Jay-Z’s classic 1996 debut is getting the exclusive reissue treatment as Target releases a 30th anniversary limited-edition white vinyl run. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt, Target is offering an exclusive anniversary edition of the…

Are gen AI companies actively developing their music models with the same collections of copyrighted tracks? And despite ongoing discussions about free-for-all training, is this process far more systematic than we’ve been led to believe? These and other pressing questions are tak…

Bonnie Tyler is no longer in a coma, but remains “very unwell” in intensive care in Portugal following emergency surgery back in May. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” singer Bonnie Tyler is still recovering after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery last month that saw her placed…

Vydia operates a cloud-based platform that supports labels, artists, and agencies across the music ecosystem. As its client roster expanded, each new label deal brought a surge in payees and monthly transactions, putting pressure on Vydia’s royalty and advances processes. To keep…

After the Knicks’ first NBA Championship win in over 50 years, the team will appear on The Tonight Show for a special episode featuring Wu-Tang Clan. New York City is celebrating this week after the Knicks’ first NBA Championship win in over 50 years, culminating in the team’s ap…

Weather-related delays, evacuations, and logistical issues bombarded the final day of the 2026 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee. Bonnaroo 2026 was hit with inclement weather on its final day, echoing the weather-related issues that beset the 2025 edition of the Tenne…

YouTube launches ‘Music Nights,’ a series of exclusive live concerts “for dedicated fans,” featuring album release parties and more. Just a week after Spotify reportedly began shopping around to secure licensing to stream live events, YouTube claps back with “Music Nights.” The n…

Back in April, Lil Baby sued hemp brand Bay Smokes over a marketing partnership turned sour. Now, we have a full-fledged legal battle on our hands, as the self-proclaimed “#1 online dispensary” has fired back with a countersuit. Both the original complaint (technically levied by…

The King of Pop is now the King of Biopics, as Michael moonwalks past Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing musical biopic in history. It’s official: Universal and Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael has surpassed the Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapso…

The late Minnesota rapper Eyedea has a new LP, thanks to AI-cloned vocals and handwritten lyrics preserved by the artist’s mom. A new 14-song collection, 15-Year-Old Shit Talking, recreating the voice of late underground rapper Eyedea, is out now via most streaming platforms and…

Singer Oliver Tree has died after a helicopter crash in Brazil that resulted in the deaths of six people. He was just 32 years old. Oliver Tree, who first gained fame in 2010 at the age of 17 working with artists like Skrillex and Zeds Dead, has died after two helicopters collide…

Fans are outraged as Rod Stewart was spotted at a Scotland FIFA World Cup match less than a day after he abruptly cancelled a California show due to illness. Rock icon Rod Stewart nixed his scheduled Friday night show in San Diego just 40 minutes before he was due to hit the stag…

The AFM’s lawsuit against Universal Music and Warner Music is now one component of “a global fight,” as the UK’s Musicians’ Union has backed the litigation and urged other unions yet to “take on major corporations who intend to exploit their rights without consent.” The Musicians…

The original songwriters of a University of Michigan fight song are fighting back against the song’s publishers over alleged licensing interference. The realm of termination clause legal battles continues to heat up, following the high-profile cases involving Salt-N-Pepa and 2 Li…

Is the era of voice trademarks upon us? It seems that way, as Lionel Richie has become the latest entertainment professional to file related applications amid AI’s rapid expansion. Specifically, Tuskegee-born Richie moved to obtain four trademarks yesterday – joining the likes of…

It turns out Infinite Reality/Napster’s huge funding round was even more suspicious than we thought: Now, two federal cases are in motion against the individual who allegedly “fraudulently obtained” almost 240 million of the company’s shares. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the So…

Morrissey releases a statement about people he claims to have identified who posed as him online to spread misinformation about his political ties. Morrissey has remained popular in the decades since the Smiths broke up, but certainly not without numerous controversies. In recent…

The rapper formerly known as Kanye West will not be performing in Prague after the venue set to host him backed out. It’s the latest cancelled show for the outwardly antisemitic artist. Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, was set to perform in Prague as part of his proposed comeback…

Lil Wayne is victorious in the lawsuit filed against him by a former security guard who alleged the rapper pulled a gun on him. Now the guard must pay up, to the tune of nearly $30,000. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Lil Wayne’s former security guard, Christian Carlos…

Spotify and Amazon’s bundling strategy has had a major impact on music publishers’ royalty haul, resulting in nearly $500 million in lost royalties since 2024. The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) revealed some worrying data tied to the sustained hit the industry has…

Bridgit Mendler says a surprise EP attributed to her on Spotify and Apple Music isn’t her, raising questions about streaming platforms’ efforts to curb AI impersonators. Last week, fans of former Disney Channel star Bridgit Mendler were thrilled to see she had released a new EP t…

Amid rapid music sector growth in India – and on its own platform, which has seen its userbase expand by “25% in the last month alone” – Madverse Music Group has scored an Ahdritz Capital-led seed round. New Delhi-headquartered Madverse unveiled the raise, but not the precise fun…

Deezer is kicking its AI detection capabilities up a notch with a new tool that identifies machine-generated tracks in playlists – including those saved to competing streaming platforms. The Paris-headquartered DSP announced and launched its artificial intelligence music detector…

Xijuan Zong performs award-winning work at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall following Global Music Awards Silver Medal recognition. The following artist profile was provided by Rainyard International Music Advisory, a partner of Digital Music News. On May 24, 2026, pianist Xijuan Zong…

30 months later, Francisco Partners has officially exited its minority position in Muse Group, which is eyeing acquisitions and more in “its next chapter of growth.” Cyprus-based Muse Group reached out to DMN with word of the transaction, which was powered by “cash on hand” as we…

Irish lawmakers are looking into offering governmental support after the collapse of Tickets.ie devastates the country’s live music industry. Tickets.ie was Ireland’s largest independent ticketing company, handling ticketing for thousands of live events each year since 2004. But…

Anthropic’s Claude FM is a 24-7 music stream playlist on YouTube comprised of actual artists’ music. But is the music being properly licensed? AI company Anthropic has been beefing with the music industry in the form of a legal battle with publishers who have sued it for copyrigh…

Spotify has taken down “tens of thousands” of podcasts promoting illegal drugs since a congressional investigation began last year. According to U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Spotify told her office that it took down “tens of thousands” of podcasts promoting opioids since he…

Maná plans a long-awaited return to Latin America with five stadium dates announced just hours before their headlining set for the FIFA World Cup. Maná, the most successful and influential Spanish-language rock band of all time, has announced five special stadium dates across Lat…

AMC Theatres puts a planned series of concert screenings featuring stars like Bebe Rexha, Paris Hilton, and Maren Morris on the back burner amid a piping hot summer box office. AMC Theatres has announced its highest May attendance since pre-COVID levels, signaling a major return…

Nearly two years after its kickoff, a patent infringement lawsuit against BMG is now less than one week away from potentially being dismissed. The presiding judge established this possible dismissal deadline, falling on Tuesday, June 16th, in a recent order. Therein, he noted tha…

Do YouTube’s terms of service grant Google “a broad license” to train AI on uploaded music? The tech giant believes so, and it’s doubling down on the position as it aggressively pushes to dismiss an artist-led copyright lawsuit. That class action suit set sail in March and counts…

Two former antitrust attorneys at the DOJ had strong words for the department and its abrupt settlement with Live Nation just a week into the trial. Two former antitrust attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice—both of whom were central to its case against Live Nation and Tick…

At its 2026 Annual Meeting, NMPA announces industry-wide publishing deals with two AI music companies, Udio and Klay Media. During its Annual Meeting at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) announced two industry-wide AI music deals…

Primary Wave Music partners with the estate of Donna Summer to manage the iconic singer’s catalog and branding, including name, image, and likeness. Primary Wave Music, a leading independent publisher, has announced its partnership with the estate of the legendary Donna Summer. S…

Wu-Tang Clan played an unusual halftime show during Wednesday’s NBA Finals Game 4, with the New York Knicks down 27 points against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. After the Wu performed their magic set, however, something strange happened. After Trump caught flak…

As mainstream rap shows signs of slowing, the search for hip-hop’s next leaders has intensified. The answer may not come from where the industry has typically looked. This article was written by Harry Levin in collaboration with How Music Charts. Music Trends on Digital Music New…

Michael is not only Lionsgate’s highest-grossing movie in history, but is now just $11 million shy of surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody as the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time. The record-smashing Michael Jackson biopic Michael just crossed another threshold with $900 milli…

Secretly earns 11 wins while Qobuz, True Panther Records, and rock band Geese also clean up at A2IM’s Libera Awards 2026. Secretly and its artists, labels, affiliate companies, and distributed label partners earned 11 wins at the 2026 Libera Awards. Heading into the night with no…

After inking licensing deals with Udio and Suno, Warner Music Group (WMG) has set its sights on optimizing AI attribution with the acquisition of Sureel. WMG formally disclosed the Sureel purchase this morning – albeit without shedding light on the hard numbers behind the transac…

Global Music Rights is suing Music Choice over “willful copyright infringement” for continuing to play its catalog after its licensing expired. U.S.-based performance rights organization Global Music Rights (GMR) has filed a lawsuit against Music Choice for “repeatedly and willfu…

Udio is facing continued pressure from Sony Music to publicly disclose its “training number,” which the major label maintains “provides necessary context” about the AI platform’s alleged use of protected recordings. Sony Music, the lone major still litigating against Udio, pinpoi…

The average stateside streaming user now spends $434 on recorded music annually – up nearly 30% from 2020, according to a new study. But amid a well-documented subscriber plateau in established markets, what’s the best way to drive additional growth? Those figures come from the D…

Seeker Music Group, backed by M&G, has announced a global distribution partnership with Virgin Music Group, building on years of collaboration to expand its $400 million catalog. Seeker Music Group, led by creative executive and songwriter Evan Bogart and with backing from M&G, h…

Music Venue Trust and Audoo announce a partnership aimed at uncovering how music played in grassroots venues is represented in royalty distribution. On Tuesday, the Music Venue Trust (MVT) and Audoo announced a new partnership aimed at uncovering how music played in grassroots mu…

Four US-based radio groups operating a total of 15 stations have been accused of broadcasting ASCAP members’ music without payment or license. Four radio groups located in South Dakota, Indiana, Mississippi, and New Hampshire have been accused of repeatedly refusing to renew thei…

Universal Music Group (UMG) has officially confirmed plans to sell €1 billion (currently $1.2 billion) worth of bonds. Meanwhile, the major’s share price is once again sagging – to the tune of a 36% falloff during the past year. UMG disclosed the offering today, pointing in part…

Talay Riley, the Grammy-winning songwriter for artists like Dua Lipa and Jason Derulo, was the victim of a fatal stabbing in London on Friday. Talay Riley, whose real name was Mark Orabiyi, was one of two people stabbed in the West Ham area of London on Friday. Authorities identi…

Jay-Z adds more cities and dates to his 30th anniversary limited comeback tour, with stops in New York City, Los Angeles, and Paris. Jay-Z has announced more shows for the 30th anniversary of his album Reasonable Doubt, with stops at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium and Paris’ Stade de F…

Apple announces all the new features coming to Apple Music with the iOS 27 update at its annual WWDC conference, including Siri AI integration. At Apple’s annual WWDC conference this week, the company unveiled the new features coming to iOS 27, with some major Siri AI updates tha…

MAC Cosmetics names Chappell Roan as the new face of Viva Glam, with a special edition lip collection featuring three shades co-created by the singer. MAC Cosmetics has named singer-songwriter Chappell Roan as the new face of Viva Glam, introducing three lip shades in a special e…

What’s the best way to decommission secondary ticketing scams? Demand refunds, call out resale platforms, and contact lawmakers, according to Fix the Tix, which has launched a “Fan Action Center” designed to help shortchanged customers. Fan Alliance and Fix the Tix rolled out the…

Jewish leaders in Tampa Bay are pushing back against the Tampa Sports Authority’s decision to book and allow two concerts by Kanye West to go forward. The Tampa Jewish Federation has condemned the Tampa Sports Authority’s (TSA) decision to book (and double down on) two shows by Y…

The public deserves to know how many recordings Suno used to train its models – at least according to the non-Warner majors, which are pushing back against Suno’s demand to keep the much-discussed tally and different data under wraps. Universal Music and Sony Music made that posi…

Stage Tour, the new rhythm game being created as a spiritual successor to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, will feature a slew of artists revealed over the weekend. Stage Tour, the new rhythm game in development from RedOctane Games and envisioned as a spiritual successor to Guitar Her…

Charli XCX has announced the “Music, Fashion, Film Tour,” headlining arenas across North America through September and October. Today, Charli XCX has announced the “Music, Fashion, Film Tour,” promoted by Live Nation. The UK artist will headline arenas across North America throug…

A tribute to B.B. King’s “Lucille Talks Back” for its 50th anniversary is coming to Memphis alongside the all-star remake of the original 1975 album. A landmark tribute to one of blues music’s most transcendent and overlooked recordings is coming: an all-star remake of B.B. King’…

Chicago’s 1901 Project, a plan to redevelop the area surrounding the United Center to create a mixed-use entertainment hub, has broken ground. Last week, Chicago’s 1901 Project broke ground with a $7 billion plan to redevelop the area surrounding the United Center to create a mas…

Gotham lights up this week with a gaggle of major music industry events, including A2IM Indie Week, the Music Investor Conference, and New York Music Month. And that’s just scratching the surface on a panoply of workshops, shindigs, and awards ceremonies dotting the city. New Yor…

Spotify wants to add another feature to its repertoire: live concerts. The company is reportedly in talks with promoters to secure licensing rights, though this is an ultra-competitive arena (and it has been for years). As part of its strategy to provide more video content, Spoti…