Two weeks after Wiz Khalifa nixed his European tour, one of the impacted events, Clout Czechia, has pulled the plug on its 2026 edition. Organizers took to social media to reveal the unfortunate news, which arrived not long before Clout Czechia’s scheduled early July kickoff. Tur…

Albania’s prime minister defended a decision to inject over $4 million to ensure a Kanye concert would take place in the country. On Wednesday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama defended the decision to financially support a concert by the disgraced rapper formerly known as Kanye…

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show will feature a cast of performers including headliners Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. FIFA and Global Citizen have announced that Justin Bieber has joined the roster of headliners for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Sh…

Primary Wave has scored a partnership deal with Foreigner founder Mick Jones, who’s sold a piece of his IP and teed up a collaboration covering touring, NIL, and more. Jones and Primary Wave unveiled their multifaceted tie-up today, and at the top level, the securitization-center…

Donald Trump’s name will stay off the Kennedy Center after the Court of Appeals ruled against the board’s motion to stay the decision to remove it. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled against the Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board’s motion to stay…

Meta has launched a new AI generator, available for free through the Meta AI app, as well as on Instagram Stories and WhatsApp. It’s already a problem. On Tuesday, Meta announced the launch of its new AI image generator, Muse Image, built by its dedicated AI unit, Meta Superintel…

United Musicians and Allied Workers launches the Raise the Bar campaign to improve artist treatment at music venues and put an end to worst practices. United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) launched its “Raise the Bar” campaign to improve artist treatment at music venues ever…

UMG’s GTS has inked a partnership with Telemundo for the US edition of the Spanish music competition, Operación Triunfo Estados Unidos. Universal Music Group’s Global Talent Services (GTS) has signed a deal with Telemundo for Operación Triunfo Estados Unidos, the U.S. adaptation…

Warner Music Group (WMG) has unveiled “a major strategic expansion” at ADA, complete with a new leadership structure and the integration of Revelator’s tech. Meanwhile, Africori and Qanawat are set to begin operating under the ADA banner. WMG disclosed the changes in a formal rel…

This year’s Emmy nominations include Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film, and 50 Cent’s Diddy documentary. The 2026 Emmy Awards nominees have been revealed, including some music-oriented television events, such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour c…

ValuePunks has officially launched, positioning itself as a free and fast catalog valuation platform aimed at artists and independent labels seeking greater transparency in music asset pricing. The platform is developed by Tribe Music Group and hopes to challenge long-standing in…

Three decades and “at least seven” contracts later, Jermaine Dupri is suing Sony Music for allegedly failing to pay north of $18 million in owed royalties due to a combination of “reporting errors” and “contemptuous accounting practices.” Dupri and So So Def Recordings submitted…

NewJeans, label ADOR, and parent company HYBE face a copyright infringement lawsuit for allegedly lifting from an earlier track for their hit “ETA.” A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California accuses K-pop girl group NewJeans, their label AD…

The Danish indie label behind Scatman John has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Spanish artists Moncho Chavea and Morad over a scat sample. Iceberg Records, the Danish independent label behind the late jazz musician Scatman John, has filed a copyright infringement l…

The Spice Girls have regained the rights to the 1997 Spice World movie and have plans to re-release it for their fans after a fresh edit and makeover. Time to spice up your life! The Spice Girls have taken back the rights to the 1997 Spice World movie and have plans to re-release…

Elton John returns to Mexico City after 14 years for two nights in October to bid the city a proper farewell. The shows arrive as he prepares to film in the UK for his Las Vegas hologram residency. After much anticipation, Elton John is finally returning to Mexico City, a major m…

Shakira will make her return to Egypt after nearly 20 years for a concert at the Great Pyramids of Giza in November, organized by Venture Lifestyle. Colombian superstar Shakira will perform a concert at the Great Pyramids of Giza on November 28 in a show organized by Venture Life…

A music powerhouse in the making? Looking to capitalize on “Asia’s fast-growing entertainment market,” Alibaba subsidiary Damai International has formally debuted a label and set out to discover global talent. Damai International just recently announced the expansion, with the la…

Ed Sheeran is reportedly signing a deal with Interscope, marking the next step in his career after the singer-songwriter left longtime home Atlantic. Rumors are bubbling that Ed Sheeran is preparing to sign a deal with Interscope, a move that follows the hit-maker’s recent decisi…

The Dolly Parton musical opens on Broadway on the singer’s 81st birthday in January. But you can catch previews a month early at the St. James Theatre. Dolly: A True Original Musical, the renamed Dolly Parton bio-musical, is scheduled to open on Broadway on January 19 at the St.…

Volvo has officially announced the native integration of Apple Music into more than two million of its vehicles – including Spatial Audio support in certain models. The Gothenburg-headquartered luxury-auto manufacturer confirmed the integration, technically set in motion closer t…

Live Nation makes a bold move to invalidate the momentous trial verdict versus the states, backing its bid for judgement in its favor and a new trial. Live Nation has asked a New York federal judge to grant judgement against a coalition of U.S. states who succeeded in their antit…

A federal judge has dismissed with prejudice a copyright infringement lawsuit that accused Taylor Swift of lifting creative elements from multiple poems across several albums. Judge Aileen M. Cannon made that dismissal official today, after the plaintiff, a Florida-based writer n…

DistroKid has a new majority owner: CVC Capital Partners, which has inked “a definitive agreement” to take a controlling stake in the distributor. CVC announced the investment (and the close of its $3.4 billion CVC Catalyst private equity fund) this afternoon. Though the entity r…

Three sold-out BTS shows in Chile were not authorized in advance by the country’s National Sports Institute, putting the October dates in jeopardy. BTS recently sold out three stadium dates at the National Stadium in Santiago scheduled for October 14, 16, and 17 as part of the K-…

The legal battle between photographer Jamie Nelson and punk singer Amy Taylor has become a landmark case in the landscape of artist likeness rights. In July 2025, Los Angeles photographer Jamie Nelson photographed Amy Taylor, the lead singer of Australian punk band Amyl and the S…

Lil Wayne was late to a show in New Hampshire after having rescheduled a show in Maine that was meant to kick off his new tour. Lil Wayne remains an institution in rap music, with a legendary career and droves of devoted fans. So it’s easy enough for him to change plans at the la…

The transition from a solo musician to a member of a major professional orchestra is one of the most demanding shifts in classical music. It requires more than just technical skill. It demands a high level of mental stamina, an ability to read complex music instantly, and a willi…

What the f*!% happened to all the expletives? Now, just 13% of Spotify Top 50 tracks are tagged as explicit – down from closer to 70% in the not-so-distant past. Those noteworthy stats come from data journalist Daniel Parris, who indicated that about 45% of Spotify Top 50 songs f…

Warner Music Finland secures a strategic acquisition of Mökkitie Records’ music catalog and publishing rights, deepening a decade-long partnership. Warner Music Finland and Mökkitie Records have announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which Mökkitie Records’ extensi…

Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson moved house from Epic Records to RCA Records, sources say; a sidestep under the broader Sony Music umbrella. Pop star Zara Larsson recently left her longtime home of Epic Records and is now signed to RCA Records. Multiple sources confirm tha…

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…