tech

Name: DJ Frosty
Price range: $

27 Sep 2023

Music Tectonics Conference 2023 Unveils Full Programming Schedule

The annual Music Tectonics Conference has unveiled the schedule for its 2023 edition, which is slated to take place in Santa Monica Oct. 24-26.

As always, this year’s sessions will explore a broad range of music business trends, including the most buzzworthy topic of all — artificial intelligence — with the panel “Music Meets AI: Navigating a Positive Future” featuring Angela Abbott of TIDAL, Con Raso of Tuned Global and Marina Guz of AI music and wellness company Endel. Additionally, attendees can take part in a so-called “AI music demo experience” titled “AI Isn’t Spooky (Unless You Want to be Scared).”

Other standouts this year include “The Explosion of Musical Creativity in Gaming & Esports” with Maria Egan of Riot Games, David Knox of Reactional Music and Sony Ventures’ Aadit Parikh; the fireside chat “Strength in Numbers: Growth of the Independent Artist and the Future of DIY” featuring Andreea Gleeson of TuneCore and Billboard‘s own Kristin Robinson; and “The State of Creativity in Music Tech” with Dani DiCiaccio of Splice and Daniel Rowland of LANDR, moderated by BandLab’s Dani Deahl.

Other topics covered by sessions and events at this year’s gathering include music tech investment, fan engagement, music data, distribution and streaming fraud. As in previous years, the conference will also feature Swimming with Narwhals, a startup pitch competition for music tech companies that will see five finalists present their pitches to an audience and a panel of music tech investors.

The full 2023 schedule can be found here.

“I named this event Music Tectonics because we explore the shifting trends that change the industry sometimes suddenly and sometimes incrementally, the way the earth’s tectonic plates cause quakes and make mountains,” said Music Tectonics director Dmitri Vietze in a statement. “Music tech founders, label execs, artist teams, investors, and industry stakeholders come back to Music Tectonics each year because they learn about what’s about to emerge as well as what the state of innovation is.”

Top-level supporters of this year’s conference include Kuack Media Group, LyricFind and MU:CON, while sponsors include Beatdapp, Innovation Norway, The MLC, Moises, Music Reports, Reactional Music, Revohloo, RoyFi, SESAC Music Group, TuneCore, TunedGlobal, Downtown Music Holdings and MAM bmat.

26 Sep 2023

BTS & Casetify Just Dropped a ‘Dynamite’ Collaboration: Shop the Accessories Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Calling all ARMY! You need to race to Casetify immediately, as the brand just dropped another collaboration with BTS — and it’s a dynamite one. The tech accessory brand announced on Tuesday (Sept. 26) that it would be dropping a sixth round of BTS merch inspired by the K-pop group’s songs “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.”

See latest videos, charts and news

You can expect highlight designs from each of the past five collections as well as two new designs to decorate your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy with as well as a wireless earbuds case protector, MagSafe ring holders and smartwatch bands. A limited-edition style has been created and features a lenticular design effect of illustrations of BTS members dancing, depending on the angle of view.

This time around, Casetify took to social media to hear what fans wanted, and designed the new styles based on poll outcomes. And, if it’s anything like the previous drops, you can expect the collection to sell out — and quickly.

Keep reading to shop what’s in stock or check out the entire collection here.

BTS Boy With Luv Lenticular Case

$78

Show your “Love” for your favorite K-pop group using the limited-edition case from Casetify. Depending on the angle you’re looking at it, the cartoon BTS members will appear as if they are dancing right in front of you.

case with sticker-inspired graphics of BTS — Casetify

BTS Butter Sticker Case

$68

Looking to keep a nice stock of BTS cases? This sticker-inspired style comes decorated with graphics any superfan is sure to understand, like an image of heart-shaped butter. Plus, it’ll help keep your smartphone in pristine shape — especially if you have butterfingers.

pink 3D heart-shaped earbuds case — Casetify

BTS Boy With Luv 3D Heart AirPods Case

$72

Keep your AirPods in one place while making sure everyone knows which K-pop group you think is the best. This protective case comes in the shape of a heart and has the words “Boy with Luv” written on the front, showing off style while keeping your precious earbuds safe.

BTS Permission to Dance Phone Charm

$58

Dance around to your BTS playlist with a “Permission to Dance”-themed phone charm created with orange star beads that’ll pair nicely with practically any case, while adding a pop of color to your smartphone.

pink checkered smartwatch band with BTS graphics — Casetify

BTS Boy With Luv Checkered Watch Band

$52

Bring some flair to your wrist with a BTS watchband designed with a pink checkered background patterned with graphics fans of the K-pop group will certainly appreciate.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best iPhone cases under $20, Apple AirPod deals and earbuds for under $50.

25 Sep 2023

HHW Gaming Review: ProPlay Technology & Kobe Bryant Can’t Deliver The W For ‘NBA 2K24’

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

Visual Concepts and 2K Sports set up NBA 2K24 with the perfect alley-oop pass with NBA 2K23, but sadly, they couldn’t throw it down for the spectacular finish.

Like the Madden NFL video game franchise, Visual Concepts’s NBA 2K video games are in a very unique position, being the only officially licensed basketball video game on the market.

The last time the NBA 2K franchise had to worry about some competition was in 2018, when EA dropped NBA Live 2018, the last time we would see an NBA Live video game on consoles.

The NBA 2K franchise has been a model of consistency and as dominant as the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, Kobe and Shaq Lakers, and the Golden State Warriors, but as of recently, fans have grown weary of the games.

The biggest complaints as of late are that the games don’t bring any significant improvements and are nothing but rehashes of the games from the previous year with a fresh coat of paint.

It’s the same complaints Madden NFL fans have expressed about those games.

While Madden has taken a knee with its latest games on next-gen consoles, the NBA 2K franchise gave us hope with their first three entries on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. We hoped that would continue with NBA 2K24, and on paper, it seemed we were getting an improvement from 2K23, but sadly that is not the case.

This is a letdown, especially for a game that features the late Kobe Bryant on the cover.

The Mamba Moments Mode Is Fun But Feels Empty At The Same Time

Source: 2K Sports / Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

There are still many other memorable moments you get to relive in the game, BUT it’s glaring that you can’t relive Kobe’s 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors.

It made perfect sense to put Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K24, mainly because 24 was Bryant’s jersey number when he hung up his Nike Kobe Protro kicks.

Like 2K23’s Jordan Challenge, NBA 2K24 came with the Mamba Moments, one of the game’s most significant bright spots, allowing you to relive seven of Bryant’s career-defining moments.

In an odd decision, the mode bypasses Bryant’s early career and jumps five years later to 2001 during the NBA Playoffs. There are still many other memorable moments you get to relive in the game, BUT it’s glaring that you can’t relive Kobe’s 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors.

The only person probably happy about that is Jalen Rose, who, as of late, made light of Bryant’s near record-breaking performance against him.

Despite that one moment missing, it’s still fun controlling Bryant at his playing peak and torching the competition.

MyNBA ERAs Are Back

Source: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

MyNBA ERAs remain one of the game’s few bright spots…

First introduced in NBA 2K23, ERAs are a unique twist to the franchise mode, allowing players to dominate when certain players were dominant in the league.

If you want to play in today’s NBA and use today’s rules, you can head to The Modern Era. If you want to dominate the league as LeBron James at the height of his career or keep him from acquiring rings, you can play in the new LeBron Era.

Other eras include, of course, The Kobe Era, or The Jordan and Magic vs Bird era where the rules were a bit more lax, and the play on the court was intensely physical.

Presentation remains a top feature in 2K24, so you can play those games with a 90s-80s filter on the screen, and if that annoys you, the game does give you the option to turn it off to restore that glorious 4K look.

MyNBA ERAs remain one of the game’s few bright spots.

ProPlay Technology Adds A New Look & Feel

Source: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

ProPlay literally allows for a more accurate translation of NBA superstar’s signature moves on the court into the video game, allowing for more realistic layups, dunks, and jump shots.

The most significant addition to the game is ProPlay Technology, which makes NBA 2K24 the most realistic feeling iteration of the game ever.

ProPlay literally allows for a more accurate translation of NBA superstar’s signature moves on the court into the video game, allowing for more realistic layups, dunks, and jump shots.

So all those sick dribble moves and fadeaway three-pointers you watch Steph Curry do on a nightly basis are perfectly encapsulated in the game and look fantastic. He’s not the only NBA star who benefits from the technology.

Presentation and feel is never an area where we have to worry about Visual Concepts coming up short in an NBA 2K video game, and that continues to be the case here.

Where NBA 2K24 Is Throwing Up Bricks

Source: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

Unfortunately, new advancements like ProPlay Technology and the Mamba Moments mode are not enough to make this game great. MyTEAM is okay, but it still feels like you will need to swipe my credit card to get better enjoyment out of it.

MyCAREER is back and takes your MyPLAYER back to The City, which is as big as ever but is still a grind trying to make your created player an NBA champion and one of the league’s best players.

The City is also full of ridiculous quests like talking to Jake from State Farm (yes, this is still a thing) or finding Ronnie 2K chilling on the beach, the latest edition to The City.

Source: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

The City is beautiful and still a fantastic idea, but unless you are big into playing online, we don’t see how many people will enjoy their time running around it.

The W is also back, and we are happy to see the WNBA continue to get love in NBA 2K24, especially during a time when the W is getting its most buzz since its inception.

Source: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

While its inclusion is welcomed, it still feels like an afterthought, but with time, it will have a much more significant presence in future NBA 2K video games.

Final Verdict

Source: 2K Sports / Visual Concepts / NBA 2K24

Not even the great Kobe Bryant, Mamba Moments, or ProPlay Technology are enough to bring NBA 2K24 to the prominence it once held.

While the last game was promising, NBA 2K24 is stepping back in the wrong direction and only boasts some incremental improvements.

NBA 2K24 is far from great, but it’s still okay. But that should not be the case for what is the definitive basketball video game out, mainly because it’s the only one out.

With a $70 price tag on top of the money you. We will be spending on VC to level up your character and other items in the game; we understand if people feel like 2K is swiping their cash like De’Aaron Fox steals the basketball easily from his opponents on the court.

We can only hope the folks at Visual Concepts and 2K Sports are taking notes from the community and making 2K25 the fantastic game it should be.

—

Photo: 2K Sports / Visual Concepts

*NBA 2K24 key provided for PS5 provided for use by Visual Concepts and 2K Sports*

21 Sep 2023

YouTube Loves AI and Hopes That You Will Too

Lyor Cohen discussed “a future where generative AI has a profound impact on music” at the annual Made on YouTube event on Thursday (Sept. 21). YouTube’s longtime global head of music is nothing if not enthusiastic about artificial intelligence and its potential ability to supercharge music-making. Cohen told the attendees that “AI tools are opening up a new playground for creativity;” AI “can be used by artists to amplify and accelerate their creativity;” and AI can usher in “a new era of musical creativity.”

Cohen was joined by Charlie Puth, who played some piano and showed off his beatboxing, and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl. Kyncl acknowledged that not everyone in music is as excited about AI as Cohen seems to be: “Change is unsettling; we are in that period of change.” He proposed charting a path forward where AI enthusiasts can gain from the technology while artists who are wary of it are somehow shielded from its impacts.

Artists “will create and they will use all kinds of tools to create… that’s their job,” Kyncl said. “It’s our job, the platforms and the music industry, to make sure that artists like Charlie who lean in [to AI] benefit. It’s also our job together to make sure that artists who don’t want to lean in are protected.” He pointed to the success of YouTube’s Content ID system, which helps the platform track user-generated content, as a potential model, because creators can choose to monetize that UGC or block it depending on their preferences.

YouTube previously signaled its interest in being part of music’s AI-driven future in August when it announced an “AI Music Incubator” that will include input from Anitta, Juanes, Ryan Tedder, Rodney Jerkins, and many others.

“This group will explore, experiment and offer feedback on the AI-related musical tools and products they are researching,” Universal CEO Lucian Grainge wrote in a blog post. “Once these tools are launched, the hope is that more artists who want to participate will benefit from and enjoy this creative suite.”

At the Made on YouTube event, CEO Neal Mohan also discussed a suite of new tools for creators that aim to put “the creative power of AI into the hands of billions of people.” These include Dream Screen, which “lets you create AI-generated video or image backgrounds for Shorts by typing in an idea,” and a search function that “will act like a music concierge” when it comes time to find a track to place into a video. “Our creator can just describe her video, and if she wants she can even include information about the length or type of song she’s looking for, and Creator Music suggests the right track at the right price,” Mohan explained.

Jade Beason, a YouTube creator, told the crowd she “spend[s] a lot of time trying to find the right music for videos” and is sometimes “guilty of actually just using the same song [over again] because I just can’t find the right one.” “Music has the ability to change how your audience actually feels when they’re watching your content,” she continued. “It’s the difference between someone seeing a video of yours and laughing or crying… so the idea that we can do this easily amongst everything else is actually quite wild.”

19 Sep 2023

It Was Fun While It Lasted: Elon Musk Suggests At Charging X Users A Fee To Use His Mediocre Platform

HipHopWired Featured Video

Elon Musk Hints At Users Having To Pay Fee To Use X/Twitter

Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty / Elon Musk

Elon Musk is not done making X (formerly known as Twitter) one of the worst social media experiences ever.

“I can’t believe this app is free” is starting to look like a phrase that has run its course on X.

Spotted on Variety, the Tesla Chief and current owner of X, Elon Musk, claims he wants to charge X/Twitter users a fee to use the platform.

His excuse is that it’s the only way to combat the bots plaguing the platform.

Per Variety:

Musk brought up the idea of charging all users of X/Twitter during a wide-ranging conversation focused on AI that featured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. “We’re moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system,” Musk told Netanyahu, claiming that “it’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots.” His comments were initially reported by Bloomberg’s Dave Lee.

As for the price, Musk did not share an exact dollar amount, noting that “a few dollars or something” would stop the creation of bot accounts. Musk also claims X has 550 million monthly active users, and they are sharing between 100-200 million posts daily on the social network, the website also reports.

X Is Still Bleeding Cash

According to Platformer, charging users to use X is not new, and he has been toying with it for some time. Before he begrudgingly bought it, Twitter was not a profitable business, and since his check cleared, ad sales, something the platform depended on tremendously, have plunged 50%.

We guess those Cheech and Chong gummy ads won’t be enough to keep X alive.

As you can imagine, X users are not feeling the news and are once again looking for another app where they take dating debates, sports hot takes, and any other forms of entertainment they came to X/Twitter exclusively for.

You can see those reactions in the gallery below.

—

Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty

1. Exactly

4. Heard you

6. Here’s a thought

19 Sep 2023

HHW Gaming: Massive Xbox Leak Confirms New Series X Console, Phil Spencer Wanting To Buy Nintendo & More

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Microsoft / Xbox Series X ‘Brooklin’

Another massive leak, spilling some juicy Xbox details, has the video game world buzzing.

An FTC leak has produced documents detailing some of Xbox’s future plans and another massive acquisition. The biggest news from the leak was that Xbox plans to drop what it calls a “console refresh” of the Xbox Series X called ‘Brooklin.’

It has been confirmed that it was Microsoft were the one’s who “leaked” the information after accidentally loading it onto a government website, per Bloomberg’s reporting.

Anyway, Brooklin is a new Xbox Series X console version that ditches the original “box shape” small fridge look for a new circular design plus a much-needed increased internal storage of 2TB.

Gamesradar reports that the “console refresh” will have the same price as the previous console with tweaks like a faster wireless connection, more storage as mentioned above, eco-friendly features to reduce the console’s carbon footprint, ditching the disc drive, and even an updated controller that could finally bring it on par, or close to the greatness that is the PS5’s DualSense controller.

The new controller, code-named Sebille, is “more immersive” and will feature gyro support, Bluetooth 5.2, and a direct Cloud connection. There will also be “precision haptic feedback” that doubles as speakers.

“Improved longevity” is also a feature of the Sebille controller, thanks to new modular thumbsticks.

According to the leaks, the controller will launch sometime in August 2024, around the same time as E3 2024, when the company was set to reveal its latest offerings to the video game world.

There are also plans for an Xbox Series S refresh due in August, with the Brooklin console coming in late October, right in time for Black Friday and the Christmas shopping season.

Phil Spencer Was Dreaming of Video Game Domination

The new console and controller weren’t the only news about the FTC leak. According to leaked emails, Xbox Chief Phil Spencer wanted to bring Nintendo into the Xbox ecosystem.

In the August 2020 email sent right before Microsoft bought Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax, Spencer called a possible acquisition of Nintendo “a career moment.”

Spencer’s lust didn’t stop there. He also expressed interest in Steam owner Valve and Warner Bros’ collection of game studios like Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios and Rocksteady, the game studio behind the Batman Arkham Series.

Per IGN:

“Nintendo is THE prime asset for us in gaming and today gaming is our most likely path to consumer relevance,” Spencer wrote in the email.

“I’ve had numerous conversations with the LT of Nintendo about tighter collaboration and feel like if any US company would have a chance with Nintendo we are probably in the best position.”

However, Spencer outlined a number of blocks on the merger, including the fact Nintendo seemed uninterested in selling up. Nintendo is “sitting on a big pile of cash”, Spencer said, and was apparently happy with its current position. As a result, Spencer said he couldn’t “see an angle” on a buyout in the short term, adding: “I don’t think a hostile action would be a good move… so we are playing the long game.”

Well damn.

You can see more reactions to the leaks in the gallery below.

—

Photo: Microsoft / Xbox Series X ‘Brooklin’

2. Interesting

3. Looks like Tom was right.

19 Sep 2023

TikTok Rolls Out Labels for AI-Generated Content

TikTok announced new tools to help creators label content that was generated by artificial intelligence. In addition, the company said on Tuesday (Sept. 19) that it plans to “start testing ways to label AI-generated content automatically.”

“AI enables incredible creative opportunities, but can potentially confuse or mislead viewers if they’re not aware content was generated or edited with AI,” the company wrote. “Labeling content helps address this, by making clear to viewers when content is significantly altered or modified by AI technology.”

As AI technology has become better — at generating credible-looking images or mimicking pop stars’ voices, for example — and more popular, regulators have expressed increasing concern about the technology’s potential for mis-use.

In July, President Biden’s administration announced that seven leading AI companies made voluntary commitments “to help move toward safe, secure, and transparent development of AI technology.” One key point: “The companies commit to developing robust technical mechanisms to ensure that users know when content is AI generated, such as a watermarking system. This action enables creativity with AI to flourish but reduces the dangers of fraud and deception.”

Voluntary commitments are, of course, voluntary, which is likely why TikTok also announced that it will “begin testing an ‘AI-generated’ label that we eventually plan to apply automatically to content that we detect was edited or created with AI.” Tools to determine whether an image has been crafted by AI already exist, and some are better than others. In June, The New York Times tested five programs, finding that the “services are advancing rapidly, but at times fall short.”

The challenge is that as detection technology improves, so does the tech for evading detection. Cynthia Rudin, a computer science and engineering professor at Duke University, told the paper that “every time somebody builds a better generator, people build better discriminators, and then people use the better discriminator to build a better generator. The generators are designed to be able to fool a detector.”

Similar detection efforts are being discussed in the music industry as it debates how to weigh AI-generated songs relative to tracks that incorporate human input.

“You have technologies out there in the market today that can detect an AI-generated track with 99.9% accuracy, versus a human-created track,” Believe co-founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillerie said in April. “We need to finalize the testing, we need to deploy,” he added, “but these technologies exist.”

The streaming service Deezer laid out its own plan to “develop tools to detect AI-generated content” in June. “From an economic point of view, what matters most is [regulating] the things that really go viral, and usually those are the AI-generated songs that use fake voices or copied voices without approval,” Deezer CEO Jeronimo Folgueira told Billboard this summer.

Moises, another AI-technology company, dove into the fray as well, announcing its own set of new tools on Aug. 1. “There’s definitely a lot of chatter” about this, Matt Henninger, Moises’ vp of sales and business development told Billboard. “There’s a lot of testing of different products.”

19 Sep 2023

Congressional Bill That Would Enable Indie Artists to Negotiate Better Streaming Rates Takes Aim at AI

Independent musicians will have more power to negotiate with artificial intelligence developers over “fairer rates and terms for the use of their music” if a newly introduced version of the Protect Working Musicians Act passes the U.S. House, according to Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.).

“AI threatens the creator — finding the person or entity that has co-opted your work and turned it into something else and then going after them is so onerous,” Ross, who sponsored the revised act and sits on the House Judiciary Committee, says in a phone interview from Washington, D.C. “That’s one of the reasons for this bill — to allow people to do this collaboratively. We need to do this sooner than later. We’re seeing this threat every single day.”

The Protect Working Musicians Act, which Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) introduced in October 2021 a few months before he left Congress, would allow indie artists to collectively bargain for royalty rates with streaming giants such as Spotify and Apple Music. As it stands, the major labels that own most worldwide master recordings have enormous negotiating power to set rates; the act would “give the smaller independent more of a voice,” says Jen Jacobsen, executive director of the Artist Rights Alliance, which worked with Ross on revising the bill.

Ross picked up the bill when Deutch announced he would not return to the House, then held hearings with indie artists in her district, which includes Raleigh. Since then, Ross says, “The AI issue has become even more important.” The revised act would allow artists to behave like plaintiffs in a class-action suit, she adds, “fighting for their rights” with a central attorney.

“Our work is being scraped and ingested and exploited without us even knowing,” Jacobsen says. “Adding the AI platforms seemed like a relevant and important thing to do.”

Writers and artists have warned for months that AI could transform their ideas into new works with no way to get paid for the usage. In April, “Heart On My Sleeve,” an AI-created song that mimics the voices of Drake and The Weeknd, landed millions of TikTok, Spotify and YouTube plays. At the time, Sting told the BBC: “The building blocks of music belong to us, to human beings. That’s going to be a battle we all have to fight in a couple of years: defending our human capital against AI.”

“Musicians are really worried about this — not just the big-name ones, but small artists, too. Small ones, especially,” Jorgensen says. “The most important thing for this bill is that small, independent artists and record labels need to be recognized and have each others’ backs.”

It’s unclear when the House might vote on the revised bill — or if it would pass. “As you can see in Congress, lots of bills aren’t passing — like the budget!” Ross says. “But this has been a very bipartisan issue in the judiciary committee. It’s the perfect time to bring these issues up.”

18 Sep 2023

HHW Gaming: Trolli x ‘PUBG: Battlegrounds’ Link Up For Exclusive In-Game Content

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Trolli Candy / PUBG: Battlegrounds

Trolli Candy links up with PUBG: Battlegrounds for a delicious collaboration that also adds flavor to your Battlegrounds experience.

Announced on National Video Games Day, the first-ever partnership between the gummy candy company and popular video game invites gamers to join the Sour Brite Squad.

The collaboration will see four collectible Trolli x PUBG packs featuring iconic PUBG characters on retailers’ shelves nationwide until December.

Gamers will get their hands on the yummy gummies and access exclusive in-game content, including custom Trolli character skins adorned with Trolli’s sour neon Trolli worms.

Source: Trolli Candy / PUBG

“More than 50 percent of Trolli consumers identify as avid gamers, so we know that our Trolli brand is closely connected to the culture,” said Hope Hruska, Brand Manager for Trolli. “We’re always looking for unexpected ways to show up for the gaming community, which is why we’re excited to merge Trolli’s neon brite world with PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and bring to life iconic elements of the game that gamers have never seen before.”

PUBG: Battleground players can grab the in-game content when purchasing four specially marked packs of Trolli gummies, including:

You can see more photos from the collaboration in the gallery below.

—

Photo: Trolli Candy / PUBG: Battlegrounds