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. What Are the AI Rules at Major Streaming Platforms?—A Quick Overview to Date

   By 2026, nearly every music streamer has established policies surrounding AI-generated music on their platform. Here’s a quick rundown. There’s no doubt that artificial intelligence has permanently altered the music landscape, in everything from how music is created and distributed to the way it’s consumed. As a result, nearly every major streamer has laid down […]

2. What is ‘Live Nation Retaliation Insurance’? You Don’t Want to Know

   Former BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi isn’t the only one to deliver testimony that Live Nation retaliated when his venue explored a competing proposal. Here’s the latest. With the federal antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster in full swing, venue owners are testifying that Live Nation weaponized major tour dates to keep them from […]

3. How Much Does Price Matter? Audible’s Cheaper ‘Standard’ Plan Sets Sail, Spelling Price Competition for Spotify

   As WMG bangs the drum on streaming price increases, Audible launches a cheaper ‘Standard’ plan to better compete with Spotify. So how price-sensitive are streaming subscribers worldwide? Since Warner chief Robert Kyncl sent a letter to shareholders pushing for more streaming increases to maximize the music industry’s “wallet share,” expect to see streaming platforms hike […]

4. Analysts Weigh In As Reservoir Media Takeover Battle Heats Up — B. Riley Downgrades, Roth Capital Says Current Offers ‘Materially’ Undervalue the Company

   With dueling Reservoir Media (NASDAQ: RSVR) buyout bids now in play, analysts are weighing in on shares’ path forward. And as the fate of the company and its mountain of music IP hangs in the balance, financial professionals aren’t on the same page. We promptly covered the competing takeover proposals, the first of which came […]

5. How Long Can Justin Timberlake Keep His DWI Arrest Video Under Wraps?

   Justin Timberlake’s lawyers secure a temporary restraining order to block the release of the police body cam footage of his 2024 drunk driving arrest. After filing suit against the Village of Sag Harbor on Monday, Justin Timberlake’s attorneys have secured a temporary restraining order to block the release of police body cam footage of the […]

6. Can Spain Reclaim Its Top 10 Spot In Global Recorded Music? The Latest Data Is Promising

   The Spanish music market is back in growth mode, but will a return to the top ten happen in the next few years? That hinges on whether the Spanish market can push subscription penetration closer to leading European markets while sustaining its current double-digit growth trajectory. Let’s dig in. In the early 2000s, Spain ranked […]

7. Former Barclays Exec Gives Bombshell Testimony in USA v. Live Nation—Reveals Live Nation CEO Threatened to Pull Major Tours If Ticketmaster Deals Weren’t Renewed

   Testimony in the United States v. Live Nation case has put one specific allegation front and center: that Live Nation weaponized major tours dates to keep venues from switching their ticketing away from Ticketmaster. Former BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi testified that the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was looking to switch away from Ticketmaster. In […]

8. Radio Giant Cumulus Media Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Amid ‘Industry-Wide Pressures,’ Debt Burden Topping $600 Million

   With an eye on shedding around $600 million in debt, Cumulus Media has once again filed for prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Atlanta-headquartered radio group formally disclosed its latest bankruptcy plan today, about 10 months after being delisted from NASDAQ due to a badly sagging share price. And those share-value woes, we explored in detail, […]

9. Jay-Z Named in Expanded Epstein Probe List from US Congresswoman Nancy Mace

   Rep. Nancy Mace confirms that music mogul Jay-Z is among those the government is eyeing in connection with the broadening Epstein investigation. A social media post by Rep. Nancy Mace confirms that Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z, is among those the government is eyeing in connection with the ever-expanding Jeffrey Epstein files investigation. On […]

10. U.S. On-Demand and Non-Interactive Music Subscribers Hit 130 Million in 2025, Report Estimates — Up from 29 Million in 2016

    According to a new report, the U.S. has added north of 100 million on-demand and non-interactive music subscribers since 2016, with the total having cracked a record high of 130 million during 2025. That report comes from MusicWatch, which recently released its latest “Annual Music Study.” As in prior years, the decades-running resource produced the […]

11. WNYC and the Internet Archive Invite Musicians to ‘Reimagine the Public Domain’

    WNYC’s Public Song Project teams up with the Internet Archive to invite musicians to adapt, remix, or reimagine works in the public domain. WNYC has teamed up with the Internet Archive for this year’s Public Song Project, inviting musicians to “reinterpret the public domain.” Artists of any level are encouraged to “adapt, remix, or reimagine […]

12. Quavo Slapped With Near-$3 Million IRS Tax Lien, Reports Claim

    The IRS files a massive federal tax lien against Quavo, seeking just under $3 million in a debt they say has been accruing since 2021. New legal filings show the IRS is seeking approximately $2,912,644.33 from Quavo in a tax debt they say has been accruing since 2021. Notably, this massive tax lien specifically targets […]

13. Apple Music Now Requires AI ‘Transparency Tags’ for All Uploaded Music—Here Are the Guidelines

    Apple Music is introducing new metadata requirements aimed at providing better transparency around AI-generated content on the platform. Apple Music has launched “Transparency Tags,” a new system of metadata requirements aimed at disclosing content on the platform. According to details confirmed to Digital Music News, record labels and music distributors can now apply these labels […]

14. Universal Music Posts Mixed Q4 2025 Financials Amid Streaming Slowdown, Says It’s Shelved U.S. Listing Despite Pershing Push

    Universal Music Group (UMG) has posted modest Q4 2025 revenue growth due largely to a continued paid-streaming slowdown. Meanwhile, execs have seemingly shelved plans for a secondary listing in the U.S. All told, the major this afternoon pointed to across-the-board revenue of €3.61 billion, currently $4.19 billion, for Q4 2025 (up 4.8% year over year) […]

15. As Robert Kyncl Embraces AI, South Korea’s Music Industry ‘Declares War’ — New Organization Aims to Tackle the Technology’s ‘Unprecedented Disruption’

    Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl is lauding artificial intelligence’s perceived ability to unlock value. But the technology is eliciting a far different response in South Korea, where industry orgs are coordinating to address the “unprecedented disruption” ushered in by gen AI. Technically, the group behind the initiative, the K-Music Rights Organizations Mutual Growth Committee, formally […]