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. Celebrated Saxophonist Sonny Rollins Dies at 95

   Sonny Rollins, widely considered America’s greatest living jazz musician, passed away on May 25 at his home in New York. He was 95 years old. Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, one of America’s most renowned jazz musicians and a “saxophone colossus,” passed away on May 25 at his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 95 […]

2. Are Ozzy Osbourne Avatar Ads Next? Jack Osbourne Defends Against Fan Backlash Following Digital Ozzy Announcement

   Ozzy Osbourne’s AI avatar will be “so tasteful,” Jack Osbourne promises after rampant fan backlash to the announcement he and Sharon made last week. The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, hasn’t been dead for a year, but his son Jack and wife Sharon are recreating his persona as a lifesized AI-powered avatar. The Osbournes announced […]

3. Warner Music and Crumbl Cookies Confirm Settlement Agreement in Social Media Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

   After 13 months of litigation, Crumbl and Warner Music Group (WMG) are finalizing a settlement in their copyright infringement showdown. The major label and the self-described “fastest-growing dessert company in the nation” recently informed the court of their settlement in principle. According to the filing, WMG and Crumbl “are in the process of finalizing a […]

4. Controlled Slop? Spotify Co-CEO Defends AI-Generated Expansion

   Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström defended the company’s expansion into AI-generated remixes, claiming it offers an alternative to unregulated AI “slop.” Last week, Spotify announced a new feature for premium users, enabling them to create their own AI-generated remixes and covers using music from participating artists. It’s part of a deal with Universal Music Group, the […]

5. Qobuz Is Suddenly One of the Fastest-Growing Streaming Music Platforms. But Why, You Ask?

   We’ve chronicled the sudden rise of YouTube Premium and Music, an upsurge that started last year. But a quieter, albeit equally fascinating, ascent has also been taking place for the independently-owned, music-exclusive service Qobuz. That’s right: Qobuz, the high-resolution streaming and download platform once exclusively prized by niche audiophiles, is surging. According to data from […]

6. The Black Label, Home to K-Pop Acts Including Meovv, Scores $80 Million Series B Led by Tencent Music and Krafton

   The Black Label, which serves as the professional home of Blackpink’s Rosé, has scored a reportedly ₩120 billion (currently $79.7 million) Series B with support from Tencent Music and Krafton. The Black Label confirmed the multimillion-dollar raise today, and regional outlets including the Seoul Economic Daily shed light on the round. Meanwhile, said round’s size […]

7. Ticketmaster Creates a ‘Climate of Fear,’ British Lawmakers Declare As Possible Investigation Looms

   The UK Parliamentary trade committee pushes to investigate the country’s live music industry, saying Live Nation operates in a “climate of fear.” The UK’s House of Commons Business and Trade Committee, comprising members of Parliament from both sides of the aisle, launched an inquiry into the region’s live music industry market in December. Now, the […]

8. Sony Music Moves to Dramatically Expand Its Udio Lawsuit, Says 30,000+ Allegedly Infringed Recordings Represent ‘Only a Fraction’ of the AI Platform’s ‘Illegal Activity’

   Far from winding down its lawsuit against Udio, Sony Music is now looking to supersize the copyright infringement action by accusing the AI music platform of training on north of 30,000 recordings without authorization. Sony Music has again moved to amend its high-stakes complaint against Udio, according to filings shared over the weekend with Digital […]

9. IQ Magazine Integrates Hearby’s Gig Guide Into Its Manchester Music Report

   IQ Magazine has incorporated Hearby’s gig discovery platform into its Manchester Report 2026, offering a data-backed view of one of the United Kingdom’s most active live music markets. This article was created in collaboratio nwith DMN partner Hearby. The report highlights Manchester’s sustained position as the UK’s second-largest live music hub. It pairs editorial analysis […]

10. Universal Music and TikTok Ink New Multi-Year Licensing Deal, Say They’ll ‘Work Together to Remove Unauthorized AI-Generated Music from the Platform’

    Universal Music Group’s inked a fresh multi-year licensing deal with TikTok, which is teeing up expanded marketing campaigns and doubling down on efforts to decommission AI deepfakes. UMG and the self-described “best platform for music discovery and promotion” unveiled their latest partnership agreement today. As usual, the companies opted against shedding light on the payout […]

11. Latest Music Industry Hires: Ivors Academy, Secretly Distribution, MNRK, Spin Magazine, IDOL, UK Music, Sony Music Publishing, More

    Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of May 22nd, 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 […]

12. After 15 Years, Ed Sheeran and Warner Music Group Are Getting an Amicable Divorce

    After 15 years and eight full-length albums, Ed Sheeran confirms the rumor that he has left Warner Music—news also confirmed by the company. The rumors are true: Ed Sheeran has left Warner Music after 15 years with the company (and an impressive eight studio albums). The singer confirmed the news in a statement to fans […]

13. Pink Floyd Saxophonist Dick Parry Passes Away at 83

    Saxophonist Dick Parry, who played on some of Pink Floyd’s biggest songs and tours, passed away on Friday at the age of 83. Dick Parry, the saxophonist who played on some of Pink Floyd’s biggest songs and tours, passed away on Friday of unspecified causes. He was 83. “My dear friend Dick Parry died this […]

14. Canada Tees Up Major ‘Streaming Tax’ Hike — New Framework Would Require Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Others to Pay 15% of Domestic Revenue

    Forget about a 5% “streaming tax”: Now, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has moved to require Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other video streaming platforms to cough up 15% of their domestic revenue annually. Is a fee hike in the cards for on-demand music services as well? The CRTC announced as much in […]

15. Ricky Martin Concert Abruptly Halted by a Violent Tear Gas Explosion. After the Place Was Aired Out, Martin Simply Returned to the Stage and Finished the Gig

    Ricky Martin refused to cancel a gig in Montenegro after a concertgoer disrupted his show by discharging tear gas near the stage. Ricky Martin’s publicist reports that the singer is “safe” after a concertgoer disrupted his European show on Thursday by discharging tear gas near the stage. The star’s publicist, Róndine Alcalá, shared a statement […]