Carregando conteúdo de tecnologia

Preparando informações da CentralTech...

Loading content

Preparing Central Tech…

Skip to main content

Music

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Free Spotify users can create kids accounts now, too.

Managed accounts, which offer a music-only experience with parental controls for the under-13 set, were previously reserved for Premium Family subscribers. Now, free users can also create kids accounts, with their own playlists, suggestions, and wrapped experiences. It’s coming to Argentina, Colombia, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden first.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Subvert, an artist-owned Bandcamp competitor, just launched.

After being announced in August, 2024, Subvert opened its doors on May 12th, 2026. It’s a music co-op where over 20,000 artist members are the owners. They set the policies, and there are no fees. It’s also one of the few platforms to ban AI content and training. Definitely check it out.

Subvert.FM is now live announcement thumbnail.
image: Subvert
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Just listen to the Wind and Waves.

We’re still a ways out from Pokémon Wind and Waves’s release on the Switch 2 some time next year, but The Pokémon Company has just uploaded a video of the NHK Symphony Orchestra recording the games’ main theme to tide us all over.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Hours after acknowledging an outage, Spotify says things are “all clear.”

Spotify initially acknowledged there were “some issues” with the app at 12:49PM ET and gave the all clear at 4:57PM ET.

Update: Spotify says things are fixed.

Robert Hart
Robert Hart
Nothing IS brat. 

Charli xcx just invested in Nothing and was announced as the company’s first global brand ambassador. For their first promotion together the startup claims it had the singer wear the Nothing Headphone A for five days straight to test their 135-hour battery life.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Polyend is trying to challenge Roland’s TR-1000 for the title of the ultimate drum machine.

Like Roland’s flagship, Polyend Drums combines analog and digital drum synthesis, with samples, powerful sequencing features, and a ton of hands-on controls, including a morphing fader. It’s also expensive as hell at $2,699. But it might be the last drum machine you ever need.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million.

The British disco revivalist says the company was using her likeness to sell TVs by including her image on the box. She became aware of it last year and asked Samsung to remove her from the packaging, but according to the complaint, their response was “dismissive and callous.”

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
“Blue dot fever.”

Over the last few days, a flood of reports used those words to describe a phenomenon of musicians suddenly canceling big tours, with people speculating that it’s because they couldn’t sell enough tickets, leaving the blue icons visible at venue after venue in Ticketmaster’s seating charts.

Is it really a new trend, is it because concert tickets cost too much, or is it because Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and the Pussycat Dolls aren’t as big a draw as promoters expected in 2026? Who knows.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
A musical Star Fox journey.

If you, like me, played countless hours of Star Fox 64 growing up, then I think you’ll very much enjoy the 10 tracks from the upcoming Switch 2 remake’s soundtrack that Nintendo added to its music app. They’re so dang good.

Nintendo also uploaded the game’s prologue, which was shown in this week’s announcement direct, as a separate video.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
A one-button synth with over 4 billion sounds.

The $150 Cyma Forma RND is feature-rich, but shockingly minimal. It has eight synthesis engines, four sequencer tracks, five filters, MIDI in and out, four-track audio over USB-C, and reverb. Yet, it has only one button. Every time you push it, everything is randomized with 4,294,967,296 possible combinations.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Today’s soundtrack.

Inferno, the long-awaited next album from Boards of Canada, doesn’t drop until the end of the month. But you can get a taste for it with this new music video, which I’ve had on loop for the better part of an hour already.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
FMS turns the Game Boy Advance into a lo-fi chiptune groovebox.

Fors has been cranking out virtual synths, sequencers, and effects for computers since 2020. FMS is an extracurricular project that pairs a four-track sequencer with an FM synth on the 25-year-old Game Boy Advance. It’s $10 for the ROM, but a cartridge release is planned for later this year.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
No, I don’t think it’s absurd to spend $1,000 on a guitar pedal with automated faders.

Chase Bliss is one of the most innovative companies in the pedal scene. Its newest, Big Time, is a collab with Electronic Audio Experiments. It’s a hybrid analog / digital delay in its high-end Automatone series. But it’s also a looper, a sequencer, a modulation pedal… You know what, just watch the walk-through.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Oh, hey, it’s Bandcamp Friday again.

You know the deal: Every dollar goes to the artist, and it’s a great excuse to overindulge in some new music. I’m picking up the new Lip Critic record. 2024’s Hex Dealer was great, and they absolutely tore shit up at the Maker Park Radio anniversary party that summer. What are you snagging?

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Stream your slop while you drive.

Suno is available on Android Auto, and CarPlay support is in the works. Now you can stream all your illicit AI covers on your road trip from Hell. According to a post in the Suno Discord, features are limited, with only search, library and explore support, plus playback control.

Suno on Android Auto.
Suno on Android Auto.
Image: Suno
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Spotify is finally bringing playlist folders to its mobile apps.

Organizing playlists into folders was introduced in 2010, but only available on the desktop app. Now it’s reportedly rolling out to mobile users. Tap the + icon in your library, and you should see a new “folder” option. You can even play an entire folder of playlists, or shuffle them.

Screenshots of the Spotify iOS app showing the ability to organize playlists using folders.
Screenshot: FN-1708 via Reddit
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Casio’s handheld sampler sold out super fast in Japan.

The SXC-1 was teased at NAMM, but Casio launched its return to sampler glory in Japan this week for ¥39,930 (around $250), and preorders almost immediately sold out. There’s still no word on a US launch, but a video (in Japanese) does show off the features and workflow in detail.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Spotify’s logo hasn’t actually changed that much in 20 years.

The original from 2006 stands out like a sore thumb, but after that, it’s just flattening and tweaks to the font. To celebrate its anniversary, the service is taking a victory lap and talking design. It’s also shared all-time most-streamed lists. No surprises there — it’s Taylor Swift and Joe Rogan.

A grid of four Spotify logos over 20 years showing very little change.
Image: Spotify
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Spotify starts rolling out its voluntary AI labels.

After announcing in September it was working with industry group DDEX on a standard for disclosing when AI is used in a song, AI credits are launching with DistroKid as the first partner. Unfortunately, even if the rest of the industry gets on board, voluntary labels likely won’t be enough as AI uploads threaten to overtake humans.

AI credits on Spotify’s mobile app showing generative AI being used to create the synthesizer track.
1/2Image: Spotify
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
The long wait is over.

Boards of Canada have just confirmed that their first album in well over a decade, called Inferno, will be out on May 29th. I was already sold, but this cryptic 40-second-long teaser has me even more excited.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Coachella wraps up today with Karol G.

This is also your last chance to catch any performances you might have missed. Last week I missed out on Clipse, Young Thug, The Rapture, and Tomora, so they’re my priority. But I also am looking forward to Röyksopp, who didn’t make the stream last weekend. Head over to the official Coachella YouTube channel.

Coachella livestream schedule for April 19th, 2026.
Image: Coachella / Goldenvoice
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Tonight’s Coachella schedule kicks off with Kacey Musgraves.

Last week we got special guest, Jack White. This week it’s Musgraves who gets that honor, after releasing the title track from her upcoming album Middle of Nowhere, the second single after “Dry Spell.” This weekend’s livestream replaces the stage with Yuma. That means no Model / Actriz or Drain, but you do get Armin van Buuren and a solo Boys Noize set. Watch here.

Coachella livestream schedule for April 18, 2026.
Image: Coachella / Goldenvoice
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Coachella week two kicks off tonight.

The YouTube livestream starts at 4pm PT / 7pm ET. This is your chance to catch anything you missed last weekend (Tomora wasn’t on my radar), and for artists who had some issues to iron them out (sound for Slayyyter’s set was rough). Here’s the schedule for tonight:

Coachella livestream schedule for Friday, April 17th.
Image: Coachella / Goldenvoice
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Glitch Boy turns your retro ROMs into video art.

There are plenty of video synths that conjure pixels or warp video files. Glitch Boy loads playable NES ROMs and breaks them to create reactive art using audio or MIDI. It even has a built-in chiptune synth. Of course, the normal Kickstarter caveats apply.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Fortnite’s Rock Band-like mode is getting support for mics and drums.

While playing Fortnite Festival, if you want to sing along to songs, you’ll be able to use “any microphone that works in Fortnite on PC and Console,” while drummers can plug in “a Rock Band 4 or compatible MIDI drum kit,” according to Epic Games. The features launch on Thursday.

Screenshots of Fortnite Festival’s mic and drum modes.
Image: Epic Games
< d i v class="_1huz5gz0" id="verge-notifications-drawer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" aria-labelledby="verge-notifications-drawer-title" hidden="" style="display:none">