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. GEMA v. Suno Copyright Case Ramps Up in Germany — High-Stakes Ruling Officially Scheduled for June 12th

   As one high-profile music-world trial draws to an abrupt close, another case is ramping up: Over in Germany, proceedings are officially underway in GEMA’s copyright infringement action against Suno. We initially covered that action in early 2025, shortly after GEMA submitted the suit to the Munich Regional Court. And against the backdrop of stateside Suno […]

2. USA vs. Live Nation Is Officially Over: DOJ’s Case Abruptly Settled — With Some Very Important Concessions

   The U.S. Department of Justice’s case against Live Nation has abruptly been settled, according to a raft of details confirmed to Digital Music News by the concert giant. For months, sources to Digital Music News had indicated — even promised — that USA v. Live Nation would never head to trial, thanks to feverish, late-stage […]

3. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Many Fires: Nearly 30 States Vow to Continue Litigating Against Live Nation Following Trial-Ending DOJ Settlement

   Live Nation has settled with the Justice Department, but more than 25 states have disclosed plans to continue litigating against the Ticketmaster parent. Several of those states’ attorneys general confirmed as much today, shortly after Live Nation and the DOJ reached a trial-ending agreement. As we broke down, said agreement contains significant concessions – the […]

4. Shazam Now Available on ChatGPT—Here’s How It Works

   Apple reveals that Shazam is now available within ChatGPT, following the Apple Music integration several months ago. On the heels of Apple Music coming to ChatGPT, which enables using the AI platform to create playlists, Apple-owned Shazam is now available in ChatGPT. This allows users to ask, “Shazam, what’s playing?” or “Shazam, what is this […]

5. DMN’s Inbox Got Flooded With Emails After Live Nation’s DOJ Settlement — And Not One Had a Nice Thing to Say

   A raft of prominent industry (and non-industry) figures and organizations are now speaking out on Live Nation’s settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Here’s a rundown of who’s saying what (spoiler alert: the responses have been overwhelmingly negative — to put it mildly). No sooner had Live Nation/Ticketmaster secured a settlement with the U.S. […]

6. When It Rains, It Pours: Valve Faces PRS Lawsuit Over Allegedly Unlicensed Steam Music, Still Staring Down $880 Million+ UK Consumer-Harm Complaint

   Valve Corporation has for decades been operating Steam without the required UK public performance license – at least according to a new lawsuit from PRS for Music. PRS formally announced the complaint, technically filed closer to March’s beginning, today. As some know, Bellevue, Washington-headquartered Valve is the company behind (among other things) Steam, the largest […]

7. ‘Wasserman’ Name Officially Wiped as Agency Sale Process Inches Forward

   The Wasserman Agency is rebranding as “The Team” as the company scrubs the disgraced executive’s surname from the agency. So what’s next? Though Casey Wasserman’s ties to the Epstein Files are decidedly limited, the executive has stepped away from the talent agency that bears his name—and now that agency is rebranding as formal bidding for […]

8. Boston’s Tommy DeCarlo Tragically Passes Away — Replacement Singer Was a Superfan Who Kept the Band Going After Brad Delp’s 2007 Suicide

   Tommy DeCarlo, lead singer of the rock band Boston since the 2007 passing of original singer Brad Delp, has died after a battle with brain cancer. He was 60. Tommy DeCarlo, the lead singer of the rock band Boston since 2007, has passed away at age 60 following a brain cancer diagnosis back in September. […]

9. Rihanna’s Beverly Hills Mansion Riddled by Bullets from an AR-15 Rifle — In Broad Daylight

   A 35-year-old woman fired a flurry of shots from an AR-15 into Rihanna’s Beverly Hills-area home on Sunday, with one round penetrating the wall of the mansion. Law enforcement has identified 35-year-old Florida resident Ivanna Ortiz, who fired several shots into Rihanna’s Beverly Hills-area mansion with an “AR-15 style weapon” on Sunday. One round penetrated […]

10. HYBE and Spotify Ink K-Pop Video Podcast Series — As the Podcast Wars Escalate

    K-pop giant HYBE signs a partnership with Spotify to launch a video podcast show on the streaming platform, set to launch on March 23rd. Korean entertainment giant HYBE has inked a partnership with Spotify to launch a video podcast show on the streaming platform, set to debut on March 23. Starting in April, the episodes […]

11. Latest Music Industry Hires: beatBread, Moises, Sony Music Publishing, iHeartMedia, Academy of Country Music, More

    Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of March 6th, 2026. If you have a job shuffle to share, we’re all ears. Send us a note to news@digitalmusicnews.com. If you’d like to post a job on our Job Board, just send us a request to noah@digitalmusicnews.com. And, keep track of all the […]

12. Marathon Chance the Rapper v. Pat the Manager Dispute Officially Heads to Trial — Pat Says He Personally Lost $350,000+ Running the Artist’s Merch Operation

    The USA v. Live Nation antitrust trial isn’t the only music-world legal battle that’s unfolding. Now, Chance the Rapper and Pat the (ex-)Manager have taken their long-running contract dispute to the courtroom. We’ve been covering the ugly clash of former friends and business partners – Chance “was like a brother to me,” in manager Pat […]

13. 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 […]

14. What Are the AI Rules at Major Streaming Platforms? After Apple’s Update, Here’s 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 […]

15. Maybe Price Matters: 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 […]