You've probably heard about this by now. I thought about it, how does this affect me? Didn't realize Native Instruments recently acquired: iZtope, Plugin Alliance and Brainworx. https://musictech.com/news/industry/native-instruments-preliminary-insolvency/ Let's talk about it.

We're always advised to use a slow to medium attack time on acoustic guitar to avoid squashing the transients. That leaves me unsure of how to compress tracks with hard strums where the transients are really sharp. Here's a picture of this kind of track. What kind of compressor settings would work on this?

The AI takeover of the music industry has begun. The robots have gone mainstream, and in classic 21st century fashion…. the response has been to simply shake our collective fist at the sky and bemoan the inevitable. Every time I refresh my feed, there’s a new think piece decrying the “unfairness and injustice” of it all… And while they’re not wrong… they’re also not useful. Because there’s a big difference between what should be true and what actually is. The idea that somehow (through…. legislation or something?) we’re going to fend off the AI and tech overlords from encroaching on the arts should be true…. …. but it simply isn’t. The AI wave is coming, and there is no stopping it…. despite the (often compelling) arguments. But whether it was the emergence of virtual instruments, auto-tune, or streaming platforms, every generation has prophesied the “end of music” as new tools become available. And while this does means the slow death of some really precious art forms…. … it also marks the emergence of new ones. Artificial intelligence will likely dominate the mass music markets, in the same way a 3D printer can recreate the Statue of David in a matter of hours. AI will know what we want more than we do, and in that regard, it will certainly replace large parts of the music industry. But I believe the AI revolution will also reveal a hidden truth about music (and art in general) that many of us have forgotten in the last two decades…. …. that art isn’t about the final product at all, but rather the struggle to create it. The truly enduring pieces of art aren’t just pleasing to consume, they tell a story of the artist behind it. The beauty of the Sistine Chapel is partly knowing that Michelangelo spent four years, bent backward, meticulously perfecting each detail. Da Vinci was never fully satisfied with the Mona Lisa… which is why it was found unfinished in his studio after his death (she’s missing her eyebrows). The humanity behind the art is what makes it art in the first place.

**UPDATE, since this keeps getting comments: I ended up passing on the opportunity, as their terms were actually (my initial misunderstanding) that they’d get the song for free, credit me, promote it, and use it in the actual film, but I’d only get compensation if someone bought it and THEN put out a soundtrack, not just if the movie sold. That’s just an extra step/headache that didn’t sit right with me. Original post as follows in case anyone else ends up in a similar situation.** Hello all. I’ve got a friend that does indie movies and wants to put one of my songs in the film he just completed. However, speaking to he and his producer, I found out there wouldn’t be any compensation up front, but there would be the possibility to negotiate that from another party later if the film is sold. Also, it’d be featured in an actual scene (not just the credits), promoted, and they don’t intend to buy the song outright, just license it. I know the pitfalls of offering anything for free (you can’t pay bills with exposure, after all), especially since I’m not really trying to build a portfolio for this kind of work; I’d just be doing a solid for a friend and have the opportunity to say “my song’s in a movie.” I’m leaning toward no, but if I did say yes, I’d want to know what to look for in an agreement to protect myself and my song, so if anyone has any experience/advice with this, I’d appreciate it greatly. Thanks!

I have a slot scheduled in Friday's feedback session, and I need to replace the track I submitted with an updated version. Please let me know how i can do this.