The UK governments report into the Economy of Streaming – which began in October 2020 – has concluded that the streaming model needs a ‘total reset’. Claiming musicians and songwriters receive ‘pitiful returns’ from the current streaming model, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) report concluded a number of fundamental and radical changes are required in order for artists to be fairly compensated and to prevent the UK’s music landscape from being transformed “within a decade”. 

Will.i.am has unveiled a new Bluetooth face mask, with features including noise-cancelling headphones and LED lights.

The “Xupermask” smart mask will cost $299, and is being presented by the Black Eyed Peas rapper and entrepreneur in partnership with tech company Honeywell.

A new turntable makes your records appear to float.

Developed by Seoul-based designers Jihyo Seo and Jimin Hwang, the turntable, dubbed the Levi, is a new concept design inspired by Harman Kardon which allows records to "float" as they play.

Designed with four different listening modes — soothing, refreshing, sweet, and bittersweet — that adjust the height of the platter, and also features a chick dial to move between 12 rpm or 17 rpm.

The appearance of the "floating" records is made possible by an electromagnetic drive and coils, and features a neon orange arm.

Universal Audio a.k.a. UA recently unveiled their ground-breaking free software, LUNA. To continue their deep dive into what this powerhouse can do, Point Blank’s Jonie has created a tutorial, showcasing exactly what LUNA is capable of by creating a song from scratch.

A new short film series from audio design company AIAIAI and DJ Benji B aims to give insight into artists’ creative process.

The series, titled My Process, is curated by Radio 1’s Benji B and has launched with an episode featuring London jazz innovator Nubya Garcia, whose 2020 LP ‘Source’ was nominated in the Best Album category at DJ Mag’s Best of British Awards. 

The episode gives a look into Garcia’s writing and performance techniques, using examples of tracks from ‘Source’ to discuss her approach to melody, arrangement and creativity.