Second verse, same as the first: Prosecutors again seek a 15-year prison sentence for Kakao founder Kim Beom-su for alleged SM Entertainment stock price manipulation. Kakao founder Kim Beom-su once again faces a potential 15-year prison sentence over the alleged stock price manip…

Primary Wave has partnered with the estate of Robert Palmer under a deal extending to the “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” artist’s catalog and all-important name, image, and likeness rights. The Palmer estate and Primary Wave formally announced their tie-up today – albe…

Coachella and YouTube consummate their marriage with a renewed partnership to livestream the festival and its content exclusively on YouTube through 2030. Today, Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Head of Music, announced that the company has renewed its livestream and content partnership wit…

Meta announces three new pairs of smart glasses, including an audio-only, AI-interactive version—and they’ll only set you back $349. Meta has announced three new pairs of smart glasses, unveiled during the company’s Meta Connect conference on Wednesday. Founder and CEO Mark Zucke…

Calvin Harris earns a Guinness World Record after playing to a crowd of 1.6 million in Brazil—the largest attendance for a DJ set by a single artist. Scottish DJ Calvin Harris drew a crowd of approximately 1.6 million people to his free pre-Carnival performance in São Paulo, Braz…

As NIL protections become a critical focus for IP, hip-hop duo Outkast sue rapper Ovrkast for allegedly using a “nearly identical” name on purpose. Hip-hop duo Outkast has filed a lawsuit against rapper and producer Ovrkast for trademark infringement, alleging his “nearly identic…

One week ago, a federal court granted StubHub’s motion to compel arbitration in a proposed class action centering on CEO Eric Baker’s alleged ticket-broker ties. Now, the presiding judge has explained the ruling in a 21-page opinion. Said opinion hit the docket yesterday, after J…

Italy’s Sanremo Music Festival has implemented strict rules concerning the use of AI, and organizers have reserved the right to utilize “any available technology to check” competitors’ songs for machine contributions. Sanremo Music Festival made the AI stance official in a newly…

ValuePunks, the catalog valuation platform built by Swiss music technology company Tribe Music Group AG, is extending its offering into publishing this week. This free valuation gives songwriters, composers, and publishers a quick, transparent way to value their catalogs. Composi…

Pan-African developer The Zaria Group announces plans for a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Nairobi to help kit out the city’s infrastructure. Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, will be the home of a proposed $294 million, 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena at the Nairobi Railway Cit…

Apple announces the opening of Apple Music Hall in London, designed to connect artists and fans through bespoke, intimate performances. Apple has announced the opening of Apple Music Hall, a brand-new state-of-the-art live music venue in London’s Battersea Power Station, designed…

Ahead of its quick-approaching launch, AI-powered music startup GRAI has officially acquired social streaming platform Hangout. Warsaw-headquartered GRAI reached out with word of the purchase today, about one month after licensing some two dozen AI patents from Universal Music. E…

Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind CoComelon, launches Big Feelings Music, with Snoop Dogg’s Doggyland among its initial partnerships. Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind the kids’ entertainment YouTube channel CoComelon, has announced the launch of Big Feelings Musi…

Streaming won the listening war. Physical media found another job: making money. Apparently physical media is back, which is wonderful news for anyone who has spent the past twenty years wondering what to do with all those shelves. Vinyl has been back for so long that we should p…

Ozzy Osbourne’s Ozzfest is due to return to the United States next year after a decade-long hiatus and a reemergence in Ozzy’s UK hometown. Though Ozzy Osbourne died last year, his legacy lives on with a cornucopia of creative projects headed by his family. Among those is an AI-g…

UMG and Sony file another copyright lawsuit against Suno, and the AI company claps back with a statement that the suit is “fundamentally flawed.” Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment continue to heat things up in their ongoing legal battle against the AI music platf…

Dolly Parton’s estate recently fired her nephew, who announced her passing and served as head of her security for 20 years, alleging he made violent threats against others associated with the estate. Bryan Seaver, Dolly Parton’s beloved nephew who had served as the head of her se…

Snapchat announces a suite of new AI-powered tools for Lens+ subscribers, including creating songs out of your chats. Since the launch of Snapchat’s Lens+ premium subscription model last year, the company has stepped it up with even more exclusive Lenses and other immersive AR ex…

Shein files a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Selena’s estate, arguing it should be shielded from liability as an e-commerce platform that isn’t manufacturing the allegedly infringing items. E-commerce platform Shein has filed a motion to dismiss the copyright infringement…

Mixed-reality concert firm Unit 1 Studio raises $26.7 million in a new funding round to expand its technology and grow its roster of avatar-based concerts. UK-based mixed-reality concert production firm Unit1 Studio has announced securing £20 million ($26.7 million) in its latest…

My music is staying. My money and attention are leaving. I canceled my Spotify subscription. Yes, my music is still there, and if that is where you listen to me, please enjoy it. I am not organizing a boycott or imagining that my cancellation caused someone in Stockholm at Spotif…

Warner Chappell is streamlining its leadership structure, and as part of a new C-suite shakeup, co-chair and COO Carianne Marshall is exiting the company. The overarching Warner Music Group (WMG) formally announced Marshall’s departure today, and the eight-year company vet is exp…

Electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso pulled their music from Spotify a year ago but are now reluctantly putting it back on the streaming platform due to financial struggles. After pulling their music from Spotify last year in protest of founder Daniel Ek’s military technology investments,…

A scientific review of 57 studies finds that music may do more than distract from pain; it might change the way the brain interprets pain signals. Scientists reviewing 57 individual studies found that music may do more for your mind and body than just distract from pain—it might…

Winamp announces a strategic partnership with Deezer to power the development of Winamp’s newest iteration of its iconic music player. Winamp has announced a landmark strategic partnership with Deezer to power Winamp’s own premium music subscription service in the development of…

Weeks after adjusting its rules to allow the registration of certain machine-generated works, the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) has quietly returned to a zero-tolerance AI policy. KOMCA just recently implemented the change, which is live on the appropriate website. Fo…

A man has been sentenced to prison after making millions from fake records in the largest seizure of counterfeit vinyl in UK history. A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison after making £2.7 million ($3.6 million) from fake records in the largest…

How many lawsuits is that now? Universal Music and Sony Music have fired off another complaint against Suno for allegedly training on an “enormous number of copyrighted sound recordings” without authorization. With their original Suno copyright suit still in motion, the non-Warne…

Just like that, fan registrations for Oasis’ 2027 mega-tour are a wrap, and unique onsale access codes are expected to become available later in September. The Oasis Live ‘27 registration concluded yesterday at 8 AM PT, only days after the 38-date concert series’ announcement. Wi…

Rep. Darrell Issa introduced a bill aimed at creating an expedited process to block foreign piracy sites. But already, it’s getting slammed by critics. On Monday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) introduced a bill aimed at creating an expedited judicial process for copyright owners to ob…

A federal judge says Trump must provide 30 days’ notice on any changes to the Kennedy Center’s renovation plans, including demolition. The move comes after Trump was photographed overlooking a placard indicating that demolition was forthcoming. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ch…

Your next gig should make sense for your music — and your bank account. Somewhere along the way, musicians were sold the idea that accepting a gig is evidence of progress. You booked something. You have a date to post. You are getting out there. But after the rehearsals, travel,…

Longtime Suno subscribers are abandoning ship, believing that its new V6 model, developed in partnership with major labels, lacks the quality of its predecessors. Suno unveiled its new V6 model earlier this month, which promises a new suite of music generation models developed in…

With an eye on “developing a globally connected rights management framework for the UAE,” MusicNation Copyrights Management has officially inked a reciprocal agreement with SoundExchange. SoundExchange and MusicNation, the United Arab Emirates’ newly minted CMO, announced their e…

The House Committee advances the recently amended MAIN Event Ticketing Act with a unanimous vote, but it raises concerns about Live Nation’s motives. The MAIN Event Ticketing Act has unanimously cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee with a 36-0 vote, having drawn suppor…

Atlantic Records and Rockstar Games announce ‘Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album,’ featuring 34 exclusive new tracks, including six singles available today. Atlantic Records/WMG and Rockstar Games have announced Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, the upcoming official soundtrack from th…

Apollo reveals that its managed funds and affiliates have provided a $1.25 billion equity capital solution to support the BMG+Concord merger. American asset management firm Apollo Global Management has revealed that its managed funds and affiliates have provided an impressive $1.…

15 months after closing a $100 million raise – and with its revenue having “more than tripled” during the past three years – Fever has scored a $250 million primary equity round. The IRL events-discovery platform (and Dice parent) disclosed the quarter-billion-dollar funding blas…

SubmitHub switches it up with a new AI policy that will keep AI music off the platform—even at the cost of up to 10% of its current revenue. SubmitHub has announced a new AI policy that builds on Spotify’s move to keep AI music out of recommendations. With Spotify tightening the…

Nashville announces a citywide celebration of Dolly Parton’s legacy set for September 25, or 9/25—a nod to her iconic song and movie “9 to 5.” On Friday, September 25, Nashville is coming together to celebrate one of Tennessee’s most beloved icons by doing what Dolly Parton does…

Over two years later, Congress has officially passed the bipartisan American Music Tourism Act, which is heading to the president’s desk. First introduced back in 2024, the American Music Tourism Act received Senate approval in 2025, and the House passed the same version of the b…

Another day, yet another Suno class action lawsuit, filed, like at least two others before it, over the AI music platform’s alleged November 2025 data breach. A South Dakota-based Suno user named Michael Beckham submitted the straightforward suit to a Massachusetts federal court…

The NFL announces Burna Boy will headline the halftime show during the 2026 NFL Paris Game between Pittsburgh and New Orleans on October 25. The National Football League has announced that Burna Boy will headline the halftime show during the 2026 NFL Paris Game between the Pittsb…

Following its legal battle with R&B singer Kenny Lattimore, SRG now faces a lawsuit from gospel singer Erica Campbell. Erica Campbell’s record label has filed a lawsuit against distributor SRG over the royalties for her 2023 album, I Love You. The gospel singer’s label, My Block…

Spotify launches Fresh Finds Forward, a program giving about 10,000 emerging indie artists annually the resources to support long-term growth. Spotify has announced Fresh Finds Forward, a new program giving approximately 10,000 emerging independent artists each year the resources…

Music royalty collection platform Notes.fm raises $5 million from leading artists, managers, executives, and strategic partners across the industry. Notes.fm, the platform for collecting music royalties that helps musicians and music companies identify and collect 100% of their r…

After Macklemore loudly challenges Robert Kraft to match his $1 million donation to support Palestine, Robert Kraft reveals that he and Ed Sheeran had already quietly donated four times that sum a day earlier. As the Ed Sheeran tour controversy continued to intensify this week, M…

Your feed made her famous and then called it “organic” discovery. The music business loves a miracle, especially one it can invoice. Every few months, a new artist supposedly appears from nowhere, posts the right fifteen seconds of a song, and wakes up inside a career that once r…

Just like that, another would-be class action complaint – filed this time against StubHub over its CEO’s alleged ties to a ticket-resale fund – is heading to arbitration. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff granted StubHub’s motion to compel arbitration in a single-page order, besides s…

MNRK Music Group has officially acquired the “complete” recorded catalog of Zakk Wylde-founded Black Label Society (BLS), including over 300 total tracks from the veteran heavy metal group. New York City-headquartered MNRK, which has a “longstanding partnership” with Wylde and re…

Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour continues, even without his opening acts, and now tickets are being sold online at a significant loss. One notable side effect of the ongoing feud over Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour and Macklemore’s controversial speech that led to him being removed as the opener…

In collaboration with Gallagher Alternative Health Solutions, BMI announces BMI Health Connect to provide US affiliates with personalized guidance. BMI has announced the launch of BMI Health Connect, a free service available exclusively for its U.S.-based songwriters and composer…

Amid Spotify’s robust push into video content, Taylor Swift’s entire music video catalog is now available for premium subscribers. Spotify has announced that all 58 of Taylor Swift’s official music videos are now available to watch on the streaming platform. Alongside an official…

The music industry loves the phrase “artist development” – but ask ten people what it actually means and you’ll get ten different answers. The following comes in Partnership with Blinding Talent. Mark Adams has spent 28 years on both sides of that question: first as a broadcaster…

As phone-free events increase exponentially, MILA Lounge in Miami announces a monthly No-Phone Night, a recurring Thursday night ritual. Phone-free events increased by a staggering 567% globally in 2025, the result of a growing appetite for present and immersive nightlife experie…

Songwriter Cyril Vetter is firing back against the major labels’ aggressive push to bring their high-stakes copyright recapture case before the Supreme Court. The Louisiana-born “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)” co-writer Vetter just recently laid out his opposition arguments acr…

The Kennedy Center’s Trump-appointed board has voted to close the facility over a continuing dispute over putting Trump’s name on the building. Oh yeah, and for “renovations” too. The Kennedy Center’s board of Trump allies voted on Tuesday to close most of the performing arts cen…

Rolling Loud Florida takes over Camping World Stadium on May 7 through May 9, with a presale beginning this Thursday, September 17. “The World’s Largest Hip-Hop Festival” returns to Orlando for Rolling Loud Florida 2027, taking over Camping World Stadium on May 7 through May 9. T…

Disctopia was granted a US patent covering its ability to tie creator payouts to verified listening across music, podcasts, audiobooks, and video. Streaming fraud continues to plague artists trying to make their fair share of the payout pool, and it’s getting even worse as artifi…

“American Idol” is moving production to Georgia for its 25th season after more than two decades in Southern California. After 24 years in Los Angeles, “American Idol” will move production to Atlanta for its 25th season. Production and distribution company Fremantle confirmed the…