Trending December 2023 # Logic Pros: How To Use Deesser 2 And Its Impressive New Detection Tech # Suggested January 2024 # Top 12 Popular

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One of the major new additions in the latest round of updates would have to be Logic Pro’s latest dynamics plug-in. After reviewing some of the more useful and practical features last week, we will be taking a closer look at how to use DeEsser 2 today, along with a rundown of the basics for beginners, its intelligent new Relative tech and some helpful tips for getting the most out of it.

Apple’s All-New Sibilance Remover

Not to be confused with Apple’s multi-year campaign to modernize the UI on its existing LPX FX, DeEsser 2 is a completely new plug-in built from the ground up. And thank the bass gods for that because the previous gen legacy version certainly wasn’t anything to write home about. Dated and difficult to use, the original DeEsser worked, it just wasn’t very good or overly practical in its implementation. Its successor, however, is very much the opposite.

A DeEsser is a dynamics plug-in or effect that reduces sibilance or unwanted/harsh Ssss sounds as well as other high-frequency offenders. Ideal for vocal performances — singing, rap, voice overs — it is also applied on other instruments and even in the mastering process sometimes as well. Sure a basic Sssss remover doesn’t sound all that interesting, but they make the world of difference on almost all of the audio we consume everyday. Podcasters, YouTube content creators, reviewers, and, well, anything with insufferable, sharp, earsplitting sibilance could use a little DeEss-ing.

How to Use DeEsser 2

Learning how to use DeEsser 2 (or any DeEsser really) is all about trusting your ears and fully understanding the controls. It essentially comes down to making a few adjustments in order to zero in on unwanted frequencies without having a negative affect on the vocal overall. We want to ditch those harsh high-end S’s wherever they appear in a performance without ruining the top end of the vocal itself. But with some careful listening and understanding of the readouts on the plug-in, DeEsser 2 makes the whole process fairly simple.

First let’s focus on the main three options along the front face of the plug-in: Threshold, Max Reduction, and Frequency. Set the frequency control to center around the range of frequencies you want to remove. Generally speaking, female voices land between 5 kHz and 8 kHz while male voices sit in the 3 kHz to 6 kHz range. A good place to start (this can be adjusted at any time in the process) would be around 6,000 Hz or 7,000 Hz. From the Range section, you can choose whether to reduce a narrow band of frequencies with the “Split” option or a wider range with “Wide” (centered around your previous choice on the Frequency knob).

One tip here is to insert a Channel EQ in the FX slot immediately before your DeEsser 2. Use the Analyze frequency feature on the EQ while the vocal is playing back to see what the high frequency response looks like. Your favorite frequency analysis plug-in would work just as well. You’ll still need to use your ears to set the Threshold in DeEsser 2, but this is a great way to get in the ballpark. Don’t be afraid to turn the gain control on the right hand side of the EQ up temporarily just to get a better look at the high frequency energy analysis.

Threshold determines how much of the vocal performance in the selected frequency range will be reduced. Generally speaking, you’re going to have to play with this control by ear, as it will change depending how a given vocal was recorded. For beginners, a good rule of thumb here is to adjust the threshold until we see the Detection meter on the left begin to display blocks of yellow during the moments in the performance with a harsh Ssss sound. You’ll see real time feedback on the companion Reduction meter next door at the same time.

As the name implies, the Max Reduction knob sets the maximum amount of reduction (in dB) the vocal performance can be subject to. The Reduction meter on the left of the UI displays the amount of sibilance reduction in real time. Much like the Threshold/Detection setup, you can either use the knob to set the Max Reduction or the small blue line on the Reduction meter itself.

DeEsser 2 Filter:

Now on to the filters. After you have selected a frequency to center your sibilance reduction around on the Frequency knob, you can fine-tune that selection with the Filter options. The Low Pass filter (on the left) is much a broader range that will reduce sibilance from the frequency you chose (on the Frequency knob) and up. Whereas the Peak Filter (the right option) is a much narrower range of reduction that centers around the setting you chose on the Frequency knob.

You can also use the new plug-in for selection-based processing on individual audio regions

Modes:

There are two different global Modes available on DeEsser 2 that determine how it reacts to incoming vocals/tracks. The Absolute threshold option can be thought of as a more legacy or traditional method of DeEssing. Great for high-level (or loud) signals, this is the option that seems to be working best for us in most situations. It’s much like the third-party DeEsser products we have grown accustomed to.

With a Relative threshold:

However, the new Relative Mode is very interesting. Designed for nuanced reduction and lower-level signals, it provides a more responsive type of gain/sibilance management. To keep things simple, it essentially automatically adjusts the threshold behind the scenes based on the input signal. Once you have set a threshold in the aforementioned fashion along with a Split or Wide range band, DeEsser 2’s Relative tech will adjust the threshold so there is an even amount of sibilance reduction, no matter how loud or quiet the vocal performance is.

It’s the kind of thing you’ll want to experiment with. Most pros are probably used to dealing with this in a more hands-on fashion with automation and the like, and it might be hard for beginners to wrap their head (ears) around at first. For us, it seemed to work well overall and tends to make getting a natural or transparent, if not somewhat subtle, DeEsser job done easily. There are times when it seemed as though Logic’s automatic adjustments might not have been the exact same choice we might have made manually or with automation. But overall, it is a very welcome new addition to Logic’s mix suite/compression options, even if you still need to dial in more specific edits after the fact.

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The Logic Pros: How To Customize Logic’s Drummer, Beat

In this week’s episode of The Logic Pros, we wanted to dive deeper into Logic Pro X’s Drummer. Considered by many to be a tool for kids, amateurs and even the lazy, Drummer is a much more versatile and customizable feature than you may think. In fact, I would argue it might be one the most interesting and powerful additions to LPX, not to mention one that Apple just hands out for free.

Whether its the slightly embarrassing drummer names or the preset stigma that surrounds it, Drummer tends to be overlooked and, in my opinion, quite underrated. Today we will be taking a closer look at what this feature has to offer, along with how to customize the drummers and the parts they play to work with our original compositions and ideas:

Drummer comes in the form of a new track type in LPX consisting of quite a complex series of preset routing, mix busses and more. Thankfully, Apple has done all of the work for us, automatically loading up the goods, which is very much the same as the way a professional recording engineer would track, mix, and generally work with a drum kit in the studio (seen below). Once a Drummer track is loaded we can select through a pretty wide range of music genres and drummer types to meet our specific creative needs, including a slew of new EDM/Hop-Hop Drummers in the latest 10.1 update. Even further, each Drummer has a number of options including different sounding drum kits and as many as 8 different preset starter patterns. You might consider these presets the different grooves or styles that the particular drummer plays.

On left side of the Drummer UI, next to the preset grooves, we can see a large X/Y pad that allows us to alter what the drummer is playing at any given time, from very soft and simple, to loud and complex, and everything in-between. We also get options as to which drums/cymbals/percussion in the kit are included in the rhythms, as well as swing rate and drum fill frequency controls. Hitting the “Details” button under the Swing control will reveal more information about the complexity of how each piece in the kit is played, allowing us to further customize the drum parts in our composition. For example, if you don’t want the hi-hats to ever get too busy, you can set a min-max level to keep them in control.

Depending on whether you choose a live drum sound or an electronic one, the sounds are sourced from either Drum Kit Designer or Drum Machine Designer, both of which are fully editable in their own right. You can access the Drum Kit/Machine Designer via your Drummer track’s channel strip in the usual “Input” slot, where any other audio instrument would be found. In both cases there are various controls that allow us to shape the tonal quality of each of the pieces in our selected drum kit. To be more specific, in the case of the Drum Machine Designer, it is actually using Logic’s Ultrabeat drum sampler/synth to source the kicks, snares, hats and more.

But have no fear, LPX has you covered. The adaptive audio regions that are created on the arrange page for drummer tracks can actually be converted into MIDI! This allows us to have full control over our drums: copying individual parts or whole sections on to other tracks/instruments, and the ability to precisely edit every single hit the pattern. Don’t want that one ghost note on bar 3 beat 3.3? Just ditch it.

Here’s how to set it up:

1. Create a New Drummer Track. Option + Command + N to bring up the new track window, or simply hit the Track option from the top menu bar.

2. Once the new Drummer track option is selected, the Drummer controls will open up along the bottom of your screen. Spend some time choosing a genre, Drummer and kit.

3. Copy the automatically created audio regions on the Drummer track to the various parts of your composition that you want them. Simply drag and drop the region while holding option on your keyboard. Then spend some time selecting a preset groove and working the controls for each region until they are sounding as close to the way you want as you can get them.

Note: Before moving on to the next step, it is a good idea to copy the work you have just done on your Drummer regions to the very end of your project for safe keeping. Highlight your desired regions on the Drummer track, then drag and drop them while holding the option key to say, bar 200 or so on your arrange page.

5. Now you will find your adaptive Drummer region has been replaced with a typical MIDI region on the same track, and it just works like magic within the same Stack and group busses. You won’t have access to the Drummer controls anymore on converted regions, but we are still triggering the same sounds as we were before, except with far more granular editing capabilities via the LPX Piano Roll.

Note: We can have converted regions and non-converted adaptive Drummer regions on the same Drummer track, allowing us to mix and match between the two without the need for multiple drum kit tracks. It can also be convenient for auditioning new rhythms on your existing ideas or allow for really creative live performance options with fixed rhythm sections and those that can be tweaked on-the-fly.

The Drum Machine Designer/Ultrabeat combo is a very capable and great sounding option. If you are going to use those sounds, here’s how to get the most out of them:

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Genetic Algorithms And Its Use

This article was published as a part of the Data Science Blogathon

Genetic Algorithms are search algorithms inspired by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in nature.

By simulating the process of natural selection, reproduction and mutation, the genetic algorithms can produce high-quality solutions for various problems including search and optimization.

By the effective use of the Theory of Evolution genetic algorithms are able to surmount problems faced by traditional algorithms.

According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, an evolution maintains a population of individuals that vary from each other (variation). Those who are better adapted to their environment have a greater chance of surviving, breeding, and passing their traits to the next generation (survival of the fittest).

‌How do Genetic Algorithms work?

‌Before getting into the working of a Genetic Algorithm let us dive into the basic terminologies of Genetic Algorithms.

Chromosome/Individual

A chromosome is a collection of genes. For example, a chromosome can be represented as a binary string where each bit is a gene.

Image Source: Hands-On Genetic Algorithm with Python, Eyal Wirsansky

‌Population

Since an individual is represented as a chromosome, a population is a collection of such chromosomes.

Image Source: Hands-On Genetic Algorithm with Python, Eyal Wirsansky

Fitness Function

In every iteration, the individuals are evaluated based on their fitness scores which are computed by the fitness function.

Individuals who achieve a better fitness score represent better solutions and are more likely to be chosen to crossover and passed on to the next generation.

For example, if genetic algorithms are used for feature selection, then the accuracy of the model with those selected features would be the fitness function if it is a classification problem.

‌Selection

After calculating the fitness of every individual in the population, a selection process is used to determine which of the individuals in the population will get to reproduce and create the offspring that will form the next generation.

Types of selection methods available,

Roulette wheel selection

Tournament selection

Rank-based selection

‌Crossover

Generally, two individuals are chosen from the current generation and their genes are interchanged between two individuals to create a new individual representing the offspring. This process is also called mating or crossover.

Types of crossover methods available,

One point crossover

Two-point crossover

Uniform crossover

One point crossover

Image Source: Hands-On Genetic Algorithms with Python, Eyal Wirsansky

Mutation

The mutation is a random change in a chromosome to introduce new patterns to a chromosome. For example, flipping a bit in a binary string.

Types of mutation methods available,

Flip bit mutation

Gaussian mutation

Swap mutation

General workflow of a simple genetic algorithm

Image Source: Hands-On Genetic Algorithms with Python, Eyal Wirsansky

How do genetic algorithms differ from traditional algorithms?

‌A search space is a set of all possible solutions to the problem. Traditional Algorithms maintain only one set in a search space whereas Genetic Algorithms use several sets in a search space (Feature selection using R.F.E vs. Genetic Algorithms).

Traditional Algorithms require more information to perform a search whereas Genetic Algorithms just require one objective function to calculate the fitness of an individual.

Traditional Algorithms cannot work in parallel whereas Genetic Algorithms can work in parallel (calculating the fitness of the individuals are independent).

One big difference in Genetic Algorithms is that instead of operating directly on candidate solutions, genetic algorithms operate on their representations (or coding), often referred to as chromosomes.

‌Traditional Algorithms can only produce one solution in the end whereas in Genetic Algorithms multiple optimal solutions can be obtained from different generations.

‌Traditional Algorithms are not more likely to produce global optimal solutions, Genetic Algorithms are not guaranteed to produce global optimal solutions as well but are more likely to produce global optimal solutions because of the genetic operators like crossover and mutation.

Traditional algorithms are deterministic in nature whereas genetic algorithms are probabilistic and stochastic in nature.

Real-world problems are multi-modal (contains multiple locally optimal solutions), the traditional algorithms don’t handle well these problems whereas Genetic Algorithms, with the right parameter setting, can handle these problems very well because of the large solution space.

Advantages of Genetic Algorithms

Parallelism

Global optimization

A larger set of solution space

Requires less information

Provides multiple optimal solutions

Probabilistic in nature

Genetic representations using chromosomes

The need for special definitions

Hyper-parameter tuning

Computational complexity

‌Use-cases of Genetic Algorithms in Machine Learning

Feature Selection

Model Hyper-parameter Tuning

Machine Learning Pipeline Optimization

TPOT(Tree-Based Pipeline Optimization) is an Auto-ML framework that utilizes genetic algorithms to optimize machine learning pipelines using the Genetic Algorithm framework called DEAP (Distributed Evolutionary Algorithms in Python).

Feature Selection using Genetic Algorithms

Using Genetic Algorithms, let us perform feature selection on a wine dataset available in sklearn.

import random import pandas as pd from chúng tôi import clone from deap.algorithms import eaSimple from deap import base, creator, tools from sklearn.datasets import load_wine from sklearn.metrics import accuracy_score from sklearn.ensemble import RandomForestClassifier from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split Python Code:

# split the data into train and test x_train, x_test, y_train, y_test = train_test_split( features, target, test_size=0.2, stratify=target ) model = RandomForestClassifier()

Split the data into features and target and then split the features and target for training and testing.

def compute_fitness_score(individual): """ Select the features from the individual, train and compute the accuracy_score. Example: individual = [0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1] The 1 represents the presence of features and 0 represents the absence of features """ column_support = pd.Series(individual).astype(bool) global x_train, y_train, x_test, y_test, model x_train_ = x_train[x_train.columns[column_support]] x_test_ = x_test[x_test.columns[column_support]] model.fit(x_train_, y_train) y_pred = model.predict(x_test_) score = accuracy_score(y_test, y_pred) return score,

Define the fitness score. compute_fitness_score takes in an individual as an input, for example, let us consider the following individual [0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1], in this list 1 represents the presence of that particular feature and 0 represents the absence of that feature. The columns are selected according to the individual and then the model is fitted and the accuracy score is calculated. This accuracy score is the fitness score of an individual.

n_genes = x_train.shape[1] n_generations = 10 n_population = 10 crossover_probability = 0.6 mutation_probability = 0.2 def setup_toolbox(): # container for individuals creator.create('FitnessMax', base.Fitness, weights=(1.0,)) creator.create('Individual', list, fitness=creator.FitnessMax) toolbox = base.Toolbox() toolbox.register( 'individual_generator_function', random.randint, 0, 1 ) # method to populate individual toolbox.register( 'individual_generator', tools.initRepeat, creator.Individual, toolbox.individual_generator_function, n_genes ) # method to create population toolbox.register( 'population_generator', tools.initRepeat, list, toolbox.individual_generator ) # fitness calculation toolbox.register( 'evaluate', compute_fitness_score ) # selection toolbox.register( 'select', tools.selTournament, tournsize=3 ) # crossover toolbox.register('mate', tools.cxOnePoint) # mutation toolbox.register( 'mutate', tools.mutFlipBit, indpb=mutation_probability ) return toolbox

n_genes represent the number of genes in an individual which is equal to the number of features, n_generations represent the number of generations which is equal to 10 and so is n_population which represents the number of population. The cross-over probability is set to 0.6 and the mutation probability is set to 0.2.

Toolbox is a class in deap framework that provides us required utilities to define individual, population, and much more.

Steps done in setup_toolbox method are,

First, we define an Individual which has a fitness score associated with it

Next, we define a function that generates genes of an individual, in our case 0 or 1 in an individual

We define a function that generates individuals of a population, for example, [0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1] is an individual in a population.

Next, we define a function that generates a population, for example, [[0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1],

[0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1]] is a population of size 2.

Next, we define a function for evaluation, in our case we use the function compute_fitness_score.

We chose the tournament selection method for the selection process, one point cross-over for the cross-over process, and flip bit mutation for the mutation process.

# setup deap toolbox toolbox = setup_toolbox() # create a population population = toolbox.population_generator(n_population) # A simple evolutionary algorithm final_population, logbook = eaSimple( population, toolbox, crossover_probability, mutation_probability, n_generations )

We first generate a population of individuals of size 10. Then we call eaSimple method in deap which performs a simple genetic algorithm.

The arguments of eaSimple function,

The first argument is the population

toolbox is the instance of deap’s Toolbox class

The cross-over probability denotes the probability of a pair of individuals to be crossed over

The mutation probability denotes the probability of an individual to be mutated

n_generations denotes the number of generations to evolve.

The eaSimple algorithm works as follows,

The fitness of the individuals in a population is calculated

Select the fittest individual using the tournament selection method

Cross-over the individuals using one point cross-over method

Mutate the individuals using flip bit mutation

Calculate the fitness of the individuals again

Follow steps 2 through 5 until the desired number of generations is reached

In this way, you can perform feature selection using a Genetic algorithm.

References

[1] Hands-On Genetic Algorithms with Python, Eyal Wirsansky

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Snapchat Has Reached An Impressive New Milestone!

Snapchat hits 750 million active users

Snapchat was built as an alternative to social media, providing users with a way to communicate with friends and family without the pressure to look popular or perfect. From visual communication to augmented reality, Snap Maps, Stories, Spotlight, and more, Snapchat is constantly evolving to cater to its passionate global community.

The latest innovations proposed by Snapchat include Ray Tracing, which made its debut on Lenses, starting with those of the Tiffany & Co. brand with which a strategic partnership has been formalized. Snapchat+ also made its debut last summer in the first markets and spread widely in the autumn.

In the last quarter, daily active users amounted to 375 million, which is a 17% increase from Q4 2023. Additionally, the time users spent watching Spotlight content doubled. And there were 5 billion Snaps every day. Furthermore, in just six months, Snapchat+ has acquired 2.5 million subscribers, and 3 million AR Lenses have been created by 300,000 developers. 300 million users use Map every month, and 91% of Snapchatters report being happy when using the platform.

The stated goal of Snapchat is to reach 1 billion monthly active users within the next three years. While these numbers are significantly lower than those of the competition, with Facebook having 2 billion active users every day, Snap has repeatedly stressed that their focus is on competing with themselves rather than with other social platforms.

Snapchat’s success is due to its constant efforts to improve and innovate their platform. The company is always looking for new ways to engage users, such as their recent introduction of Spotlight, which allows users to view and submit short-form video content. They have also been expanding their AR capabilities, which have become increasingly popular among users.

Gizchina News of the week Snapchat main features:

Snap Map: This feature allows users to see where their friends are located on a map. Users can choose to share their location with selected friends or with all their contacts.

Stories: Snapchat’s Stories feature allows users to post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Users can add filters, stickers, and other effects to their Stories.

Lenses: Snapchat’s Lenses feature allows users to add augmented reality filters to their selfies and videos. These filters can change the user’s appearance, add animations to the screen, and much more.

Chat: Snapchat’s chat feature allows users to send messages to their friends. Users can also send snaps (photos or videos) directly to their friends.

Discover: Snapchat’s Discover feature allows users to view content from media companies, celebrities, and other sources. Discover features articles, videos, and other types of content that are curated by Snapchat’s editorial team.

Memories: Snapchat’s Memories feature allows users to save their snaps and stories to a private storage area. Users can view their saved content and share it with their friends.

Snapstreaks: This feature encourages users to keep sending snaps to their friends by tracking the number of consecutive days they have snapped each other. A fire emoji appears next to the user’s name when they are on a snapstreak.

Snapchat is known for its ephemeral nature, with content disappearing after a set amount of time. This has made it popular among younger users, who enjoy the platform’s creative features and casual approach to social media.

What Is Internet Marketing? Read To Know Its Types, Pros, Cons

blog / Sales and Marketing A Detailed 2023 Guide to Understand What is Internet Marketing

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Internet marketing can offer businesses a cost-effective and targeted way to reach customers, irrespective of geographical location. It has a wide reach and is one of the key reasons that businesses are always on the lookout for candidates who know how to operate in niche markets and serve customers in remote areas. According to a Zippia report, the U.S. has more than 38,279 Internet marketing specialists, a clear indicator of the growing importance of this marketing strategy among businesses. The following blog takes a look at what is Internet marketing, its significance, benefits, and other details.

Zippia states that there are around 4.9 billion Internet users across the world. That’s enough motivation for organizations to leverage Internet marketing strategies and tools to boost business growth by reaching out to a vast pool of prospective customers.

The Importance of Internet Marketing

This mode of marketing allows businesses the opportunity to engage with customers in real time through channels such as social media, chatbots, and instant messaging. It helps them build strong relationships with customers and increase customer loyalty.

ALSO READ: What are the Best Pricing and Distribution Strategies for Business Success?

Types of Internet Marketing

The question of what is Internet marketing requires a deeper understanding of its various types. Effective marketing strategies involve using a combination of techniques and strategies mentioned below.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

It is an optimization process that enables businesses to rank higher in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). The procedure includes on-page optimization—keyword optimization and meta tag creation—and off-page optimization, such as link-building strategies.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

This involves using social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, to promote a product, service, or brand.

Email Marketing

It refers to using email to communicate directly with customers and prospects to promote a product, service, or brand. The strategies involve sending newsletters, promotional offers, and other targeted communications.

Content Marketing

This is the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant, and engaging content, such as blog posts, articles, infographics, etc, to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

Influencer Marketing

Brands collaborate with influential individuals on social media platforms with a large following to promote their products or service.

Affiliate Marketing

This is a performance-based marketing model where businesses pay affiliates to promote their products or services. It also involves partnering with websites, bloggers, and other online platforms to promote the business.

Display Advertising Video Marketing

This refers to the creation and distribution of video content to promote a product, service, or brand on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo.

Mobile Marketing Features of Internet Marketing

Targeted Audience Reach:

Internet marketing allows businesses to reach a larger and more targeted audience.

Cost-effective:

It is more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods.

Real-Time Data and Analytics:

Marketing campaigns can be monitored in real-time, allowing for adjustments to be made on the fly.

Personalization:

Internet marketing allows for a high degree of personalization, tailoring messages to specific target audiences.

Multichannel Marketing:

Internet marketing allows businesses to use multiple channels such as email, social media, and search engines to reach customers.

Measurable Results:

Internet marketing provides measurable results, allowing businesses to track the success of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

Global Reach:

The Internet has a global reach, enabling businesses to target customers worldwide.

Increased Engagement:

It provides opportunities for increased engagement with customers through interactive content, social media, and other channels.

Benefits of Internet Marketing

Internet marketing can offer several benefits, and the most significant ones include:

Inexpensive strategies

Convenient store hours

Effective online revenue growth through social media platforms

Increased client retention levels and relationships

Widened target markets

What is Internet Marketing Strategy All About?

An internet marketing strategy combines planned actions conducted online to accomplish specific business goals such as audience engagement, revenue generation, etc. An Internet marketing strategy can also lead to innovation and creativity in product design, creation, and development. There are multiple avenues involved in an Internet marketing strategy, which include influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, etc.

Should You Use Payroll Cards? Learn The Pros And Cons

Did You Know?

Direct deposit is the most common form of payment from an employer to employee in the U.S. Nearly 94% of employees use direct deposit to receive their paychecks.

ACH transfer

In the 1970s, the Automated Clearing House (ACH) improved how money was electronically transferred between banks. It not only solved the onslaught of paper checks, but featured bank-level encryption to reduce fraud.

ACH provides a direct link between two bank accounts. ACH transfers can be grouped between the two banks, and all transactions are held and checked before bulk processing. There are two ACH transfer types: ACH direct deposit and ACH direct payments.

PayPal

PayPal has become a top alternative for companies that hire freelancers and contractors. Whether you employ one-time, seasonal, or part-time workers, PayPal can eliminate the need for paper checks and pay cards.

Contractors can even invoice you directly through PayPal to help keep your books accurate. When sending a payment, check the Service box. This option will correctly categorize this payment, apply appropriate fees, and provide an instant payment option for the freelancer.

Mobile wallet

As the number of smartphone users continues to rise, so does the access to mobile payments. According to estimates from eMarketer, over 100 million consumers used mobile payments in 2023.

Fueled by the pandemic, Americans are adopting contactless payments as the new norm. As more and more banks focus on a digital footprint, employees can upgrade their traditional direct deposit for instant pay through Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Zelle. [Read related article: Mobile Wallet Guide: Google Pay vs. Apple Pay vs. Samsung Pay]

Paper checks

With all of the digital options available, it may surprise you that the paper check is still widely used among small and midsize businesses. These companies lack payroll software and view paper checks as a trusted payment method.

Cash

Cash is a legal way to pay your employees; however, it’s not the generally preferred way for several reasons. Although you may save on fees, paying cash is tedious, as you will need to track accounting for your business manually. This can lead to human error, IRS audits and disgruntled employees. It also requires frequent trips to the bank to handle cash shortages and exact change. Once all of the worker paychecks are figured, you will have to deliver each one by hand.

Tip

With all of the time spent calculating payroll and fixing mistakes when paying employees with cash, you would be better served by looking into a low-cost payroll system.

Payroll card FAQs Is a payroll card a debit card?

Essentially, yes. They function in the same manner. A financial institution will hold the deposited money in an individual account, and the payroll card provides access to the money much like a debit card. Alerts can be set up to notify the account owner of low balances, or when funds become available after a deposit. Also, payroll cards tend to be affiliated with one of the major credit card issuers – such as Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Can employers only offer payroll cards as a payment method?

No. Despite the growing popularity of payroll cards, federal banking laws require businesses to offer employees at least one additional payment option. Payroll cards generally cost a business $7 per month per employee, whereas paper checks can cost $23 per month per employee. Given the high cost of paper checks, direct deposit is usually the second option. That is not to suggest that employers must only offer two forms of payment. Each state retains the right to regulate the specific methods of payment offered to employees.

Where can employees use payroll cards?

Payroll cards are generally accepted anywhere that you would typically use a standard bank account debit card. They hold the same buying power as bank cards and can be used at stores, gas pumps, and even ATMs. Cash can be taken out of the account at ATMs, or by using a cash-back option at grocery or retail stores. Payroll cards can also be used to make payments online, on any sites that would accept the same brand of debit card.

Can you deposit money on a payroll card?

The ability to deposit money on a payroll card depends on the services the provider offers. Some cards offer the option to add money at a money exchange center or ATM, while some do not. Review your provider’s terms to see if this option is available.

Is direct deposit or a payroll card better?

Determining whether a direct deposit or payroll card is better for your business greatly depends on your situation and preferences. If most of your employees do not have a bank account, it may be easier – and cheaper – to use payroll cards.

Payroll card fees can add up. Some cards have very few associated fees, while other cards charge a fee for normal monthly use, like withdrawing funds from an ATM. Also, not every card offers the option to deposit non-payroll money onto it.

Bottom line on payroll cards

Payroll cards are an ideal option if you’re looking to save money on processing payroll. They are also a vital tool for employees who don’t have bank accounts.

Most of the large payroll processing companies offer small businesses a payroll card option. Additionally, a host of third-party companies can provide independent services, should your organization process payroll manually or work with a partner that doesn’t offer payroll card services.

Payroll cards can be a great way to securely compensate your employees while saving money on direct deposit fees and paper check overhead. However, you should be aware of the fees and conditions associated with payroll cards. You should also offer a payroll card that provides an online portal or mobile app.

There are several pros and cons of using payroll cards. However, the best option for your business depends on your workers, your company’s needs and the overall cost.

Matt D’Angelo contributed to the writing and research in this article.

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