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Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Suno yanks ad showing supposed endorsement from Mary J. Blige.

An ad for the AI music generator Suno showed Blige interacting with an AI song that seemed to use her own voice, while calling the output “dope.” The singer received backlash for the ad online, and now a Suno spokesperson tells Variety that the company canceled the campaign because it didn’t get proper approval:

We entered into a business deal with someone who presented themselves as Ms. Blige’s official representative. As soon as we learned this was not the case, and that Ms. Blige was uncomfortable, we terminated the advertising campaign.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Jason Isbell sues Suno, but not for copyright infringement.

He filed the suit alongside Guy Forsyth, Eduardo Calle, and Camper Van Beethoven’s David Lowery. Interestingly, rather than filing a straightforward copyright case, the plaintiffs claim Suno imitates their voices and styles without permission. After a long intro that involves the Borg for some reason, the complaint says:

16. Suno claims users are blocked from using a specific name as a prompt, but that claim is false. In reality, Suno not only accepts names but also responds to the name with an output based on that musician’s identity. When Jason Isbell, the six-time Grammy-winning singer, including for Best Americana Album, was entered into v5 (as “jason isbell”’), Suno produced an Americana song called “Paper Bell,” imitating Isbell’s characteristic clear ma le vocals and country twang.’* Suno described it as “contemporary Americana singer-songwriter with fingerpicked acoustic guitar” and provided an image of a paper bell with a church and trees in the background, evoking a country scene.
Screenshot: Terrence O’Brien / The Verge
Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Roland launches its first piano with built-in Wi-Fi.

The $749 FP-40 connects to the company’s Piano Sphere app for “personalized learning, feedback, and motivation.”

Professor Murder Rides the Subway is a forgotten slice of dance punk perfection

It’s basically mid-aughts Brooklyn in audio form.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
What’s on your running playlist?

I recently started running again. And, as I started building back to my first half marathon in almost a decade, I realized — my running playlist is hopelessly out of date. Nothing on there is newer than 2018, so tell me what keeps you motivated to power through the pain.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Arturia’s Pure Sub is all about that bass.

The company’s latest virtual synth is focused entirely on the low end. It’s purpose-built for EDM wubs, tuned 808 thumps, and even some heavy gabber kicks. It’s not a subtle instrument, that’s for sure. But it’s plenty of fun if you like rattling the walls.

Musicians-turned-detectives are hunting for AI grifters

As AI infiltrates the electronic dance music scene, a callout culture is brewing.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Dolly Parton has died at 80.

Her family announced that Parton died peacefully at home today in Nashville, TN. A singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, among a long list of other titles, she released over 3,000 songs and has sold over 100 million records.

Parton also donated $1 million in 2020 to assist in the early development of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, and the family has asked that donations in her memory go to her Imagination Library, which has distributed more than 332 million books to help young children learn to read.

Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Wholly AI-generated music excluded from Australian charts.

After an AI-produced song reached number four on two separate charts in July, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has now updated its Code of Practice to require that songs made with generative AI tools are “substantially human made.” ARIA admits it can only detect AI usage if “you tell us,” however.

ARIA Charts set eligibility rules for recordings made with AI

[Australian Recording Industry Association]

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine on music and AI.

The Beats by Dre pair spoke to the New York Times briefly, with former Interscope head Iovine saying AI companies have terrible communication skills but that “I’m very pro-A.I. in music creation. I don’t see the downside at all. There will be some crappy music. There’s crappy music now.”

Dre called anyone against it similar to those who pushed back against drum machines or synthesizers, and said, “I think the only people that see it as a threat are the people who have trouble creating.”

Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Apple Music is getting AI labels ‘later this year.’

That’s according to an email seen by The Hollywood Reporter. They’re seemingly visible versions of the voluntary “Transparency Tags” that Apple Music introduced in March. Apple doesn’t say how it will enforce the labels, but it did clarify what they’ll apply to:

“Content providers will be required to include AI Transparency Tags in any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI platform generated.

This tiny guitar amp is the most unhinged distortion pedal I’ve ever used

Amp Crash is the latest from the proud lunatics at Death By Audio and Rainger FX.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
NPR gives Weird Al the respect he deserves.

Plenty of incredible artists have stepped behind the Tiny Desk at NPR’s DC headquarters, from Juvenile and T-Pain to Soul Glo, Tyer the Creator, and even the cast of Sesame Street. But Weird Al Yankovic has now joined the illustrious list of performers invited back for multiple sets.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Spotify’s new Running Mode is now available on Android.

The feature, which initially launched on iOS, offers preset playlists for running. It’s available to Premium subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden on both mobile platforms, Spotify says.

Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal crafted a hip-hop breakup masterpiece

DOOMED! pairs Eagle’s deeply personal lyrics with some of Segal’s most commanding beats.

Terrence O'Brien
Don’t overlook Elektron’s budget electronic music instruments

I keep coming back to the criminally slept-on Model:Samples and Model:Cycles.

Terrence O'Brien
Switched on Pop’s Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding love fresh vegetables and guitar pedals

The duo recently brought their deep dives on the art of pop music to Netflix.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Tyga is the first artist to get a 0.0 from Pitchfork in 20 years for his AI synth-slop album.

The rapper admitted to using AI on his ’80s-tinged $TARFACE project and received a rare zero. Jet was the last to receive the dishonor in 2006 for Shine On. Pitchfork pulls no punches, saying:

$TARFACE is smug and complacent, an amalgam of ’80s synth-pop and disco slapped together by someone who’s seemingly never cared to listen to one synth-pop or disco record in his life … Stream it out of morbid curiosity if you must, but know that even a single listen runs the risk of making it profitable and therefore encouraging the music industry to commit such atrocities again.

$TARFACE

[Pitchfork]

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Suno has struck a “global alliance” with the music company BMG.

“Together, the companies will develop entirely new music experiences that reimagine how artists and fans can connect,” according to a press release. “The agreement ensures that BMG artists and songwriters who choose to participate have their rights protected and are compensated for their music, while also settling prior use of BMG recordings and publishing works.”

The two companies are also signing the deal ahead of the launch of Suno’s planned music model developed “in partnership with the music industry.”

No Dogs in Space is a music history podcast for true obsessives

Now if only they’d give us some new episodes.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
My favorite softsynth now has a free version.

Arturia’s Pigments is my go-to synth plugin. It’s powerful, versatile, and shockingly easy to build complex patches in. It’s currently marked down to $129 from its usual price of $199. But if you’re hesitant to commit even that much, the company just launched Pigments Play, a free stripped-down version.

Pigments Play

[Arturia]

Musician and entrepreneur Tom Vek is building a digital music player, but don’t call it retro

The Sleevenote creator is ready for the offline resurgence, but wants to move on from CDs and cassettes.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Happy 808 day, read this ebook about the history of Roland for free.

It will be going away in 24 hours, but to celebrate 8/08 Bjooks, the company behind Beat Gems and Pedal Crush, is making Inspire the Music — 50 Years of Roland History free to read. The company is also offering 15 percent off the hardcover version for the day.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
What are you snagging for Bandcamp Friday?

I’m eyeing Boatshoes, the new album from Baltimore’s Brian Ennals (who collaborated with Infinity Knives on last year’s incredible A City Drowned in God’s Black Tears) and frequent Aesop Rock producer Blockhead. Don’t forget, Bandcamp skips its cut and every penny goes directly to the artist today.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Suno will start scanning outputs for copyright infringment.

It’s the first platform to adopt Musixmatch’s new Sentinel detection service designed explicitly for generative AI. Its sizable database pulls from over 200,000 publishers, including the big three, to identify copyrighted lyrics and compositions. And importantly, it doesn’t just scan prompts and inputs, but also the resulting outputs.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter might be a robot, but even he’s not interested in AI music.

He’s continuing his post-helmet media whirlwind and stopped by the Chanel Connects podcast, where the topic briefly turned toward AI. “I’m not really interested in the creative usage of artificial intelligence,” he says, noting that part of the creative process is experimentation and discovery, “The number one goal of this process is surprise.”

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Spotify adds a bunch of indie labels to its AI remix program.

A new partnership with licensing house Merlin has given artists on labels like Sub Pop, Warp, Epitaph, Domino, Stones Throw, Ninja Tune, Mad Decent, Polyvinyl Records and more the “option to participate” in Spotify’s “superfan” remix tool, which launched in May with UMG as the first participant.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Fender CEO tries to clear up his controversial AI comments.

Bud Cole has been catching some flak over comments he made to T3 about AI’s role in music. Now he’s attempting to clarify what he meant. You can read his full statement provided to The Verge at the bottom of our post from this weekend, but here’s the gist:

If AI has a role, it should only be as a tool that helps beginners learn and gives seasoned artists new ways to explore, refine and experiment with their own creative ideas. If it can help a beginner understand a difficult chord or practice one more day instead of putting the guitar back in its case, then that’s something worth exploring. But let me be clear: every creative idea starts with people, and music starts and ends with people. It always will.

Fender’s CEO seems to think your bandmates are just analog AI

Bud Cole also compared learning cover songs to AI training data in a controversial interview.

Terrence O'Brien