A Sydney music services agency has issued an apology after being called out for booking an AI artist for an event, a move they claim was a mistake. Sydney-based booking agency Good Intent Music has issued an apology on social media after being called out for booking an AI artist…

Amazon Prime debuted NBA YoungBoy’s concert film on its streaming service on July 4. The move follows a theatrical release in April that earned $1.84 million in its opening weekend. Rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s concert film, American YoungBoy, officially arrived on Prime V…

Spotify secures a landmark partnership with Afro Nation Portugal 2026, bringing one of the world’s biggest African music festivals to the streamer. Last week, Spotify notched a major expansion to its Afrobeats footprint with an exclusive streaming partnership with Afro Beats Port…

Suno quickly seizes on Udio’s legal victory against Sony Music over admissible infringed works Last week, a federal judge denied Sony Music’s motion to expand its lawsuit against AI company Udio to include another 30,000 allegedly infringed works. Now, Udio rival Suno has seized…

Spotify releases some listening stats for America’s 250th birthday, revealing that 70% of the Spotify Top 50 in the US is made up of American music. The United States is turning 250, and Spotify has released some fun listening statistics to celebrate the occasion. According to th…

We’ve heard plenty about streaming fraudsters gaming the system to pocket royalties. But what about using artificial plays to cash bets? Spotify has reportedly booted north of 500,000 fake streams from Malcolm Todd’s “Earrings” after learning of several curiously timed wagers tie…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of July 3rd, 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@digitalmusicne…

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are preparing to tie the knot at Madison Square Garden this Fourth of July weekend with a lavish ceremony and surrounding street closures. But what will it cost taxpayers? Jeff Bezos took over the entire city of Venice for his wedding last year to La…

Suno has started exploring the launch of a developer API for its AI music generation platform, revealed in a LinkedIn post this week. AI music platform Suno has revealed plans for the launch of a developer API, announced in a LinkedIn post by the company’s Chief Product Officer,…

Artist Mark Kratter’s “undisclosed filtering practices” lawsuit against Spotify has gotten very ugly, very fast: Moments after the DSP moved to shift the case to federal court, Kratter has fired back against the “frivolous” request and demanded attorney’s fees for his trouble. We…

With a fourth trial now in the books, T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris have been awarded a whopping $0 in punitive damages in their long-running legal battle with Bratz and Little Tikes maker MGA Entertainment. A California jury just recently decided on that total following yet anot…

Sydney beach brand Swim Shady has secured a trademark victory against rapper Eminem, who argued the company’s name was too similar to his alter ego. Will the real Swim Shady please stand up? The Sydney beach brand won a major victory in the trademark fight against rapper Eminem,…

Weird Al reveals that he was offered a lucrative ad spot for productivity software, but he backed out once he realized the product involved AI. “I’m not a fan of AI.” Parody king Weird Al Yankovic sat down for an interview with Syracuse.com ahead of his Syracuse stop on his Bigge…

Exceleration Music and NexTone have acquired the recording and publishing catalog of Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of Japan’s most celebrated cultural legacies. U.S.-based independent music company Exceleration Music has acquired the recording and publishing catalog of composer Ryuichi S…

Earlier this week, Digital Music News broke the news of a voluntary settlement proposal tied to upcoming US-based mechanical licensing rates as part of the broader Phonorecords V CRB proceedings. That settlement, which focused on a number of non-streaming formats, involved a ‘who…

YouTube Shorts announces some new features, including adding 15-second music clips to image posts and enabling users to double their playback speed. YouTube has announced some new functionality to expand YouTube Shorts and further vie with TikTok and Instagram Reels. Image posts,…

On June 30, family, friends, collaborators, and leaders from across the industry gathered in Memphis to celebrate the life of producer Tay Keith. On Tuesday, June 30, family, friends, collaborators, and leaders from across the music industry—including Gunna, Sexyy Red, Murda Beat…

Spotify has officially moved to shift to federal court the “undisclosed filtering practices” lawsuit filed against it by artist and attorney Mark Kratter. Spotify set that shift in motion with a notice of removal yesterday, after Kratter fired off an amended complaint (and aggres…

A federal judge has denied Sony Music’s request to dramatically expand the list of allegedly infringed works in its lawsuit against Udio. As we previously reported, Sony Music, the sole major still litigating against Udio, moved to supersize its infringement action in late May. P…

Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation is granting $100,000 to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela following back-to-back devastating earthquakes. Back-to-back devastating earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 24, registering at magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and hitting less than…

A white-hat hacker and security researcher discovered an AI exploit using chatbot Claude to gain full access to the systems that handle ticketing for nearly every major US festival. In April, security researcher and “white-hat” hacker Ian Carroll used the AI tool Claude Opus 4.7…

Following last year’s merger between media and entertainment giant OSN and music streaming platform Anghami, OSN is looking to acquire full ownership. Dubai-based entertainment and media giant OSN has launched a bid for full ownership of UAE music streamer Anghami, after acquirin…

Cardi B secures another win against gossip vlogger Tasha K, who now owes the star $60,000 for violating a previously established non-disparagement agreement. Tasha K keeps setting them up; Cardi B keeps knocking them down. The gossip vlogger has agreed to pay the rap star $60,000…

Elton John has signed a multi-million-dollar deal to star in a Last Vegas residency as a hologram, set to open at the new Hard Rock Hotel next summer. The legendary Elton John has signed a multi-million-dollar deal to star in a first-of-its-kind Las Vegas residency—as a hologram.…

Let the Phonorecords V showdown begin: The major labels, the NMPA, and others have reached a settlement covering stateside mechanical rates for physical formats and permanent downloads across 2028 and 2032. But the proposal, which would leave the existing Phono IV rates in place…

A pair of daredevils who climbed the Empire State Building to get engaged planted a giant flag atop the building with a quote incorrectly attributed to Jimi Hendrix. A couple dressed in black were arrested after they climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a…

Right on cue, Taylor Swift’s legal team has fired back against the refiled Life of a Showgirl trademark suit, which is allegedly an “attempt to generate publicity,” replete with “fatal flaws,” and deserving of dismissal with prejudice. Attorneys for Swift and Universal Music move…

After a UK court rejected Blur drummer David Rowntree’s appeal in an unmatched royalties case against PRS, the musician and attorney is speaking out. On Monday, Blur drummer David Rowntree lost his class action lawsuit against PRS for Music over the distribution of unmatched “bla…

A former housekeeper of Chris Brown, who sued the star after she was mauled by a 200-pound dog on his property, has been awarded $14 million in damages. Singer Chris Brown has been found liable for the guard dog that mauled his housekeeper at his home and left her disfigured in 2…

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…