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. Latest Music Industry Hires: Scottish Event Campus, Merlin, AXS, Artists First, California Copyright Conference, Virgin, More

   Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of July 3rd, 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 […]

2. New York Congresswoman Demands Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Pay Taxpayers Back for Lavish Wedding Costs and 130+ Cops Securing MSG

   Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are preparing to tie the knot at Madison Square Garden this Fourth of July weekend with a lavish ceremony and surrounding street closures. But what will it cost taxpayers? Jeff Bezos took over the entire city of Venice for his wedding last year to Lauren Sánchez. Now, Taylor Swift and […]

3. 69% of Spotify Streams In the US Come from American Artists, Latest Data Reveals

   Spotify releases some listening stats for America’s 250th birthday, revealing that 70% of the Spotify Top 50 in the US is made up of American music. The United States is turning 250, and Spotify has released some fun listening statistics to celebrate the occasion. According to the streamer, 69% of all streams in the country […]

4. Spotify Removes 500,000+ Malcolm Todd Plays Following ‘Suspicious’ Kalshi Wagers, Acknowledges Facing ‘Ever-Changing Stream Manipulation’ Tactics

   We’ve heard plenty about streaming fraudsters gaming the system to pocket royalties. But what about using artificial plays to cash bets? Spotify has reportedly booted north of 500,000 fake streams from Malcolm Todd’s “Earrings” after learning of several curiously timed wagers tied to the song’s chart positioning. Spotify just recently confirmed identifying “stream manipulation” on […]

5. Suno Is Opening an API Partner Program, Despite the Dicey Legal Risks

   Suno has started exploring the launch of a developer API for its AI music generation platform, revealed in a LinkedIn post this week. AI music platform Suno has revealed plans for the launch of a developer API, announced in a LinkedIn post by the company’s Chief Product Officer, Jack Brody, on Wednesday. Brody included a […]

6. Kratter v. Spotify Venue Battle Intensifies — Artist and Attorney Fires Back Against Transfer Request, Demands Legal Fees

   Artist Mark Kratter’s “undisclosed filtering practices” lawsuit against Spotify has gotten very ugly, very fast: Moments after the DSP moved to shift the case to federal court, Kratter has fired back against the “frivolous” request and demanded attorney’s fees for his trouble. We covered Spotify’s straightforward notice of removal yesterday. In short, citing potential damages […]

7. T.I. and Tiny Awarded $0 in Punitive Damages Following Fourth Trial in Marathon OMG Girlz Legal Battle

   With a fourth trial now in the books, T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris have been awarded a whopping $0 in punitive damages in their long-running legal battle with Bratz and Little Tikes maker MGA Entertainment. A California jury just recently decided on that total following yet another trial in the marathon dispute. We’ve been covering […]

8. Sydney Beach Brand Beats Eminem In Legal Battle Over ‘Swim Shady’ Trademark

   Sydney beach brand Swim Shady has secured a trademark victory against rapper Eminem, who argued the company’s name was too similar to his alter ego. Will the real Swim Shady please stand up? The Sydney beach brand won a major victory in the trademark fight against rapper Eminem, who argued that the company’s name was […]

9. Weird Al Yankovic Abruptly Pulls Out of a Lucrative AI Ad Spot: ‘I Can’t Be the Poster Boy for AI’

   Weird Al reveals that he was offered a lucrative ad spot for productivity software, but he backed out once he realized the product involved AI. “I’m not a fan of AI.” Parody king Weird Al Yankovic sat down for an interview with Syracuse.com ahead of his Syracuse stop on his Bigger & Weirder Tour, where […]

10. Exceleration Music and NexTone Acquire Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Catalog—One of Japan’s Most Important Cultural Legacies

    Exceleration Music and NexTone have acquired the recording and publishing catalog of Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of Japan’s most celebrated cultural legacies. U.S.-based independent music company Exceleration Music has acquired the recording and publishing catalog of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in a landmark joint venture with Tokyo-based rights administrator and distributor NexTone. Acquired directly...

11. Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights Was Edged Out of Recent Phonorecords V Deliberations — So What Happened? (Updated)

    Earlier this week, Digital Music News broke the news of a voluntary settlement proposal tied to upcoming US-based mechanical licensing rates as part of the broader Phonorecords V CRB proceedings. That settlement, which focused on a number of non-streaming formats, involved a ‘who’s who’ of organizations across the label, publishing, and, surprisingly, indie realms — […]

12. YouTube Shorts Adds 15-Second Music Clips to Image Posts

    YouTube Shorts announces some new features, including adding 15-second music clips to image posts and enabling users to double their playback speed. YouTube has announced some new functionality to expand YouTube Shorts and further vie with TikTok and Instagram Reels. Image posts, including carousels, can now appear in the Shorts feed to help creators’ audiences […]

13. Rap’s Elite Turn Out for Music Producer Tay Keith’s Funeral in Memphis—Gunna, Sexyy Red, Murda Beatz, Turbo, Plus Label and Political Bigwigs

    On June 30, family, friends, collaborators, and leaders from across the industry gathered in Memphis to celebrate the life of producer Tay Keith. On Tuesday, June 30, family, friends, collaborators, and leaders from across the music industry—including Gunna, Sexyy Red, Murda Beatz, Turbo, Ryan Press of Warner Chappell Music, and songwriter Cambrian Strong, alongside Tennessee […]

14. Spotify Asks Judge to Shift ‘Undisclosed Filtering Practices’ Lawsuit to Federal Court

    Spotify has officially moved to shift to federal court the “undisclosed filtering practices” lawsuit filed against it by artist and attorney Mark Kratter. Spotify set that shift in motion with a notice of removal yesterday, after Kratter fired off an amended complaint (and aggressively sought an injunction) in late June. We covered the expanded action […]

15. Federal Judge Rejects Sony Music’s Request to Supersize Its Udio Lawsuit, Says Doing So Would ‘Considerably Prolong the Proceedings’

    A federal judge has denied Sony Music’s request to dramatically expand the list of allegedly infringed works in its lawsuit against Udio. As we previously reported, Sony Music, the sole major still litigating against Udio, moved to supersize its infringement action in late May. Per the plaintiff, a marathon discovery process enabled it to identify […]