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. Let the Phono V Fireworks Begin: CRB Kicks Off High-Stakes Streaming Rate Proceeding for 2028-2032

   Let the Phonorecords V fireworks begin: The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has officially kicked off the high-stakes rate-setting proceeding, which will determine songwriter and publisher royalties for on-demand streaming (plus permanent downloads) between 2028 and 2032. The Phono V commencement technically arrived in a Federal Register notice on 2025’s final day, though the CRB just […]

2. Fugees Rapper Pras Michel Fights to Avoid Prison Time As Desperate Appeal of 14-Year Sentence Begins

   Fugees rapper Pras Michel mounts the offensive to stay out of prison as he appeals his 14-year sentence, but the government doubles down. As Pras Michel fights to appeal his 14-year federal prison sentence following a conviction that he claims resulted from an unfair trial, the U.S. Department of Justice asks the court to deny […]

3. Local Talent Dominated Italy’s 2025 Charts — FIMI Says Italian Artists Released 85% of the Year’s Top-100 Albums, Up from 69% in 2015

   The Italian music industry recorded a 5.3% year-over-year stream-volume increase during 2025, when releases from homegrown talent accounted for 85% of the country’s top-100 albums. These and other insights come from Italy’s FIMI, which pointed to a total of nearly 100 billion on-demand streams for the nation (population 59 million) during 2025. That reflects ad-supported […]

4. Battle of the Lavish LA Streaming Platform Studios: Apple Music’s vs. Spotify’s ‘Sycamore Studios’

   Spotify and Apple Music have both unveiled their lavish new Los Angeles-area studios, both framed as fully kitted-out creative hubs for artists. It’s a new year, and the perfect time to unveil new projects. For music streaming giants Spotify and Apple Music, that’s come in the form of their latest studio spaces, both located in […]

5. Spotify Introduces New Messages Features—’Listening Activity’ & ‘Request to Jam’

   Spotify launches Messages last year to give friends a place to chat about music within the app. Now it’s bringing new features including listening activity and requests to jam. Here’s how it works. Spotify says since launch more than 40 million users have sent nearly 340 million messages using the Spotify app. These new features […]

6. Solomun is Crushing It in London—Alexandra Palace Dates Quickly Sell Out a Month in Advance

   Genre-bending DJ Solomun sells out a second date at London’s Alexandra Palace a month in advance after an overwhelming response to the initial show. DJ and producer Solomun makes his debut at London’s Alexandra Palace on February 6 and 7, taking over the iconic venue for a weekend that is set to become the latest […]

7. Spotify Goes All Out on Video Podcasting — Dramatically Lowers Monetization Thresholds, Opens a Hollywood Studio, and Says It’s ‘Contributed More Than $10B to the Podcast Industry’

   Spotify is taking its already-aggressive video podcast push to the next level with a new studio, significantly lower monetization thresholds, and more. The increasingly diversified streaming platform just recently shed light on its latest video podcast expansions. By now, many are acutely aware of the service’s all-encompassing buildout into video content including podcasts, which, at […]

8. Who Isn’t Cancelling at Trump Kennedy Center?—Vienna Philharmonic, Tyrese, Shen Yun, Chicago the Musical, San Francisco Ballet Remain on the Schedule

   A core group of artists and ensembles remains scheduled at the now-Trump Kennedy Center amid a wave of politically charged cancellations. The Kennedy Center’s performance calendar might seem comparatively sparse amid a wave of cancellations and quiet withdrawals that dramatically reshaped its year. But a core group of artists and ensembles remain publicly scheduled to […]

9. When It Rains, It Pours: Ticketmaster Faces Another Class Action Lawsuit, This Time for Allegedly Illegal Surveillance

   Ticketmaster faces even more litigation, this time in the form of a class action alleging its website employs illegal tracking and surveillance tools. Most litigation against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation in recent months has primarily focused on market dominance and so-called “junk fees.” But a newly proposed class action accuses the company […]

10. Grammy-Winning Banjo Player Béla Fleck Becomes Latest to Bail on the Trump Kennedy Center Rebrand

    Banjo player Béla Fleck is the latest musician to pull out of planned performances at the Kennedy Center amid changes from the Trump administration. Béla Fleck, celebrated banjo player and 18-time Grammy Award winner, announced on Tuesday the cancellation of three concerts at the Kennedy Center. The move makes Fleck the latest artist to bow […]

11. Canadian Musician Loses Gig After Google AI Falsely Labels Him a Sex Offender — Turns Out It Was the Wrong Guy

    Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac had a show cancelled after Google produced an AI-generated summary that falsely identified him as a sex offender. Juno Award-winning musician Ashley MacIsaac was floored to learn that Google produced an AI-generated summary falsely identifying him as a sex offender. The Canadian fiddler said he learned of the potential defamation last […]

12. LANDR Acquires Reason Studios, Establishes ‘Artist Council,’ and Sets Sights on ‘Unlocking New Possibilities for Creators Everywhere’

    Longtime digital audio workstation (DAW) developer Reason Studios officially has a new owner: AI-powered distribution, collaboration, and mastering platform LANDR. Montreal-headquartered LANDR announced its deal and plans for Stockholm-based Reason Studios (formerly Propellerhead Software) today. Besides the mentioned offerings, the purchaser affords subscribers access to stem separation tools,...

13. More Data Emerges on UK Music Industry Growth In 2025, With Streaming Posting Single-Digit Percentage Increases

    Streaming services and retailers grew UK revenues from music, video, and games in 2025 to an all-time record, and four times faster than the economy. Streaming and retail entertainment sales grew four times faster than the UK economy in 2025, with music, video, and games revenues up 7.1% to an all-time record of £13.3 billion […]

14. Triller Group Vows to Appeal NASDAQ Delisting, Doubles Down on Goal of ‘Achieving Key Growth Milestones in 2026’

    On the heels of a NASDAQ delisting, Triller Group has vowed to “regain full filing compliance within weeks” – and to hit “key growth milestones in 2026.” Triller Group just recently confirmed the NASDAQ removal and outlined its relisting goal in a formal release. Having long eyed a public listing, Triller landed on the exchange […]

15. Universal Music Group Announces NVIDIA AI Partnership “To Pioneer Responsible AI for Music Discovery”

    Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a new collaboration with NVIDIA to “pioneer responsible AI for music discovery, creation, and engagement.” UMG says the collaboration aims to enrich and enhance the music experience of music consumers worldwide. Both companies will undertake collaborative research and development to promote shared objectives of advancing human music creation and […]