News
Sony Announces New Walkman W-ZX707 And NW-A306 Models
The Japanese tech giant has come a long way since its first cassette-based players of the late 1970s.
Sony has just unveiled two new Walkman-branded music players, the NW-ZX707 and NW-A306. Both devices offer premium sound and construction and are intended to lure smartphone users into the portable music market using a blend of modern technology and nostalgic branding.
The Tokyo-based company launched its first Walkman player in 1979, and in the process revolutionized the portable music market, selling up to 400 million devices worldwide.
Updating A Legend
To meet the expectations of a new generation of users, both Walkman models are supported by Android 12 and compatible with the latest Wi-Fi standards. Android 12 allows owners to download various music-playing apps from the Google Play Store, as well as enabling YouTube and Spotify users to stream their favorite playlists.
Although many smartphone users will dismiss the idea of a dedicated music-playing device, audiophiles will appreciate details such as the distortion-reducing S-Master HX digital amp, upgraded capacitors and AI-based digital upscaling.
As more and more smartphones ditch physical buttons and headphone ports, readers will be pleased to hear that both the NW-ZX707 and the NW-A306 feature proper controls, USB ports, headphone jacks, and MicroSD slots.
As for battery life, Sony says the NW-ZX707 will last up to 25 hours, while the NW-A306 offers 36 hours of playback, depending on the file type being used.
Pricing & Availability
The Walkman NW-A306 will start from $430, while the NW-ZX707 model will weigh in at a pricey $820. Both players will initially be available in Asian and European markets, and Sony expects both models to significantly boost the company’s profits.
News
Deezer Says AI Tracks Now Make Up 44% Of Uploads
The streamer says nearly 75,000 AI-made songs now hit its platform each day, even as those tracks account for just 1% to 3% of plays.
AI-generated music is becoming a real headache for music platforms, according to Deezer. The streaming service says it now receives nearly 75,000 AI-made tracks a day, equal to about 44% of all daily uploads to the platform.
The figure is up sharply from 10,000 daily AI uploads when Deezer launched its detection tool back in January 2025. The jump shows how quickly products such as Suno and Udio have made song creation cheap, fast, and easy to scale.
Despite the volume, Deezer says AI tracks still only account for 1% to 3% of total streams. The music gets few human listeners, but upload pressure is rising. The company says it is also seeing more “fraudulent” submissions.
Its response so far has been practical. Deezer has removed AI-generated songs from recommendation systems, demonetized them, and stopped storing high-resolution versions of those files.
The company also says it’s the only streaming platform currently tagging AI-generated tracks at scale, using that claim to position its moderation tools as a wider industry model.
“AI-generated music is now far from a marginal phenomenon and as daily deliveries keep increasing, we hope the whole music ecosystem will join us in taking action to help safeguard artist’s rights and promote transparency for fans,” CEO Alexis Lanternier said in a blog post.
Deezer has started licensing the detection technology to other companies, turning an internal control system into a commercial product. It says the tool can already identify music created with Suno and Udio, and can be extended to other generators if training data is available.
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The company is also working on detection methods that would not require training datasets, a harder technical step that could widen coverage as new music models appear.
Rivals are taking mixed approaches. Spotify has rolled out policies aimed at curbing AI music. Apple Music is asking artists and labels to disclose AI-made tracks. Qobuz has begun automated labeling, while Bandcamp has banned AI music outright.
For now, Deezer’s numbers suggest the real issue is not listener demand. It’s supply.
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