Luke Pickman, the multi-instrumental mastermind behind InstrumentManiac, just outdid himself again. After tackling “The Lick” on dozens of instruments, he’s now played the C Major scale on 123 instruments in 123 seconds. It’s fast, funny, and pure musical chaos — one dazzling scale, every sound imaginable.
Wet Leg Reimagine “Walking on a Dream” With Hypnotic Indie Flair
Wet Leg just turned Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream” into an indie daydream. Performing live at BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, Rhian Teasdale’s vocals float effortlessly over shimmering guitars, giving the 2008 hit a whole new heartbeat. It’s proof that Wet Leg can make any song sound unmistakably their own.
Steampunk Beats Meet Daft Punk as Bonnin Gabriel Hacks a Hurdy-Gurdy
Bonnin Gabriel just redefined DIY music magic. By hooking a hurdy-gurdy to a vintage Singer sewing machine wheel, he cranked up its speed and unleashed a wild take on Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic.” It’s steampunk meets synth glory.
Ska Tune Network Brings Brass and Bounce to the Classic “Ghostbusters” Theme
Jer from Ska Tune Network turns spooky into skank-worthy with a brass-charged cover of “Ghostbusters.” Ray Parker Jr.’s hit gets a full ska makeover bursting with energy, horns, and Halloween joy. It’s pure musical mischief.
Spotify Turns It Up to 11 With Lossless Audio for Premium Users
Lossless on Spotify Premium is here.
Lossless audio has been one of the most anticipated features on Spotify and now, finally, it’s started rolling out to Premium listeners in select markets. Premium subscribers will receive a notification in Spotify once Lossless becomes available to them. Whether you’re diving into a new album or revisiting old favorites, lossless delivers the highest music audio quality on Spotify.
“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP Subscriptions, Spotify. “We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our premium users will now have an even better listening experience.”
Lossless is part of their commitment to continually improve Spotify Premium so fans can discover and enjoy the music they love. This highly requested feature takes your Premium experience to the next level. Together with popular features like DJ, Jam, AI Playlist, brand-new Mix, and daylist, as well as playlists curated by their leading global music editorial team, the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service continues to get better.
With Lossless, you can now stream tracks in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, unlocking greater detail across nearly every song available on Spotify. So you can enjoy new releases and your favorite tracks, in the highest quality, while being immersed in the music.
Your device, your music, your listening experience, your choice
They know everyone listens differently, so they’re giving you custom settings for Wi-Fi, cellular, and downloads. Choose between Low, Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless music quality to provide maximum flexibility and control. You’ll be able to see how much data each of these requires to make choosing easier.
Lossless is available on mobile, desktop, and tablet, as well as on many devices that support Spotify Connect, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, and more. Support for additional devices, including those from Sonos and Amazon, arrives next month.
How to enable Lossless
To turn on lossless audio in the Spotify app:
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- Tap your profile icon in the top left.
- Go to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality.
- Select where you want to enable lossless audio: Wi-Fi, cellular, downloads.
And just to note: You’ll need to enable Lossless manually on each device. You’ll know Lossless is on because the Lossless indicator will appear in the Now Playing view or bar, and via the Connect Picker.
For the smoothest and best listening experience, they recommend streaming lossless music on Wi-Fi using wired headphones or speakers on a non-Bluetooth connection, like Spotify Connect. Currently, Bluetooth doesn’t provide enough bandwidth to transmit lossless audio, so the signal has to be compressed before being sent.
Lossless gives listeners every detail of the music, which means the audio files can be larger. As users enable lossless on their devices, it may take a moment for the track to play. But once it’s cached and loaded, you are ready to listen.
When can I start listening?
Lossless is rolling out gradually to more than 50 markets through October. Premium subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK have already started to get access.
Sibling Duo Overnight Channel Loss and Resilience on New Single “Strong & Good”
Halifax sibling duo Overnight (Carla & Lynette Gillis) return with “Strong & Good,” the tender and reflective new single from their upcoming sophomore album ‘Put Me In Your Light’ (out November 7 via Label Obscura). Written in the wake of their father’s sudden passing and a difficult move home from Toronto during the pandemic, the song captures both the weight of grief and the forward motion of resilience.
“I don’t typically have anything clear in mind when I sit down to write lyrics, but this one turned out to be about grief,” shares Carla Gillis (guitars, piano, lead vocals). “It was really hard to lose our dad, and it was really hard to leave Toronto and our community. The song came out of grief, but it’s also about the impulse to not be entrenched in it all the time. To shake it off and keep going. Rhythmically, it has a forward propulsion to it. Melodically, it’s fairly upbeat. To me, it’s shaped as much by resilience as sadness.”
The single’s title comes from a simple lyric — “coffee tastes strong and good” — though for the Gillis sisters, the phrase also reflects their father’s character.
Recording the song proved challenging, as the duo struggled to land on a guitar arrangement that felt right. “Everything kept sounding frustratingly dorky,” Carla recalls. “Eventually [producer] Charles [Austin] suggested having an acoustic guitar play quietly underneath everything, and it was the glue we needed.”
“Strong & Good” is one of the most emotional tracks on ‘Put Me In Your Light,’ often bringing Carla to tears mid-performance. Yet despite its heavy subject matter, the song embodies Overnight’s ability to find light within loss — a theme that runs throughout the album.
Produced by Charles Austin (Superfriendz, Surprise Pink) and featuring contributions from Michael Small (Meligrove Band, Loviet) and Jason Starnes (Bells Clanging), ‘Put Me In Your Light’ offers 10 songs of big riffs, tender harmonies, and reflective optimism. While grief and memory shape the record, its energy leans buoyant and hopeful, echoing Overnight’s journey through hardship and renewal.
The Weeknd Joins Advisory Board of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to Raise $100 Million
FIFA and Global Citizen, the world’s largest movement to end extreme poverty, today announced the formation of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund Advisory Board, following the first wave of founding donor contributions supporting the landmark initiative to raise USD $100 million for education and literacy for children worldwide.
The non-fiduciary advisory board includes Hugh Jackman, The Weeknd, Ivanka Trump, Gianni Infantino, Hugh Evans, Serena Williams, Shakira, Kaká, and Bank of America Co-President Jim DeMare, who will provide strategic guidance to ensure the fund achieves maximum impact in supporting organizations dedicated to improving literacy and education access for children.
Launched earlier this year at the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York City, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund aims to expand access to quality education, literacy, and football for children worldwide. Half of the funds raised will support grassroots education and literacy programs in over 200 communities globally. The remaining funds will go toward FIFA’s Football for Schools (F4S) programme, a FIFA and UNESCO-led initiative advancing life skills, learning, and community development through football.
Organizations providing access to education and sports for children in underserved communities are now invited to apply for grants of up to $250,000. The first round of grantees will be announced in early 2026. To apply, visit globalcitizen.org/education-fund-apply.
Currently, an estimated 350 million children and adolescents are out of school globally, with 133 million not meeting minimum proficiency levels in reading and math by the end of primary school.
Founding donors include MetLife Foundation and Bank of America, which will also serve as the Bank of Record for the fund. Each has made significant contributions, demonstrating strong early momentum. Global Citizen also thanks Cisco and the Government of Sierra Leone for their donations. Additional pledges are expected from philanthropies, corporations, and individuals leading up to the FIFA World Cup Final in July 2026.
Last month at the Global Citizen Festival, it was announced that the fund has already raised over USD $30 million, supported by founding donors and proceeds from events including The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour and the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
It was also revealed that USD $1 from every ticket sold to FIFA World Cup 26™ matches will be donated to the fund.
10 Things to do in Amsterdam
By Mitch Rice
Amsterdam combines history, culture and a relaxed atmosphere like no other city in Europe. Each canal, street and market tells a story. Are you planning a visit? The these then experiences show you what makes Amsterdam truly unique!
1. Visit the Rijksmuseum
Step inside the Rijksmuseum and admire masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. Walk through galleries filled with Dutch art, history and design. Take your time, because every room reveals something new. When you’re done, stroll through the museum gardens and enjoy a coffee while locals relax in the sun. Stop by the museum shop for unique souvenirs inspired by Dutch art.
2. Explore the Jordaan
Wander through the Jordaan and feel the creative spirit of Amsterdam. Visit small boutiques, art galleries and cozy cafés. Order a slice of apple pie at Café Winkel 43 and browse vintage shops along Westerstraat. The narrow streets and friendly atmosphere make it one of the city’s most inviting neighborhoods. End your walk at the canals and watch boats drift slowly by.
3. Rent a bike
Grab a bike and explore Amsterdam like a local. Cycle along the canals, through Vondelpark and into quiet residential areas. Stop whenever something catches your eye and take in the view. Follow the traffic rules, stay alert and enjoy the freedom of riding through one of the world’s best cycling cities. Finish your ride at a café terrace and enjoy a drink in the open air.
4. Cruise the canals
See Amsterdam from a different perspective and join one of the many canal tours in the city. Book a trip with local operators such as Flagship Amsterdam and enjoy the view from the water. Choose between small open boats or covered saloon vessels as you pass historic bridges and elegant canal houses. For an unforgettable evening, try the Amsterdam wine and cheese cruise and enjoy Dutch cheeses, good wine and the warm glow of Amsterdam’s canal lights.
5. Visit the Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank House offers a powerful glimpse into Amsterdam’s history during World War II. Step inside the secret annex where Anne wrote her diary and reflect on her story. It’s a visit that stays with you long after you leave.
6. Relax in Vondelpark
Walk through the Anne Frank House and feel the city’s wartime history come to life. Step inside the secret annex where Anne wrote her famous diary and imagine the courage it took to live there. Read her words, look at the photographs and listen to her story. Take a moment outside to reflect on the quiet canal that witnessed so much history.
7. Discover local markets
Looking for a quiet place to slow down after exploring the city? Head to Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s most beloved green space. Locals come here to picnic, jog or play music in the open air. Find a bench near the pond and watch cyclists and dog walkers pass by. The park is perfect for a peaceful lunch or a lazy afternoon in the sun.
8. Experience the nightlife
From live music at Paradiso to cocktails at SkyLounge, Amsterdam’s nightlife has something for every mood. The best nights often start in small bars along the canals and end in dance clubs near Leidseplein. For a laid-back start to the evening, try a local craft beer at Brouwerij ’t IJ near the windmill.
9. Visit the floating flower market
The Bloemenmarkt is the only floating flower market in the world. Boats filled with tulips, bulbs and souvenirs line the canal. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s one of the most photogenic spots in the city. Visit early in the morning to see vendors setting up and the colors at their brightest.
10. Discover hidden courtyards
Behind busy streets lie peaceful hofjes, old courtyards once built for widows. The Begijnhof near Spui is the most famous, with historic houses and a quiet garden. It’s a perfect escape from the crowds. Take a moment to sit on one of the benches and listen to the faint sound of church bells in the distance.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.
30 Great Indie Folk Albums That Make the World Feel a Little Brighter
From quiet coffeehouse corners to festival fields at sunset, indie folk has always been the sound of heartbeats, travel, and truth. These albums, spanning decades and continents, glow with melody, storytelling, and the quiet courage to feel deeply.
Adrianne Lenker – ‘Songs’ (2020)
A soft storm of guitar and awe. Big Thief’s frontwoman distilled raw emotion into stillness, every lyric like a breath between heartbreak and healing.
Alexi Murdoch – ‘Time Without Consequence’ (2006)
Murdoch’s voice carries the warmth of early morning. “Orange Sky” remains a whispered prayer for connection.
Anaïs Mitchell – ‘Hadestown’ (2010)
Before Broadway lights, there was this indie folk odyssey — the Orpheus myth retold through dust, love, and revolution.
Andrew Bird – ‘Armchair Apocrypha’ (2007)
Violin, wordplay, and wonder. Bird turns folk into a kaleidoscope of sound, whistling his way through science and soul.
Angus & Julia Stone – ‘Down the Way’ (2010)
Sibling harmonies that float like sea air, wrapped around bittersweet dreams. “Big Jet Plane” still feels like a sigh at sunset.
The Avett Brothers – ‘Emotionalism’ (2007)
Joy and sorrow in equal measure. A banjo and a piano become instruments of confession and grace.
Beck – ‘Sea Change’ (2002)
An ocean of heartbreak. Beck trades irony for intimacy, finding beauty in loss and stillness.
Ben Howard – ‘Every Kingdom’ (2011)
Windswept and timeless, full of salt air and restless youth. A modern campfire classic.
Bon Iver – ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ (2007)
Recorded in isolation, it became a blueprint for emotional honesty. A lonely cabin turned into a worldwide echo.
Bright Eyes – ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’ (2005)
Conor Oberst’s cracked voice and wide-open heart made uncertainty sound like a shared secret.
Damien Rice – ‘O’ (2002)
A whisper that still breaks hearts. Fragile, furious, and unforgettable.
Daniel Rossen – ‘You Belong There’ (2022)
Delicate and intricate, full of shifting guitar lines and quiet intensity.
Feist – ‘The Reminder’ (2007)
A masterclass in understated beauty. “1234” may have been the hit, but the whole record glows with warmth.
Fleet Foxes – ‘Fleet Foxes’ (2008)
A harmony-laden hymn to the natural world, as golden and eternal as the mountains it seems to sing from.
First Aid Kit – ‘Stay Gold’ (2014)
Swedish sisters channel Laurel Canyon soul with pure sincerity. Their harmonies shine like sunlight through trees.
Gillian Welch – ‘Time (The Revelator)’ (2001)
Sparse and timeless, this record feels unearthed rather than recorded — an American folktale in motion.
Iron & Wine – ‘Our Endless Numbered Days’ (2004)
Whispered poetry and soft guitar. Sam Beam turns small moments into entire worlds.
José González – ‘Veneer’ (2003)
Minimal, mesmerizing, and full of quiet wisdom. “Heartbeats” remains its pulse.
Laura Marling – ‘Once I Was an Eagle’ (2013)
A sweeping, fearless album about love and independence. Marling’s songwriting feels ancient and modern all at once.
Lord Huron – ‘Lonesome Dreams’ (2012)
Dreamy Americana built for wandering souls. Every track feels like a map to somewhere else.
Lucy Dacus – ‘Historian’ (2018)
Gentle but unflinching, a meditation on memory and meaning wrapped in glowing guitars.
Maggie Rogers – ‘Heard It in a Past Life’ (2019)
Pop polish meets folk spirit. Rogers bridges emotional worlds with grace and rhythm.
Mumford & Sons – ‘Sigh No More’ (2009)
Banjo, stomp, and fire. A debut that reignited a folk revival with thunderous sincerity.
Nick Drake – ‘Pink Moon’ (1972)
The album that defines quiet brilliance. A voice and a guitar, and the universe between them.
Phoebe Bridgers – ‘Punisher’ (2020)
A ghostly, gorgeous journey through loneliness and connection, written in lowercase but felt in galaxies.
Ray LaMontagne – ‘Trouble’ (2004)
That gravelly voice feels like it’s lived a thousand lives. Folk soul at its purest.
Sufjan Stevens – ‘Illinois’ (2005)
A sprawling, tender masterpiece. Folk, orchestration, and heart collide in dazzling color.
The Tallest Man on Earth – ‘The Wild Hunt’ (2010)
Ferocious fingerpicking and raw poetry. Proof that one voice and guitar can fill a world.
The Weepies – ‘Say I Am You’ (2006)
Soft harmonies, big feelings. A gentle record about love in all its quiet forms.
LANDR vs. DistroKid: Two Major Distribution Services Compared
By Mitch Rice
LANDR and DistroKid aren’t the only distribution services out there, but they’re arguably two of the big players in the distribution market. If you’ve been searching for a new distributor, you’re guaranteed to come across both.
The two companies offer similar base services: unlimited distribution, tiered packages, promotion tools, streaming analytics and mastering services.
But if you look under the hood both companies have dramatically different approaches to how they package their services.
So, if you’ve found yourself scratching your head going through pricing pages and sign-up flows while weighing the benefits and costs involved with each subscription tier, we’re clearing everything up in this article.
Quick take: Which distribution service is right for you?
The answer to that is specific to your needs as an artist and your budget.
To point you in the right direction, here’s a table breaking down all the differences between LANDR and DistroKid.
| LANDR | DistroKid | |
| Base subscription tier & price | Essentials: $23.99/year | Musician: $24.99/year |
| Premium subscription tiers & price | Pro: $44.99/ year, Studio Essentials: $99/year | Musician Plus: $44.99/year, Ultimate $89.99/year |
| Unlimited distribution | Yes | Yes |
| Artist revenue share | 100% | 100% |
| Release stays up after cancelling the subscription | Yes, LANDR takes a 15% cut on revenues | No, unless you pay a $29 “Leave a Legacy” fee per single or $49 per album |
| Release approval time | Essentials: 7 days, Pro: 2 days, Studio Essentials: 5 days | 2-5 days for all plans |
| Support response time | Human support responses. Essentials: 5 days, Pro: 24, hours, Studio Essentials: 3 days | Automated support responses only. |
| Artists included | Distribution Basic and Studio Essentials: One, Distribution Pro: Five | All tiers: One |
| Post lyrics to streaming platforms | Yes through Musixmatch | Yes through Google |
| Claim & verify Spotify profile | Yes | Yes |
| Royalty splits | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app version | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting & stats | Yes | Yes |
| Release customizability | Pro & Studio Essentials: Label name, release date, country exclusion, metadata | Musician Plus and Ultimate: Label name, release date, iTunes store price |
| File Sharing | Yes, through LANDR Projects | Yes |
| YouTube Content ID, Social Media IDs, Shazam Discovery | Yes, included with Distribution Pro and all Studio plan, LANDR takes 20% commission | Yes, charges extra yearly fees for each type of ID, starting at $4.95/single and $14.95/album |
| Mastering included | LANDR Mastering included with Studio Essentials subscription | No, option to add-on Mixea mastering pass for $99/year |
| Royalty-free sample market place | Access LANDR Samples with Studio Essentials subscription | None |
| Plugins and instrument software | Access LANDR Plugins collection with Studio Essentials subscription | None |
| Release importer | Yes | No |
| Cover song licensing | Yes, $15/track | Yes, $12/track/year |
While both services offer similar products, the differences lie in the added features each service offers and their different price points.
It’s why the best plan for you completely depends on your needs as an artist.
The key differences between LANDR and DistroKid
There are short and long-term benefits of using either service.
Here’s a deeper dive into some of their key differences.
Overall pricing format
DistroKid’s base subscription is slightly more than LANDR’s, but more importantly, DistroKid has a tendency to nickel-and-dime its users for important features like Content ID, Shazam, and mastering, to name a few.
Plus, DistroKid will charge you if you want to keep your music up after cancelling your subscription.
So if you’re looking for something quick and inexpensive, don’t need added features and you don’t intend to keep your music up for the long haul after ending your subscription, DistroKid might be the better option.
Using its base service, you mostly just get your music on streaming platforms right away.
At its base level, LANDR offers slightly slower distribution times, and its price point is slightly lowerthan that of DistroKid’s.
But the great part about LANDR is that the long-term cost of using the service is generally fixed.
LANDR won’t nickel-and-dime you for important services, although releasing cover songs does require a small one-time fee per song.
Yes, you’ll have to go with its Distribution Pro or Studio Essentials subscription tiers to open up access to the better half of its service, but once you subscribe, you won’t hit paywalls for things like Content ID and distribution to TikTok and Instagram.
LANDR also offers its Studio subscription package which includes distribution alongside a big collection of plugins, its AI mastering service and a respectable royalty-free sample library. This makes for a pretty compelling offering, especially for any upstart musician who needs all of these services.
Distribution subscription tiers
At their base tiers, LANDR and DistroKid’s subscription packages are fairly comparable.
The main difference is that LANDR’s comes in at $23.99/year compared to DistroKid’s slightly higher price of $24.99/year. You also won’t need to pay a fee to keep your music up if you cancel your subscription.
But their higher-tier subscription services are where the two services diverge most.
With LANDR Distribution Pro and above, you get release customization options like scheduling, label name and country exclusions. Still, more importantly, you get YouTube Content ID, TikTok and Instagram included with a 20% commission and no extra fees.
DistroKid’s comparable tier in Musician Plus only gives access to customization options, but even then, these customization capabilities are limited to what its heavily automated system allows.
Add-on features, benefits and software packages
Add-on features and their costs are easily the biggest differentiator between LANDR and DistroKid.
With the top tiers of both subscriptions pricing out at $99 and $89 for LANDR and DistroKid, respectively, the add-ons that each subscription includes vary significantly.
DistroKid’s Ultimate subscription adds 1TB of Dropbox-style file sharing and access to playlist curators.
But compared to LANDR, those add-ons look fairly limited.
With LANDR Studio Essentials, you get a similar filesharing service through its LANDR Projects feature. But you also get access to its plugins and samples library, its mastering service and a collection of music production courses.
LANDR is missing the playlist connections that DistroKid claims to offer to its subscribers, but its Studio Essentials subscription offers artists a growing set of tools for music production.
Long-term costs
We’ve already pointed out that DistroKid tends to nickel-and-dime its subscribers with added fees for important services like Content ID.
Because these fees are charged yearly, the costs can add up quickly if you want a fully fledged distribution service that pays you for plays on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
Compared to LANDR, which charges for everything up front, the long-term cost of DistroKid is significantly more.
Here’s a breakdown of an artist releasing five singles and three albums over five years with DistroKid compared to LANDR.
Customer support
With music streaming platforms changing their policies and artists demanding custom help with representing themselves online, customer support is becoming an increasingly important aspect of music distribution.
The fact that LANDR offers human support and doesn’t restrict its subscribers to an automated system like DistroKid is huge, especially if you’re an artist with specific needs.
Distribution companies are getting very strict about AI, sample and loop usage.
If you incorporate AI or loops in your music production process, having a human to interface with makes things much easier when it comes to validating your music and ensuring your tracks won’t get taken down.
Choose your journey
Ultimately, the choice between LANDR and DistroKid hinges on your specific needs and budget as an artist.
Evaluate the features, pricing structures, and long-term costs carefully to determine which service best aligns with your musical journey.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.