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. Appeals Court Revives Bernie Worrell v. George Clinton Lawsuit: ‘The Rare Case in Which a Copyright-Ownership Claim May Be Brought a Half-Century After-the-Fact’

   Moments after George Clinton sued Universal Music over allegedly unpaid royalties, a federal appeals court has revived the years-running copyright (and contract) lawsuit filed against him by the estate of fellow Parliament-Funkadelic founding member Bernie Worrell. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit yesterday reversed a lower court’s dismissal, thereby laying the groundwork […]

2. Apple-Backed Gamma Fires Off Defamation Lawsuit ‘To Unmask the Perpetrators’ Behind ‘LarryJacksonExposed’ and ‘GammaExposed’

   Gamma has officially filed a lawsuit to determine who’s behind the “coordinated, malicious, and ongoing campaign targeting” it and co-founder Larry Jackson via the LarryJacksonExposed and GammaExposed websites. By now, many are well aware of the “anonymous campaign,” which kicked off with the late-April launch of the mentioned sites. And while we don’t know precisely […]

3. Three Years Later, Zayn Malik and Sony Music Move to Settle ‘Better’ Copyright Suit

   A copyright infringement lawsuit filed against former One Direction member Zayn Malik nearly three years ago may finally be reaching a settlement. Back in late 2023, pop star and former One Direction member Zayn Malik was hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit over his hit, “Better.” That lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for […]

4. ONELIVE Welcomes Matt Blum as Director of Fan Club and Membership Programs to Drive Continued Growth and Innovation

   ONELIVE, a leader in connected commerce and fan engagement technology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Blum as Director of Fan Club and Membership Programs. The following comes from ONELIVE, a partner of DMN. In this role, he will be responsible for leading, managing, and collaboratively executing all aspects related to the growth, […]

5. Bolloré Puts the Kibosh on Pershing’s $64 Billion Universal Music Takeover Proposal: ‘Why Would We Sell Our Stake for That Price?’

   Looks like the Universal Music Group (UMG) takeover battle has drawn to a close: Bolloré Group has urged the major label to reject Pershing’s $64 billion bid, indicating that “the price would be a problem.” Bolloré Group CEO Cyrille Bolloré made the seemingly definitive recommendation during his company’s annual meeting today. As many already know, […]

6. Vermont Looks to Decommission Scalpers With New Ticketing-Reform Law — Including a Resale Price Cap and a Speculative Sales Ban

   Vermont has officially become the latest state to take a stab at decommissioning scalpers, as it’s enacted a ticketing-reform law featuring a resale price cap, a ban on speculative passes, and more. Governor Phil Scott signed the bill into law yesterday, and multiple reform-minded organizations reached out with statements applauding the development. Spanning about four […]

7. Kennedy Center Official Says Removing Trump’s Name from the Building Would Sever Billions In Reconstruction Fundraising

   A Kennedy Center official tells a federal judge that removing Trump’s name from the building would make them go broke, in a new court filing. On Tuesday, the Kennedy Center’s executive director, Charles Matthew Foca, filed a declaration in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In it, the 39-year-old argued that the […]

8. YouTube’s New AI Detector Is Here, Complete With Automatic AI Flagging

   YouTube has now improved its AI disclosure labels for viewers and creators alike, and rolls out some much-needed automatic AI detection. YouTube has announced some improvements to its disclosure labels for AI content, as well as the long-awaited rollout of automatic AI detection. The timing is apt, given that parent company Google’s new Omni model […]

9. Metropolitan Opera Still Scrambling After $200 Million Saudi Donation Falls Through

   The Metropolitan Opera is looking into multiple funding options, including the sale of its iconic paintings, following a failed agreement with the government of Saudi Arabia. New York’s Metropolitan Opera is aggressively looking into different funding options following a failed multi-million-dollar funding agreement with Saudi Arabia. These include the potential sale of the iconic Marc […]

10. Apple Music Quickly Expands Club Live With Livestreamed Warehouse Project Sets

    Apple Music’s Club Live expands with a partnership with The Warehouse Project, bringing livestreams from selected shows during its 20th anniversary. Apple Music has announced that Manchester’s The Warehouse Project will join Club Live, Apple Music’s livestreaming series on Apple Music Club radio, as part of the Manchester institution’s 20th anniversary season. Following the launch […]

11. ‘Michael’ Is About to Become the Biggest Biopic of All Time: Box Office Totals Quickly Closing In on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Oppenheimer’

    Michael approaches $800 million at the global box office; another major milestone that fast approaches Bohemian Rhapsody and Oppenheimer for the title of the biggest biopic of all time. The musical biopic about the early career and meteoric rise of Michael Jackson has now generated $789 million worldwide and is fast approaching the $800 million […]

12. Qobuz Is Suddenly One of the Fastest-Growing Streaming Music Platforms. But Why, You Ask?

    We’ve chronicled the sudden rise of YouTube Premium and Music, an upsurge that started last year. But a quieter, albeit equally fascinating, ascent has also been taking place for the independently-owned, music-exclusive service Qobuz. That’s right: Qobuz, the high-resolution streaming and download platform once exclusively prized by niche audiophiles, is surging. According to data from […]

13. Cam’Ron, J. Cole Quietly Settle Lawsuit Over Ill-Fated “Ready ’24” Collab

    Cam’ron and J. Cole have settled the strange lawsuit surrounding their “Ready ‘24” collaboration, after J. Cole denied the claims against him. J. Cole and Cam’ron have reached a settlement in their legal battle, filed by the latter against the former over a supposed verbal agreement in 2021 pertaining to their collaboration “Ready ‘24.” “Ready […]

14. Controlled Slop? Spotify Co-CEO Defends AI-Generated Licensing Deal as Head-Scratching Questions Remain

    Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström is now defending the company’s expansion into AI-generated remixes, claiming it offers an alternative to unregulated AI “slop.” But the industry is still scratching its head on what this product implementation will look like, and when v1 will arrive. Last week, Spotify announced a new feature for premium users, enabling them […]

15. Warner Music and Crumbl Cookies Confirm Settlement Agreement In Social Media Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

    After 13 months of litigation, Crumbl and Warner Music Group (WMG) are finalizing a settlement in their copyright infringement showdown. The major label and the self-described “fastest-growing dessert company in the nation” recently informed the court of their settlement in principle. According to the filing, WMG and Crumbl “are in the process of finalizing a […]