JAŸ-Z 30 to Debut Immersive Pop-Up Experience in Trafalgar Square

BroadwayWorld: Beginning 1 September, JAŸ-Z 30 will debut its immersive installation in London's Trafalgar Square, celebrating JAY-Z's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium concerts on 4 and 5 September and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint and continuing the celebration of three decades of JAY-Z's music.

Bonnaroo to Take Off 2027 to Recover From Extreme Weather

variety.com: The annual festival, which takes place in Manchester, TN, has been plagued by severe weather over the past couple of years, leading to its cancelation in 2025 just a day after it started. In a post on its socials, Bonnaroo organizers explained that the extreme conditions are the root cause of needing to take a break in 2027 so that the campgrounds can recover.

How to Identify AI Music

consequence.net: AI is a moving target, and the tricks that help us identify it can quickly become outdated. When Suno launched their music generating platform late in 2023, one obvious tell was what you could call the Forgetful Bassist, who seemed to never remember what had been played before, and chose a different groove every time the bass returned. Now, that tic has largely disappeared. But while the artifacts of AI have become more subtle, they aren’t too hard to find (obligatory: yet).

orphea: a playable 13-key electronic piano that fits into your pocket

www.designboom.com: Orphea is a compact 13-key electronic piano developed by Pianni to examine how far a conventional keyboard can be reduced while retaining its physical and musical functions. Measuring only slightly larger than a modern smartphone, the instrument combines a standard chromatic black-and-white key layout with physical pressable keys, polyphonic playing, octave controls, built-in speakers, headphone output, MIDI connectivity, and USB-C charging.

Dr. Dre on AI in Music: Here’s What He Thinks

www.billboard.com: In an interview with The New York Times alongside his longtime business partner Jimmy Iovine, the legendary rapper and producer called AI a “new tool for creativity” and said he doesn’t see it “as a threat.”

Volux Lighting Back at ULTRA 2026: The PHYTON Makes Its World Debut

www.limelightwired.com: For the second consecutive year, Volux Lighting showed up to Miami Music Week with something to prove. And for the second consecutive year, they delivered. This time around, the RESISTANCE Megastructure at ULTRA Music Festival 2026 served as the global launchpad for the Volux Lighting PHYTON, the company's IP66-rated hybrid-profile moving head, marking the first time the fixture has appeared on an actual production since its announcement.

Securing Music Rights Is The Toughest Part Of Olympic Athletes’ Routines

Butts In the Seats: Entertainment lawyer Gordon Firemark and Tamera Bennett recently did a podcast episode addressing some intellectual property and copyright issues which had been in the news. One of the problems they covered was the controversy over music licensing rights during Olympic skating and other routines.

d&b commits to the Liveline Fund in support of UK grassroots music

TPi: The new partnership sees d&b become Liveline’s official audio partner, committing annual contributions to the Liveline Fund, which is a fully funded national touring programme designed to address the root causes of the touring crisis. The support also includes the donation of a d&b sound system installed on the SOS Fire Truck, a vehicle converted with state-of-the-art show technology and used to spread the word across the UK.

Pharrell Williams Isn’t A Musician: Chad Hugo Copyright Lawsuit

www.forbes.com: What started as an ugly music biz divorce between Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams – once the most dynamic duo of pop music production – has now morphed into a strange copyright fight over who actually created the music and who took the credit on several tracks.

Apollo, Howard Theatres Join Forces for Live Music Event

www.ticketnews.com: Two of the most influential stages in American music will come together this spring as the Apollo Theater and the Howard Theatre present a special live event celebrating their shared cultural legacy. The organizations announced “Best of the Apollo,” a live music showcase scheduled for April 26, 2026, at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. The evening will be hosted by comedian and actor Chris Spencer, with performers expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

TBT: Idlewild (2006)

Frock Flicks: When it first came out, Idlewild (2006) got pegged as just a long music video for the Outkast. Which, if anyone had actually watched the movie, they’d know is not true. Elements of the visual style are similar to music videos, sure, but just here and there.

Record scratch—Google's Lyria 3 AI music model is coming to Gemini today

Ars Technica: The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called music “the universal language of mankind.” Is that still true when the so-called music is being generated by a probabilistic robot instead of a human? We’re about to find out. Google has announced its latest Lyria 3 AI model is being deployed in the Gemini app, vastly expanding access to AI music generation.

‘Oh my God, what a brutal existence!’ Haley McGee on her global hit about growing old (and white pubic hair)

Stage | The Guardian: It is the summer of 2024 and Haley McGee is performing Age Is a Feeling at a festival in Toronto. Her show is in good shape, having already raked in five-star reviews at the Edinburgh fringe. But this performance is different. As she launches into her poignant monologue about life, death and the business of getting old, she hears a baby cry.

5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Sondheim

The New York Times: To call Stephen Sondheim America’s greatest musical dramatist is to make him into a monument. He was that, of course, bringing to Broadway, in his lyrics but also his music, the psychological acuity and convincing characterization of theater at its most elevated.

Music Managers to Watch Behind Chappell Roan, Olivia Dean & More

www.billboard.com: During a year in which demon hunters dominated, Goose and Geese both flew high and a British breakout earned a best new artist nod — among other major milestones on and off the Billboard charts — these managers helped guide their artists, songwriters and producers through their biggest wins to date.

ASM Intros Leviasynth 16-Voice Hybrid Synthesizer

Synthtopia: Ahead of the 2026 NAMM Show, Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) has introduced the Leviasynth, a new 16-voice, 8-oscillator digital / analog hybrid synthesizer.

Apple Creator Studio Offers New Tools For Electronic Musicians, Subscription Option

Synthtopia: Apple today introduced Apple Creator Studio, a subscription application bundle that brings together a comprehensive collection of tools for content creation on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Apple Creator Studio includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Mainstage and several other applications – pro-level tools for music creation, video editing, photo editing and more.

Musicians Can Win Back Music Rights Globally, Appeals Court Rules

www.billboard.com: A federal appeals court issued a first-of-its-kind ruling that says musicians can enforce U.S. copyright termination rules across the globe, adopting a novel legal theory that record labels and publishers have warned will disrupt “a half-century of settled industry norms.”

Public Domain in 2026: 'Georgia on My Mind,' 'Dream a Little Dream of Me'

www.rollingstone.com: Each year, dozens of classic songs, movies, and other cultural works reach the 95-year copyright maximum in the U.S., officially becoming part of the public domain. In 2026, a few beloved compositions from the 1930s are now free for anyone to use.

How a school program from Baltimore is using hip-hop to teach social-emotional skills

PBS News Weekend: Nationwide, schools are looking for better ways to connect with students and support their emotional well-being. A Baltimore-based organization called “We Do It 4 the Culture” is using hip-hop and storytelling to help students learn empathy and express themselves.