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Sony Music taps Dubset to monetize samples in remixed songs
It's tough enough for artists to make sure they're paid for every stream of their songs, but what about remixes? There is a system in place from Dubset called the MixBank Rights Management Platform, and it helps rights holders identify samples in songs that belong to them. Apple Music and Spotify already use the platform to help pay sampled artists for their contribution to streaming remixes. Sony Music has just opted into the system, making it the first major label to use Dubset's platform. This enables Sony to manage its massive catalog and monetize the use of samples on streaming services.
Today's Google Doodle teaches you to scratch and mix on turntables
Google's doodles are an outlet for the company's playful urges. And, even though they've become all too common, the redesigns still manage to pack the odd surprise. Take today's offering, which resembles New York's iconic street graffiti. But, that's not all, click the pulsing play icon at its centre, and the logo transforms into an interactive turntable. Now, you can play DJ, spinning a bunch of records that were instrumental to the creation of hip-hop. An accompanying video tutorial boasts narration from graffiti artist and TV presenter Fab 5 Freddy.
Microsoft powers a DJ’s live show with a Surface Book and Kinects
When it comes to live shows, the visuals are key to making a lasting impression. I'd even argue that what you see is just as important as the quality of the music. It is a performance, after all. Touring musicians employ all kinds of A/V gear in an attempt to offer a unique experience for concertgoers. For years, some acts have turned to Microsoft's Kinect camera to capture movement live, translating that to graphics on a video display, among other things. To make the camera-based setup more portable, Microsoft teamed up with DJ Alison Wonderland to create a simplified Kinect-driven system that runs primarily on a Surface Book.
Pacemaker+ makes your mixes better and easier to share
In news that'll please budding mix-meisters (you're not actually a DJ, sorry), popular iOS mixing app Pacemaker has just received a hefty paid update. Pacemaker+ doubles down on its existing social features, allowing users to seamlessly create and share their mixtapes using their Spotify Premium library. With over 30 million tracks at their fingertips, owners of the premium in-app upgrade will also have access to new mixing tools courtesy of Pacemaker+'s Studio features.
Hip-hop's most influential sampler gets a 2017 reboot
The impact of Akai's MPC series on hip-hop cannot be overstated. The first model -- the MPC60 -- hit the market in the late 80s, perfectly timed with hip-hop's culture of borrowing and reinventing classic beats and melodies. The MPC's iconic pad-based design and relatively accessible price opened up music production to a whole new audience.
Recommended Reading: Some suggestions for Twitter in 2017
A Billion Dollar Gift for Twitter Anil Dash, Medium Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey asked the masses this week what the company should focus on in 2017. After a year filled with harassment issues and the failure to court a buyer, the next few months will be very important for Twitter's future. Tech entrepreneur and blogger Anil Dash penned some suggestions for the company and the list would be a great place for Dorsey to start in January.
The team behind 'That Dragon, Cancer' made a VR radio play
The folks behind the heartrending, award-winning autobiographical game That Dragon, Cancer are back with a new project. Don't worry though, because it sounds like the polar opposite of that tragic tale. In the episodic virtual reality game Untethered (told you it was different), you play a talk radio DJ. Ands such, you can talk to other characters in the game by speaking aloud. What good would a DJ-starring game be without that ability, anyhow?
SoundCloud won't take down DJ mixes
SoundCloud made its name partly on the back of DJ mixes (both official and otherwise), but you could never take their presence for granted. All it would take is an overeager copyright lawyer and your favorite set would disappear in a puff of digital smoke. That shouldn't be a problem going forward, though. Company co-founder Eric Wahlforss tells Germany's Groove that it's now possible to upload mixes "problem-free." The rights negotiations for SoundCloud Go made all the difference, Wahlforss says -- agreements with copyright holders mean that there won't be any rude legal surprises, whether or not you're a Go subscriber.
Pacemaker's shareable, editable 'mixtapes' make everyone a DJ
Ever since the original Pacemaker DJ device in 2008, the Swedish team has been rethinking how we mix music. Today, Pacemaker's iOS app gets an overhaul that drags the mixtape well and truly into 2016. Pacemaker had long since moved on from being a facsimile of the DJ booth, instead allowing all music lovers to pick tunes from Spotify, and create seamless playlists stitched together by the app's in-house AI DJ "Mållgan." Today Pacemaker expands on that with a bunch of social features that blend elements of Soundcloud and Spotify with, of course, a little DJ twist.
Pandora's new internet radio station is curated by Questlove
Pandora may be prepping a Spotify-like subscription for launch, but that's not keeping the internet radio service from ramping up its original content. Today, the company announced that it's partnering with The Roots drummer and DJ Questlove on a new station. What's more, the station will feature a 3-hour weekly show curated and produced by the musician called "Questlove Supreme." Pandora describes the show as "a weekly ride through the global musical landscape featuring adventurous music selections, compelling conversations and revealing interviews." The company also says the show will have a similar feel to Questlove's NYU music course.
Pizza Hut delivers the world's first playable DJ pizza box
The major brands won't admit it, but it's pretty hard to innovate in the pizza-making industry. Stuffed crust and sausage-ringed pizza are now well established, so companies like Domino's and Pizza Hut are turning to clever marketing gimmicks to ensure sales keep ticking over. One such stunt is today's launch of the "world's first playable DJ pizza box" from Pizza Hut, which is a standard cardboard container rigged up with touch-sensitive decks, a mixer and other controllable buttons.
Pioneer's new turntable digitizes your vinyl collection for $350
Sony's PS-HX500 turntable caught our eye at CES for its ability to catalog a vinyl collection as high-res digital files. It's a steep investment at $600, but now Pioneer DJ has a more affordable alternative. Pioneer's $350 PLX-500 also features a USB connection that converts your records, but the company touts the device's ability to serve two purposes admirably. Sure, you can set it up in your living room for spinning records at home and archiving new vinyl purchases, but DJs can also expect to employ it in the booth.
Embrace your inner DJ with McDonald's McTrax placemat
Would you like a side of sick beats with those french fries? McDonald's Netherlands has you covered with the McTrax Placemat, a sheet of paper that allows you to connect with your smartphone to channel your inner Diplo.
Famed techno DJ Richie Hawtin reveals his first mixer
The DJ mixer controls and contours all sounds. The slightest twist of a knob or the slide of a fader can change the structure of one sound to make room for another. The instrument, which is at the core of all electronic music performances, has seen a number of iterations in the past decade but has stayed limited in range and functionality. Richie Hawtin, one of the most recognizable DJs on the techno circuit, wants to change the status quo with PLAYdifferently.
Runkeeper nixes its 'DJ' feature in favor of 'Spotify Running'
Spotify announced on Friday that it is partnering with Runkeeper and more deeply integrating its own Spotify Running feature into the popular fitness app. Spotify and Runkeeper already offer playlist integration but now, by selecting Spotify as the app's music source, users can leverage the streaming music service's pace-matching algorithms as well. The new features are currently available on iOS and are coming soon to Android.
Altec Lansing's DJ headphones pack a camera for livestreaming
We've seen a company pack a camera in headphones for DJs before, but unfortunately, those cans never shipped. At CES 2016, Altec Lansing is packing the feature inside its DVR DJ-style headphones. In addition to providing audio, the gadget can capture 1080p video at 30 fps. And thanks to built-in WiFi, you can livestream the footage to a projector screen or store it inside the cans for later use. There's 8GB of said space that's expandable up to 32GB with an SD card. With all of those bells and whistles, you'd expect battery life to take a hit. However, Altec Lansing says you can expect up to seven hours of power before needing to recharge when the $200 headphones go on sale next quarter.
Pacemaker's DJ app is putting the 'mix' back into mixtape
The team that gave the world the Pacemaker portable DJ device, the Pacemaker DJ app, and put the whole Spotify library in your virtual record box doesn't want you to DJ anymore. In fact, the latest version of Pacemaker for iPhone almost elbows you out of the DJ booth completely, assigning you the role of "selecta" instead, while it blends the music. Pacemaker isn't the first app to auto mix your tunes (it's not even the first one this week). It's not even the first Pacemaker app to do so. What this update does do, is have a stab at reinventing the humble playlist -- turning them into seamless beat-matched mixes that you control.
Algoriddim's djay Pro app isn't just for the desktop anymore
Apple's laptops have yet to adopt touchscreen capabilities, so when the super-sized iPad Pro was released, DJ software maker Algoriddim saw an opportunity. All that screen real estate could be well-served by bringing the djay Pro mixing app over from OS X to iOS. The new slate's processing power provides a robust platform for features like video mixing, four tracks of audio and the ability to multitask during a gig (because email isn't going to check itself). Starting today, you can download djay Pro for iPad from the App Store for a special limited time offer of just $19.99 (retail $29.99). It helps if you have an iPad Pro to truly enjoy the enhanced features and spacious layout, but the app is backwards compatible with any iPad running iOS 8 or later.
Native Instruments uses 3D Touch for better mobile beat making
Native Instruments is a huge player in the music production and DJ world. Its Traktor DJ software and (myriad) hardware controllers are a favorite with digital crate diggers. The company also manages to squeeze Traktor (and Maschine) into surprisingly comprehensive iOS apps -- but there's obviously a trade off. That gap in functionality shrinks a little today with iMaschine 2, which has the ability to make complete songs (not just loops), and puts Apple's 3D Touch -- a feature that's ripe for music making apps such as these -- to clever use.
Pulse is a '3D' music controller for the multi-instrumentalist
Tapping out everything from a bassoon to a bass drums with a MIDI keyboard and a sampler is no big deal -- it's been a staple of electronic music for years. But, as anyone who's tried it will attest, that's a long way from "playing" those instruments -- to the point MIDI drumming has become an art in and of itself. Enter Pulse, a versatile hardware controller recently shown off at London's famous Abbey Road studios as part of its Red program, and launching on Kickstarter today. It's modest claim? Being the future of music playing.
