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. Live Nation Studios Has Another Hollywood Smash On Their Hands—’Stray Kids’ Dominate First-Week Box Office Numbers

   K-pop group Stray Kids dominated at the box office this weekend with their Live Nation concert film to the tune of a cool $19.1 million. K-pop made an impressive showing at the Grammy Awards last weekend, but it also soared this weekend at the box office. Stray Kids’ Live Nation concert film, Stray Kids: The […]

2. 3 Doors Down Singer Brad Arnold Shockingly Passes Away at Age 47

   3 Doors Down lead singer and founder Brad Arnold has passed away following a “courageous battle with cancer.” He was 47. Brad Arnold, the lead singer and founder of the ‘90s rock band 3 Doors Down, has passed away following “his courageous battle with cancer,” the band and his family announced on social media. He […]

3. Taylor Swift’s “Opalite” Music Video Breaks Spotify Record

   Taylor Swift breaks another Spotify record with the release of her “Opalite” music video—the biggest single-day streaming performance for a video on the platform. Taylor Swift has already broken yet another Spotify record with the release of her “Opalite” music video. The release delivered the biggest single-day streaming performance for a video on the platform, […]

4. ‘Rock the Country’ in Anderson, South Carolina Cancelled After Multiple Artists Drop Out

   Kid Rock’s Rock the Country festival cancels its South Carolina dates after multiple artists drop out, with at least one citing political division. This summer, the Kid Rock-backed “Rock the Country” festival will hit several so-called “small towns” across the U.S., but Anderson, SC, will not be on the itinerary. On February 5, Anderson County […]

5. Finneas Claps Back Against Billie Eilish Critics After Controversial Grammys Speech

   Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas is calling out the “powerful old white men” who criticized his sister’s ICE remarks during her Grammys speech. Billie Eilish’s comments about “stolen land” and ICE during her Grammy Award acceptance speech last week have met with intense backlash online—and now her brother and collaborator Finneas is calling out the haters. […]

6. Grammy Winner Nuno Bettencourt Shares a Few Secrets for Beating AI — And It Starts With Your Flaws

   After accepting a glitzy Grammy Award in Los Angeles last week, Nuno Bettencourt discussed the resurgence of rock music among a new generation of underground fans — and why AI should pose no threat to authentic artists. “Real songs have a bit of danger in them,” he says. “There’s blood on the page.” Rock guitarist […]

7. Major Hires Signal Too Lost’s Continued Global Momentum

   Too Lost has added four senior executives to its leadership team, marking another milestone in the company’s rapid global expansion. The announcement follows a year of record-breaking growth and product innovation for the music technology and distribution company. This article was created in collaboration with DMN partner Too Lost. Recognized on the 2025 Inc. 5000 […]

8. WMG and Bain Capital Boost Catalog Joint Venture by a Cool $200 Million

   Warner Music Group amends its agreement with Bain Capital, boosting the joint venture’s capital base by $100 million from each party. This week, Warner Music Group (WMG) revealed its financial results for Q4 2025 while announcing a $200 million increase in the equity commitment to its investment JV with Bain Capital, to the tune of […]

9. Nettwerk Music Unveils $300 Million+ Create Music-Powered ‘Management Buyout’

   Six years after repurchasing ownership from HBC – and three years after scoring a Flexpoint investment – Nettwerk Music has revealed plans for a Create Music-powered management buyout. Vancouver-headquartered Nettwerk and LA-based Create formally disclosed the newest of those deals today. Per the companies, the transaction is specifically “a management buyout from [Nettwerk’s] existing...

10. Moments After Introduction, Live Nation and Music Artists Coalition Rally Around California’s ‘Fans First’ Anti-Scalping Bill

    Immediately following the news of California’s proposed Fans First Act, support rolls in from Live Nation and industry allies, including NIVA and the Music Artists Coalition. On February 5, California Assemblymember Matt Haney introduced AB 1720, the “Fans First Act,” positioned to crack down on price gouging on the secondary market by capping resale prices […]

11. Universal Music and ABKCO Score Summary Judgment Win in Marathon Copyright Battle Over Rolling Stones, ABBA Documentaries

    Universal Music Group (UMG) and ABKCO have scored a summary judgment win in a copyright battle centering on “purported documentaries” about the Rolling Stones, ABBA, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elton John, and Nirvana. With the sixth anniversary of the marathon case’s filing now in the books, the presiding judge just recently […]

12. RZA Slapped With Aggressive Counterclaim from Martin Shkreli Over $4 Million Single-Copy Wu-Tang Clan Album

    Martin Shkreli has filed a detailed counterclaim against producer RZA (aka Robert Diggs) over the Wu-Tang Clan’s single-copy album, which Shkreli still claims to own despite a court-ordered forfeiture. Disgraced “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli has filed a detailed counterclaim against RZA, alleging he still retains ownership of half of the Wu-Tang Clan’s single-copy album, Once Upon […]

13. Spotify Delivers ‘Policy Roadmap’ Calling for Metadata Improvements, an AI Slop Crackdown, ‘Shared Industry Benchmarks’ for CMOs, and More

    One week and change after disclosing its $11 billion 2025 payout to the industry, Spotify has unveiled a “policy roadmap” designed to “build on the progress already made to grow music royalties further.” The DSP just recently put out that not-so-subtle roadmap, which, against the backdrop of longstanding royalty-rate criticism, centers on two main “priorities.” […]

14. Payback Comes ‘Swift’ for YouTube: Apple Music, Spotify Premium Get First Dibs on Taylor Swift’s ‘Opalite’ Video — Two Days Before YouTube

    Last year, YouTube — led by Lyor Cohen — took its ball and went home by refusing to share chart data with Billboard on YouTube videos, music-related Shorts, and YouTube Music plays. Now, just three weeks after that pullout went into effect, are we witnessing the brutal payback? It’s hard to say if the events […]

15. California Proposes Capping Ticket Resales at 10% Above Face Value — Here’s a Look at the ‘Fans First Act’

    California Assemblyman Matt Haney introduces a bill that would cap ticket resales for concert, theater, and comedy events at 10% above face value. California Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) today introduced a bill to cap the resale of concert and live event tickets at no more than 10% above face value. The California Fans First […]