Village People frontman Victor Willis, who co-wrote most of the band’s biggest hits, including “YMCA” and “In the Navy,” has died at age 74. Victor Willis, the frontman of the iconic disco group Village People, who co-wrote most of the band’s biggest hits, such as “YMCA,” “In the…

Pitbull and his “Bald Es” superfans are set to try for a Guinness World Record by assembling the largest-ever crowd of bald-cap wearers. Meanwhile, with American Express aboard as a sponsor, Live Nation will stream the multi-hour happening in the style of a high-energy sports bro…

Lil Wayne was a no-show at his concert at the Bangor Waterfront, a show meant to kick off his new tour. Fortunately, the rapper has already rescheduled. On Tuesday night, Lil Wayne was meant to play the Bangor Waterfront after opening act 2 Chainz—a show that would have kicked of…

Atticus Works launches in a strategic partnership with Primary Wave Music to acquire and elevate iconic literary and theatrical catalogs. Atticus Works, a new literary and theatrical catalog acquisition company, has announced its launch in strategic partnership with leading indep…

Research suggests that 72% of all tickets listed on StubHub UK for arena events in June, accounting for 50,000 tickets, came from just three sellers. An investigation by the Fan Fair Alliance (FFA) has found that 72% of all tickets listed on StubHub UK for arena events over the l…

Singer Ricardo Montaner is suing UMG in two jurisdictions over the master rights to his first five albums, including seminal hit “La Cima Del Cielo.” Argentine singer Ricardo Montaner is suing Universal Music Group (UMG) in both the United States and Venezuela over the master rig…

A federal court has tossed an infringement lawsuit filed against Sony Music, Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment, and others over an allegedly unauthorized sample in 2022’s “Alien Superstar.” Judge Mark Scarsi just recently dismissed the copyright and breach of contract complaint fo…

Firebird Music is looking to make a splash in the crowded song-rights arena, as it’s launched a $750 million catalog fund and set its sights on hiring an industry vet to lead the operation. The self-described “next generation music company” Firebird just recently kicked off its c…

Drummer Ilan Rubin is accused of orchestrating a scheme to seize control of the drum company he co-owned following his late business partner’s death. Ilan Rubin, the drummer best known for his work with Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails, has been hit with allegations in a new fili…

Illinois has become the latest state to tackle ticketing reform – including with measures targeting “ghost tickets,” bot-powered resale operations, and more. Governor JB Pritzker just recently signed those measures, technically part of a few distinct bills, into law. First up, HB…

Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson film is officially the highest-grossing biopic of all time, surpassing Oppenheimer after taking $977 million at the worldwide box office. The King of Pop was already crowned the biggest musical biopic of all time after surpassing 2018’s Bohemian Rhapso…

Following an IRS investigation, rapper Twista pleads guilty to willfully failing to pay his taxes and could face up to five years in prison. Chicago rapper Twista has pleaded guilty to five counts of willfully failing to pay his income taxes. Now, he could face up to five years i…

Olivia Rodrigo teams up with the LEGO Group for a new collaboration, making her the first musician to receive multiple dedicated LEGO sets. The LEGO Group has teamed up with Olivia Rodrigo for a new collaboration featuring five collectible LEGO sets filled with references and loo…

Australia’s music and creative organizations have issued an open letter urging the government to enforce Australia’s copyright laws and protect creators in the face of AI. A coalition of Australia’s leading music and creative organizations has united to issue an open letter deman…

Google publishes a paper outlining its proposed two-pronged approach to AI governance in the United States, doubling down on ‘fair use’ AI training. Late last week, Google published a policy paper outlining a proposed approach to AI regulation in the United States that separates…

Limited-edition Sprite cans featuring 50 classic hip-hop songs will be available in a new campaign, The Living Tracklist, in partnership with Genius. Sprite’s newest campaign, dubbed The Living Tracklist, puts the lyrics of 50 impactful hip-hop songs on cans and bottles for a lim…

Winamp Group’s subsidiary Jamendo Music is filing a lawsuit against AI company Suno, just days after filing suit against Nvidia, to protect its IP. Winamp Group SA subsidiary Jamendo Music has filed suit against artificial intelligence company Suno, part of a broader legal respon…

The artist-filed lawsuit targeting Spotify’s alleged “undisclosed filtering practices” is heating up: Now, the streaming platform is facing an expanded complaint and a possible temporary injunction. Artist and attorney Mark Kratter just recently submitted a bolstered action and d…

NMPA president and CEO David Israelite unveils the latest per-stream songwriter and publisher payout across Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and Amazon. In a post on LinkedIn, National Music Publishers’ Association President and CEO David Israelite unveiled the latest per-stream songwrit…

A UK court has officially rejected Blur drummer (and attorney) David Rowntree’s appeal in a case, centering on unmatched “black box” royalties, filed against PRS back in 2024. The Court of Appeal’s Civil Division finalized that decision today, after the Competition Appeal Tribuna…

Spotify has inked a partnership deal with India’s Vodafone Idea (Vi), which is offering three-month Premium trials to a portion of its subscribers. The DSP and the telecom giant just recently unveiled their tie-up, which will, at the top level, afford Vi Postpaid subscribers “com…

Madonna gives fans a first listen to her new album before its official release with an iHeartRadio and TikTok Live Premiere, streaming on July 2. Madonna’s Confessions II is almost here, and she’s giving fans an exclusive sneak peek with a global, interactive event in collaborati…

K-pop group Le Sserafim will return to the stage at the Anaheim Convention Center for BlizzCon 2026 in September, after having played there in 2023. Blizzard Entertainment, the gaming company behind franchises Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, has announced that K-pop group Le Sse…

Oliver Tree’s family launches a foundation in his name to give grants to young artists: Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Art Grant for Baby Geniuses. The family of Oliver Tree has honored the singer’s wishes, launching a foundation in his name to provide grants to young artists.…

Tidal becomes the latest music streamer to take a stand against AI-generated music, introducing a new policy preventing the monetization of such tracks. Streaming platform Tidal has become the latest music platform to formally announce a stance against AI-generated music. Tidal’s…

During Alan Jackson’s farewell concert in Nashville, Taylor Swift’s on-screen video message was met with a strange combination of boos and cheers. At Nissan Stadium in Nashville, country legend Alan Jackson held his farewell concert, filled with tribute performances and sentiment…

As parts of Europe undergo a sweltering heatwave, several music festivals in France and the Netherlands have been cancelled following official heat alerts. Authorities in France and the Netherlands have issued heat warnings as temperatures continue to rise across much of Europe,…

Madonna called the use of AI “the complete opposite of making art,” saying she likes to step away from social distractions when creating new music. During a recent interview with Vogue Italia, Madonna took a jab at the rise of artificial intelligence and social media algorithms i…

Live Nation hopes to dismiss the $35 million lawsuit filed against it , shrugging it off as little more than a resentful former employee misunderstanding financial documents. Live Nation has responded to the lawsuit filed against it earlier this year by an ex-employee with claims…

iHeartMedia sent a memo to employees this week announcing staff cuts as part of restructuring efforts coinciding with its bolstered tech capabilities. iHeartMedia has triggered a broad round of layoffs across the country, affecting numerous stations and employees. The cuts are pa…

The Backstreet Boys have officially joined Lionel Richie and Taylor Swift in moving to trademark their voices amid the gen AI boom. The 33-year-old group’s BSB Entertainment company submitted a sound-mark trademark application on Wednesday. And according to this application, spot…

Kay Hanley, the singing voice of Josie in 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats, has received less than $1,500 in residuals—and has received none since 2009. Letters to Cleo frontwoman Kay Hanley, whose singing voice was given to Rachael Leigh Cook in 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats film…

Performance rights organization BMI and a group of music publishers have been awarded over $18,000 in statutory damages from Baltimore’s Ottobar for unlicensed karaoke songs. Performance rights organization Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) and three music publishers have been awarded m…

K-pop band CORTIS is having an impressive debut, with 600 million streams on Spotify, over 2 million physical album sales, and a major tour. BigHit Music’s rookie boy band CORTIS’ debut album, Color Outside the Lines, has surpassed 600 million streams on Spotify and 2.1 million p…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of June 26th, 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…

Following the confirmation of a February 2026 conversation between Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and the president, the Coalition for Ticket Fairness (CTF) is calling for the DOJ settlement to be scrapped. The CTF doubled down on its opposition in a brief release today, and said…

Anthropic has accused Chinese tech company Alibaba of “brazenly” and “illicitly” attempting to steal its artificial intelligence capabilities. AI company and Claude chatbot creator Anthropic has issued a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs,…

SoundCloud and Twitch announce the launch of SoundCloud Sessions, a collaborative effort enabling DJs to reach new audiences across both platforms. This week, Twitch and SoundCloud announced the launch of SoundCloud Sessions, a collaborative partnership focused on helping DJs rea…

As the Michael Jackson biopic inches closer to $1 billion, the film surpasses two Lord of the Rings films in its box office gross. Michael continues to grow larger than life, much like the career of the man on which it is based. Now, the biopic is fast approaching $1 billion, and…

Pandora is doubling down on its aggressive push to effectively invalidate the MLC’s ability to sue – this time by citing a new appellate court decision. Meanwhile, the MLC is firing back against the argument. Those developments surfaced in a pair of filings, the newer of which, c…

Lionel Richie and Rod Stewart both experienced unsteadiness on stage this week, sparking concerns that older musicians are pushing themselves too hard. Following reports that he was battling a respiratory illness, Rod Stewart had to use an oxygen mask to finish his performance in…

Bassnectar is making a comeback in a big way, with Paula Moore’s Greater Music Group signing the EDM legend to a new management deal. Paula Moore, the CEO of Greater Music Group (GMG) has announced a comprehensive business transformation initiative for longtime EDM darling Bassne…

As it grapples with multiple copyright suits – and continued criticism – Suno has launched an artist incubator program called Spark. The AI music platform formally announced Spark today, as it remains embroiled in litigation spearheaded by indie artists, the majors, and others ye…

English-language tracks now account for an even 86% of on-demand streams in the States – a share that’s said to be “steadily eroding” amid the continued rise of Latin, K-pop, and more. Both the percentage and the “steadily eroding” assessment come from Luminate, which framed the…

After a successful study on the sound quality of recycled vinyl, WMG launches a vinyl record take-back pilot across record stores nationwide. Warner Music Group and a collection of independent record stores across the United States have announced the launch of a vinyl take-back p…

San Antonio city staff have been directed by the mayor to amend Kanye’s contract so he agrees not to perform songs about Hitler or sell swastika merch. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has announced that she has directed city officials to amend Kanye West’s contract so that he…

Jay-Z will be featured in an eight-part documentary series on HBO, directed by storied producer and Def Jam Recordings co-founder Rick Rubin. On Thursday, HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery announced an upcoming eight-part documentary series interviewing legendary rapper and mogul Ja…

Legal documents reveal that Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino personally met with Trump and other White House officials ahead of the DOJ settlement. Legal documents shared with Digital Music News confirm previous speculation of President Trump’s involvement in talks leading up to th…

HarbourView Equity Partners announces a strategic partnership with powerhouse songwriting duo Shellback and Max Martin. IP-focused investment firm HarbourView Equity Partners has announced a strategic partnership with Wolf Cousins, the renowned songwriting collective founded by h…

As it eyes a “transition to large-scale commercial deployment,” gaming-focused licensing platform Reactional Music has scored a €2.5 million ($2.8 million) European Innovation Council (EIC) grant. Stockholm-headquartered Reactional, having previously made the EIC’s funding shortl…

The Leonard Cohen Estate objected to Trump using the song “Hallelujah” at the Freedom 250 rally in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday — though the warning was promptly ignored. The Leonard Cohen Estate posted a statement objecting to Donald Trump’s intention to use the song “Halleluja…

NASCAR and The Rolling Stones have announced a bespoke collaboration celebrating two cultural institutions built on performance and life on the road. Today, NASCAR and The Rolling Stones have announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration designed to celebrate two cultural icons bui…

Thanks to a handful of massive raises, core music industry funding more than doubled during Q2 2026. Meanwhile, the three-month stretch also brought with it an uptick in seed and pre-seed announcements. As usual, these valuable insights are made possible by DMN Pro’s Music Indust…

Deezer announces the launch of its Remix Lab, which enables fans to remix songs with the full consent of the original artists and rights holders. On Wednesday, Deezer unveiled the launch of its new Remix Lab, allowing fans to remix songs with the full consent of the original arti…

Sony Music Publishing Scandinavia announces its acquisition of the rights to Sound Pollution Songs’ catalog of approximately 5,000 works. Sony Music Publishing Scandinavia has announced its acquisition of the rights to Sound Pollution Songs’ existing catalog of approximately 5,00…

Let the Life of a Showgirl trademark battle continue: Taylor Swift is officially facing an amended lawsuit from entertainer Maren Wade, who’s doubling down on far-reaching infringement and brand-confusion allegations. The self-described showgirl Wade (real name Maren Flagg) recen…

How did Lizzo go from being a top-ranking, ubiquitous artist to shipping bombs like her latest album, Bitch, which failed to sell even 3,000 units in its first week? Lizzo’s latest album, Bitch, is out now via Atlantic/WMG, and it’s a flop. That’s especially clear compared to the…

Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean are being sued over the unpaid rent of their recently closed restaurant alongside their co-owner, MLB alum Adam LaRoche. Country stars Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean are being sued by GBT Realty Corporation as the owners of E3 Chophouse Nashville, alongsi…

After her music was found among AI training datasets, SZA called out artists using AI music generators like Suno and alleged that Diplo has an equity stake in the company. On Saturday, SZA took to her private Instagram to call out artists using AI music generators, specifically S…

Is Spotify employing “undisclosed filtering practices” to boost major label artists at the expense of indies? A Norwalk-based musician (and attorney) believes so, and he’s taking aim at the alleged play-count suppression in a new suit. Mark Kratter, who appears to release music a…