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. Time for Another Supreme Court Battle? Major Labels (and BMG) Move to Take Over Vetter v. Resnik Copyright Recapture Case, Spearhead Appeal

   Looks like it’s time to kick the Vetter v. Resnik copyright termination battle up a notch. Now, the major labels have taken a stake in the relevant work, moved to step in as defendants, and disclosed plans to seek a higher-court appeal. The noteworthy developments just recently emerged in a pair of fresh filings, two […]

2. Universal Music Group Torches Drake’s Defamation Appeal Over Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’

   UMG argues that any claims against Drake in Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track “Not Like Us” are protected hyperbole in the context of a rap battle. Drake’s appeal seeking to revive his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar’s incendiary diss track “Not Like Us” hits a snag as the music giant argues […]

3. Fat Joe Accuser Suddenly Drops Heinous Sexual Assault Claims in Legal About-Face

   Fat Joe’s former employee, who sued the rapper with serious allegations of sexual abuse, is now walking back those claims in an amended complaint. Rapper and emcee Fat Joe can breathe a sigh of relief in his legal back-and-forth with a former employee, who amended their initial complaint to remove allegations of child sexual abuse. […]

4. DOJ Faces Continued Criticism Over Live Nation Settlement — As States’ Ongoing Trial Reveals Exec’s Concerns About ‘Fundamental’ Ticketmaster Issues

   With over 30 state attorneys general continuing to battle Live Nation at trial, antitrust officials are still facing scrutiny over their settlement – including allegations of “improper lobbying.” Those allegations are the latest example of post-settlement turbulence for Live Nation and the DOJ. As we previously covered, the states’ ongoing trial is certainly factoring into […]

5. Deezer Licenses AI Detection Tech to Hungarian Rights Body EJI

   Deezer has announced it has licensed its AI detection technology to the Hungarian rights body, the Bureau for the Protection of Performers’ Rights (Előadóművészi Jogvédő Iroda Egyesület, EJI). Deezer tells Digital Music News that the volume of AI uploads it deals with on a daily basis has reached 39% of its daily uploads. That’s an […]

6. Shakira Frantically Adds Madrid Residency Dates After Selling 500,000+ Tickets In A Few Hours

   Shakira has broken sales records by selling over 500,000 tickets in just a few hours for her Madrid residency this fall. She’s added two additional dates in October to accommodate the demand, for a total of 11 dates this fall. Produced by Live Nation Spain, the European residency will take place at Shakira Stadium, a […]

7. Major Labels and Spotify Seek ‘Extremely Conservative’ $322 Million Damages Payment from Anna’s Archive — Including $300 Million for Violating the DMCA

   Spotify and the major labels are seeking a cool $322.2 million in damages from Anna’s Archive over its alleged “brazen theft of millions of music and other files.” The majors and Spotify jointly requested that sizable sum in a motion for default judgment. Three months later, many are already familiar with the alleged scraping scheme […]

8. BTS Global ‘Arirang’ Tour Tacks on Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, & Chilean Dates

   BTS have revealed the venues and on-sale details for the Latin America leg of their upcoming world tour, ARIRANG. The LATAM leg is co-promoted by Live Nation and will kick off on October 2. The tour will kick off with back-to-back shows in Bogotá, Colombia at Nemesio Camacho El Campin before continuing to Estadio San […]

9. Primary Wave Music Announces Strategic Investment and Alliance With Pops Music

   Primary Wave Music announces a strategic investment and alliance with POPS Music, home to the largest catalog of Vietnamese and Indonesian music. Leading indie publisher Primary Wave Music has announced a strategic partnership with POPS Music to further expand into international markets. Home to a vast catalog of Vietnamese and regional repertoire, POPS Music has […]

10. Spain’s Live Music Sector Generated a Record $931 Million During 2025 — Including 28% Ticket Revenue Growth In Madrid, APM Report Shows

    The Spanish live entertainment sector generated a record €807.2 million (currently $930.8 million) from ticket sales during 2025 – up 11.2% year over year – as both Barcelona and Madrid posted double-digit revenue spikes. Spain’s Asociación de Promotores Musicales (APM) disclosed these and other figures in its newly released 2026 annual report. Clocking in at […]

11. Is ClicknClear’s Business Model Inherently Flawed? Investor Concerns Surface Amid Licensing Uncertainty and Mounting Losses

    “Choreographed sports” licensing specialist ClicknClear recently commanded headlines for securing a Universal Music Group deal. But internal documents and investor concerns are raising pressing questions about the company’s business model, revenue outlook, and overall footing. We touched on those concerns last month, when breaking down a stateside lawsuit filed against London-based ClicknClear...

12. Laufey, Lexus, Amazon Music & Twitch Join Forces On a Miles Davis Blowout

    Lexus and Icelandic-Chinese artist Laufey will celebrate the centennial of jazz legend Miles Davis with ‘100 Miles,’ a live-streamed performance event on March 27th at an undisclosed location. According to pre-event details shared with Digital Music News, the concert will feature the world debut of Laufey’s lyrical interpretation of Davis’ classic “Blue In Green,” alongside […]

13. Suno Launches Version 5.5 With New ‘Voices’ Feature

    Suno announced today that is has released version 5.5, which it calls “our best and most expressive model yet.” New features include Voices, Custom models, and My Taste. Suno says the capabilities it’s putting in place today lay the foundation for the next generation of music models it is launching with the music industry later […]

14. The Labels vs. The Trojans Is Over: Sony Music Reaches Settlement With USC Over Copyright Infringement In Social Media Posts

    Sony Music has reached a settlement in the lawsuit against the University of Southern California over copyright infringement in social media posts. On Wednesday, documents filed in Manhattan federal court revealed that Sony Music reached a settlement with the University of Southern California (USC). The label’s lawsuit accused the university of copyright infringement over featuring […]

15. 100 Indie Artists on the Verge of Blowing Up in 2026, According to IMPALA and YouTube

    IMPALA unveils the fifth edition of 100 Artists to Watch, in partnership with YouTube and co-funded by the European Union. A new generation of independent artists working with labels across Europe has been selected for the fifth edition of IMPALA’s 100 Artists to Watch program for 2026, curated by IMPALA’s far-reaching European network. Co-funded by […]