creators turns SoundCloud into a direct-to-fan storefront, with the platform taking no cut. Here's what it means for independent artists.
Dolly Parton's impact on music: the songwriter who rewrote what a country star could own
She built a catalog, a business and a blueprint — and you can trace the line from "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" straight through Reba, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Miley Cyrus and Lainey Wilson.
How to prepare your mix for mastering: headroom, file format and the checklist
What to bounce, how much headroom to leave, what to do about the limiter on your master bus, and the exact file and paperwork a mastering engineer expects.
Which Small Fender Amp Should You Buy? Frontman 10G vs Mustang LT25 vs Acoustasonic 40
Three inexpensive Fender combos, three completely different jobs: a no-frills first practice amp, a 25-watt modeling amp with a screen and USB, and a two-channel acoustic-and-vocal PA. Here is how to pick the right one.
How Did the Akai MPC Change Music? From the MPC60 to MPC Sample
How one drum machine with 16 rubber pads rewrote rhythm in popular music — the MPC60, MPC3000, 2000XL, 1000, Live and where the palm-sized MPC Sample fits in that line.
What Is the Best MIDI Keyboard Controller in 2026?
What a MIDI controller actually does, the four specs that matter, and five keyboards worth buying — from a 25-key first controller to a 37-key sequencer that runs without a computer.
What Guitar Pedals Should a Beginner Buy in 2026?
Compressors, wahs and multi-effects explained in plain language — what each pedal does to your sound, who actually needs one, and which budget picks are worth your money.
Anderson .Paak and Cordae are finally making the album 'RNP' promised
Heavy Is the Crown, the duo's first full-length together, arrives October 23 via APESHIT, Mass Appeal and EMPIRE — with a physical-first rollout already live.