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. Is Eurovision Going Down in Flames? Severe Infighting and Boycotts Hit Extreme Levels Weeks Before Showtime

   Over a thousand artists call to boycott Eurovision over Israel’s inclusion, while another thousand push back. Five countries have quit the contest. With just weeks to go before the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest kicks off in Vienna, Austria, five countries have dropped out in protest of Israel’s continued participation. At the same […]

2. Warner Chappell Music Officially Launches in India

   Warner Chappell Music launches in India, with Jay Mehta appointed to lead the charge in one of the world’s fastest-growing creative economies. Warner Chappell Music (WCM), the global publishing arm of Warner Music Group (WMG), has announced its launch in India in a strategic move that marks a transition from its previous sub-publishing model. Now, […]

3. RCN’s Multi-Year Legal War With UMG, WMG, and Sony Music Takes a Dramatic Turn

   Cox v. Sony Music is factoring into yet another copyright dispute: RCN has cited the unanimous Supreme Court decision in its marathon legal battle with the major labels. That ugly courtroom confrontation’s been in motion for the better part of a decade, and unsurprisingly, the core claims closely resemble those seen in a number of […]

4. Superfans Assemble: Universal Music Tees Up ‘First-Ever Liquid Vinyl Release’ of Audioslave’s ‘Out of Exile’

   Let the superfan-geared vinyl releases continue: Universal Music’s catalog division has teed up the “first-ever” pressing of Audioslave’s Out of Exile – including a “liquid vinyl” variant inspired by the 2005 album’s cover art. Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) confirmed the high-end reissue, with an emphasis on the liquid edition, today. Collectors are undoubtedly familiar with […]

5. Like Gasoline on a Merch Fire: Amazon Music Deploys ‘Just Walk Out’ Tech for Entire BTS North American Merch Sales

   Amazon Music plans to deploy its RFID “Just Walk Out” technology for merch sales across the entire BTS North American tour, according to plans shared with Digital Music News this morning. Amazon Music is adding a retail tech-twist to its in-venue partnership for the North American leg of BTS’ comeback tour, according to details shared […]

6. Dave Mason, Traffic Co-Founder and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Passes Away

   Dave Mason, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer best known as the lead singer and co-founder of English rock band Traffic, has passed away. He was 79. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Mason, known as the lead singer and co-founder of English rock band Traffic, has passed away. The musician died in his home over the […]

7. Amazon Poised to Invest Another $25 Billion In Anthropic as AI Infrastructure Build-Out Ramps Up

   Amazon is preparing to invest up to $25 billion in Anthropic, in addition to the $8 billion it has already injected into the AI startup in recent years. On Monday, artificial intelligence startup Anthropic announced its commitment to spending over $100 billion on Amazon Web Services technology over the next decade as part of an […]

8. Seoul Police Move to Arrest Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk Following Long-Running IPO Investigation

   Seoul police have officially moved to arrest Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk in connection with a fraudulent trading investigation centering on the K-pop company’s 2020 IPO. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s financial crimes division confirmed as much today, on the heels of a related press conference update from Commissioner Park Jung-bo. As summed up by regional […]

9. Audoo Partners With Sabam To Deliver A New Standard In DJ Reporting In Belgium

   Audoo’s Audio Meter™ technology to power next-generation, data-driven music reporting across DJ-led environments. This article was created in collaboration with DMN partner Audoo. Audoo, the music technology company redefining public performance royalty distributions, has announced a partnership with Sabam, the Belgian association for authors, composers and publishers, to deliver a new approach...

10. World Cup 2026 Meets Music Discovery: tapyoca Launches Global Indie Artist Initiative

    As the world prepares for the 2026 World Cup this summer, one question sits just beneath the surface of the spectacle: What will it sound like? This article was created in collaboration with DMN partner tapyoca. For decades, global moments like the World Cup have been defined as much by the soundtrack as by the […]

11. D4vd Pleads Not Guilty to a Lengthy List of Criminal Charges, Starting with First-Degree Murder

    Singer D4vd pleads not guilty to first-degree murder and a laundry list of other charges linked to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, has pleaded not guilty after he was charged with murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered body […]

12. Drake’s Album ‘Ice Sculpture’ Quickly Draws a Mob Wielding Sledgehammers and Pickaxes

    Toronto police have temporarily blocked off Drake’s promotional ice sculpture hiding album info to protect it from fans trying to break and melt it. Drake has hidden the release date for his upcoming album, ICEMAN, inside an ice sculpture in his native Toronto in the parking lot of the Bond Hotel. But fans have wasted […]

13. Chord Music Leverages Its $uicideboy$, Morgan Wallen, and Ryan Tedder Catalogs Into a $500 Million ABS

    Chord Music is sponsoring $500 million in asset-backed securities (ABS) from a portfolio of music rights featuring Morgan Wallen, ZZ Top, and more. Chord Music Partners, born from a partnership between Dundee Partners and KKR, has announced plans to sponsor $500 million in asset-backed securities (ABS) based on a portfolio of music, publishing, and master […]

14. Olivia Rodrigo Drops Separate, Exclusive ‘drop dead’ Videos on Spotify and Apple Music

    After the release of the music video for her new single, “drop dead,” Olivia Rodrigo surprises with two exclusive versions on Spotify and Apple Music. On the heels of Olivia Rodrigo’s official music video for her new single, “drop dead,” which released last week, the singer has taken things a step further with two more […]

15. Today in Social Media Infringement Litigation: UMG, Concord Slap Quince with Major Lawsuit Over TikTok, Instagram Infringement Allegations

    Universal Music Group and Concord sue fashion startup Quince for “rampant and brazen” copyright infringement on social media posts. Universal Music Group (UMG) and Concord Music Group, along with Capitol Records and six Universal Music Publishing entities, have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against popular direct-to-consumer fashion startup Quince. According to the filing, Quince has...