Music Technology

Mick Jagger, Jimmy Cliff, Roger Waters, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, and many other leading artists reveal for the first time the emotions, inspirations, and techniques behind their influential works. Covering the history of rock, R&B, country, disco, soul, reggae, and pop, Anatomy of a Song is a love letter to the songs that have defined generations of listeners.

Todd Rundgren has always existed in two worlds at once. To millions, he is the voice behind timeless radio staples like Hello It’s Me and I Saw the Light. To musicians and producers, he is a fearless innovator who reshaped how records are made, pushing the studio from a neutral space of documentation into a creative instrument in its own right. Something/Anything Behind the Glass delivers the definitive portrait of an artist whose contradictions proved to be his greatest strength. Born in 1948 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Rundgren came of age in a Philadelphia alive with rhythm and blues...

This Very Short Introduction takes an expansive and inclusive approach meant to broaden and challenge traditional views of music and technology. In its most common use, "music technology" tends to evoke images of twentieth and twenty-first century electronic devices: synthesizers, recording equipment, music notation software, and the like. This volume, however, treats all tools used to create, store, reproduce, and transmit music—new or old, electronic or not—as technologies worthy of investigation.

Trent Reznor is one of the most uncompromising figures in modern music—a relentless architect of sound whose influence spans far beyond Nine Inch Nails. Control Systems traces his journey from small-town Mercer, Pennsylvania, through the chaos of industrial rebellion, the battles with record labels, and the creation of albums that redefined the sonic vocabulary of an era. This definitive biography captures the discipline and precision behind Reznor’s art. From the groundbreaking debut Pretty Hate Machine to the violent catharsis of The Downward Spiral, from the cinematic restraint of ...

Thomas Dolby's hit songs "She Blinded Me with Science" and "Hyperactive!" catapulted him to international fame in the early '80s. A pioneer of New Wave and Electronica, Thomas combined a love for invention with a passion for music, and the result was a new sound that defined an era of revolutionary music. But as record company politics overshadow the joy of performing, Thomas finds a surprising second act.

“A gripping thriller that pulls back the curtain on the secret world of tech billionaires.”—Time (100 Must-Read Books of 2025) “A stone-cold banger of a novel—a twisty journey through Silicon Valley’s dark side, wrapped in a stunning mystery package with some wild surprises along the...

When an army of giant robot AIs threatens to devastate Earth, a virtuoso pianist becomes humanity's last hope in this bold, lightning-paced, technicolor space opera series from the author of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. Jazz pianist Gus Kitko expected to spend his final moments on...

In recent years, narratives about the music industry tend to hew to a common theme: it was humming along for decades until the Internet and Napster came along and disrupted it. Key Changes shows that this view is incorrect: the industry was actually shaken up not once in the 1990s, but ten times over more than 100 years.

The Uncanny Muse explores the history of automation in the arts and delves into one of the most momentous and controversial aspects of AI: artificial creativity. The adoption of technology and machinery has long transformed the world, but as the potential for artificial intelligence expands, David Hajdu examines the new, increasingly urgent questions about technology's role in culture.

Discover the brilliant life of Hedy Lamarr. This talented film actress became an influential scientist with her invention of a secret radio system in the early 1940s, a building block of today’s wireless communications.

The definitive inside account of the file-sharing revolution that overthrew the music industry, All the Rave reveals the family betrayal, greed, and mismanagement that hijacked one the most fundamental innovations of the Internet era. Named one of the three best books of 2003 by Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc., All the Rave has been out of print until now and unavailable in most formats. Author and veteran technology journalist Joseph Menn also wrote 2010's Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords who are Bringing Down the Internet.

Born amid the cultural resistance of Cold War Prague, Jan Hammer grew from a classically trained prodigy into one of the most transformative musicians of the twentieth century. His journey carried him from the Czech Academy of Musical Arts to the heart of the 1970s jazz fusion explosion, and later into the global pop imagination through his groundbreaking work on Miami Vice. This comprehensive biography traces that remarkable trajectory in vivid, documentary detail. Across thirty meticulously researched chapters, readers follow Hammer’s evolution from a young pianist improvising under ...

This audiobook tells the story of how Philo Farnsworth came up with the idea for electronic television at age 14, and later developed his idea into the technology for television that is still used today.

Are you curious about the buzzwords Web3, Blockchain, and NFTs but unsure where to start? Look no further! This non-technical beginner’s guide demystifies today’s most talked-about cryptocurrency and token trends, empowering you to fully understand how digital ownership and decentralized identity are reshaping the internet. Inside this comprehensive book, you’ll discover: Web3 Essentials – Explore the evolution of the internet and see how Web3 unlocks user-owned data and community-driven platforms. Blockchain Basics – Learn how blockchains power cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and other ...

Million Dollar Sound is the ultimate step-by-step guide for entrepreneurs, creators, and music lovers who want to turn AI-generated music into a full-time income or scalable digital empire—no studio, no label, no musical background required. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced producer looking to modernize your workflow, this book shows you how to use AI tools like Suno, Boomy, and Soundraw to create high-quality music fast—and build real wealth from it.

"Creativity is contagious. Pass it on." - Albert Einstein "Creativity is all about connecting things." - Steve Jobs What makes a technology a "killer app"? That Holy Grail of tech entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. To answer that question, we first have to understand exactly what defines a 'killer app'. In The Ultimate Killer App! How Technology Succeeds, Dr. Harrington analyzes different Information Age technologies and applications that have reached killer app status - such as Google search, Facebook, Wikipedia, the mp3 and smartphone - to discover those qualities that put them on the...

On October 23, 2001, Apple Computer, a company known for its chic, cutting-edge technology, if not necessarily for its dominant market share, launched a product with an enticing promise: you can carry an entire music collection in your pocket. It was called the iPod. What happened next exceeded the company's wildest dreams. Over 50 million people have inserted the device's distinctive white buds into their ears, and the iPod has become a global obsession.

What happens when conservationists meet rhinos in trouble? They arrange to airlift them to safety! Follow National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert as they move rhinos out of harm's way and meet a courageous little Hawaiian monk seal and a pair of Siberian tiger cubs fighting for survival.

Richie and Mike provide direct practical guidance on the skills and knowledge necessary for jazz to be passed on and performed well. The conversational tone of the book makes for entertaining and worthwhile listening. Those who have been teaching jazz for a long time will appreciate Richie's stories and his fearless opinions on jazz including how the teaching and learning of it are evolving (for good and for bad).

Already a fan of the wildly successful Finding Bigfoot show on Animal Planet? Stacked with information for your burning questions, this work features a compelling narrative with commentary from the stars of the show, photographs and extras from the Animal Planet's archives, and so much more. Skeptics will be given all the information they need to decide for themselves if they believe, and enthusiasts will revel in this essential Bigfoot audiobook.