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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. Bedding Company Quickly Faces the Wrath of Taylor Swift’s Legal Team After Filing ‘Swift Home’ Trademark Application

   A bedding company that applied for a “Swift Home” trademark has abandoned its application after pressure from Taylor Swift’s legal team. On Friday, a bedding company that applied for a federal trademark for the name “Swift Home” abandoned its application following legal pressure from Taylor Swift’s legal team. Swift’s company, TAS Rights Management, wrote to […]

2. DOJ Chief Jumps Ship as Live Nation Backroom Dealing Draws Attention

   Justice Department antitrust chief Gail Slater steps down amid reports Live Nation is looking to cut a backroom deal ahead of the DOJ trial next month. On Thursday, Justice Department antitrust chief Gail Slater announced she would step down from her position. The move comes amid swirling reports of Live Nation looking to cut a […]

3. Wasserman Is Selling His Agency Following the Epstein Debacle — Wasserman Exits the Day-to-Day After ‘Becoming a Distraction’

   Casey Wasserman told staff on Friday night that he will be putting his talent agency up for sale amid the fallout from the Epstein files. In a memo sent to staff on Friday night, Casey Wasserman announced he would be putting his talent and marketing agency up for sale. The news follows the recent release […]

4. Wasserman’s Selling — But Who’s Buying?

   Casey Wasserman is now hitting the eject button on his own company, according to details confirmed ahead of the weekend. But who’s ready to buy what’s left? Can Casey Wasserman save his own agency by leaving it? That’s the operative question following a bombshell internal memo sent by Casey Wasserman to staffers on Friday. After […]

5. ByteDance’s ‘Seedance 2.0’ Gets a Resounding Thumbs Down from Hollywood—Disney Lawyers Are Already All Over This One

   Disney issues a cease and desist letter to ByteDance following the release of the Chinese tech giant’s Seedance 2.0 last week. On Thursday, Chinese tech company and TikTok parent ByteDance released Seedance 2.0, an AI video generation tool that quickly earned the wrath of The Walt Disney Company. Just a day later, Disney issued a […]

6. Bard College President Leon Botstein Isn’t Resigning After a Trove of Incriminating Epstein Emails Surface—Including Some Uncomfortable Details About Epstein’s Private Island

   Longtime Bard College president and classical conductor Leon Botstein is now feeling the heat as a trove of emails connecting him to Jeffrey Epstein come to light. Here’s what we know. Bard College has long been associated with its president, Leon Botstein, whose tenure and influence in higher education have been celebrated for decades across […]

7. Latest Music Industry Hires: NIVA, Bar/None, Warner Chappell, Too Lost, Vydia, Hybe, Create Music, Peermusic, More

   Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of February 13th, 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 […]

8. IMPALA, AIM, and Others Respond to the EU’s Universal Music-Downtown Deal Approval: ‘UMG Must Now Fully Respect Labels and Artists Freedom to Leave Without Incentive or Penalty’

   After spearheading a concerted effort to block the Universal Music-Downtown deal, IMPALA, AIM, and others are reacting to the European Commission’s approval of the purchase. The mentioned entities, having voiced competition-related concerns from the get-go, reached out with responses to the long-running investigation’s outcome. And as we broke down this morning, the Commission expressed the...

9. European Commission Hands Down Long-Expected Approval of Universal Music’s $775 Million Downtown Acquisition — Albeit With Some ‘Conditions’

   As expected, the European Commission (EC) has signed off on Universal Music’s Downtown deal – albeit with some “conditions.” That long-awaited decision surfaced in a brief release today, a couple weeks ahead of the Commission’s self-imposed February 27th deadline to approve or block the buyout. And for those who’ve been following the $775 million purchase […]

10. More Details Trickle In On Britney Spears’ Catalog Sale — Let’s Separate Fact from Fiction, Shall We?

    Multiple major media outlets are reporting that Britney Spears has sold her entire catalog to Primary Wave for $200 million—though sources to DMN are pointing to some wild overstatements. So what’s really being bought and sold? Here’s what we know so far. This week, multiple reports surfaced that Britney Spears sold her entire catalog to […]

11. Live Nation Faces Growing Pushback for Reportedly Working the Trump Administration Behind-the-Scenes

    Recent DOJ turbulence and reports of Live Nation looking to cut a deal have the National Consumers League (NCL) concerned about the status of the government’s antitrust case. It’s all part of a growing pushback against the possibility of a backroom deal — and scuttled DOJ trial. The National Consumers League (NCL) said it is […]

12. TikTok US Launches Local Feeds Using Your Precise Location — What Does This Mean for Local Music?

    TikTok has just launched an opt-in local feed in the US, leveraging users’ precise location information to display content related to travel, events, and more. That raises a hopeful question for the music industry: could this shift TikTok’s promo in favor of local artists and scenes? On Wednesday, TikTok’s U.S. joint venture announced a new […]

13. Spotify Says Its Developers No Longer Write Code — It’s All AI at This Point

    Spotify shared during its Q4 earnings call that the company’s developers have relied on AI to write the lion’s share of its code since December. Spotify held its fourth-quarter earnings call this week, revealing the many ways the company has been relying on artificial intelligence to accelerate the platform’s development. According to Spotify co-CEO Gustav […]

14. This Country-Kpop Remix Is Over — Scott Borchetta Officially Exits HYBE America, With Big Plans for ‘Big Machine 2.0’

    Scott Borchetta is now exiting HYBE America to reacquire and launch Big Machine Records, while HYBE America will retain assets, distribution, and publishing. On Thursday, HYBE America announced that Scott Borchetta is departing the company after serving as the CEO of Big Machine Label Group since HYBE’s purchase of Ithaca Holdings in 2021. Borchetta founded […]

15. More Artists Drop Wasserman Amid Epstein Files Fallout—Here’s the Fast-Growing List

    A slew of celebrities have called it quits with the Wasserman Agency over its CEO’s connections to Ghislaine Maxwell in the released Epstein files. Casey Wasserman’s talent agency is hemorrhaging its talent, as a growing list of celebrities have walked away amid the CEO’s connections in the released Epstein files and emails. As a result, […]