Providence Equity will gain full ownership of The Team, formerly Wasserman, as Casey Wasserman sells his ownership stake. Casey Wasserman confirmed on Tuesday that he had sold his stake in The Team (the talent agency that officially changed its name from Wasserman earlier this ye…

Boy George has released an AI-assisted pro-Israel song, leading to intense backlash not from the anti-AI camp, but from the anti-Israel camp. Boy George previously said, “I would never turn my back on my Jewish friends,” and the Culture Club frontman has illustrated that point we…

Spotify has a big AI music slop problem. Third-party tracking databases have stepped in to fill the void caused by the platform’s longtime inaction. It’s no secret that Spotify has a big AI music problem. Theirs is arguably worse than its rivals, because the platform hasn’t track…

A federal judge has flatly denied veteran music industry attorney Donald Passman’s request to opt out of Anthropic’s settlement with authors. Unfortunately, that seemingly means a modest once-off payment will enable the Claude developer to lawfully “train” on multiple editions of…

Afroman has filed a lawsuit against one of the Ohio sheriff’s deputies who raided his home in 2022 and sued him for defamation afterward. Afroman has filed a malicious prosecution lawsuit against one of the Ohio sheriff’s deputies who raided his property in 2022. The deputy also…

John Summit’s Experts Only Festival announces a second wave of performances and immersive experiences for the 2026 edition in September. With less than two months until New York City’s biggest dance music weekend, John Summit’s Experts Only Festival has unveiled its lineup, stage…

Following his initial class action’s dismissal, rapper RBX has fired off an amended complaint against Spotify over its alleged failure to prevent largescale streaming fraud on “the catalogs of its highest-volume, ‘A-list,’ most lucrative artists such as Drake.” RBX (real name Eri…

Hybe is liquidating artificial intelligence startup Supertone after a disastrous $32 million acquisition just a few short years ago. Hybe is liquidating Supertone, the artificial intelligence audio specialist it initially saw as a future growth engine. The South Korean entertainm…

Anaheim’s OCVibe reaches a major construction milestone for its concert hall and offers a first look inside ahead of its planned opening in March. OCVibe’s highly anticipated 5,000-capacity concert hall in Anaheim reached a major construction milestone this week with the first se…

Where do fans go when they don’t want to pay for premium audio? AM/FM radio, which, far from dying off, currently boasts a U.S. audience share in excess of 10 times larger than that attributable to Spotify’s ad-supported tier. This and other significant findings come from Edison’…

AI music has entered a new phase. Major record companies that initially focused on litigation are now building licensed creation platforms, artist opt-in frameworks, and attribution systems. At the same time, studios, streamers, advertisers, and game companies are examining AI-as…

After withholding her B-side tracks from streaming platforms, Charli XCX has released them on Apple Music—or as she still likes to call it, iTunes. Earlier this year, Charli XCX said she was deliberately withholding the B-sides from her latest album, Music, Fashion, Film, from st…

Ariana Grande is suing a group of anonymous hackers she says have targeted her inner circle, stealing unreleased music, private photos, and more. Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit against at least two unidentified hackers who allegedly stole unreleased music, private photos and v…

The tiny Michigan village of Rothbury faces calls to suspend the Electric Forest after the body of a newborn baby was discovered on festival grounds. Officials in the village of Rothbury, Michigan, are facing pressure from hundreds of citizens around the state to suspend the Elec…

Roughly four months and 26.7 million shares later, Universal Music Group (UMG) has officially completed its €500 million (currently $568.5 million) stock buyback program. Having provided weekly repurchase updates from the outset, UMG confirmed hitting the €500 million mark and wr…

The stage adaptation of Prince’s musical film Purple Rain comes to Broadway in 2027, coinciding with the anniversary of the original film. Prince’s musical film Purple Rain hit theaters 42 years ago today, and with that milestone arrives news that the stage adaptation will come t…

Snap announces Now Playing on Snap Map, starting with Spotify integration, to enable Snapchatters to link their accounts and share listening activity. Today, Snap announced the launch of Now Playing on Snap Map, a way for Snapchat users to share what they’re listening to with the…

D4vd’s Apple Music account was seemingly hacked, posting a song titled “I DID IT,” about the murder of a teen for which he is currently facing charges. Singer D4vd remains locked up amid a preliminary hearing to determine whether his murder case should go to trial, but his Apple…

A comparatively little-discussed legal battle between Cumulus Media and Nielsen is now factoring into USA v. Live Nation, where the states have cited a new opinion amid an aggressive push for damages and Ticketmaster’s divestment. The remaining plaintiffs directed the appropriate…

A judge ruled that D4vd must stand trial for the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, found dead in his car last year. On Monday, a judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence for singer D4vd to stand trial for the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas…

Too Lost has entered a new partnership with Roblox, opening a direct pipeline for independent music into one of the largest user-generated gaming ecosystems in the world. This move places artists like The All-American Rejects at the center of a growing shift towards more interact…

Less than two months after kicking off its labor agreement lawsuit against Universal Music and Warner Music, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) has doubled down with an amended action. The AFM just recently submitted its first amended complaint, which arrives on the heels…

Kacey Musgraves cancels three dates on her upcoming tour, seemingly out of nowhere, including the show that would have served as the opening night. Kacey Musgraves was scheduled to kick off her upcoming Middle of Nowhere Tour on August 20 in Chicago, but that performance, as well…

Their 1990 hit “It Must Have Been Love” has billions of streams, but the financials just didn’t add up for Roxette. Now, their North American tour has been canceled by Live Nation amidst soaring costs. Swedish duo Roxette’s 1990 hit “It Must Have Been Love” just made the YouTube…

Nearly two years after announcing plans to develop a gen AI licensing framework, GEMA has launched PLAI, billed as today’s “first complete music dataset for simple AI training.” The Berlin-based society reached out to DMN with word of “PLAI by GEMA” as well as the “curated and in…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of July 24th, 2026. If you have a job shuffle to share, we’re all ears. Send us a note to news@digitalmusicnews.com. If you’d like to post a job on our Job Board, just send us a request to noah@digitalmusicn…

Patreon sent a “painful” memo to staff regarding the layoff of 20% of its workforce, or about 93 people, as the platform responds to market changes. Patreon CEO Jack Conte sent a memo to employees on Thursday announcing the layoff of 20% of its workforce, affecting 93 employees.…

TikTok celebrates the launch of Charli XCX’s new album with an exclusive in-app fan experience, signaling a shift away from streaming platforms. Charli XCX’s highly anticipated new album, Music, Fashion, Film, is getting the TikTok treatment with an exclusive in-app fan experienc…

Singer D4vd faces damning DNA evidence tying him to the remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez as his murder trial heats up. Singer D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, is facing charges and a trial for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, allegedly to cove…

One mass-scalping revelation later, the StubHub regulatory scrutiny is intensifying. Now, the company is facing a congressional investigation centering on CEO Eric Baker’s alleged stake in and involvement with a fund dealing in resale tickets. Representative Robert Garcia, the Co…

Chris Brown pleaded guilty to brawling at a London nightclub in 2023, in which he hit a music producer on the head with a bottle. On Friday, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to brawling at a London nightclub in 2023, an altercation in which he hit a music producer on the head with a bo…

Casey Wasserman is in talks to sell his stake in the company to private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, which already owns a majority stake. The Team, the talent agency formerly known as Wasserman, which renamed itself after its founder Casey Wasserman was forced to step…

Earlier this week, Apple Music dropped the unexpected industry bombshell by quietly surpassing Spotify’s subscriber count in the US. But Spotify may also want to keep an eye on another fast-surging DSP: YouTube Music. ‘YouTube’ and ‘artist-friendly’ are rarely used in the same se…

A new Roblox experience from Live Nation and Livewire lets players build their own music festivals, featuring CORTIS as the first headlining artist. Music Festival Tycoon, a new Roblox experience from Live Nation and Livewire, lets players build and grow their own in-game music f…

Latin music artists will unite at Miami’s Kaseya Center on August 16 for a benefit concert and national telethon supporting Venezuelan communities affected by the devastating earthquakes in June. On August 16 at 6 PM, a lineup of Latin artists will join forces at Miami’s Kaseya C…

Madison Square Garden’s controversial surveillance cameras were not at full capacity at Taylor Swift’s wedding, with the majority of security staff forcibly locked out of the network during the event according to a new report. Despite Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan touti…

A federal judge has officially rejected Capitol Christian Music Group’s motion to dismiss a breach of contract lawsuit filed by Reach Records. Now, the case, centering on an acquisition deal turned sour, is scheduled to receive a trial next year. Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. just r…

Despite growing modestly from 2024, UK recorded music exports last year topped £800 million for the first time on record. That’s according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which today identified £800.3 million (currently $1.07 billion) worth of recorded exports for 202…

As the FCC considers loosening or removing caps on broadcast TV and radio station ownership in the U.S., Beasley Media and others are speaking out against the restrictions. Meanwhile, the musicFIRST Coalition remains adamant that the limits should be left in place. Beasley and mu…

The Weeknd’s recent French stadium run alone drew over 500,000 fans, exceeding the total attendance of a typical North American arena tour. The Weeknd is absolutely killing it in France. The artist became the first artist in history to sell out six nights at Stade de France in Pa…

Financial details emerge as a preliminary hearing involving singer D4vd kicks off to determine whether the murder case will proceed to trial. A preliminary hearing regarding David Anthony Burke, better known as singer D4vd, began on Tuesday (July 21) to determine whether the case…

The Beach Boys have abruptly cancelled a bunch of scheduled summer performances, including multiple state fair appearances. The Beach Boys had a busy summer planned, but the band suddenly cancelled dozens of appearances, including multiple planned stops at state fairs. The band i…

Google releases its Q2 financials, featuring major gains for its cloud services and a spike in ad revenue for YouTube, thanks in part to FIFA. On Wednesday, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, released its second quarter 2026 financials, with results exceeding expectations as clou…

Johnny Cash’s personal archive will be housed at Belmont University in a partnership with the Cash family and the John R. Cash Revocable Trust. A collection from Johnny Cash’s personal archive will be permanently housed at Belmont University. The archive will serve as a centerpie…

Multiple years and legislative twists later, France has become the first European nation to pass a law banning children under the age of 15 from using social media. Both chambers of the French Parliament voted in favor of the relevant measure, and President Emmanuel Macron touted…

It’s a dizzying time to be in the music industry, with catalog investments, creative outputs, and AI-generated mayhem part of a pedal-to-the-metal explosion. On the ground, that means more companies are battling an avalanche of data overload and disconnected processes, with hair-…

A Suno security breach last year allowed a hacker to steal the personal information of over 55 million people, including names, addresses, and more. Last year, AI music generator Suno was the subject of a cyberattack, enabling a hacker to steal the personal information of over 55…

Indie-focused web3 platform Nina Protocol, billed as an alternative to big streamers, shut down in May, but now finds new life in its acquisition by SoundCloud. Nina Protocol, an indie-focused web3 platform built on the Solana and Arweave blockchains, shut its doors in May. Bille…

An autopsy report reveals that opera singer Jubilant Sykes was stabbed over 73 times, allegedly by his son, in December 2025 at his Santa Monica home. New details have emerged in the killing of opera singer Jubilant Sykes, who was found dead in his Santa Monica home in December.…

Massachusetts is moving forward with its “Great Divide Act” ticketing reform bill, which is drawing support from the Music Artists Coalition (MAC), the Future of Music Coalition (FMC), the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), and a number of others. Governor Maura Hea…

Instagram now lets users swap out the music on their published posts and carousels without having to delete the post and re-upload it. On Tuesday, Instagram announced a new feature enabling users to swap out the music on their published posts and carousels. Previously, the only w…

Major music publishers including BMG/Concord are doubling down on their copyright claims against Anthropic, which is now facing dialed-back secondary infringement allegations and high-stakes direct infringement claims. Technically, the publishers previously axed their contributor…

AIM reveals the nominees for the 2026 Independent Music Awards, with New York electronic group Fcukers leading the charge with three nominations. The Association of Independent Music (AIM) has revealed the nominees for the 2026 Independent Music Awards, with New York electronic g…

Universal Pictures announces the release of “Snoop,” the “definitive” biopic of artist, mogul, and rap icon Snoop Dogg, on August 6, 2027. On Tuesday, Universal Pictures announced a release date for Snoop, directed by Craig Brewer (“Song Sung Blue,” “Hustle & Flow”), on August 6,…

An astonishing 90,000 “fully AI-generated tracks” – representing north of 50% of new uploads – are pouring onto Deezer each day. Now, the platform has confirmed plans to permanently remove certain machine-generated audio. Deezer announced the disconcerting slop stats and the corr…

The World Cup final made history as the most-watched soccer game of all time in the United States, averaging nearly 39 million viewers. The 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday broke records in the United States as the most-watched FIFA World Cup final and most-watched soccer game…

The American Federation of Musicians’ AI-focused lawsuit against Universal Music and Warner Music is getting really hot, really fast. Now, the union is aggressively pushing back against the defendants’ aggressive dismissal arguments and urging the court to let discovery proceed.…

A month and change after announcing expanded support for full-length videos, Spotify has doubled down by launching a “video ecosystem” that includes a pitching tool and its first chart dedicated exclusively to music videos. Spotify disclosed the latest components of its aggressiv…

Composer A.R. Rahman launches ARR Immersive, an app for Apple Vision Pro (and later Meta Quest), featuring decades of his work in an immersive format. Two-time Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman, best known in the U.S. for his work on Slumdog Millionaire, is launching ARR…

Hybrid genres are no longer fringe experiments; they are quietly becoming the backbone of global music listening. Chartmetric’s collaboration with Splice highlights how this shift is happening with hard data rather than hype. This article was created in collaboration with DMN par…