Latest
- Best audio interfaces for beginners: four safe choices for a home studio
- Best studio headphones for music production: closed-back and open-back picks
- How to mix vocals: a simple chain that works in any DAW
- Where to get samples: free vs Splice vs Loopcloud vs buying packs outright
- AI music generators compared: Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs and SOUNDRAW, and the commercial-use rules
Signals we're watching
Genre momentum from published platform data. Every figure links to the story behind it.
Source: MIDiA Research and Splice, Sounds of 2026 (published 13 Jan 2026). Figures reflect Splice users, not the whole market. Last reviewed 25 October 2026.
Fresh guides
Practical, sourced and dated.
Best audio interfaces for beginners: four safe choices for a home studio
Which interface to buy for your first recordings, matched to what you actually record, from one voice to a streaming setup.
Best studio headphones for music production: closed-back and open-back picks
Four proven models, what each is good at, and why you might need a closed pair for recording and an open pair for mixing.
How to mix vocals: a simple chain that works in any DAW
Clean up, control, shape and place a vocal with stock plugins, in the order engineers usually work.
Where to get samples: free vs Splice vs Loopcloud vs buying packs outright
How the three ways to get samples really compare on cost, choice and licensing, plus free options and how to stop wasting money on sounds you never use.
AI music generators compared: Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs and SOUNDRAW, and the commercial-use rules
What each tool is built for, what you may do with the output, and where the label lawsuits stood as of 25 October 2026.
AI music and the major labels: who has settled, who is suing again
A dated status check on Suno and Udio, including the second lawsuits filed in July and September 2026, and what it means if you release AI-assisted music.
Free tools worth knowing
Software you can install today without paying. Links go to the official sites.
Surge XT
Open-source hybrid synth. Runs on Win, Mac, Linux.
Free
Vital
Visual wavetable synth. Runs on Win, Mac, Linux.
Free tier
Spitfire LABS
Free sampled instruments. Runs on Win, Mac.
Free
Demucs
AI stem separation model. Runs on Win, Mac, Linux.
Free, open source
Audacity
Audio recording and editing. Runs on Win, Mac, Linux.
Free
GarageBand
Beginner-friendly DAW. Runs on Mac, iOS.
Free