A new company, Muzik, has released the world’s first “smart headphones.” These new headphones connect to streaming sites and social networks. It seems like Muzik is the first company that is looking into the future of headphones. Could the "smart headphone" technology be useful in a recording studio?
U.S. copyright law has come under fire recently from some that claim it doesn't properly account for new digital technology. In 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act was passed. This act governs the digital rights of artists and other rights holders. We take a look at some options for the future of the law.
Dismemberment Plan is gearing up to release its first album in 12 years. Additionally, the group’s frontman, Travis Morrison, is working to build a new social network called Shoutabl. Shoutabl is aimed towards DIY musicians. While the service is still being developed, here we take a look at the advantages it could offer music artists.
Having a website was once a prerequisite for a band. We take a look at the advantages and disadvantages that are associated with owning a personal website. Analyzing this topic brings us to question with the availability of Social Media: is it necessary?
Automating volume levels, pan settings and much more is a great way to achieve a great sounding mix. Here we look at exactly how automation is a great tool for every mixer. We also look at a couple of automation examples.
While social media should be a great way to promote and share music, it often proves cumbersome in practice. Currently at the top of the social media heap, Facebook has never been too friendly to music artists wanting to share music. Google+ is looking to make social music sharing easier by allowing users and artists to embed SoundCloud songs directly on their profiles.
The Indie International Songwriting Contest is one of the most environmental friendly songwriting competitions on the planet. It is the first of its kind to be conducted completely online and absolutely anonymous. There is over $50,000 awarded in useful prizes. Artists have the option to decide between a basic entry or a written critique from judges.
Legendary artists like Prince and Robert Plant recently joined Twitter, surprising some of their fans. However, when it comes down to it they are using the platform for the same reason that emerging artists use it: free exposure. Here are a few ways to leverage your social media account.
In today’s digital world, it can be hard to fight the urge to immediately release everything you write and record. While releasing new material for your fans can definitely be a good thing, it also doesn’t allow you to really live with your song before you make it available for public consumption. The new iPad app Tape from Focusrite makes this sharing process even easier. We look at whether this is a good thing.
We all heard of the loudness wars, and regardless of what you think about them, they will likely be a point of argument for many years to come. As something of a response, Nine Inch Nails has issued two versions of its latest record, Hesitation Marks: a standard version and a less compressed audiophile version. Here we take a look at why the band decided to take this approach.
Automation allows you to easily make adjustments throughout your song. These adjustments can be made throughout the songs to volume levels, pan settings and other effects, and can be a great way to improve your overall mix. Here’s how to automate your mixes.
It is hard to figure out what the best way for an independent artist to market their music in the 21st century is. My Bloody Valentine and David Bowie did a great job marketing their albums because it came to shock their fans and albums were selling at even a relatively high price for a digital download. It is important to remember to promote music online and offline. Sometimes it might be a good strategy to even hide the fact you are recording an album and then shock the fans. There is no right or wrong way to market but just make sure you are making an effort to market and find the best way that suits you and your fans.
There’s some debate as to how much theory learning is required to make a good mix engineer. In reality, the best way to learn mixing is to have a solid grasp of the basics, and using these to continuously practice your mixing in the studio. Here we look at a couple of tips for those that are just getting started in the mixing world.
There are many factors to consider when mixing a song. One that is often overlooked, however, is how to mix for maximum emotional resonance.
A relatively new online service called Music Xray uses software to “listen” to songs and determine if it will be a hit. No matter how effective the service is, it is interesting to note the new possibilities at the crossroads of music and technology. Perhaps more interesting is to consider how this may be used to shape the music industry of the future.
