New research from MIT’s McGovern Institute shows that musical training sharpens the brain’s ability to focus. Using advanced brain imaging, researchers found that musicians are better at filtering out distractions and locking in on specific sounds, highlighting how experience shapes attention at a neural level.

We set a 2025 goal for RPM: 100 albums. We hit it, and the catalog is already past 110. Here’s what that means, what’s next, and how creators can potentially get in line for a select licensing plans.

ASCAP reported its strongest financial year to date in 2025, with record revenue and increased royalty distributions driven by streaming growth and rising international performance activity.

Creative flow is not just a lucky spark. It is a mix of neuroscience, environment, practice, and curiosity. Here is how musicians and sound designers can create the right conditions to tap into inspiration more consistently.

Bad Bunny’s rise from independent releases to Grammy wins and the Super Bowl halftime stage highlights a broader shift in global music. His success shows how Puerto Rican sound, Spanish language, and regional identity now sit firmly at the center of mainstream music culture.

New research shows that moths can hear ultrasonic sounds emitted by stressed plants and use that information to guide their behavior. While humans cannot hear these frequencies, the discovery expands how we think about sound, listening, and the role audio plays beyond music and human perception.

Sony Music Group and Singapore’s GIC have partnered in a $2–3 billion music catalogue investment, focusing on acquiring and managing high-quality rights across genres. The deal highlights growing institutional interest in music as a long-term asset.

Scientists are translating fungal bioelectrical signals into real-time music, turning living mycelial networks into responsive sound sources and revealing new ways biology and music intersect.

As we step into 2026, we’re taking a moment to reflect on 2025, a year shaped by steady creative work and thoughtful collaborations across film, television, and advertising at Rareform Audio and Black Sheep Music.

Listening to music while driving is second nature for most people, but research shows it can subtly shape speed, focus, and reaction time. Studies suggest music affects drivers differently based on volume, familiarity, and experience level, creating a more complex picture than simply turning the radio on or off.

Universal Music Group has partnered with NVIDIA to develop AI tools built specifically for the music industry, focusing on discovery, creative workflows, and responsible use as AI-generated music continues to scale.

Hyped to share that multiple Rareform Audio tracks were featured in a recent Toyota Motorsports campaign. The campaign highlights Toyota's high-performance racing division and the speed, precision, and energy that define motorsports.

Our track “Colliding Worlds” by Rory Cairnduff was featured in two spots for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, supporting the cinematic scale and momentum of the campaign, including a placement during The Game Awards 2025.

One year after the Los Angeles wildfires, many music professionals are still rebuilding studios, replacing essential gear, and navigating the long road back to stability. While the immediate damage has faded from view, the recovery process continues to reshape how the music community works, creates, and plans for the future.

Hyped to share that our custom remix of Lucy Michelle’s Somebody New, remixed by Darby Phillips and Nathan Fields, was featured in the campaign spot for Normal, a film from Magnolia Pictures.

Ben Burtt uncovers the surprising origins of Hollywood’s iconic silencer sound, tracing it from 1930s studio ricochets to the cinematic “quiet” gunshots audiences recognize today.

New research shows that music does more than set a mood. Scientists have found that rhythm can synchronize brain activity and even involuntary physical responses, offering new insight into how deeply sound is connected to the human nervous system.

Hyped to share that our sound design elements were featured in the campaign for Mercy, a tense near-future thriller centered on mystery, technology, and survival.

We had a blast remixing “I’m A Man” by Nathan Fields and Darby Phillips, featured in the Season 1 trailer for Young Sherlock. A bold remix for a fresh take on the early years of the iconic detective.

Spotify has confirmed it disabled user accounts tied to a large-scale scraping incident involving its music catalog. The activity included the collection of audio files and metadata, raising new questions around platform security, copyright enforcement, and data protection in the music industry.