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. SM Entertainment Founder Releases AI Clones of K-Pop Girl Group A2O May

   A new AI chatbot will allow fans to “talk” to K-pop idol group A2O May and other artists from A2O Entertainment, created by SM founder Lee Soo-man. Developed by Blooming Chatbot, the Blooming Talk app will offer a “Human Talk” feature for direct communication with artists, and an “AI Talk” feature providing personalized responses from […]

2. Warner Music Is Hiring ‘AI Automation & Growth’ Analysts—Six-Figure Starting Salaries

   Following recent rounds of layoffs, Warner Music Group (WMG) is now hiring for a new role focused on artificial intelligence. The company has posted a listing for an ‘AI Automation & Growth Analyst’, signaling a continued shift toward automation and data-driven operations. The position is based in Los Angeles and comes with a six-figure salary. […]

3. Velvet Sundown Streaming Crackdown Begins: Spotify Pulls One Album and Several Singles Across Multiple Artist Profiles

   At least four albums, millions of streams, and plenty of headlines later, is The Velvet Sundown facing a streaming crackdown? It looks that way, as Spotify has now pulled several uploads from the AI act and the associated Velvet Sundown (no “the”). The abrupt (but not entirely unexpected) development emerged just moments ago. As we […]

4. ELO Frontman Jeff Lynne Cancels Final Show Due to Illness

   Jeff Lynne, the frontman of Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), had to cancel his final live performance at BST Hyde Park after health issues. The show at the festival was to be the last of his “Over and Out” farewell tour, but Lynne posted on Instagram about being unable to perform. “Jeff Lynne is heartbroken to […]

5. Colombian Export Ela Taubert Regales 20,000+ at Central Park’s SummerStage

   Ela Taubert makes history with her New York City debut at SummerStage in Central Park, performing for over 20,000 fans. Over the weekend, Colombian singer-songwriter and Latin Grammy winner Ela Taubert made her New York City debut and performed at this year’s SummerStage in Central Park for over 20,000 fans. There, she brought to life […]

6. Time to Start Tagging AI Uploads on DSPs? BPI Calls for Labels on Spotify and Others As The Velvet Sundown Drops Fourth Album in Six Weeks

   Is it time for Spotify and others to begin labeling artificial intelligence music accordingly? British Phonographic Industry (BPI) chief strategy officer Sophie Jones believes so and is calling for “clear” disclaimers on tracks made solely with AI. Update (7/14): Looks like we won’t need quite as many AI tags; shortly after this piece was published, Spotify […]

7. Justin Bieber Reportedly Pays Back $30 Million Debt to Scooter Braun

   Justin Bieber and Scooter Braun have settled their massive financial dispute over the $30-plus million the singer owed as an advance from AEG. Shortly after Scooter Braun stepped down as CEO of Hybe America, sources with direct knowledge told the press that Braun finally settled his financial dispute with Justin Bieber. The singer reportedly must […]

8. It’s Not Just Verizon: Google Also Moves to Pause Infringement Litigation Amid Supreme Court Review of Cox v. Sony

   Google requests a stay in a case against Cengage, Macmillan, and other textbook publishers pending the Supreme Court’s decision in Cox v. Sony Music Entertainment. A lawsuit filed against Google by several textbook publishers in 2024 accuses the tech giant of not doing enough to prevent piracy, and, in fact, profiting from it. Google saw […]

9. Meta Snaps Up ‘Conversational Voice AI’ Startup PlayAI

   PlayAI, a Palto Alt-based artificial intelligence startup has quickly moved from a $21 million seed round to being acquired by Meta in less than a year. PlayAI specializes in generative voice AI, enabling the creation of natural, human-sounding speech for applications ranging from customer support to content creation. The company’s technology leverage large language models […]

10. XXXTentacion’s Estate Announces Clothing Line, Bad Vibes Forever

    The estate of late rapper XXXTentacion has announced the official launch of the Bad Vibes Forever clothing brand. The brand shares its name with the rapper’s fourth and final studio album. The first collection will feature items based on XXXTentacion’s original artwork and concepts from the earliest stage of his career. These designs are intended […]

11. Verizon Moves to Stay Major Label Infringement Suit Pending Supreme Court’s Cox Communications Ruling

    As the Supreme Court prepares to hear a marathon copyright case involving Cox Communications, Verizon is looking to stay the separate infringement action it’s fending off from the major labels. Verizon just recently asked the court to pause the process pending the Supreme Court ruling. By now, many are familiar with the long-running showdown between […]

12. Spotify Reportedly Threatens Turkey Exit Amid Intensifying Government Dispute

    Looks like the Spotify situation is souring in Turkey – so much so that the streaming platform is reportedly considering exiting the nation of 85 million. That’s according to a new round of regional coverage, which follows last week’s reports of the overarching dispute. Not Spotify’s first public dust-up with the Turkish government – 2020 […]

13. Let the Fourth Trial Begin: T.I. and Tiny Formally Reject Massive Award Reduction in Marathon OMG Girlz Suit

    Multiple years and three trials later, the marathon legal battle between T.I. and MGA Entertainment is poised to receive yet another trial, this time to redetermine punitive damages. The presiding judge confirmed as much earlier this week, and the appropriate litigants yesterday took the first step towards scheduling the fourth trial. As some know, the […]

14. Kobalt Snags a Piece of Derrick Southerland’s Catalog Alongside Broader Publishing Deal

    Kobalt has inked a global publishing deal with Nashville songwriter Derrick Southerland, which includes acquiring a portion of his extensive catalog. Southerland is widely recognized for writing Ingrid Andress’ “More Hearts Than Mine” which was named the 2020 MusicRow Song of the Year. His credits also include “Lady Like” and “Seeing Someone Else.” Beyond these […]

15. After Scary Mid-Air Mishap, Beyoncé Swaps Flying Cadillac for Gold Horse

    Beyoncé swaps the flying Cadillac for a flying gold horse, following a scary mid-air stage mishap in Houston last month. Beyoncé has made a noticeable change to her Cowboy Carter Tour after the recent mishap that saw her flying Cadillac tilting mid-air with her aboard. In the closing moments of her July 10 show in […]