Three people have now reportedly died at Burning Man in less than a week, with one dying en route to the hospital and another found dead in his camp. After reports of a death at Burning Man last week, two more individuals have been reported dead over the weekend. Craigh Mann, 60,…

Spotify co-founder and Stockholm-based billionaire Martin Lorentzon says he’d leave Sweden immediately if the country imposes wealth taxes. Spotify’s co-founder Martin Lorentzon recently confirmed he would leave Sweden “immediately” if the country introduces new wealth taxes. The…

Amid an intensifying AI licensing legal battle with Universal Music and Warner Music, the AFM is firing back against the majors’ dismissal arguments – including by maintaining that the relevant provision of their labor contract “is reasonably susceptible to more than one interpre…

Nearly 28 months after the bundling-focused Mechanical Licensing Collective v. Spotify legal battle kicked off, a federal judge has denied the MLC’s push for an interlocutory appeal. We broke down that straightforward push closer to the top of 2026, following a definitive win for…

China’s Tencent Music announces a $1B bond offering amid serious top-line margin pressure, with a major drop in TME shares year-over-year. Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), China’s leading all-in-one music and entertainment platform, has announced its public bond offering of $1…

Oasis is opposed to the auction of over 100 hours of early recordings, but the sale is apparently legal. However, any buyer would be unable to commercialize the archive without the band’s consent. An archive of over 100 hours of early Oasis recordings and outtakes is up for aucti…

The Music Industry Therapist Collective launches an industry-funded occupational health program for artists and crew on small- and mid-scale tours. The Music Industry Therapist Collective CIC (MITC) has launched the Pay It Forward Fund, an industry-funded, free-at-source, occupat…

Over a dozen people were hospitalized during a Chainsmokers concert in San Jose due to “suspected alcohol intoxication and drug-related issues.” It’s the latest unfortunate meltdown for the touring EDM duo. On Friday night, at least 14 people were hospitalized during a Chainsmoke…

Jay-Z delivered a historic two-night sold-out London run at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, celebrating 30 years since his debut album. On Saturday, September 5, Jay-Z brought his two-night London run to a historic close at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, selling out both nights and delive…

Macklemore faces a petition to be removed as Ed Sheeran’s opening act after his politically charged set divided fans and earned criticism from Pink. Over the weekend, Macklemore opened for Ed Sheeran, but his political remarks during the set have earned him a petition trying to g…

Getting heard was never the same thing as building an audience… For the better part of the last decade, independent musicians have participated in one of the strangest rituals in modern music marketing. We make a record, spend months or years getting it right, release it into the…

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of September 4th, 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@digitalmu…

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is scheduled for a standalone floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives during the week of September 14. On Thursday, a report from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) revealed that U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA…

The NFL and Roc Nation announce the 2026 Songs of the Season, an initiative that brings a dynamic lineup of artists to soundtrack the NFL season. The National Football League and Roc Nation have announced the launch of its 2026 Songs of the Season, a season-long initiative bringi…

Weeks out from his official Warner Music Group (WMG) exit, former CFO and COO Armin Zerza has cashed in on a cool $1.87 million worth of company stock. The short-lived WMG exec disclosed the selloff, executed via his trust, in an SEC filing yesterday. All told, Zerza moved 63,299…

On the heels of a massive Q2 2026 music industry funding jump – to nearly $6 billion in total – July and August brought with them a material year-over-year decrease. This early Q3 dip and other valuable takeaways are made possible by DMN Pro’s Music Industry Funding Tracker, whic…

Numerous Dolly Parton tribute specials have aired across four different networks, all attracting impressive audiences for broadcast television at a time when viewership is traditionally low. Since Dolly Parton’s passing on August 25, four different broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, NB…

European Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen will deliver a keynote address at a conference in Dublin on the future of copyright in the age of AI. The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and newspaper publishers have invited Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice Pres…

Jay-Z’s ongoing feud with former football star Colin Kaepernick intensifies as the ex-quarterback criticizes the rapper and mogul’s NFL deal. Jay-Z isn’t exactly known for having a close relationship with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and there’s no love lost between t…

BET announces the triumphant return of the long-running awards show to TV this fall, with a show taped in Chicago, presented by Spotify and Toyota. BET and Spotify have announced the return to television of the long-running Soul Train Awards this fall, with a show taped in Chicag…

Suno has pulled an ad featuring Mary J. Blige in which she seemingly endorsed the platform after it was revealed the deal was made without her authorization. After R&B icon Mary J. Blige received a deluge of hateful comments online over a Suno ad in which she appeared to endorse…

Let the battle of lyric providers continue: Following several months of discussions, LyricFind and Musixmatch have failed to reach a mediation agreement – meaning an agreement about beginning mediation – in their ugly courtroom confrontation. Counsel for each of the platforms (an…

Primary Wave Music announces a partnership with the estate of Wilson Pickett covering the legendary soul singer’s catalog, name, image, and likeness. Leading indie publisher Primary Wave Music has announced a partnership with the estate of the legendary Wilson Pickett. The partne…

UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle and Outernet London announce a new partnership to transform the music scene across London’s Denmark Street. UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle (UMHL) and Outernet London have announced a new partnership to transform the way visitors experience music acr…

Post Malone, Zayn Malik, Meghan Trainor, and the Pussycat Dolls all canceled or softened their touring aspirations in 2026. Four very different acts, four canceled or scaled-back tours. The industry term ‘blue dot fever’ refers to the proliferation of unsold seats that can turn a…

The music IP acquisitions aren’t finished yet: HarbourView has announced a deal covering David Kershenbaum’s “interest in producer royalties and master recordings,” including stakes in tracks popularized by Tracy Chapman and Joe Jackson. HarbourView reached out with word of its l…

South Korean authorities are seeking an indictment of Bang Si-Hyuk, K-pop music mogul and founder and chairman of Hybe, over alleged investor fraud. South Korean authorities are seeking an indictment of Hybe founder and chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, the music mogul behind K-pop supergro…

DEAG founder Peter Schwenkow plans a return to the live events business in a serious way, focusing on building a pan-European network of “mid-sized” promoters, producers, and operators. Prof. Peter Schwenkow, the founder of Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG), is eyeing a major retu…

With an eye on expanding his presence in markets throughout Asia, Kaskade has inked an exclusive partnership deal with Ne-Yo’s Pacific Music Group (PMG). The veteran DJ and the Hong Kong-headquartered “next-generation music company” reached out to DMN with word of their tie-up, w…

K-pop agency SM and China’s Tencent Music unite to launch a joint venture to develop a new Chinese idol group and manage SM artists in Greater China. South Korean agency SM Entertainment has announced a joint venture with Tencent Music Entertainment Group in China with plans to d…

When it rains, it pours: SOCAN has filed a Suno copyright lawsuit of its own, accusing the platform of unlawfully training on protected works and then generating infringing outputs. SOCAN submitted the straightforward complaint to Canada’s Federal Court today, moments after activ…

With a number of AI copyright battles unfolding – and with billions riding on the all-important fair use question – the Justice Department has doubled down on its position that training LLMs on protected text constitutes fair use. The DOJ reiterated its training stance yesterday,…

Pay attention. It’s your music and they handle a lot. I have been actively looking for a new music distributor, which is one of those jobs that sounds simple until you actually start doing it. I compared services, read terms, looked at pricing, thought about my catalog and tried…

California’s state senate and assembly passed AB 1349 despite the arts communities cautioning that it is no longer the bill they initially supported. Despite numerous warnings from small businesses and arts communities that California’s “ghost” ticketing bill AB 1349 was no longe…

Musicians union AFM Local 47 celebrates the passage of California’s SB 186, which it says will save hundreds of its 5,000 members’ jobs across the entertainment industry. As a proud member of the Entertainment Union Coalition, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and Local…

Brazil’s President Lula da Silva has signed the ‘Taylor Swift Law’ to protect fans from the abusive resale of tickets and to provide free drinking water at large events. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, has signed two decrees that expand customer protection mec…

Sports betting platform FanDuel rolls out its upgraded app, with an ad campaign featuring an All-American Rejects cover of a Johnny Cash classic. In a new ad campaign to announce the rollout of sports betting platform FanDuel’s upgraded app, the company has gone all out tapping r…

Following the Supreme Court’s Cox v. Sony decision, internet service provider RCN is doubling down on its push to end the copyright suit filed against it by the major labels. Technically, it’s been months since the defendant initially moved to invoke the unanimous Supreme Court d…

Rep. Thomas Massie named alleged Epstein co-conspirators on the House floor amid his launch of a major push for the ‘Epstein Files Transparency Act II’. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has continuously pushed for the release of files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ove…

A judge has reversed his earlier decision, ruling in favor of Bad Bunny and striking down a significant portion of a massive copyright lawsuit affecting over 150 artists. In a rare move, U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. has reversed his earlier decision and ruled in favor of…

Alanis Morissette is suing her former tour manager with extortion and fraud allegations involving threats to falsely report the singer for drug trafficking. Alanis Morissette has filed a lawsuit against her 2025 tour manager, Keren Urinov, whom she accuses of orchestrating a “cal…

Another day, another high-stakes copyright lawsuit against Suno – this time from Latin label and publisher Gerencia 360, which is accusing the AI music platform of infringing on hundreds of compositions and recordings. Founded by Luis del Villar 13 years back, Burbank-headquarter…

We’ve been hearing plenty about Suno’s allegedly infringing training process and outputs. But what about its alleged publicity and likeness rights violations? Now, the platform is facing a sweeping class action for allegedly capitalizing on “musician-specific identifying attribut…

Thanks to solid paid streaming growth – and double-digit revenue hikes across vinyl, CDs, and sync alike – U.S. recorded music revenue is said to have approached $6 billion during 2026’s opening half. These and other recorded revenue figures come from the Recording Industry Assoc…

New RIAA figures released this morning are reigniting a familiar question: are CDs actually staging a comeback, or is the format riding a temporary sales bump? According to the RIAA’s newly released H1 2026 mid-year report, U.S. recorded music revenue reached nearly $6 billion in…

Sony Music Japan will acquire a 23.29% stake in video game developer GungHo Online Entertainment, making Sony Music the company’s largest shareholder. GungHo Online Entertainment, the Japanese video game developer best known for its massive mobile hit Puzzle & Dragons, has a new…

Katy Perry’s 2011 hit “The One That Got Away” has been claimed by a new generation on TikTok, becoming the Global and US Song of the Summer 2026. As the warm summer air turns crisp and cool on the cusp of fall, TikTok reveals its annual Songs of the Summer list, celebrating the m…

A federal judge dismissed the remaining claims against Lizzo and her production company in a long-running lawsuit filed by her former wardrobe stylist. On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed the remaining claims against Lizzo’s production company in a lawsuit filed by her former w…

BMG and Concord announce the successful completion of their merger, confirming a new leadership team and a bright path forward. Today, BMG and Concord announced the completion of their highly anticipated merger, creating a new global music company on par with the majors with the…

A jury has found Duane Davis guilty in the murder of Tupac Shakur, 30 years after the rapper was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. The jury has found Duane “Keefe D” Davis (sometimes spelled “Keffe D”) guilty in the murder of Tupac Shakur, just weeks before the 30th ann…

Warner Music Central Europe announces the launch of Warner Records Germany in Berlin, headed by director Lea Londa. On Tuesday, Warner Music Central Europe announced the official launch of Warner Records Germany, establishing a frontline label powered by one of the music industry…

About two months later, the Jermaine Dupri v. Sony Music unpaid royalties battle – involving north of $18 million in allegedly due payments – has drawn to a close. Dupri and his So So Def Recordings label made the case’s conclusion official in a recent voluntary dismissal notice.…

Udio has fired back against Sony Music’s supersized copyright suit – including by doubling down on its fair use argument and by accusing the major of engaging “in anticompetitive activities that extend an unlawful monopoly over the production and commercialization of music.” The…

A ‘Lion King’ composer sued a comedian over a joke and now owes $40,000 in legal fees after the lawsuit failed to gain traction. This story was updated on September 1st to include comments from defense attorney Bryan Sullivan, who declared a ‘complete victory’ in the case (see be…

Looking to build on The Wizard of Oz’s record revenue – and the popularity of the exclusive film’s existing effects – Sphere is officially preparing to add “a series of new and expanded 4D effects” next month. Sphere Entertainment officially shed light on those enhancements today…

Senators file an amicus brief opposing Roblox’s and Discord’s appeal, arguing that the Ending Forced Arbitration Act (EFAA) prevents forced arbitration of a sexual abuse survivor. On Friday, three U.S. Democratic senators filed an amicus brief condemning both gaming platform Robl…

Dolly Parton’s estate announces a two-day celebration of her musical legacy originally planned by the artist herself for her 80th birthday in January. On Monday, the estate of Dolly Parton officially announced Dollyfest, a two-day event celebrating her extensive musical legacy, s…

A public defender steps in after D4vd’s lawyers bow out. The singer appears to have run out of cash despite making at least $11 million from his record deal with Interscope. David Burke, the legal name of the disgraced singer D4vd, has encountered a major obstacle in his murder c…

Spam farms have hijacked the YouTube and Spotify profiles of numerous jazz musicians, pushing out genAI slop tracks with cover art featuring genAI anime girls. The Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube profiles of jazz musicians like William “Sonny” Criss have been inundated with AI…

A California bill that enjoyed the support of indie venues and music industry groups now faces many of those same groups urging lawmakers to kill it. California’s AB 1349, a bill that would ban speculative ticketing, introduce anti-bot measures, ban bogus ticket-selling sites, an…