Music & Tech
How Andy Martinez Turned Nike Air Force 1s Into Viral Cowboy Boots | Billboard News
Andy Martinez invites Billboard into his home studio to talk about the creation of his viral “Andy Boot,” a custom sneaker-cowboy boot hybrid made from Nike Air Force 1s. He explains how his New York upbringing, love of design and passion for customization shaped his work, and how a simple online po
Universal and Warner tell judge ‘new use’ clause in AFM agreement is “clear and unambiguous” and does not apply to their AI deals
In June the American Federation Of Musicians sued Universal and Warner over their AI deals, insisting the majors should be sharing their AI money with the union’s members under its Sound Recording Labor Agreement. Both sides have made new court filings as the majors try to get the lawsuit dismissed
Advertising campaigns handled by AI are on the rise
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has revised its 2026 U.S. ad spend growth forecast upwards from 9.5% to 12.3%, driven in large part by increased spending through automated, on-platform AI […] The post is from Music Ally.
Neil Young on the creative process of his 50th studio album
“There’s a lot of mistakes – but I know where I’m trying to go”
Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast reveals new book title and cover
The "immersive and deeply personal" memoir is out next spring
Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast reveals new book title and cover
The "immersive and deeply personal" memoir is out next spring
“You don’t want to think about it. You don’t want to have it practiced. The whole idea is to not know what you’re doing”: Neil Young on the unconventional creative process at the heart of his 50th studio album
“There’s a lot of mistakes – but I know where I’m trying to go”
Universal Music Alleges DistroKid Fuels AI Music and Infringement
Universal claims that distributor DistroKid achieved its recent $2 billion valuation by providing a pipeline for AI slop and copyright infringing music, to the detriment of artists and labels. It has
Symphonic Integrates MassiveMusic for Enhanced Label Services
The deal allows Symphonic to pull audio files and metadata out of MassiveMusic's catalog infrastructure when a label transfers its releases. Source
Professional Sound Alliance Formed to Combat AI Scraping
The Alliance says it was formed in response to two forms of unauthorized use, which it calls Data Piracy and Sync Piracy. Source
Audiomack Pro rolls out globally including ‘Song Pulse’ feature
As promised earlier this year, streaming service Audiomack has launched its Audiomack Pro subscription for artists globally. The post is from Music Ally.
Lunacy wants to help people build their own virtual instruments
Lunacy is the company behind audio plugins Cube and Beam, but its latest launch is something different: a browser-based marketplace for a larger collection of plugins. The post is from Music Ally.
Sound designers and SFX libraries launch Professional Sound Alliance to fight AI scraping: ‘Now sound will have protection of our own’
The Alliance says it was formed in response to two forms of unauthorized use, which it calls Data Piracy and Sync Piracy. Source
Symphonic adds MassiveMusic audio delivery to its TransferTrack migration tech, removing what it calls one of the last manual steps for labels switching distributors
The deal allows Symphonic to pull audio files and metadata out of MassiveMusic's catalog infrastructure when a label transfers its releases. Source
Universal Music Alleges DistroKid's Valuation Fuels AI Music and Infringement
Universal claims that distributor DistroKid achieved its recent $2 billion valuation by providing a pipeline for AI slop and copyright infringing music, to the detriment of artists and labels. It has
Universal Music Group Sues DistroKid Over $2 Billion Valuation, Citing AI and Copyright Infringement
Universal claims that distributor DistroKid achieved its recent $2 billion valuation by providing a pipeline for AI slop and copyright infringing music, to the detriment of artists and labels. It has
Lunacy debuts Nova platform with free virtual instruments
The LA-based company is working on an AI-powered platform for prompt-based plugin development and customization, synchronized across your browser and your DAW
Lunacy launches Nova platform with five free virtual instruments – but bigger things are on the way
The LA-based company is working on an AI-powered platform for prompt-based plugin development and customization, synchronized across your browser and your DAW
Universal Music Group Claims DistroKid's Valuation is Built on AI and Copyright Infringement
Universal claims that distributor DistroKid achieved its recent $2 billion valuation by providing a pipeline for AI slop and copyright infringing music, to the detriment of artists and labels. It has
Universal Music Group Sues DistroKid, Alleging $2 Billion Valuation Fueled by AI and Copyright Infringement
Universal claims that distributor DistroKid achieved its recent $2 billion valuation by providing a pipeline for AI slop and copyright infringing music, to the detriment of artists and labels. It has