Digital Music News – studio recording, publishing, streaming, live concerts, talent development

The latest music news from Digital Music News, affecting recording industry, music publishing, mp3 streaming, concert industry, talent development, venture capital, and music technology, with reporting on artists new releases and where to get new mp3 songs.

1. Great Mountain Partners Launches $600 Million Media and Entertainment Fund, Targets Deals ‘At the Intersection of Premium Content, Audiences, and New Monetization Models’

   Targeting plays in music, live entertainment, and more, Concord stakeholder Great Mountain Partners (GMP) has launched a $600 million investment fund called Saranac Holdings LP. GMP today disclosed the launch of Saranac Holdings, not to be confused with the existing Boise-based investor of the same name or London-headquartered Saranac Partners. According to the appropriate release, […]

2. Sorry, No Hangout Music Fest or Sand In My Boots In 2026 — Alabama Festival On Pause Until 2027

   There will be no Hangout Music Fest or Sand in My Boots festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in 2026, the city’s mayor confirmed on Monday night. Mayor Robert Craft of Gulf Shores, Alabama, announced toward the end of a regular city council meeting on Monday evening that the Hangout Music Fest, which was renamed Sand […]

3. Weeks Later, Spotify Finally Removes a King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard AI Copycat — Here’s the Company’s Statement

   Spotify has finally removed a genAI King Gizzard clone on its platform after failing to catch the culprit — part of the platform’s broader move to address the spread of AI imposters bilking artists. Despite making efforts to address the widespread presence of AI-generated audio on its platform, Spotify failed to catch an imitator of […]

4. 1962’s “Pretty Little Baby” Was the Biggest Song on TikTok In 2025

   TikTok unveils its Year in Music Report, headed by KATSEYE and a hit song from the early 60s. The report covers the most popular artists, songs, and trends on the platform in 2025. TikTok’s year-end music report named Los Angeles-based girl group KATSEYE as the platform’s Global Artist of the Year. Despite only forming in […]

5. Celebrated Opera Singer Jubilant Sykes Murdered in Santa Monica; Son Arrested by Police

   Opera and gospel singer Jubilant Sykes was stabbed to death in his Santa Monica home on Monday, allegedly by his son, who is in police custody. Classical, opera, and gospel singer Jubilant Sykes was stabbed to death on Monday in his Santa Monica home, allegedly by his son, who is in custody, police told KTLA. […]

6. Dynamic Duo Gene Simmons and Michael Huppe Tell Senators to ‘Close the Radio Loophole’ in America

   KISS’s Gene Simmons and SoundExchange President Michael Huppe called on Congress to require AM/FM radio stations to pay recording artists for using their music. A dynamic duo of KISS’s Gene Simmons and SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe have forcefully called on Congress to require AM/FM radio corporations to pay recording artists and IP owners […]

7. Patrick Moxey, Ultra/Payday Publishing, and Sony Music Officially End Their Years-Running Legal Battle

   One hard-fought legal battle later, Sony Music and Patrick Moxey’s Payday Music Publishing (formerly Ultra International Music Publishing) have put their marathon dispute to rest. Both parties made that resolution official in a dismissal notice yesterday, about eight months removed from Ultra Publishing’s Payday rebranding. As we reported, the name change followed Sony Music’s purchase...

8. Bad Brains Taps Matt Pincus-Helmed Trust Records to Oversee Recording, Publishing, and NIL Rights

   Influential punk band Bad Brains partners with Matt Pincus’ Trust Records to oversee recording, publishing, and name, image, and likeness rights. Influential punk band Bad Brains has announced a partnership with Trust Records, the Matt Pincus-founded company designed to ensure classic punk and hardcore music proliferates. Under the new deal, Trust Records will continue to […]

9. KISS, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait Among Trump’s Kennedy Center Honorees; Airing Slated for December 23 on CBS, Paramount

   Trump’s Kennedy Center honorees include KISS, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, and actors Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone. On Sunday night at the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, President Trump took center stage to host the institution’s awards show as he continues to overhaul programming and plan renovations. This year’s honorees include country singer-songwriter George Strait, […]

10. Spotify Starts Rolling Out Music Videos In the US and Canada

    Spotify has started the beta launch of music videos to premium users across the U.S. and Canada after launching in dozens of other markets worldwide. Music streaming giant Spotify is finally rolling out music videos in a beta launch to premium subscribers across the U.S. and Canada after launching them in dozens of other markets […]

11. USCO Leadership Battle Rages On: Government Says Shira Perlmutter ‘Was Lawfully Removed As Register of Copyrights—Either by Mr. Blanche or by the President’

    Seven months later, the Copyright Office leadership battle is raging on – with the litigation now playing out across a district court, an appellate court, and the Supreme Court alike. We’ve covered the multifaceted dispute since USCO head Shira Perlmutter was fired in May. And for a courtroom confrontation revolving around one seemingly straightforward question […]

12. The Mavericks Frontman Raul Malo Passes Away, Aged 60

    The Mavericks’ frontman Raul Malo, whose rich voice defined a band that brought Latin flavor to country music in the 1990s, passed away on Monday. Raul Malo, quintessential lead singer of the Mavericks, the group that boldly brought Latin flavor and rock vibes to country music since 1989, passed away on Monday. No cause of […]

13. Paramount Makes $108 Billion Hostile All-Cash Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery — Though Either Mega-Merger Likely to Face Regulatory Scrutiny

    Paramount announces an all-cash bid to acquire all outstanding shares of Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix’s $83 billion offer to buy it last week. On Friday, Netflix announced an $83 billion deal to buy a significant part of Warner Bros. Discovery in an agreement approved by the boards of both companies. Now, Paramount has bypassed […]

14. King Gizzard Pulled Their Music from Spotify In Protest—Now AI Rip-Offs Are Running Rampant

    Aussie prog rockers King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard pulled their music from Spotify in July. Now, copycats are using genAI to clone the band’s sound. Update from Spotify provided to DMN: “Spotify strictly prohibits any form of artist impersonation. The content in question was removed for violating our platform policies, and no royalties were […]

15. Trump Promises to Block Any State-Specific AI Rules—But Doing So Will Likely Require Congress Approval

    Trump wants to enact ‘one rule’ to rule all AI legislation across the US to prevent state-specific laws surrounding artificial intelligence. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform on Monday that he would sign an executive order this week to create a single national rule for artificial intelligence. The move would deliver […]