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. YouTube’s U.S. TV Watch-Time Lead Is Continuing to Grow Amid Video-Podcast Gains, New Data Shows

   Look out, Spotify – YouTube expanded its TV viewing share over other streaming platforms in December, when it accounted for a record 11.1% of U.S. television watch time, per new data. That data comes from Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge, which just recently disclosed its figures for November 25th through December 29th. Formally unveiled this past […]

2. Billy Idol Announces ‘It’s A Nice Day To… Tour Again!’ — North American Tour With Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

   Billy Idol announces ‘It’s A Nice Day To… Tour Again!’ North American tour with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts joining on all shows. Billy Idol is returning to the road for “It’s a Nice Day To… Tour Again!”, a North American tour with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts joining on all shows. Produced by Live […]

3. The Show Must Go On—Trevor Noah Returns for 5th Year as Host of the Grammys

   Trevor Noah is returning for the fifth consecutive year as the host of the Grammy Awards. After the devastating wildfires in LA, the Recording Academy says it will raise funds to support relief efforts and honoring first responders as well. The Grammy Awards will go on as planned at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on February […]

4. Trump Officially Grants TikTok a 75-Day Stay on Ban—Apple, Google Still Blocking New Installs

   President Trump has signed an executive order that gives TikTok a 75-Day stay on the ban signed into law by President Biden. Apple and Google are still blocking the app from their respective app stores, preventing new installs. The law requires ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a continued ban in the United States; […]

5. GEMA Files Infringement Action Against Suno in German Court: ‘Providers of Generative AI Must Respect Copyright Law’

   Two months and change after tagging OpenAI with a copyright lawsuit, Germany’s GEMA has officially submitted an infringement action against generative AI music platform Suno. Berlin-headquartered GEMA filed that copyright complaint against Suno in the Munich Regional Court today. Besides following the mentioned November action targeting OpenAI, the newer suit arrives on the heels of […]

6. Payment Solutions Should Be Scalable & Reliable—Especially When On-Boarding Music Rights Owners & Licensors

   Did you know that more than 120,000 new tracks hit digital service providers (DSPs) like Spotify every single day? Nearly every music platform now faces the challenge of ingesting large numbers of rights owners and licensors—each coming with their own associated metadata and payout details. With such a large amount of data being processed in […]

7. Surprise! Instagram, X, Bluesky Rush-Releasing TikTok Features

   With TikTok’s future in the US uncertain, other social platforms are rolling out their own TikTok-like features. TikTok’s deadline to divest or face a ban in the US has arrived, leaving the app’s future in the country uncertain. But competing social platforms like Instagram have wasted no time in releasing their own TikTok-like features. Instagram, […]

8. More Superstars Rushing to FireAid — Olivia Rodrigo, Anderson .Paak, No Doubt, The Black Crowes & More

   Additional superstars have been added to the FireAid relief concert roster, including the Black Crowes, Olivia Rodrigo, and a No Doubt reunion. Even more names have been revealed on the FireAid relief concert roster on January 30. While Gwen Stefani was announced among the dozens of superstars on the bill, organizers revealed over the weekend […]

9. Is The Chinese Government Open to a TikTok Deal Now?

   With TikTok service restored in the United States now that President Trump is in office, China has signaled it may be willing to strike an ownership deal. Here’s the latest. A press conference held by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed several questions from reporters. Spokesperson Mao Ning answered one interesting question presented by a […]

10. TikTok Availability Update: Access Still Blocked on Apple App Store, Google Play Store; App Restored for Existing Users — Plus Trump Signs Executive Order Delaying Ban

    Where is TikTok down in the US? Here’s the latest availability report. Apple App Store: ⊗ Not Available (see Apple statement here) Google Play Store: ⊗ Not Available Existing, Already-Downloaded Apps: √ Available (Restored) Web Version: √ Available (Restored)  Akamai: √ Available (Restored) Oracle: √ Available (Restored) TikTok, along with ByteDance-owned apps, was officially banned...

11. The TikTok Rollercoaster Went Into Overdrive This Weekend — Here’s the Whirlwind Summary

    What happened to TikTok over the weekend? It’s complicated. Just hours before the TikTok ban deadline (January 19th at 12 am EST) the service shut down in the United States, triggering mass-panic among TikTok addicts nationwide. A message informing users of the shut down was changed at least two times before being removed entirely, as […]

12. Over a Million Americans Have Downloaded Rednote as TikTok Ban Looms

    In the days leading up to the US TikTok ban, Americans have flooded Rednote, a similarly Chinese-owned app, with over a million downloads. Chinese social media app Rednote, a platform similar to TikTok and Instagram, has surpassed 4 million downloads worldwide in the past week. And according to new press insights, Americans make up a […]

13. NAMM Show 2025 Setlist — LA Wildfires Relief Fund Welcomes Additional Donations

    NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), the largest global nonprofit music trade organization, has committed $50,000 to establish the LA Wildfires Relief Fund in response to the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area. Additional donations to NAMM’s fund are welcome as the trade organization prepares to kick off the 2025 NAMM Show in Anaheim […]

14. ‘Cold In Herre’ — Nelly a Late-Stage Addition to Trump Inauguration Ball in Plummeting Temperatures

    Rapper Nelly is set to perform at one of Trump’s three inaugural balls on Monday, as a late addition to the roster. President-elect Donald Trump is preparing three official inaugural balls on Monday, January 20, and rapper Nelly is the latest to appear on the performance roster. The Grammy winner, known for his 2000 hit […]

15. Diplo Revenge Porn Lawsuit Voluntarily Dismissed After Court Rules Jane Doe Accuser Must Reveal Her Identity

    The Jane Doe plaintiff who made revenge porn accusations against Diplo has officially dropped her lawsuit. This dismissal just recently came to light in a notice from the unnamed accuser’s counsel, who indicated that the suit was being pulled “in its entirety.” In the same notice, the plaintiff and her team opted not to disclose […]