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…

Another day, another high-stakes AI lawsuit: Now, “independent online music platform” Jamendo is suing Nvidia for copyright infringement and breach of contract for allegedly training on tens of thousands of tracks without authorization. Luxembourg-based Jamendo submitted the stra…

The artist-led class action suits against Udio and Suno are moving full steam ahead: Now, the former AI platform is staring down an amended complaint, and “one of the most feared plaintiffs’ firms in the nation” has signed on to represent the allegedly shortchanged creatives. Att…

Kanye West’s planned concert in San Antonio on July 4th is fast approaching, and calls by local leadership to cancel the event are growing ever louder. Several San Antonio and Bexar County officials have publicly condemned the rapper formerly known as Kanye West over his recent h…

Country singer Bailey Zimmerman faces a felony arrest warrant in New Mexico after an incident that left his concert cancelled and his hotel trashed. An arrest warrant has been issued for country singer Bailey Zimmerman after he allegedly trashed an Albuquerque, New Mexico, hotel…

StubHub UK has been fined over a million dollars and ordered to make payments to more than 50,000 customers over “hidden” ticket fees. StubHub UK has been fined nearly £900,000 (~$1.2 million) and ordered to issue refunds to more than 50,000 customers for not disclosing the final…

A former manager of rapper Moneybagg Yo is suing him, his label, and his current management company, Roc Nation, for alleged breach of contract. Memphis rapper Moneybagg Yo, whose legal name is Demario DeWayne White Jr., has been slapped with a multi-million dollar lawsuit by his…

After a year of litigation and a month of finalizing a settlement, Warner Music and Crumbl have officially put their copyright infringement battle to bed. Warner Music Group (WMG) and cookie chain Crumbl have finalized the agreement behind their copyright infringement settlement,…

Drake’s lifestyle brand OVO is locked in ugly litigation with a Florida-based lender over a loan gone sour to the tune of roughly $3.7 million. Drake’s lifestyle brand October’s Very Own (OVO) has been hit with a nearly $4 million lawsuit over “multiple loan payment defaults” fro…

Michael has become a global phenomenon, crossing the $960 million threshold on its way to gross $1 billion worldwide and shattering numerous records. Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic continues to rewrite box office history across the globe at just shy of $960 million, with data…

Looks like the AFM’s lawsuit against Universal Music and Warner Music was just the beginning. Now, 29 organizations are calling on labels and publishers to prioritize “meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency” in their AI licensing agreements. Those organizatio…

A federal judge has officially dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against Spotify over its alleged failure to stop “billions of fraudulent streams” from reaching Drake’s music. Judge Josephine Staton today granted Spotify’s motion to toss the multifaceted complaint, which set…

Mureka announced the brand and platform evolution into the world’s first AI-native music platform — built on a single conviction: in music, creation and listening matter equally. A song’s life shouldn’t end the moment it’s generated. In Mureka, it is made, discovered, remixed, an…

Live Nation unveils $99 four-packs of tickets to certain shows throughout North America this summer, going on now until July 17 while supplies last. Late last week, Live Nation announced its Summer of Live 4-Pack, a bundle offering four general admission lawn tickets to participa…

[PIAS] announces the acquisition of acclaimed indie classical label Signum Records, expanding its classical music presence in a global agreement. This week, leading music company [PIAS] announced the acquisition of acclaimed independent classical label Signum Records. It’s an agr…

Madonna planned to direct a movie about her life, but it never came to fruition. In a new interview, the music icon reveals why the project fell apart. During an in-depth discussion with Interview, pop icon Madonna revealed why the biopic she planned to direct about her life neve…

Clive Davis, the legendary music executive whose golden ears and stunningly sharp instincts shaped the sound of popular music for more than half a century, died on Monday at his home in Manhattan. He was 94. Davis’ family confirmed the very sad news this morning, noting that Davi…

The late music mogul Clive Davis was interviewed by his son, attorney Fred Davis, just a few weeks ago in an unprecedented father-son conversation that Digital Music News was fortunate enough to capture. The late, great music mogul Clive Davis was interviewed by his son, influent…

Rightsholders from in and beyond the industry have inked a total of nearly 300 commercial AI agreements — though less than one-fifth of indie labels are actively exploring licensing deals. Both stats come from a BPI-commissioned WPI Economics report based on surveys of labels and…

San Antonio’s mayor is urging the cancellation of a planned Kanye West concert at the Alamodome on July 4th, saying the city should not host the antisemitic artist in a city-funded venue. Over the weekend, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones called for the cancellation of an upcom…

A man fell 150 feet to his death into the section below the balcony at Madison Square Garden during a Goose concert on Saturday night. The man fell 150 feet from the Chase Bridge during a Goose concert shortly before 10 PM and was found “unconscious and unresponsive.” He was iden…

10 months later, the MF Doom estate is nearing a settlement in its counterfeit merch lawsuit against Temu. Meanwhile, Twenty One Pilots’ decidedly similar case is heading to arbitration. The MF Doom estate fired off its complaint in August 2025, and Twenty One Pilots’ namesake LL…

Amid Live Nation’s acquisition of the Movistar Arena, the live events giant continues to expand its business in Argentina with major partnerships. In less than a month, Live Nation has gone all-in on Argentina, expanding its business extensively with some major acquisitions and p…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of June 19th, 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…

Bonnaroo survived 2026 despite numerous weather-related setbacks, rescheduled acts, and cancelled sets. So what’s in store for 2027? Manchester, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival made its highly anticipated return in 2026 after adverse weather caused tons of fan frustrat…

A UK man has received a 26-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to the unauthorized mixing and selling of CDs in violation of copyright law. If you thought the headline was from 2002, you’d be forgiven. Instead, it’s 2026, and a man in the UK has been sentenced after plead…

Universal Music Korea inks Korean-Australian alternative hip-hop group 1300, placing them alongside a roster that includes other acclaimed Korean artists. Universal Music Korean (UMK), a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has announced the signing of Korean-Australian alter…

Independent promoter Jade Presents has filed for bankruptcy weeks after announcing it was shutting down after more than 30 years in business. Fargo-based indie promoter Jade Presents has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the weeks after announcing it was shutting down…

Is it time to ban “ghost tickets” once and for all? NIVA and Fan Alliance believe so, and they’re urging federal lawmakers to decommission speculative passes by implementing “universal price gouging limitations,” hefty fines, and more. The National Independent Venue Association (…

Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville apartment, police have confirmed. No foul play is suspected. He was 29 years old. Brytavious Chambers, better known as producer Tay Keith, was found dead in his Nashville apartment on Thursday afternoon, the Metr…

CISAC launches the first global format to modernize audiovisual music data and improve payments, but will it cause more confusion than clarification? The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) has announced the launch of AVR+, the first fully do…

BMG and the majors have officially petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the landmark Vetter v. Resnik termination decision, arguing that the appellate court’s “startling conclusion departs from bedrock copyright law” and “unsettles long-settled judicial, academic, industry, an…