Independent music-tech reviews
Music tech, judged from inside the studio.
Reviews, guides and comparisons for musicians: distribution, AI music tools and production software, tested by Dan Lopes.
Dan LopesSound designer, audio engineer and composer - Every review dated
- Affiliate links disclosed
- Verdicts never for sale
Featured · Feature · Music Technology
Making Music With Tetraplegia: How JOHKES Records and Mixes at Home
JOHKES is a UK rapper with tetraplegia who records, produces and mixes his own vocals in Logic Pro, with his left hand. He explains how he records around his breathing, the vocal chain he built for the voice he has now, and why a volume knob can be harder than automation.
Published November 2, 2026
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AI & Audio AI music generation, stem separation, voice AI and text-to-speech, AI-assisted workflows, and the ethics and licensing questions around them.
- Can You Use AI Music Commercially? Every Generator's License, Plan by Plan
- The Ethical Concerns Around AI-Generated Music, and Where the Credit Actually Goes
- Diffio Review: Can AI Rescue a Bad Recording?
Music Business Distribution, publishing, royalties, promotion and the economics of releasing music independently.
- DistroKid Pricing Guide - Everything You Need To Know
- TuneCore Review: Music Distribution Made Easy
- Music Promotion in the Digital Age: 10 Proven Strategies for Independent Musicians
Music Technology DAWs, plugins, virtual instruments, sample tools and the software side of a home studio.
- A Reverb Built Around Mic Technique: André de Brito on ADB Room Mics
- What Does a De-esser Do? (And When You Don't Need One)
- Accessible Music Software: The Mistake Most Developers Make
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Hub · AI & Audio AI Music Generators The hard part is not which AI music generator sounds best. It is which one lets you keep what it makes: what each costs, and what its license allows. Go to the hub Hub · Music Business Music Distribution To get your music on Spotify, Apple Music and the other streaming services, you need a distributor: a service that delivers your releases and passes the royalties back to you. This hub compares the distributors we've reviewed and links to every distribution guide on Sound Tech Insider. Go to the hub
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All reviews Can You Use AI Music Commercially? Every Generator's License, Plan by Plan 
Soundraw Review - Easy AI Music Generation 
Mubert Review: Everything You Need to Know 
AIVA Review: AI Music Composition, MIDI Export and Who Owns the Music A Reverb Built Around Mic Technique: André de Brito on ADB Room Mics 
DistroKid Pricing Guide - Everything You Need To Know What Does a De-esser Do? (And When You Don't Need One) The Ethical Concerns Around AI-Generated Music, and Where the Credit Actually Goes
Soundraw Review - Easy AI Music Generation Mubert Review: Everything You Need to Know AIVA Review: AI Music Composition, MIDI Export and Who Owns the Music A Reverb Built Around Mic Technique: André de Brito on ADB Room Mics DistroKid Pricing Guide - Everything You Need To Know What Does a De-esser Do? (And When You Don't Need One) The Ethical Concerns Around AI-Generated Music, and Where the Credit Actually Goes Reviews
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Review · AI & Audio Yes Diffio Review: Can AI Rescue a Bad Recording? Yes, if you want a damaged recording made listenable. Our 1963 test came back sounding like it had been captured on a modern microphone. Just know that it rebuilds speech rather than cleaning it, which means it can be confidently wrong about what was said. From $8/monthFree plan 
Review · AI & Audio LALAL.AI Review: Vocal Remover and Stem Splitter LALAL.AI splits a finished track into vocals, drums, bass and more. What it costs in 2026, how the queues and minutes work, who it suits and where it falls short. From $50 one-timeFree plan Review · Music Business Yes DistroKid Review: Is It Worth It? Yes. DistroKid puts music on every major platform quickly and for less than almost anyone else, and it has the years behind it to be trusted with a catalog. Budget for the upsells, and know that your releases come down if you stop paying. From $24.99/year The Insider
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