Introducing Spotify Technology: The DSP is officially in the business of selling software and has already made several “battle-tested” products available to clients. Spotify disclosed the enterprise-focused expansion in a detail-oriented article, touting the buildout as an initia…

Ahead of the much-anticipated release of the latest Grand Theft Auto game, Rockstar Games reveals that the in-game radio stations will feature some serious talent on hosting duty. Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated new entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Grand Theft Auto VI,…

Audio wellness platform Sollos is marking World Mental Health Day with a release of re-engineered tracks from major artists via Apple Music. Today, audio wellness platform Sollos is marking World Mental Health Day by releasing a slew of re-engineered tracks from artists like Oliv…

It’s been a bad week for music criminals – including streaming fraudster Michael Smith and now business manager Sean Welch, who’s reported to federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Said guilty plea arrived in December 2025, following an initial indictment in early 20…

A copyright case involving Dr. Luke enters settlement proceedings, but a third party has filed an intervention request, alleging an authorship stake. This week, in the ever-shifting world of copyright infringement lawsuits, two parties on opposing sides of a copyright infringemen…

On the heels of K-pop groups BTS and Stray Kids boycotting the Grammys, Drake makes it clear that he too is boycotting the awards event—again. Drake has a storied history of distaste for the Grammy Awards, having said previously that “what was once the highest form of recognition…

One massive contract renewal later, Michael Rapino is set to continue as Live Nation’s president and CEO – pulling down upwards of $60 million per year, provided the company hits certain performance targets – through 2031. The publicly traded promoter (NYSE: LYV) shed light on th…

Joe Rogan enters into a new multiyear partnership with Spotify, estimated at around $250 million, sources say. Rogan first inked with Spotify in 2020. Today, Spotify announced that Joe Rogan, the top podcaster in the country for several years, has renewed his multiyear partnershi…

Suno the live music specialist? About one year after acquiring Songkick, the AI upstart has tapped longtime Ticketmaster partnerships exec Michael Chua to lead the concert discovery platform. Cambridge-headquartered Suno made the high-profile hire official today, noting that Chua…

Live Nation recently disclosed a data breach that exposed sensitive customer information, according to details unearthed by DMN. Already, multiple class action lawsuits have emerged, with potentially more on the way. The disclosure was easy to miss. On October 1st, Live Nation qu…

Following the sentencing of Michael Smith, the US Copyright Office launches a formal notice of inquiry (NOI) into music streaming fraud. After the conviction and sentencing of music streaming fraudster Michael Smith, the U.S. Copyright Office published a notice of inquiry (NOI) o…

Spotify expands its audiobook access to over 180 markets as subscriptions to its Audiobook+ tier surpass one million users. It’s a well-known fact at this point that music publishers, particularly in the United States, led by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), have…

DeepSeek is reportedly poised to raise as much as $15 billion, with Tencent among the gargantuan round’s leading participants. The massive figure just recently entered the stateside media spotlight; CNBC and others attributed the high-end total to anonymous sources as opposed to…

Following a leak from Apple Music implying that Miley Cyrus would be the next Super Bowl halftime headliner—Miley has fun on social media with the rumors. This week, Apple Music appeared to leak a hint about the upcoming Super Bowl LXI halftime headliner with a since-deleted Inst…

AEG and O2 announce a massive extension of their long-standing naming rights partnership through 2038—the largest such renewal in UK history. It’s been a big year for The O2, and ahead of the venue’s 20th anniversary next year, AEG and O2 have announced a massive extension of the…

Apple, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, and more have entered into agreements allowing Word Collections to license and collect all songwriter and music publisher royalties for its clients directly from those services in territories outside the United States. This article was cre…

SpaceXAI’s Grok Bot, which is said to provide “AI teammates that do real work for you,” is officially set to begin utilizing Suno’s music generation models. That’s according to Elon Musk, who disclosed the anticipated use of Suno (plus some non-music AI platforms) in a brief X po…

Ahead of what could prove a dragged-out rate-setting clash, DSPs including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Qobuz have responded to the newly submitted Phonorecords V mechanical rate proposal. We exclusively broke down that proposal yesterday, when the Songwriters Guild of…

Following WMG’s major staffing shakeups and moves into new regions, Atlantic tees up a partnership with Kakao Entertainment to buoy K-pop artists. Warner Music Group subsidiary Atlantic Music Group (AMG) has joined forces with Korean entertainment company Kakao to support the wor…

Saudi Arabia’s Soundstorm festival will not be taking place this year, the organizer MDLBEAST announced, but promises it will return in 2027. Saudi Arabia’s Soundstorm festival, which was due to take place in Riyadh in December, has been canceled this year. Organizer MDLBEAST mad…

Is it time to put overly complex (and easily exploitable) mechanical rate formulas in the rearview? Organizations including the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA) believe so, and they’re now backing a Phonorecords V proposal that would swap convoluted calculations for a flat per-…

Google secures a major win against Penske Media as a federal judge dismisses claims that the tech giant unlawfully used their content in its AI-generated summaries. A federal judge has dismissed lawsuits from education technology company Chegg and Penske Media that alleged Google…

Freddie Jackson, the silky-voiced R&B singer known for hits like “Rock Me Tonight” and “You Are My Lady,” passed away on Monday at age 69. Freddie Jackson, the R&B singer best known for hits like “Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)” and “You Are My Lady,” passed away on Monday,…

Michael Smith, the North Carolina man convicted of stealing over $8 million in streaming royalties, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, has announced that Michael Smith was sentenced to 18 months in p…

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is officially set to begin distributing a sizable pile of unmatched and unclaimed “black box” royalties in April 2027. The MLC disclosed the distribution timetable during its annual membership meeting, which also saw the entity confirm no…

FKA twigs settles her long-running legal battle against actor Shia LaBeouf over ugly sexual battery allegations, enabling her to discuss the matter. FKA twigs is finally free to speak about the alleged abuse she suffered from actor Shia LaBeouf after resolving a long-running disp…

Dolly Parton’s estate claims that her nephew and former head of security is using barbed wire and a “no trespassing” sign to evade a lawsuit. The estate of Dolly Parton alleges that Bryan Seaver, the late singer’s “beloved” nephew and former head of security, is attempting to eva…

GoDigital Music expands into Asia with a partnership with Japanese entertainment company Pony Canyon and a new president for the APAC market. GoDigital Music has announced a significant expansion in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) market, appointing executive Sebastian Mair as President…

When it rains, it pours and, in Suno’s case, keeps on pouring: Besides facing a number of stateside lawsuits as well as international copyright claims, the AI music generator is now grappling with a formal investigation in Italy over its allegedly “unfair terms.” The Italian Comp…

Apple Music introduces a new logo alongside its latest software updates, intensifying its competition with Spotify for the top paid DSP in the US. After Apple debuted a new logo in the press materials and on the official website of its Apple Music Hall announcement last month, sp…

San Diego’s SSBD Festival claims it cut 99% of ticketing fees with its self-made Shopify platform, lowering the price of one of its tiers by $60. San Diego’s Same Same But Different Festival (SSBD) says it has lowered the price of one of its ticketing tiers by $60, slashing ticke…

Warner Music Group expands its regional leadership in the Middle East and North Africa after seismic shifts across the United States and beyond. Warner Music Group (WMG) has announced a strategic expansion of its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) leadership team as the company…

The Music Impact Coalition will kick off its new initiative starting in North Carolina with a combined $3 million grant for music and arts education. A coalition of more than 20 of the nation’s top music and arts foundations and organizations has joined forces on an initiative to…

The Joy Awards, Saudi Arabia’s answer to the Grammy Awards, have been canceled amid financial strain on the country’s entertainment sector. Saudi Arabia’s Joy Awards, its annual Grammy-like event held in January, has been canceled this year amid financial strain and the Iran war…

You can spend three weeks getting a melody right and three minutes clicking through the music publishing agreement that determines who gets paid for it. That imbalance should bother everyone who writes music. We devote enormous attention to creating the work, then too often treat…

In a headache-inducing weekend for concertgoers, fans across the US couldn’t access or transfer tickets due to a systemwide Ticketmaster outage. As a result, some would-be attendees found themselves outside venues with tickets they had paid for. On Friday night, fans across the c…

Data quality in the music business is no longer just an administrative concern — it’s a revenue issue. When repertoire and rights information is incomplete, inconsistent, or poorly reconciled across the ecosystem, royalties get delayed, misallocated, or missed altogether. This ar…

It’s high time the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) judges approved the proposed Phonorecords V settlement – at least according to the major labels, the NMPA, and the other signatories, which are defending the “reasonable” deal in response to questions centering on different partici…

Spotify’s stock is down nearly 30% year-over-year, with UBS dropping its price target due to cost pressures despite a generally bullish mood. Spotify’s stock (SPOT) has been lackluster this year, down nearly 30% year-over-year, despite the broader sentiment remaining bullish as t…

With an eye on spearheading further expansion initiatives, Beatport has scored an investment from Square Nine Capital. Denver-headquartered Beatport and Peter Ma-founded Square Nine recently announced the underlying agreement – albeit without divulging the hard numbers at hand. K…

Erica Campbell’s label has quickly settled its lawsuit against distributor SRG over alleged royalty non-payment just two weeks after filing the case. Gospel singer-songwriter Erica Campbell’s label My Block has voluntarily dismissed its royalty-related lawsuit against distributor…

I spend most of my time thinking about a fairly narrow question: what does an independent artist actually need from a distribution platform once “upload and wait” stops being enough? I’ve been building the DIY product for artists at Amuse for years, and the honest answer keeps ch…

Sony Music’s AI deepfakes crackdown is intensifying: As of September’s end, the major label had fired off north of 250,000 cumulative soundalike-track takedown demands. That concrete figure came to light in a recent Financial Times piece, which pointed to over 260,000 deepfake ta…

Ed Sheeran brings out a surprise opener at his October 3 show in Atlanta amid the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s exit. On Saturday, October 3, Ed Sheeran brought out a surprise guest opener at his show in Atlanta, following Macklemore’s controversial exit from the tour. Aft…

UMG and Apple Corps have re-released The Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul in an expanded form, featuring previously unreleased session recordings. On Friday, Universal Music Group (UMG) and The Beatles’ Apple Corps released an expanded special edition of the band’s landmark 1965 a…

Shakira’s concert in Madrid on October 3 was the most-viewed livestream performance by a female artist on Amazon Music in history. Shakira’s highly anticipated concert in Madrid on October 3 set a new record for the most-watched livestream performance by a female artist on Amazon…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of October 2nd, 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@digitalmusi…

Diddy is reportedly living a luxury lifestyle in prison, complete with a team of fellow inmates who act as his personal staff. Sean “Diddy” Combs arrived at Fort Dix in New Jersey last October after more than a year at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, and since then…

Gabe Jagger’s whynow scoops up Warner Music Group’s direct-to-consumer brand, EMP, to create an “integrated global fan commerce platform.” Gabe Jagger’s entertainment company whynow has acquired Warner Music Group’s (WMG) EMP Merchandise, a leading rock and pop culture merch reta…

Should AI music get its own separate chart? Kelly Clarkson thinks it should, even amid her own enthusiasm for AI developments, and she’s not alone. Kelly Clarkson believes that AI can play a significant role in the music industry, but a clear distinction should be made between AI…

With an eye on helping content creators turn their “followers into lasting fans” – and aggressively pursuing acquisitions in the space – Live Nation has launched “Creator Nation.” The Ticketmaster parent formally announced Creator Nation’s debut yesterday, after closing out 2024…

To surface better Shorts recommendations for users, YouTube has adjusted its algorithm to “focus on originality.” YouTube says it will “focus on originality” in recommending Shorts to users, adjusting its algorithm so that users will see less unoriginal content. As a result of th…

Despite facing considerable pushback – and prompting multiple boycotts – the Grammys’ controversial “Best Asian Pop Music Performance” award category will still be part of the 2027 event. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed as much in a statement today, following unc…

How’s Suno faring after shifting exclusively to licensed models? Quite well, according to CEO Mikey Shulman, who says the company now boasts “far beyond” two million subscribers and $300 million in annual recurring revenue. Shulman pointed to continued growth – albeit without div…

The Game is suing Virgin and UMG over his underwhelming album sales, claiming they didn’t spend most of the promised advertising budget and that sales of the record suffered for it. Rapper The Game, along with his company 100 Entertainment, is suing Virgin Music Group and Univers…

Ahead of Michael Smith’s October 6th sentencing, the Music Fights Fraud Alliance (MFFA) has submitted a letter to the court arguing for a significant sentence to deter future abuse. Michael Smith, who was convicted of stealing royalties from artists and songwriters with millions…

After abruptly calling off its 2025 edition – and allegedly failing to refund would-be attendees – Evolutions Music Festival and its organizers are facing a fraud lawsuit in New York. AG Letitia James recently announced the action, which spans 17 pages and names as defendants the…

Stockholm-based entertainment and music investment powerhouse Pophouse Entertainment has officially acquired a 50% stake in the publishing and master recording rights of Australian singer-songwriter Sia, per details shared this morning. It’s a big deal, though this time, critical…

Attorney Tony Buzbee could face a $25 million defamation suit filed by an attorney he accused of turning former clients against him during his legal brawl with Jay-Z. Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee could yet face a $25 million defamation lawsuit filed by a Mississippi attorney he accus…

Rick Ross speaks out following his arrest for felony and misdemeanor domestic violence charges in Miami Beach, denying the allegations against him. Rapper Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach on Thursday and faces a felony battery charge and a misdemeanor battery charge stemming…