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. Major Labels, Spotify Sue Anna’s Archive Over Alleged Scraping Scheme — Multiple Domain Takedowns Follow Preliminary Injunction

   It turns out allegedly scraping Spotify’s entire library wasn’t a great idea. Now, the major labels and the DSP itself have hit Anna’s Archive, the alleged “notorious pirate website” behind the purported “theft of millions of music files,” with a lawsuit and an injunction. Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, and Spotify just recently submitted […]

2. Concord Bear-Hugs Azoff’s Giant Records with a Strategic Investment—Stem Now Powering Distribution

   The Azoff Company’s Giant Music announces a strategic global partnership with Concord’s Stem, which will now oversee Giant’s worldwide distribution. Independent record label Giant Music, founded by The Azoff Company, has announced a global distribution partnership with Concord’s Stem following a strategic investment from the latter. The partnership further strengthens Giant’s position—as, well,...

3. Alliance Entertainment Finalizes Endstate Acquisition, Doubling Down on Collectible and Vinyl Authentication

   Alliance Entertainment completes its acquisition of Endstate to double down on serving the collectible and vinyl authentication ecosystem. Alliance Entertainment, a global distributor and creator of entertainment and collectible products, has announced finalizing its acquisition of Endstate, which will serve as Alliance’s dedicated authentication and resale platform. The transaction includes the...

4. EDC Thailand Might Be Sticking Around—Insomniac Plans Third Installation for December 2026

   EDC Thailand is going strong, with a third edition gearing up for December 18-20, 2026, marking a shift from its previous January dates. Global dance music experience curator Insomniac has announced that EDC Thailand will return for its third edition in 2026. The event will take place from December 18 to 20, marking a shift […]

5. Suno is ‘the Ozempic of the Music Industry,’ CEO Says—’Everybody’s On It and Nobody Wants to Talk About It’

   Suno CEO Mikey Shulman says his company offers an efficiency many professionals across the music industry are already using but are reluctant to admit. Rapidly growing AI music company Suno is now valued at around $2.45 billion, having attracted major Silicon Valley investment over its ability to generate full songs from simple text prompts. In […]

6. Def Jam Goes to China—UMG Sets Up ‘Def Jam Recordings China’ In Hip-Hop Hotspot Chengdu

   UMG announces the launch of Def Jam Recordings China in Chengdu, viewed as the capital of Chinese hip-hop and a cultural hub in Southwest China. Universal Music Greater China (UMGC), a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has announced the launch of Def Jam Recordings China in Chengdu—widely regarded as the capital of Chinese hip-hop […]

7. MUSEXPO Triumphantly Returns for 2026 — ‘United Nations of Music’ Re-Convenes in Burbank In March

   MUSEXPO, known as ‘The United Nations of Music’ is returning to Burbank, California from March 22-25, 2026. The event promises four days of industry insight, collaboration, and creative exchange for music professionals across the globe. This article was created in collaboration with DMN partner A&R Worldwide. This year marks more than 25 years of MUSEXPO […]

8. Duetti Pulls Down $200 Million in Fresh Funding — Including a $50 Million Series C — and Eyes an Aggressive International Expansion

   Duetti has scored another $200 million in funding, including a $50 million Raine Partners-led Series C, and shed light on aggressive international expansion plans. The indie-focused catalog investor, having pulled down the same amount in a March 2025 raise, confirmed this latest $200 million tranche today. Behind the newly obtained capital, Duetti pointed to a […]

9. Barclays Becomes the Latest to Drop Their Spotify Price Target, Though Broader Analyst Sentiment Remains Bullish

   Barclays becomes the latest to drop Spotify’s price target amid a broader bullish sentiment, with SPOT bouncing back this week after a major dip. It’s been a volatile start this year for Spotify’s stock (SPOT), shares of which dipped again last week after an unimpressive first couple of weeks in January. Now, Barclays joins the […]

10. The Plot Thickens on Suspected AI Singer Sienna Rose

    Soul singer Sienna Rose might be an AI artist—but she says she feels real. So what’s the deal with the mysterious singer with millions of streams? Sienna Rose popped up seemingly out of nowhere and already has three smoky, jazz-infused songs in Spotify’s Viral Top 50, a sign that she could become one of the […]

11. AXS Sues SecureMyPass Over ‘Spoofed’ Tickets That Bypass Transfer Restrictions

    AXS is suing SecureMyPass over the platform’s allegedly enabling scalpers to create spoofed tickets that bypass transfer restrictions. AEG-owned ticket seller AXS has filed a lawsuit against SecureMyPass (SMP), with allegations of fraud by enabling brokers to bypass digital encryption and transfer systems with spoofed tickets. As Digital Music News covered extensively, these effectively...

12. TikTok Generated €1.8 Billion for the EU Music Business in 2025—According to TikTok

    TikTok releases a study showing that the platform generated billions for the EU economy last year, including $1.8 billion for the EU music industry. According to a new study conducted by independent economic analysis firm Public First (and commissioned by TikTok), businesses advertising on TikTok generated €31 billion ($36 billion) in economic output across the […]

13. European Commission Reportedly Set to Approve UMG’s Downtown Deal — Final Decision Still Expected Before February 27th

    Despite facing considerable indie-sector criticism, Universal Music Group’s $775 million Downtown Music Holdings buyout is reportedly poised to receive EU approval. That’s according to outlets including Reuters, which cited “people with direct knowledge of the matter.” However, neither UMG nor the European Commission has commented publicly on the subject, and the latter entity is still […]

14. ‘Sinatra the Musical’ Setting Sail in London’s West End After UMG & Frank Sinatra Enterprises Sparked the Initiative in 2022

    “Sinatra the Musical” makes its West End debut this summer starting on June 3, after playing a sold-out initial run in Birmingham in 2023. “Sinatra the Musical” it set to premiere in London’s West End this summer at the Aldwych Theatre, beginning on June 3. The musical played a sold-out initial run at Birmingham Rep […]

15. Move Over Audible—Spotify Developing ‘Page Match’ Feature for Audiobook Listeners Who Like to Read Along

    Spotify is taking another step into Audible’s territory with a new Page Match feature to sync up physical books with the audiobook version. Here’s how it works. The reverse engineering wizards at Android Authority have been digging through Spotify’s latest release on the platform and have discovered references to the feature called Page Match. The […]