Ticketmaster is the first music partner for Meta’s new Muse AI, allowing users to connect their account to their personal version of the agent. Meta launched its new Muse AI agent this week, and the company listed use cases for its robust new AI project, including sending emails,…

T-Pain is once again suing Akon’s Konvict Entertainment, this time for allegedly failing to cough up nearly $500,000 in due royalties. Tallahasse-born T-Pain (real name Faheem Najm) just recently submitted the in-depth complaint to the Fulton County Superior Court, naming Konvict…

The weather is one of the things I remember most. It was perfect. That feels almost inappropriate to say 25 years later, but the day was gorgeous. September in New York can give you a few days when the humidity disappears and the whole city seems to come into focus. September 11,…

Tickets to Louisville’s October 24 show featuring Ludacris, T.I., Rick Ross, and BigXThaPlug remain largely unsold in a severe case of Blue Dot Fever. Ludacris, T.I., Rick Ross, and BigXThaPlug are playing at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 24…

Primary Wave Music announces a partnership with singer-songwriter and producer Daniel Jones, best known for his work as one half of Savage Garden. Independent music publishing leader Primary Wave Music has announced a partnership with award-winning singer-songwriter and producer…

Apple adds Shazam to its controversial new Audio Intelligence feature on Apple Watch, enabling music detection that rivals Google Pixel’s Now Playing. Apple is finally rolling out a feature that Google Pixel users have already been enjoying for years: instant song detection. But…

On the heels of his Great Divide Tour’s North American leg – and moments after being tapped to kick off Amazon Music Live’s fifth season – Noah Kahan has dropped his “Orbiter” music video exclusively via Spotify. Spotify took to social media to tout the timed exclusive, which arr…

Ayra Starr collaborates with Instagram to introduce a long-awaited new feature: the ability to add tagged posts to your main grid. Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr is partnering with Instagram to be the first to use a long-awaited new feature. Starting today, users can now a…

Candy Crush (and Universal Music Group) unites Shania Twain and Zedd for a reimagining of “You’re Still the One” for Candy Crush’s Music Season 2026. Casual mobile game Candy Crush is bringing singer-songwriter Shania Twain and DJ-producer Zedd to reimagine an almost 30-year-old…

A former TMZ staffer claims that founder Harvey Levin ordered staff to remove extreme and lengthy antisemitic comments from a Kanye interview, years before the revelation of the rapper’s extreme views. TMZ founder Harvey Levin once chose to omit Kanye West’s effusive praise of Hi…

Louder Than Life announces a partnership with Spotify for the 2026 edition of the festival, featuring My Chemical Romance, Iron Maiden, Tool, and more. Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) and Spotify have announced a new partnership for Louder Than Life 2026, this year’s edition of Ameri…

Another day, another high-profile AI licensing deal: Universal Music Group (UMG) and ElevenLabs are now collaborating to develop a “platform built on licensed music and artist participation.” The major label and the well-funded AI developer, which has been aggressively expanding…

Tickets to Glastonbury’s 2027 edition will cost a record high of more than £408 a piece amid a widespread pattern of price hikes to major music events. This year has been a fallow one for Glastonbury, but organizers of the UK’s biggest festival have now confirmed that ticket pric…

The fifth season of Amazon Music Live kicks off with Noah Kahan on September 24, followed by Don Toliver, Lainey Wilson, and Doja Cat. Amazon Music has announced the return of Amazon Music Live, the concert series airing after Thursday Night Football exclusively on Amazon Music,…

Eight months later, a federal judge has dismissed Wixen’s copyright and defamation lawsuit against Meta for failing “to adequately allege standing under the Copyright Act.” But with an amended complaint now on the way, the ugly legal battle is far from over. Judge John F. Walter…

Meta’s new Muse AI has taken the Instagram handle @Muse from longtime British rock band Muse, which now uses @MuseBand on the social media platform. Meta has launched its new AI assistant, Muse, and it’s already created some branding controversy after fans of the British rock ban…

The National Independent Venue Association has filed formal comments with the Department of Justice, urging the court to reject the proposed Live Nation settlement. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) has filed formal comments with the U.S. Department of Justice reg…

For media productions, cue sheets may seem like routine paperwork, but they sit at a critical point in the royalty chain. When they are complete, accurate, and delivered on time, they give publishers, composers, songwriters, and other rights holders a clear record of how music wa…

Sports betting app Novig got Sydney Sweeney to strip down for a new ad featuring Anderson .Paak’s indie hit “Come Down.” “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney shows some skin in a sultry but playful new ad for Novig, the latest gambling app that focuses entirely on sports. The ad featur…

One month, 16.6 million shares, and north of $290 million later, Universal Music Group’s latest stock repurchase program is officially a wrap. Long in the habit of providing weekly updates on its stock buyback progress, UMG confirmed the €250 million (currently $291 million) prog…

After a historic debut in India in 2025, Rolling Loud returns to Mumbai for a second year on December 12 and 13. Rolling Loud, the “World’s Largest Hip-Hop Festival,” is coming back to India this December after a successful debut in the country in 2025. Produced in partnership wi…

Hydro Flask and Universal Music Group announce their second collaborative artist-driven drop with a limited edition Role Model collection. Hydro Flask, a leader in high-performance insulated products, has unveiled the latest drop in its partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG…

ESPN and Apple Music are collaborating on Monday Night Football’s music curation for the 2026-27 season, leading up to ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl. Continuing the momentum of ESPN’s “Year of the Super Bowl” efforts that began the moment the clock struck zero after Super Bowl LX,…

Moments after announcing a Believe partnership deal, Suno is now rolling out its Warner Music- and BMG-backed v6 models – with an eye on expanding into “opt-in experiences built around individual artists.” The sudden shift marks a big departure from earlier, non-licensed content…

A month and change after announcing a sweeping policy overhaul, Suno has scored another high-profile licensing deal – this time with Believe as well as its TuneCore subsidiary. Paris-headquartered Believe reached out with word of the pact today, emphasizing that the tie-up extend…

AI is very good at creating—or regurgitating—perfectly average, unoriginal music in extreme quantities. That is a big, big problem for human musicians who are also creating perfectly average, unoriginal music, regardless of how much of it they make. On the latest episode of my Ar…

As the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) weighs implementing a new steering requirement for the App Store and the Play Store, the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) is urging a related fee freeze pending the final regulation’s rollout. Sky News pointed to the CAF’s zero-…

The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is suing D4vd over her death ahead of his highly publicized murder trial. They also issued a statement asking for the singer to face the death penalty if he is convicted. The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has filed a lawsuit against singe…

Cage the Elephant will headline the halftime show at the 2026 NFL Munich Game on November 15 as part of a record seven halftime shows internationally. The National Football League (NFL) has announced that Cage the Elephant will headline the halftime show during the 2026 NFL Munic…

level by launching a new music festival, RNB X Live, coming to Dallas on November 1. Spotify and Live Nation have announced RNB X Live, a new one-day music festival coming to Dallas, Texas, on November 1. Taking over The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, the inaugural event will…

Hybe’s Weverse has acknowledged suffering a “personal data leak” affecting north of 420,000 accounts’ purchase details and more. The superfan app’s president, Zooil Yang, just recently disclosed the breach and outlined the compromised information in a general notice. Per this doc…

Three people have now reportedly died at Burning Man in less than a week, with one dying en route to the hospital and another found dead in his camp. After reports of a death at Burning Man last week, two more individuals have been reported dead over the weekend. Craigh Mann, 60,…

Spotify co-founder and Stockholm-based billionaire Martin Lorentzon says he’d leave Sweden immediately if the country imposes wealth taxes. Spotify’s co-founder Martin Lorentzon recently confirmed he would leave Sweden “immediately” if the country introduces new wealth taxes. The…

Amid an intensifying AI licensing legal battle with Universal Music and Warner Music, the AFM is firing back against the majors’ dismissal arguments – including by maintaining that the relevant provision of their labor contract “is reasonably susceptible to more than one interpre…

Nearly 28 months after the bundling-focused Mechanical Licensing Collective v. Spotify legal battle kicked off, a federal judge has denied the MLC’s push for an interlocutory appeal. We broke down that straightforward push closer to the top of 2026, following a definitive win for…

China’s Tencent Music announces a $1B bond offering amid serious top-line margin pressure, with a major drop in TME shares year-over-year. Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), China’s leading all-in-one music and entertainment platform, has announced its public bond offering of $1…

Oasis is opposed to the auction of over 100 hours of early recordings, but the sale is apparently legal. However, any buyer would be unable to commercialize the archive without the band’s consent. An archive of over 100 hours of early Oasis recordings and outtakes is up for aucti…

The Music Industry Therapist Collective launches an industry-funded occupational health program for artists and crew on small- and mid-scale tours. The Music Industry Therapist Collective CIC (MITC) has launched the Pay It Forward Fund, an industry-funded, free-at-source, occupat…

Over a dozen people were hospitalized during a Chainsmokers concert in San Jose due to “suspected alcohol intoxication and drug-related issues.” It’s the latest unfortunate meltdown for the touring EDM duo. On Friday night, at least 14 people were hospitalized during a Chainsmoke…

Jay-Z delivered a historic two-night sold-out London run at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, celebrating 30 years since his debut album. On Saturday, September 5, Jay-Z brought his two-night London run to a historic close at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, selling out both nights and delive…

Macklemore faces a petition to be removed as Ed Sheeran’s opening act after his politically charged set divided fans and earned criticism from Pink. Over the weekend, Macklemore opened for Ed Sheeran, but his political remarks during the set have earned him a petition trying to g…

Getting heard was never the same thing as building an audience… For the better part of the last decade, independent musicians have participated in one of the strangest rituals in modern music marketing. We make a record, spend months or years getting it right, release it into the…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of September 4th, 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@digitalmu…

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is scheduled for a standalone floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives during the week of September 14. On Thursday, a report from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) revealed that U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA…

The NFL and Roc Nation announce the 2026 Songs of the Season, an initiative that brings a dynamic lineup of artists to soundtrack the NFL season. The National Football League and Roc Nation have announced the launch of its 2026 Songs of the Season, a season-long initiative bringi…

Weeks out from his official Warner Music Group (WMG) exit, former CFO and COO Armin Zerza has cashed in on a cool $1.87 million worth of company stock. The short-lived WMG exec disclosed the selloff, executed via his trust, in an SEC filing yesterday. All told, Zerza moved 63,299…

On the heels of a massive Q2 2026 music industry funding jump – to nearly $6 billion in total – July and August brought with them a material year-over-year decrease. This early Q3 dip and other valuable takeaways are made possible by DMN Pro’s Music Industry Funding Tracker, whic…

Numerous Dolly Parton tribute specials have aired across four different networks, all attracting impressive audiences for broadcast television at a time when viewership is traditionally low. Since Dolly Parton’s passing on August 25, four different broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, NB…

European Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen will deliver a keynote address at a conference in Dublin on the future of copyright in the age of AI. The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and newspaper publishers have invited Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice Pres…

Jay-Z’s ongoing feud with former football star Colin Kaepernick intensifies as the ex-quarterback criticizes the rapper and mogul’s NFL deal. Jay-Z isn’t exactly known for having a close relationship with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and there’s no love lost between t…

BET announces the triumphant return of the long-running awards show to TV this fall, with a show taped in Chicago, presented by Spotify and Toyota. BET and Spotify have announced the return to television of the long-running Soul Train Awards this fall, with a show taped in Chicag…

Suno has pulled an ad featuring Mary J. Blige in which she seemingly endorsed the platform after it was revealed the deal was made without her authorization. After R&B icon Mary J. Blige received a deluge of hateful comments online over a Suno ad in which she appeared to endorse…

Let the battle of lyric providers continue: Following several months of discussions, LyricFind and Musixmatch have failed to reach a mediation agreement – meaning an agreement about beginning mediation – in their ugly courtroom confrontation. Counsel for each of the platforms (an…

Primary Wave Music announces a partnership with the estate of Wilson Pickett covering the legendary soul singer’s catalog, name, image, and likeness. Leading indie publisher Primary Wave Music has announced a partnership with the estate of the legendary Wilson Pickett. The partne…

UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle and Outernet London announce a new partnership to transform the music scene across London’s Denmark Street. UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle (UMHL) and Outernet London have announced a new partnership to transform the way visitors experience music acr…

Post Malone, Zayn Malik, Meghan Trainor, and the Pussycat Dolls all canceled or softened their touring aspirations in 2026. Four very different acts, four canceled or scaled-back tours. The industry term ‘blue dot fever’ refers to the proliferation of unsold seats that can turn a…

The music IP acquisitions aren’t finished yet: HarbourView has announced a deal covering David Kershenbaum’s “interest in producer royalties and master recordings,” including stakes in tracks popularized by Tracy Chapman and Joe Jackson. HarbourView reached out with word of its l…

South Korean authorities are seeking an indictment of Bang Si-Hyuk, K-pop music mogul and founder and chairman of Hybe, over alleged investor fraud. South Korean authorities are seeking an indictment of Hybe founder and chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, the music mogul behind K-pop supergro…

DEAG founder Peter Schwenkow plans a return to the live events business in a serious way, focusing on building a pan-European network of “mid-sized” promoters, producers, and operators. Prof. Peter Schwenkow, the founder of Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG), is eyeing a major retu…

With an eye on expanding his presence in markets throughout Asia, Kaskade has inked an exclusive partnership deal with Ne-Yo’s Pacific Music Group (PMG). The veteran DJ and the Hong Kong-headquartered “next-generation music company” reached out to DMN with word of their tie-up, w…