There’s an unspoken competition in the casual music app industry now to see who can design the best party mode / basic auto DJ mode in their music software. We’ve seen Pacemaker and Spotify both recently make their entries, and now Serato has launched their own Serato Pyro app (available in the US as of Thursday morning). Could Serato Pyro be the winner? We take a quick look at the app in this article.

Serato Pyro: Browsing and Selection

Make no mistake, Serato Pyro is a visually simple app, designed to be a workflow that you can understand after just a minute of using it. Add your playlists to the apps library where it will pull from to choose new songs, and right away you’ll be presented with a set of songs to start with.

Swipe any track to the left to remove it from the upcoming playlists, swipe right to move it to the next position. The list of tracks is automatically populated with close songs (BPM only, no sign of key analysis here). The app also has complete integration with Spotify Premium, so if you want to add more tracks from a almost endless online library, that’s a possibility as well.

If you want, you can stay entirely hands-off and let Serato Pyro just keep mixing for you constantly. But being DJs, I suspect most DJTT readers will want to adjust the playlist and make your own selections.

Playback and Mixing

There’s a lot of discussion in the above video from Serato about how Serato Pyro was designed to do a lot of background analysis to figure out the “perfect place to transition from one song to the next” – but in practice, I would say that Pyro is quite basic in its mixing ability. I tested it mostly with 124-130 BPM house music, arguably one of the easiest genres to get right when mixing BPM and phrasing.

The BPM seems to be fairly well detected (you can actually go into the settings and turn on the BPM display to have the app show you the detected speed) but the not-visible beat grid doesn’t seem to be as accurate. Based on my tests, the beat grid seems to be on point about 50-60% of the time. When it’s off, it usually seemed to be off by about 1/2 of a beat, which is very noticeable in the mix. There’s also no way to correct the beat grid or a mix when it’s clearly off, which is frustrating.

I will say that most of the time, mixes on Pyro sound acceptable – and at a house party, it’s not going to matter, and that’s kind of the point. Phrasing often seems to be the basic intro-outro mixing, and when it attempts to go beyond that it sometimes suffers. I had one mix where it skipped the intro and went straight into the vocal drop of a track, which ended up blending two vocals overtop of each other.

Serato Pyro is a free download on the iTunes App Store – check out more about the app here on the official website.

Posted by Dan White (via DJTechTools)

The new updated version of the app, which roles out tomorrow morning (Wednesday Feb. 10), will allow users to scan their music and reveal the original tracks behind the song. It won’t just look into the past however. There will be a forward-looking piece of the app, which allows you to see what covers and tracks have used an older song.

For example, sifting through Kanye West’s library will yield hundreds of results by the prolific sampler or if you play The Winstons “Hey Brother” will show close to 1,500 results with the famous “Amen Break” included.

“WhoSampled’s unique flavor of discovery is essential for anyone looking to learn more about their music,” CEO and Founder of WhoSampled Nadav Poraz said in a statement via Billboard. “We are excited to be enabling Spotify’s massive audience of dedicated music lovers to enjoy the WhoSampled experience seamlessly with their personal music collections for the first time.”

WhoSampled sells its iPhone app for $3.99 currently and plans to release an Android app later this year. Browsing through tracks via the web of samples, users can add those songs to their playlists. Spotify premium users can also stream music through the WhoSampled App.

Founded in 2008 in London, WhoSampled has amassed nearly 1.2 monthly active users. This is impressive since the company has not had any institutional funding since its inception.

The world’s most important 6sec drum loop.

Posted By Ryan Middleton (Via Musictimes)

Have you ever wanted a compilation of original music that blends your childhood affinity for all things Star Wars with your likely more recent appreciation for electronic music? Rick Rubin thought you might, which is why the decade-spanning pop culture mastermind has enlisted some of the world’s most renowned producers to deliver tracks for Star Wars Headspace.

Kaskade, Flying Lotus, A-Trak and Baauer are but a few of the names behind tracks which will appear on the album. Each production features samples and clips from the iconic sound effects of sound designer Ben Burtt, making for songs which reference the Star Wars film franchise’s many peculiar tropes.

Perhaps most surprising from a musical standpoint is Rubin’s own contribution to the compilation. Where the producer is best known for his iconic mixes of albums for legendary acts like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Beastie Boys, “NR-G7″ features a the four-four beat and sterile synth work of contemporary electronic music.
While you’ll have to wait until February 19th to listen to Star Wars Headspace in its entirety, Rick Rubin has already previewed three of the tracks of the compilation on Beats 1.

Tracklist:
01 Kaskade: “C-3P0’s Plight”
02 GTA: “Help Me!”
03 TroyBoi: “Force”
04 Baauer: “Cantina Boys”
05 Shag Kava: “Jabba Flow: Rick Rubin Re-Work” [ft. A-Trak]
06 Claude VonStroke: “R2 Knows” [ft. Barry Drift]
07 Rick Rubin: “NR-G7”
08 Bonobo: “Ghomrassen”
09 Röyksopp: “Bounty Hunters”
10 ATTLAS: “Sunset Over Manaan”
11 Flying Lotus: “R2 Where R U?”
12 Shlohmo: “Druid Caravan of Smoke”
13 Rustie: “EWOK PUMPP”
14 Galantis: “Scruffy-Looking Nerfherder”
15 Breakbot: “Star Tripper”

Posted by John Cameron (via wegothiscovered)

According to SoundCloud’s latest financial statement, the company will need to raise a significant amount of money to stay afloat in 2016.

Soundcloud launched in 2008 and has grown to become a well-established, major platform for up-and-coming artists to share their music with fans. The company was valued at $700 million in a funding round during 2014, a figure that could increase. But SoundCloud boasts a massive user base of roughly 175 million active monthly users, and is clearly a heavyweight alongside the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

So, where did they go wrong?

The report showed that Soundcloud lost approximately $56.4 million in 2014, which nearly leveled with the $60 million raised via Series D financing that year. Soundcloud admitted the obvious in its financials: “Our overhead base has increased faster than our revenues.”

However, SoundCloud is staying optimistic along with their investors. “We’re one of the biggest music platforms in the world and we’re growing fast,” says Alexander Ljung, SoundCloud’s founder and chief executive. Ljung went on to say, “Over time, SoundCloud will become a financially sustainable and profitable platform.”

Although, the company did state in their filing that there are ”material uncertainties facing the business.” SoundCloud is well aware that it will take time for them to get out of the red, and expects this to take around three years.

What’s next for SoundCloud?

Last month, DMN reported that SoundCloud made a licensing deal with Universal Music Group for its subscription service. Although terms of the agreement were not announced, these types of licenses typically require significant upfront cash payments. This means that SoundCloud now has to get users to start paying for the service to raise money and fund the venture. The company also needs to work on a business model that allows them to successfully compete with other major streaming services, whilst retaining it uniqueness.

The report also concluded on another obvious note: “The Group’s business plan shows that further capital investment will be required in the next 12 months to fund the business.”

Posted by Charlotte Hassan (via Digitalmusicnews)

CK Radio Episode 146 – Remy Sounds by Club Killers on Mixcloud

Club Killers Radio podcast kicks off 2016 with a solid mix from Washington DC’s very own DJ Remy Sounds! If you remember we first found Remy on the Serato Scratch Live forums when we went searching for a mix. He stuck out right away! Now on his 3rd podcast, he comes through with another bangin mix! Check out the full track list after the jump Continue reading →

It’s DJ Vice’s favorite day of the week! It’s Taco Tuesday! Electric Taco is back! Vice got his valet skills down this week riding around town with the homie A-Trak this week! Watch what went down on their way to get tacos at La Escuela!

Check out DJ Vice’s new website: djvice.com

Posted by David Miller

The Pharmadouche strikes again. When it was revealed that Martin Shkreli, the jack-ass pharmaceutical CEO infamous for his price-gouging of an AIDs medication, was the mysterious buyer who dropped $2 million on the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, we all let out a collective groan. When Shkreli was arrested by the FBI on ponzi scheme allegations, we rejoiced. Perhaps now the album would finally see a chance at release, even if it came because the smug scumbag had to sell it to pay off legal fees.

Well, leave it to the world’s most loathsome man to spit in our faces. During an interview for a Vice profile with Allie Conti, Shkreli had the record playing in the background. Apparently the first time he’d actually played the thing, he told Conti he “vacillates between wanting to destroy the record and dreaming of installing it in some remote place so that people have to make a spiritual quest to listen.” While the latter of those two options has at least a bit of mystique to it, either one is incredibly douchey.

And if you think Shkreli isn’t proud of that fact, you’re wrong. As he stated in the Vice piece, he actually wants the world to hate him, as if he gets a kick out of the whole thing. “I’m not just the heel of the music world,” he said, using pro-wrestling vernacular for “bad guy,” “I want to be the world’s heel.” It sucks that we’re giving in to his desires, but it’s just so easy to hate on this jerk.

Noisey later asked Conti her opinion on what she heard of Once Upon A Time. Though she noted it was mostly on as background noise during the interview, she said, “From what I heard, it was definitely better than their last album, although I wouldn’t say it’s worth $2 million necessarily. I really hope Shkreli decides to release it to the public rather than destroy it, which is something he’s mulling over right now.”

Of course, there’s still a chance that the FBI might seize the album before Shkreli can even do anything with it. He also faces 20 years in prison, a proposition he arrogantly laughs off in the Vice interview. It’s true that even if the FBI took the record, it’s just as likely no one would ever get to hear it, but that’s still better than this dick having control over it.

Update – Thursday, January 28th at 12:30 p.m. CT: Shkreli has released a diss video directed at Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah. Last week, Ghostface called Shkreli a “shithead” and also made fun of his nose. In response, Shkreli has threatened to remove Ghosface’s parts from Once Upon A Time In Shaolin — that is, unless he receives a written apology.

“You’re an old man—an old man that’s lost his relevance, and you’re trying to claim the spotlight from my spotlight,” Shrekli says in the video. “That’s not going to work, Ghost—Dennis. In fact, I think that if you ever say some dumb shit again, this album, this Shaolin, I’m going to erase all your shit from this album. I’m going to erase you from the record books.”

“I expect you to write me a written apology from the heart” Shrkeli. “Some contrition, some long letter where you explain your sorrow and sadness for what you’ve done.”

Posted by BEN KAYE (via consequenceofsound.net)

Video by TMZ

Jay Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation has filed a $2.4 million lawsuit against Rita Ora for breaking her contract and failing to deliver new albums, Page Six reports. Back in December, Rita filed suit against Roc Nation because she felt she’d been pushed aside when the company began representing athletes. “As Roc Nation’s interests diversified, there were fewer resources available and the company suffered a revolving door of executives,” the suit read. “Rita’s remaining supporters at the label left or moved on to other activities, to the point where she no longer had a relationship with anyone at the company.”

In the new countersuit, Roc Nation claims that it’s spent over $2 million marketing Rita and her still-unreleased second album, and says they have “tirelessly promoted” her career. Rita’s contract with Roc Nation specified that she would release five albums; so far she has only delivered one, Ora, which was never released in the U.S. According to Rita’s lawyer Howard King, Jay Z has already told her that she can leave the label if she wants, and told the Daily News that he believes the countersuit was filed in order to meet a court deadline. “He said he’s happy to let her go,” King said. “He called her the day we filed and graciously said she didn’t need to file.”

Posted by By Eliza Thompson (via Cosmopolitan)

01. David Guetta ft Sia & Fetty Wap – Bang My Head (Club Killers Remix)
02. Ellie Goulding – On My Mind (Club Killers Remix)
03. Yo Gotti vs Young Joc – Down In The DM (Deville Throwback Break)
04. The Chainsmokers – Roses (JD Live 2016 Rework)
05. Drake vs Kanye West – Jumpman (Deville Yeezy Switch Edit)
06. David Bowie – Under Pressure (Deville Acap Tribute Edit)
07. Kid Ink ft Akon – Rewind (Deville Club Rework)
08. Afrojack ft Eva Simons – Take Over Control (Deville 2016 Bootleg)
09. Kanye West – Facts
10. David Guetta ft Kid Cudi – Memories (Deville 2016 VIP Bootleg)
11. ILoveMemphis – Lean & Dabb (Deville Throwback Intro Edit)
12. Benny Benassi – Satisfaction (Club Killers Transitions)
13. Tank ft Chris Brown – BDAY
14. TLC – No Scrubs (Tek One Future House Bootleg)
15. Rihanna ft Drake – Work
16. Kanye West – Real Friends (Tek One Club Rework)
17. Maino vs DJ Snake – Harder Than Them (DJ Nasa Trap Bootleg)
18. Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness (JD Live Blackout Bootleg)
19. The Weeknd – The Hills (Schnor & Bashh Bootleg)
20. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have It (DJ Nasa Trap Bootleg)

And just like that it’s the end of the first month of 2016! Time flies…pretty soon it will be spring break! Make sure you make the best of it & make sure you don’t miss out on some hidden gems by check out the monthly Top 20! It’s always fascinating to see what other DJs are into the most on the MP3 POOL. Here are the Top 20 most downloaded tracks of Jan 2016. Log in and click “Top 20″ tab to check out this past month & the last couple of months most downloaded tracks. Don’t miss a beat.

Posted by Alex Dreamz

EDM promoter SFX announced Monday is has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in order to restructure is debt. Robert Sillerman will be replaced as CEO but will remain chairman of the company.

The company says it will to eliminate “more than $300 million” of its $490 million of debt in part by turning the majority of bondholder debt into equity. It also expects the restructuring will provide “significant working capital” that should help the incoming CEO revive the company. Michael Katzenstein, of FTI Consulting, Inc. is serving as SFX’s Chief Restructuring Officer. Greenberg Traurig, LLP is its legal advisor. Moelis & Company is its investment banker.

SFX stresses that its operations will not be impacted by the bankruptcy proceedings. “Of course this was not where we thought we’d be but with this restructuring we have the opportunity to achieve all that SFX can and will be,” Sillerman said in a statement. None of the company’s foreign subsidiaries are included in the bankruptcy. Beatport, SFX’s download and streaming service, released a statement its operations and payments to suppliers “are going on in their usual manner.”

The bankruptcy filing sheds light on SFX’s financial situation. Its largest unsecured debts are unpaid amounts, called deferred purchase price payments, related to the acquisitions that built the company. The third-largest debt is a $7 million settlement of a suit brought against Sillerman regarding the creation of the company. The plaintiff alleged Sillerman took the idea for the company but never gave them equity in the company. SFX went on to raise $260 million in a 2013 initial public stock offering.

The company also owes more typical trade expenses. Additional debt includes $328,000 to the performance rights organization PRS For Music, $314,000 to Facebook, $301,000 to Front Gate Ticketing, which SFX bought in June, and $270,000 to event medical service CrowdRX.

Shares of SFX were down 52.4 percent to 6.2 cents in early Monday trading.

Posted by Glenn Peoples (via Billboard)

The music industry isn’t any closer to a compulsory right for remixes. A new white paper by the Department of Commerce suggests the marketplace figure out solutions to remixes and user-generated content without the involvement of legislators or regulators.

From the DoC’s Internet Task Force, the paper was the result of the two years of study and consultation with stakeholders, and also examined the first-sale doctrine (like selling used books) as it applies to digital goods and statutory damages for file sharers and online services. While the latter is undoubtedly an important topic — piracy and potential damages for infringement the section on remixes addresses — the creation of remixes and user-generated music has profound effects in today’s industry.

In short: the marketplace should be left alone to continue its efforts to provide licenses that adequately account for mash-ups, remixes and other uses of music in user-generated content. The term “remix” covers a variety of uses, from mash-ups by amateurs and professionals to the common user-generated videos that “tell a story” by pairing video with a copyrighted recording.

Perhaps most importantly, the Task Force does not suggest the enactment of a compulsory license for remixes. It called a statutory license for derivative works an “unprecedented” step that would not allow creators to decide if and how their works are used and incorporated with other works. A compulsory right would allow a song, for example, to be used in an offensive video despite the objections of the rights owner or artist. The paper notes the Copyright Act uses a compulsory license only “sparingly” and to address the kind a type of market failure not present with remixes.

The right of rejection is critical for creators, musician Steven Tyler and attorney Dina LaPolt wrote after the Task Force’s review was announced in 2014. “Artists can, and should, continue to be able to deny a use that they do not agree with,” the statement said.

The Task Force found other problems with a compulsory for remixes, too. The compulsory license would only cover music and not other works like visual art or writing, wouldn’t cover pre-1972 recordings because they are not covered by federal law, and would require the kind of “universal rights database” the music industry has thus far been unable (or unwilling) to build.

Instead of a compulsory, the market can function just fine, the DoC thinks, by allowing microlicensing for small-scale works while protecting the creator’s right to say not to a request. One solution could be the use of third-party, intermediary licensing solutions that wouldn’t limit the remixer to a specific platform. As the paper notes, rights holders’ participation in YouTube’s microlicensing scheme “indicates that a licensing scheme that respects those principles can make many millions of works (including remixes) available to the public while providing licensing income to authors, performers and copyright owners.”

Mashups and in-mix samples present a unique challenge. Some services can identify different songs within a long-form DJ mix, for example. But what about detecting a sample within a song that’s played at a different tempo and with audio effects? The market is already working on a solution. German company Geo Track ID has built a sophisticated identification technology which can tease out samples within derivative works.

It turned out that few stakeholders advocated either a change to copyright law by adding a compulsory license or some other exception. But the paper notes some participants suggested changes in areas such as DMCA takedown notices, a topic the Task Force had previously studied and outlined in a paper last year.

Posted by Glenn Peoples (via Billboard)

Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio service has become notable for recruiting high profile artists and entities for guest residency spots. From the electronic sphere alone, Beats 1 will broadcast residencies from the likes of Major Lazer, Eric Prydz, and Anna Lunoe over the course of the next month. Now, Beats 1 has raised the anticipatory bar by announcing an imminent guest spot from Skrillex’s OWSLA imprint.

The newest addition to the #Beats1 family… @Skrillex. #OWSLARadio. This Saturday. 12PM PT/3PM ET/8PM UK. pic.twitter.com/QIMzRqDgg5

— Beats 1 (@Beats1) January 28, 2016

While a residency from Skrillex alone is enough to draw a massive audience, the announcement of “OWSLA Radio” may indicate that the producer will be joined by his formidable roster of bass-inspired prodigies. What OWSLA Radio will entail is yet to be seen, but with the release of the label’s extensive Worldwide Compilation slated for the day before the broadcast, it is sure to be momentous. Tune in to Beats1 Saturday, January 30 to see what Skrillex and Apple Music have in store.

Posted by Will McCarthy (via Dancing Astronaut)