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. TikTok US Off to Rough Start, but Oracle Says Tech Issues Resolved

   TikTok says the technical issues plaguing its budding US enterprise over the past week have been resolved; Oracle cites cold weather as the culprit. Last week, TikTok’s U.S. operations were pummeled with technical issues and outages, which data giant Oracle has said have been the result of weather-related outages at Oracle data centers. However, that’s […]

2. How Splice Revolutionized Royalty Payments With Tipalti

   Splice, a leading platform for music creation, faced growing challenges managing manual payments to its global network of creators. As the company expanded, so did the complexity of its financial operations. Splice spent more than 15% of its year on processing royalty payments. Digital Music News takes a peek at how Tipalti Mass Payments helped […]

3. The Complete Grammy Award Winners List for 2026

   The Grammy Awards saw many firsts, as well as Trevor Noah’s sixth and final time pulling hosting duty. Here’s the complete list of winners in 2026. On Sunday, February 1, the Grammy Awards returned to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It was a night of historic firsts (and lasts), with the 2026 edition hosted […]

4. K-Dot n’ K-Pop for the Gold: Kendrick Lamar and Kpop Demon Hunters Make Grammy History — With Bad Bunny, Olivia Dean, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga Also Scoring Big

   Kendrick Lamar is now the most-awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy history, as Kpop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” becomes the first K-pop song to win a Grammy. Music’s biggest night was one of many firsts for the Grammy Awards, as Kendrick Lamar surpassed Jay-Z as the most-awarded hip-hop artist, and Kpop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” became the first […]

5. Clive Davis Still Sits Atop the Grammy Party Pecking Order — But Is Sir Lucian On the Come-Up?

   Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton was easily the swankiest affair in an overstuffed week of Grammy parties in LA. But might there be some competition ahead from an up-and-coming party host named ‘Sir Lucian’? After a virtual shutdown in 2025, 2026 was the year the Grammy party came roaring back in Los […]

6. Trump to Close Kennedy Center for Two Years for Reconstruction Starting in July

   Amid ongoing controversy surrounding the Kennedy Center, Trump said he intends to close the center for two years for reconstruction starting in July. On Sunday, President Donald Trump said he intends to close the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts for two years for reconstruction, starting in July. While subject to board […]

7. Is Apple Plotting an AI-Powered Audio Expansion? Tech Giant Closes Reportedly $1.6 Billion Q.ai Buyout — Its ‘Second-Largest Acquisition’ to Date

   Apple has acquired Q.ai, a heretofore little-discussed AI audio startup that says it’s poised to revolutionize communication.   Thus far, the buyout – and its reportedly $1.6 billion price tag – has to some extent flown under the radar. That’s presumably due in part to the focus on Apple’s latest earnings report (including record-high services […]

8. Is Bertelsmann Buying Concord? German Media Conglomerate Reportedly Explores Up to $7 Billion Acquisition

   Is Bertelsmann buying Concord? It’s a possibility – at least according to a new report highlighting ongoing talks about a potential multibillion-dollar acquisition. Said report came from Bloomberg and, unsurprisingly, cited anonymous and purportedly well-informed sources. According to these individuals, the German media conglomerate is exploring (via BMG Rights Management) a deal that would...

9. The Six-Fingered Grande? Singer Reacts to Vogue Japan Cover Featuring Telltale AI Edits

   Ariana Grande is on the cover of Vogue Japan’s latest issue, but fans were quick to spot a problem: a six-fingered Grande. “Wicked” star and singer Ariana Grande is on the cover of Vogue Japan—but fans quickly pointed out a problem with the original cover photo: Ariana has an undeniable sixth finger on her left […]

10. YouTube Blocks Background Play for Non-Premium Subscribers on Third-Party Browsers

    YouTube has been updated so that non-Premium users can no longer access background playback by accessing a third-party browser. YouTube’s background play feature—the ability to play only the audio of a video while in another app or while your screen is off—has long been available only to paying Premium users. But some tech-savvy mobile users […]

11. It’s Official: Spotify Confirms Istanbul Office Opening, Expands MENA MD Akshat Harbola’s Role to Include Turkey

    Five months after outlining plans to set up shop in Turkey, Spotify is officially set to open its Istanbul office by June’s end. The DSP disclosed as much – and confirmed several initiatives tailored for the nation of nearly 90 million – in a Turkish-language release today. As some will recall, 2025 delivered a fresh […]

12. Engagement Insights Platform Levellr Raises $2.5M in a Seed Round Led by Fuel Ventures

    Engagement-focused AI insights platform Levellr announces a $2.5 million seed round to turn Discord conversations into actionable insight. Fanbase development and AI insights platform Levellr has announced raising $2.5 million in seed funding led by Fuel Ventures, alongside a group of tech and gaming-focused investors, including Bing Gordon, Frank Gibeau, Phil Mansell, Simon Hade, Norman […]

13. Lo-BUY Remix? Citigroup Upgrades Spotify Stock to ‘BUY’ Following Goldman’s Enthusiastic Reversal; Shares Remain Down 40% Since July Peaks

    Citi upgrades its Spotify valuation to ‘Buy’ after a series of analyst downgrades, with SPOT shares down 40% since July. Citigroup upgraded its Spotify stock (SPOT) rating to ‘Buy’ on Friday, noting that it sees “lots of reasons to like” the streaming company’s stock, citing “attractive valuation,” beatable estimates, and several upcoming catalysts. According to […]

14. Affordability Advantage: Apple Music Shrewdly Spins a Three-Month Free Trial Ahead of Super Bowl LX — With a $2 Price Discount Over Spotify Sprinkled on Top

    Ahead of the Super Bowl, where Apple is sponsoring the Halftime Show, Apple Music is offering new users three free months for a limited time. If you’re thinking about switching from Spotify to Apple Music, there’s rarely been a better time — at least for those looking to shave some dollars from their streaming budgets. […]

15. Who’s Gonna Win at the 2026 Grammys? Here’s What the Data Says

    With the 68th Grammy Awards approaching, music data authority Chartmetric breaks down which nominees are best positioned to win. From Song and Album of the Year to Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, sustained momentum and cultural impact reveal where the odds may be leaning. This article was written by Emad Khatab in collaboration with How Music […]