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. Brian McKnight Takes Major Radio Network to Court Over Interview Gone Sideways

   Singer-songwriter Brian McKnight files a defamation lawsuit over a radio interview with his ex-wife in which he was accused of neglecting his kids. R&B singer-songwriter Brian McKnight is suing The Rickey Smiley Morning Show and North Carolina radio personality Karen Clark for defamation. The complaint stems from the public scrutiny surrounding the relationship between McKnight […]

2. Just Say No to Suno? Open Letter Compares Suno’s Training to the Louvre Heist

   Music industry figureheads have signed an open letter calling on the industry to ‘just say no to Suno.’ Key signees include representatives from the Music Artist Coalition, the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance, The Trichordist, ECR Music Group, and Artist Rights Institute. They demand the industry halt support for Suno’s AI music generation tools. The […]

3. Lyor Cohen Isn’t Your Best Friend — But He’s Getting Serious Results at YouTube Music

   YouTube Music head Lyor Cohen has been a music industry punching bag for the past few months. But he’s also getting a ton of new subscribers over at YouTube Music. Depending on your perspective, YouTube’s Lyor Cohen is either the guy ruining Billboard’s charts and screwing artists, or a legendary music exec building YouTube Music. […]

4. It Turns Out ClicknClear Is Fending Off an Ugly Lawsuit Filed by a Different ‘Niche’ Licensing Specialist — Judge Grants Dismissal Motion, Plaintiff Tees Up Appeal

   Many are familiar with ClicknClear from headlines about its Universal Music Group deal (and an Olympics licensing snafu). But the performance-sports-focused “music rights tech company” has quietly been fending off an ugly false advertising lawsuit since July 2025. The presiding judge recently granted ClicknClear’s motion to dismiss that suit – albeit while also enabling the […]

5. Royalty Platform Mogul Raises $5 Million In Latest Funding Round

   SoundCloud exec-founded royalty platform Mogul raises $5 million in a new round of funding led by the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund. Mogul, a platform for artists to track their income and royalties, has announced raising $5 million in a new round of funding led by the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund. The company, founded by former […]

6. List of Exiting Wasserman Music Artists Now Tops 20—But Still No Word From Mega-Stars Coldplay or Ed Sheeran

   The fallout from Wasserman Music founder Casey Wasserman’s ties to the Epstein files continues as more than 20 artists have cut ties with the agency. Wasserman Music’s future remains uncertain in the wake of its founder and namesake Casey Wasserman’s decision to sell the agency, faced with the apparent threat of mutiny on deck from […]

7. Spotify Stock Struggles Continue — Morgan Stanley, Guggenheim, and Others Remain Bullish Despite Target Price Reductions

   Is a rebound in the cards for Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT)? Both Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim believe so, though the latter has sliced its SPOT target by nearly 17%. Despite that double-digit reduction, Guggenheim’s Michael Morris is still anticipating a climb to $600 per share for Spotify stock. Based on SPOT’s price at the time […]

8. Google Makes Another Huge AI Music Move—But What’s This Chainsmokers-Endorsed ‘ProducerAI’?

   Google takes another big step into the world of music production by bringing the Chainsmokers-endorsed ProducerAI into the Google Labs fray. AI-powered music-making platform ProducerAI is joining the Google Labs family in the tech giant’s latest major leap into AI content creation. ProducerAI, formerly known as the startup Riffusion, gained traction for its ability to […]

9. SACEM Signs ‘Landmark Agreement’ With the Emirates Arts & Music Rights Association (EMRA)—The First Collective Management Organization in the UAE

   SACEM signs a representation agreement with the Emirates Arts & Music Rights Association (EMRA), the first collective rights organization in the UAE. The Society of Authors, Composers, and Publishers of Music (SACEM) has announced the signing of a landmark representation agreement with the Emirates Arts & Music Rights Association (EMRA), the not-for-profit and first Collective […]

10. Five Years Later, Spotify Points to Strong Growth in Nigeria — Including a 164% YoY Listening Increase and 1.4 Billion+ 2025 Consumption Hours

    We’ve heard plenty about Spotify’s subscriber slowdown in North America and Europe. But what about its explosive expansion in emerging markets? Five years after launching in Nigeria, the DSP is shedding light on its reach in the nation of 236 million. Spotify just recently disclosed several Nigeria-specific growth stats – albeit without divulging actual userbase […]

11. Charley Crockett Cancels Canadian Tour After Being Denied Entry Twice

    Country singer Charley Crockett cancels a nine-date Canadian tour after being denied entry at the Canadian border twice over a 2016 felony conviction. Texas native Charley Crockett has been turned away twice at the Canadian border and has cancelled his nine-date tour in the country as a result. The country singer shared the news on […]

12. Ready for Mega-Fame? Katseye Member Manon Bannerman Abruptly Takes Hiatus to ‘Focus On Her Health and Wellbeing’

    Hot off their Best New Artist nom, Katseye announces that member Manon Bannerman will take a temporary hiatus from the group to focus on her health. Global girl group Katseye has announced that member Manon Bannerman will take a temporary hiatus from group activity to “focus on her health and wellbeing.” The group posted a […]

13. Irving Azoff Lambasts YouTube Over Billboard Charts Pullout, Says the Platform ‘Pays Music Creators — Artists and Songwriters — Less Than Any Other Comparable Digital Service’

    Irving Azoff is once again lambasting YouTube – this time over the Google subsidiary’s much-publicized Billboard charts pullout. Meanwhile, the firmly worded criticism has arrived amid substantial subscriber growth for YouTube Music. The music mogul just recently took aim at YouTube, and specifically its well-documented exit from Billboard’s charts. As many are aware, Azoff has […]

14. Can Salt-N-Pepa Ever Win Back Their Masters? Rap Duo Files Appeal Against Universal Music Group Following Difficult Dismissal

    Salt-N-Pepa file an appeal against Universal Music Group over the dismissal of their copyright lawsuit with the help of a prominent industry lawyer. Legendary female rap duo Salt-N-Pepa have filed a notice of appeal against the dismissal of their lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the rights to their master recordings. But the pair […]

15. Live Nation Pulls Another Lever to Delay Impending Antitrust Trial

    Live Nation files a motion to delay the impending antitrust trial so an appeals court can consider two particular legal questions surrounding the case. On Sunday, Live Nation and Ticketmaster filed a motion to delay the start of proceedings in the U.S. government’s antitrust trial in order to have an appeals court determine whether two […]