Roblox loses $70 billion in value as platform growth plateaus, largely thanks to child protection concerns. But the company blames a lack of viral games on its platform. Roblox has lost a staggering $70 billion in value as the gaming platform matures and plateaus in growth. The c…

Hot off the heels of her debut album, Addison Rae comes to Fortnite’s Icon Series on August 6, bringing looks from her new video and sold-out tour. Epic Games has revealed a release date for Addison Rae’s debut in Fortnite, featuring two Addison Rae Fortnite skins dropping on Thu…

The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced a first-of-its-kind global deal bringing fans and creators a “unique way” to discover and create content. On Wednesday, August 5, The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced a first-of-its-kind global deal designed to bring fans and c…

A longtime Nike music supervisor and an alleged co-conspirator are facing felony racketeering and aggravated theft charges for allegedly slapping the athleticwear giant with inflated bills en route to stealing over $1 million. Local outlets including Oregon’s FOX 12 were first to…

16 months later, the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) has walked back its zero-tolerance artificial intelligence policy by allowing the registration of AI-assisted musical works. KOMCA announced the pivot in a formal release that quickly made way for reports from regiona…

Wendy Day has spent 34 years in the trenches fighting for artists to keep their rights, their money, and their futures. As the founder of Rap Coalition and a member of the beatBread Advisory Board, she partnered with beatBread to put together the kind of honest, no-fluff breakdow…

New data from The Harris Poll suggests that over half of Gen Z experiences “weekend loneliness” because they simply can’t afford to go out. In a survey of 4,100 American adults conducted in May and June, The Harris Poll found that the harsh economic climate is keeping the younger…

LA rapper Fenix Flexin denies the allegations that his new hit single was AI-generated, despite critics—and the AI platform it was said to be created with—noting the “telltale” signs. Fenix Flexin’s freestyle “Rubberz” rapidly climbed to #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 after its deb…

Merlin has officially licensed Spotify’s AI-powered remix and cover feature, thereby setting the stage for member labels and their artists to participate in the walled garden offering if so inclined. The indie giant and the DSP formally announced their tie-up this morning, which…

Ticketmaster has launched in Uruguay and has agreed to a strategic acquisition of RED UTS, a local ticketing platform. The move expands Ticketmaster’s regional footprint while tying local market know-how to its global technology stack. Ticketmaster says the new setup is meant to…

Ariana Grande has announced she’s taking a step back from public-facing work after her most recent tour ends. The news comes amid renewed attention to the singer’s gaunt appearance, especially in her latest “petal” music video and the conclusion of the Wicked: Part 2 press tour.…

Spotify appears to be testing a skip ahead button for podcast ads, including ad spots that Spotify itself has sold. The move would let listeners jump past embedded ad breaks more easily, which is exactly the kind of control many Spotify Premium users have complained about—ads in…

Spotify’s Q2 2026 financials are in, and thanks in part to 300 million paid subscribers, the DSP is now knocking on the door of 800 million overall users. However, execs are anticipating slower growth for 2026’s third quarter. All told, Spotify pointed to an average of 777 millio…

BMG acquires Andrew Stockdale’s publishing, recorded music royalties, and neighboring rights interests in the catalog of Aussie rock band Wolfmother. BMG has announced the acquisition of musician Andrew Stockdale’s publishing, recorded music royalties, and neighboring rights inte…

The ugly BTS v. Recording Academy dispute isn’t showing any signs of resolving: Now, the K-pop mainstay’s performance videos are no longer live on the Grammys’ website and YouTube channel. Those pulldowns entered the media spotlight in reports out of South Korea, though it was ea…

Following an abrupt leadership shakeup on Friday afternoon – and a double-digit post-earnings falloff for Universal Music stock – Warner Music Group (WMG) has released its “preliminary estimated” financials for April, May, and June 2026. WMG shed light on its calendar Q2 (the fis…

Apple Music Classical launches the first time-synchronized “Listening Guide” to Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen for the epic’s 150th anniversary. Apple Music Classical is elevating the classical listening experience for enthusiasts once again with the release of the first time-s…

Cher’s request for Sonny Bono’s widow to reimburse her $1 million in legal fees after their court battle was denied. Now, she’s appealing the decision. If you thought you’d heard the last of Cher and Mary Bono’s legal battle over the singer’s Sonny and Cher royalties, think again…

Boy George revealed he has split from the manager of his record label, Boy George Presents, who wanted “nothing to do” with his new pro-Israel track. Culture Club singer Boy George sparked much controversy last week after releasing a song in support of Israel’s military campaign…

The hunted has become the hunter in UMG v. Grande, where the ISP is urging an appeals court to issue a definitive decision in and award it costs from the nearly decade-long legal battle. Both Grande (which has been operating as Astound for some time) and the major label plaintiff…

Alicia Keys signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) after being previously represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME) for nearly 15 years. Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has announced the signing of award-winning singer-songwriter, musician, and producer Alicia Keys. Managed by…

Chase the streams, chase the playlists, chase the algorithm. Sound familiar? Ples Jones’ Artist Immunity Blueprint built an artist coaching framework around one core premise — artists don’t have a performance problem, they have a nervous system problem. The following comes from A…

Singapore has banned both current members of British band Massive Attack after they displayed a Palestine flag during their concert in the city-state. The two current and core members of British band Massive Attack have been banned from reentering Singapore after displaying a Pal…

Musician Warren “Oak” Felder and veteran manager Lucas Keller are suing tech entrepreneurs the De Brouwers over allegedly stolen AI music software. Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Warren “Oak” Felder and music management mogul Lucas Keller of Milk & Honey have filed a $5 m…

Global label organization IFPI has now announced a new set of three principles governing the eligibility of recordings developed with generative AI for official music chart rankings. On July 30, IFPI, the organization representing the recording industry worldwide, announced the r…

Lollapalooza 2026 was hit with downpours and delays, culminating in a swampy but sunshine-filled Sunday. This year’s Lollapalooza was undoubtedly many things to many people, but attendees seem to agree on one thing for sure: it was very wet in Chicago over the weekend. As a resul…

New Radicals of the ‘90s hit “You Get What You Give” debut their first new track in nearly 30 years, with a song on the soundtrack for an upcoming rom-com. Remember the New Radicals? They had a hit in the late ‘90s with the alt/indie rock track “You Get What You Give,” and then s…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of July 31st, 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…

Canadian publishing society SOCAN announces a purchase agreement to acquire mechanical rights society CMRRA from SoundExchange. The Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) and SoundExchange have announced that the two entities have entered into a pur…

John Legend is set to play singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte in Bill Condon’s South African apartheid-era film, The Road Home. John Legend has officially joined the cast of The Road Home, a South African apartheid-era drama film directed by Bill Condon. Leg…

Another day, another seemingly solid earnings report accompanied by a share-price slip: Live Nation stock (NYSE: LYV) is down 5% today after the company posted 9.4% revenue growth for Q2 2026. That bump elevated quarterly revenue to $7.67 billion, including $6.44 billion from con…

iHeartRadio and TikTok Live team up once again for an artist exclusive, this time with a premiere of Alex Warren’s new single, “RESCUER” on August 6. TikTok Live and iHeartRadio are teaming up for another artist exclusive—this time with Alex Warren. On August 6, Alex Warren will…

The first year of the retooled ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Sphere has helped the venue’s second-quarter revenue rise by 11% after adding more viewings. Approaching the first anniversary of its Sphere-exclusive iteration, The Wizard of Oz could run for a decade at the Las Vegas venue, a…

Germany’s GEMA has notched another AI legal victory – this time over Suno, which the Munich Regional Court has reportedly ordered to disclose its revenue and pay damages. Meanwhile, the music-generation startup is set to appeal. GEMA touted its “groundbreaking success” today, aft…

Boy George’s manager says the singer is dropping out of a London production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” amid backlash to his AI-generated pro-Israel song. Boy George’s manager announced on Thursday that the Culture Club singer would be dropping out of a London production of “Jesu…

Universal Music Group (UMG) has posted so-so financials for Q2 2026, including modest publishing growth and a double-digit merch-revenue slide. Meanwhile, the major has reupped with Pandora, sold over $460 million worth of Spotify stock, and disclosed plans to put new releases be…

Live Nation and Cidade Center Norde have announced São Paulo’s “first world-class music arena,” and the largest such arena in South America. Live Nation Entertainment and Brazil’s planned urban living district Cidade Center Norte have announced the development of São Paulo Arena,…

Spotify’s controversial “Discovery Mode” adds a new analytic to understand its impact on your campaign (to prove it’s actually working). Spotify’s “Discovery Mode” campaign system has been pretty controversial since its launch. For added promotion across the platform, Spotify low…

SiriusXM has revealed a mixed-bag performance for Q2 2026, when its revenue grew modestly but net income spiked and self-pay churn hit a record low. The satellite radio giant and Pandora parent revealed its second-quarter financials – and, incidentally, the departure of COO Wayne…

Universal Music Group India will begin triggering a 72-hour paywall for new releases, according to Sir Lucian Grainge during UMG’s earnings call. During Universal Music Group’s recent earnings call, Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge announced a big change coming to India. UMG’s…

Amy Winehouse’s dad has been ordered to pay nearly $2.7 million to two of his late daughter’s friends after accusing them of auctioning off her belongings without consent. Mitch Winehouse, father of the late Amy Winehouse, has been ordered to pay nearly $2.7 million to two of his…

Sean “Diddy” Combs will spend even less time in prison after his release date was moved up again, with his release now slated for January 24, 2028. It looks like Diddy will be spending even less time behind bars after his release date was moved up for the second time in just over…

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. responds to the news that BTS will not submit music for the 2027 Grammy Awards. After BTS announced on Wednesday that they will not be submitting music for consideration in the 2027 Grammy Awards, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. respo…

Three months later, concrete plans are taking shape for Fanomenon, the K-pop mega-festival that’s expected to feature performances from Hybe, SM, YG, and JYP artists. South Korea’s Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, which formed this past October, just recently p…

Most AI mastering and mixing tools still translate creative intent into presets and sliders. SoundBoost takes a different approach: users simply describe the sound they want in plain language and refine it through conversation, just like working with a real engineer. This article…

Since 1991, music industry attorney Donald Passman has sold more than half a million copies of his industry survival guide, All You Need to Know About the Music Business. Thanks to a court decision this week, Anthropic’s Claude is now off the hook after training on ten editions o…

Multiple sale attempts and one bidding war later, Anthem Entertainment’s catalog has found a new owner: Influence Media Partners, which is set to pay north of $600 million for “substantially all” the IP at hand. Anthem and Warner Music-partnered Influence formally announced the s…

An investigation into allegations at Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts revealed rampant sexual abuse by leadership, including late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. An external investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the Interlochen Center for the Arts n Michigan…

Has Spotify topped Melon in South Korea’s ultra-competitive streaming arena? Yes, per one market research firm – and not quite, according to another, with both nevertheless pointing to strong gains for global DSPs. The conflicting assessments surfaced in a Chosunbiz breakdown exp…

Universal Studios has unveiled plans to open Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness haunted houses in Orlando and Hollywood for Halloween Horror Nights. Next stop on the Ozzy licensing train: Prince of Darkness haunted houses in Orlando and Hollywood for Universal Studios’ Halloween H…

Glen Hansard, the beloved frontman of the Dublin band The Frames, has died in a vehicle crash at age 56. Singer Glen Hansard, the frontman of Dublin band The Frames, died in a motorcycle crash in West Dublin on Wednesday, July 29. He was 56 years old. The Oscar-winning songwriter…

A coalition of major record labels and leading independents outline framework to ban unlicensed AI music from the official chart rankings worldwide. A global coalition of leading music companies—including Believe, BMG, Concord, Dirty Hit, Glassnote Records, HYBE Corp., Mom+Pop Mu…

Huntsville’s music industry has ballooned since 2018, supporting over 3,000 jobs and driving $278.2 million into its local economy, per a new audit. Huntsville, Alabama, has enjoyed a thriving music industry that’s grown exponentially over the last eight years into a $278.2 milli…

Google’s Flow Music Spaces gets a big update, bringing song editing, stem splitting, video creation, and more into an AI “vibe coding” workspace. Google has announced a major update for its Flow Music Spaces, unveiling a suite of new AI-powered creative tools for collaborative wo…

Another year, another Grammys boycott – this time from K-pop sensation BTS, which has opted against submitting ARIRANG to the Recording Academy. BTS announced as much in a Korean-language statement on social media. And as translated by regional outlets, which were unsurprisingly…

The music industry has been consumed by AI debates – from lawsuits involving Suno and Udio to major-label licensing deals. Now the focus is shifting to a bigger question: how do we work with AI-generated music legally, and what will it mean for the future of artists, labels, and…

Noah Kahan criticized Trump’s use of his music on social media. White House officials clapped back. Now, the song has been removed from the post on Instagram. On Tuesday, following the Trump administration’s use of Noah Kahan’s “American Cars” as the audio for a video posted on I…

Suno gets slapped with a proposed class action lawsuit over the data breach that reportedly exposed the personal information of 55.3 million users. As if on cue, Suno has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit. The complaint follows news last week that a previously unrepor…

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…