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.
- The Ethical Concerns Around AI-Generated Music, and Where the Credit Actually Goes
- Diffio Review: Can AI Rescue a Bad Recording?
- 70 ChatGPT Prompts for Musicians
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.
- What Does a De-esser Do? (And When You Don't Need One)
- Accessible Music Software: The Mistake Most Developers Make
- How to Build a Vocal Chain That Fits Your Recording
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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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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 
Diffio Review: Can AI Rescue a Bad Recording? Accessible Music Software: The Mistake Most Developers Make 70 ChatGPT Prompts for Musicians 
Mubert Review: Everything You Need to Know 
LALAL.AI Review: Vocal Remover and Stem Splitter Reviews
All reviews 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 Mubert Review: Everything You Need to Know Mubert review and pricing: what each plan costs, and the catch worth knowing first — the paid Creator plan is still non-commercial, so Pro is the first one you can earn with. From $11.69/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 The Insider
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