The Music industry is always in flux and the accompanying Tech follows suit.

New inventive ways to render the experience of listening more visceral, detailed and immersive spring up with feverish speed and the craving audiences are always looking for that new extra edge.

If it’s crucial for you to stay up to speed with technological hallmarks of soundscape, here is the best Music Tech has to offer.

The AI conundrum

We all know where this is going – technology is slowly moving towards the singularity event. But before we get apocalyptic or pessimistic, AI seems to be quite appreciative of human arts, which shows at least some glimmer of promise. The last year and the one that follows are looking at the tidal wave of convenient apps which are completely AI based – and the programmers that make them claim that these AI programs are perfectly capable of ‘composing’ music that is practically indistinguishable from manmade tracks. How about an AI-driven program that, based on preferences such as mood, texture, genre and length, creates a completely original, licensable music in a few seconds? Well, come to think of it, the implications of this do sound a bit dystopian from the creative perspective.

The ever-evolving earphones

Relying on the banal beat of a loud song to get into the groove does not entail an effort, but what if you want to truly appreciate the craft by paying attention to textures and how layers of sound are stacked one onto another? First, you’ll need appropriately isolating earpieces in the shape of the comfortable and flexible Shure SE846 in order to cancel out all the unnecessary exterior noise. Second – and this is what’s so in vogue right now – you’ll also want replaceable filters which are used to emphasize certain aspects of sound, which can make the repeat listening experiences ever so rewarding.

Retro with DIY synths

Sometimes, looking forward also means embracing what has come before. Synthesizers used to be the gadgets of the past, forgotten in the eighties and late nineties. And yet, a homegrown revival seems to be sweeping the globe. With the keyboards of their parents taken out of old cardboard boxes and dusted off (or, they found a way to get one for free), music tech virtuosos have taken upon themselves to synthesize (pun intended) old and new by creating DIY analog synth kits with apt features compatible with the latest tech. The industry seems to be catching on and similar products are flooding the market.

Become the next Hans Zimmer

Every filmmaker will tell you that, if you are forced to choose which will be bad – image or sound – you should always choose image and let the sound do its magic. Quite simply, if you want to appear professional, good sound design and impeccable soundscape is what saves the experience. Making amateur films can be a frustrating endeavor exactly because quality composers and sound mixers are so hard to come by these days, but what if you had a program that can sweep these problems away in an instant? Intuitive software with an impressive range of fully customizable parameters promises the highest-quality score for your film which you can compose yourself, and they are about to become the hottest thing on the sound tech market during the next couple of years.

Going virtual with drum kits

VR is a paradigm shift we have been waiting for. The rocky beginnings were quite expected, but it seems to be shaping up quite nicely. One of the instances where it appears to show invaluable practicality is with virtual drum kits. Do you live in a cramped space? Are you on the road? Well if you are, you’ll be happy to know that there is an ‘air-drumming’ life hack waiting just for you, especially if you are already familiar with the VR technology.

Due to such light-speed technological advances in the entertainment industry, it has never been so easy to be a consumer and a creator at the same time. You can stay up to speed with the latest trends in terms of tech and art, and acquire additional tools and extensions though which you can express yourself creatively. The music tech of the 21st century is a promised land indeed.