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. Ed Sheeran Confirms Rumors & Splits from Warner Music After 15 Years

   After 15 years and eight full-length albums, Ed Sheeran confirms the rumor that he has left Warner Music—news also confirmed by the company. The rumors are true: Ed Sheeran has left Warner Music after 15 years with the company (and an impressive eight studio albums). The singer confirmed the news in a statement to fans […]

2. Pink Floyd Saxophonist Dick Parry Passes Away at 83

   Saxophonist Dick Parry, who played on some of Pink Floyd’s biggest songs and tours, passed away on Friday at the age of 83. Dick Parry, the saxophonist who played on some of Pink Floyd’s biggest songs and tours, passed away on Friday of unspecified causes. He was 83. “My dear friend Dick Parry died this […]

3. Canada Tees Up Major ‘Streaming Tax’ Hike — New Framework Would Require Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Others to Pay 15% of Domestic Revenue

   Forget about a 5% “streaming tax”: Now, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has moved to require Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other video streaming platforms to cough up 15% of their domestic revenue annually. Is a fee hike in the cards for on-demand music services as well? The CRTC announced as much in […]

4. Major Scare Involving Tear Gas at Ricky Martin Concert

   Ricky Martin is reportedly safe after a concertgoer disrupted his show in Europe on Thursday by discharging tear gas near the stage. Ricky Martin’s publicist reports that he is “safe” after a concertgoer disrupted his European show on Thursday by discharging tear gas near the stage. The star’s publicist, Róndine Alcalá, shared a statement on […]

5. Warner Music Group and GZ Media Launch a New Pilot to Recycle Vinyl Records

   Warner Music and GZ Media launch a landmark pilot with Abbey Road Studios to process unsold vinyl into new, commercial-grade pressings. Warner Music Group (WMG) and GZ Media have completed a landmark pilot showing how unsold records can be reprocessed and incorporated into new vinyl pressings without compromising the sound quality. The pilot processed approximately […]

6. Universal Music and TikTok Ink New Multi-Year Licensing Deal, Say They’ll ‘Work Together to Remove Unauthorized AI-Generated Music from the Platform’

   Universal Music Group’s inked a fresh multi-year licensing deal with TikTok, which is teeing up expanded marketing campaigns and doubling down on efforts to decommission AI deepfakes. UMG and the self-described “best platform for music discovery and promotion” unveiled their latest partnership agreement today. As usual, the companies opted against shedding light on the payout […]

7. IQ Magazine Integrates Hearby’s Gig Guide Into Its Manchester Music Report

   IQ Magazine has incorporated Hearby’s gig discovery platform into its Manchester Report 2026, offering a data-backed view of one of the United Kingdom’s most active live music markets. This article was created in collaboratio nwith DMN partner Hearby. The report highlights Manchester’s sustained position as the UK’s second-largest live music hub. It pairs editorial analysis […]

8. Good Grief! ‘Peanuts’ Music Copyrights Owner Fires Off Four Infringement Lawsuits — U.S. Gov’t, Heritage Auctions, GameMill, and Buckle-Down Face Complaints

   What do the federal government, video game publisher GameMill Entertainment, Heritage Auctions, and belt-buckle specialist Buckle-Down have in common? For one thing, they’re facing infringement lawsuits from Lee Mendelson Film Productions (LMFP), which controls the Peanuts music catalog. LMFP yesterday fired off all four complaints, which arrive hot on the heels of Sony Music’s deal […]

9. Live Nation and Ticketmaster ‘Must Be Separated,’ Dozens of US State AGs Demand in Stepped-Up Court Filings

   A group of state attorneys general demand the breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster a month after the trial that determined them to be a monopoly. On Thursday (May 21), the coalition of over 30 state attorneys general that sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in a trial that found the live events giant to be […]

10. Interactive Digital Avatar of Ozzy Osbourne Is In the Wild and ‘Kind of Scary,’ Says Jack Osbourne

    Though he died last year, Ozzy Osbourne’s “digital DNA” will live on thanks to a partnership between the Osbournes and entertainment company Hyperreal. Sharon and Jack Osbourne, the late Ozzy’s wife and son, detailed plans to create an interactive digital avatar of the Prince of Darkness during the second day of Licensing Expo 2026 in […]

11. Music Industry Risks Becoming More Hostile Toward Working-Class Artists, According to Tinie Tempah

    The music industry runs the risk of excluding working-class musicians without saving small venues, Tinie Tempah said at the Ivor Novello Awards. Without efforts to save small venues that help grow budding artists and work to promote talent from diverse backgrounds, the music industry is likely to exclude working-class artists. That’s according to Tinie Tempah […]

12. Spotify and Universal Music Group Announce ‘Landmark’ DSP Licensing Agreements for Fan-Made, AI-Crafted Covers and Remixes

    Spotify and Universal Music Group have announced a licensing agreement for a ‘responsible AI’ tool to launch as a paid add-on for Spotify subscribers. It’s another step forward for UMG’s controlled, walled-garden AI licensing vision, one that isn’t quite working for companies like Suno. Today, Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) have announced landmark recorded...

13. Can Spotify Decommission Ticket Scalpers? DSP Launches ‘Reserved’ With Live Nation, Plans to Offer Pre-Sale Tickets to Artists’ ‘Most Dedicated Fans’

    Is Spotify the key to ensuring that superfans, not scalpers, secure face-value tickets to high-demand tours? We’re about to find out, as the streaming platform has debuted “Reserved” to set aside passes for diehard supporters. Spotify unveiled Reserved during its Investor Day event and in a formal release. Though said release mentions Live Nation a […]

14. Stability AI Releases ‘Stable Audio 3.0,’ Trained on Authorized Sources and Able to Generate 6-Minute Tracks

    Stability AI launches Stable Audio 3.0, AI music models trained entirely on licensed data and able to generate tracks of over six minutes in length. Stability AI has announced the launch of Stable Audio 3.0, a family of four new AI music models that the company promises are trained entirely on licensed data. These new […]

15. Mick Jagger Spotted in Italy Filming a Major New Motion Picture

    Mick Jagger has arrived on the island of Stromboli, near Sicily, to film Italian director Alice Rohrwacher’s adaptation of “Three Incestuous Sisters.” Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was postponed by a day, but arrived via helicopter this week on the island of Stromboli, off the coast of Sicily. There, he will star in Italian director […]