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. What Astroworld Lawsuits? Travis Scott Is Headlining Summer Smash, Which ‘Hosted Over 100,000 Attendees’ Last Year

   What avalanche of lawsuits? As he faces multiple complaints over the Astroworld tragedy, Travis Scott is set to headline Summer Smash 2024. Summer Smash reached out today with the line-up for its 2024 edition, now scheduled to kick off at SeatGeek Stadium (located 15 miles from Chicago’s Grant Park) on Friday, June 14th. Tickets also […]

2. Yes, Snapchat is Still Growing — And Giving Fans a First Peek at New Billie Eilish Music

   Snapchat drops a new augmented reality lens featuring Billie Eilish, giving fans a first listen to her latest music. It’s quarterly financials season, and Snapchat parent Snap has had a good quarter, with revenue growth of 21% year-on-year to $1.19 billion, while its daily active users climbed by 10% to 422 million. As always, Snapchat’s […]

3. Drake’s ‘Taylor Made’ Freestyle Disappears Following Tupac Estate Legal Threats

   Following legal threats from the Tupac Estate, Drake has removed his AI-created “Taylor Made Freestyle” that included bars in Tupac and Snoop Dogg’s voices. The song’s first two bars feature AI-generated lyrics mimicking the sound of Tupac’s voice, while the second features Snoop Dogg. While the latter remained mostly quiet about the use of his […]

4. Billionaires Lining Up to Buy TikTok — Though ByteDance Not Looking to Sell

   Potential suitors are lining up to buy TikTok in America with multi-million-dollar bids, but ByteDance would prefer to just shut it down. No sooner had President Biden put his signature to an act that will force Chinese tech company ByteDance to sell TikTok in the US than a handful of American tech tycoons started champing […]

5. AIMP Statement on Spotify’s Music & Audiobook Bundling

   Spotify’s new hotness is bundling—which it touts as offering consumers more choice. But the bundling of audiobooks with its music plans mean a lower mechanical royalty rate for songwriters. The NMPA has spoken out, now the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) joins in. “As our industry partners are aware, changes in our product portfolio […]

6. Chaos @ Co-op Live—GM Quits Following Canceled Shows

   As shows are canceled or reshuffled at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, the venue’s general manager has resigned. Gary Roden quit his role just days after shows were canceled as the £365m ($455.95M) venue was not ready in time to host its first shows. Tickets for the first test event last week were also […]

7. Believe Privatization Plan Moves Forward With €15-Per-Share Tender Offer — Up to $494 Million in Stock Purchases

   After closing deals to acquire Believe shares (BLV on the Euronext Paris) representing over 70 percent of the company’s voting rights, an EQT-led consortium has laid out a tender offer for remaining investors. Also featuring Believe founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillerie, the consortium formally announced its long-anticipated tender offer today. That offer will be made […]

8. How to Publish Sheet Music — A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide

   A revolution of sorts is happening in the sheet music industry.  Just like recorded music, anyone with access to a computer can become a publisher, creating and distributing sheet music with relative ease.  Many artists wish they could publish sheet music of their songs, and this article will walk you through the steps to make […]

9. Spotify Says Apple Is Refusing to Approve Its EU Updates — “Apple Continues to Break European Law”

   Spotify submitted a new version of its app to Apple that includes basic pricing information for European users. Apple has rejected that update—prompting Spotify to complain to the European Commission. One provision Apple has included is a new ‘Music Streaming Services Entitlement,’ rule, which requires up to 27% commission fees on any purchases initiated through […]

10. What Is Mastering Music (and Should You Learn It)?

    To many indie artists, mastering music seems like a magical process. So let’s break down what mastering actually is, why it’s important, and whether or not you should learn how to do it. What Is Mastering Music? Mastering music is the last step you need to take before releasing your song to the world. The […]

11. Travis Scott Must Face Astroworld Civil Suits, Judge Rules — First Trial Set for May 6th

    Weeks after approving Drake’s request to be dropped from civil litigation filed over the Astroworld tragedy, the presiding judge has rejected Travis Scott’s own dismissal motion. Harris County District Judge Kristen Hawkins just recently issued the relevant order, which entered the media spotlight in a report from the Associated Press. As described by the outlet, […]

12. TikTok CEO Comes Out Swinging Against Forced-Sale Law: ‘Rest Assured, We Aren’t Going Anywhere’

    As his company prepares legal actions opposing its forced sale in the U.S., TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has come out swinging against the relevant law. TikTok itself penned a brief response to the “unconstitutional ban,” after President Biden yesterday signed the appropriate legislation (along with a number of other measures) into law. Per said […]

13. YouTube Music Faces South Korean Regulatory Action Over Bundling Concerns

    Google faces potential South Korean regulatory action over its bundling practices of YouTube Music into its YouTube Premium tier, in an investigation focused on whether the company unfairly hindered competition in the region. The Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has revealed it has been conducting an ongoing investigation into Google for over a year, with […]

14. Daniel Ek Says Spotify Layoffs Were More Disruptive Than Anticipated — After Cashing Out $118.8 Million in Shares

    Spotify CEO Daniel Ek admits that recent layoffs created more of a ‘significant challenge’ for the company’s day-to-day operations than he initially anticipated. It turns out laying off 1,500 people back in December had a bigger impact on Spotify’s day-to-day operations than CEO Daniel Ek had anticipated. Ek admitted during the company’s quarterly earnings call […]

15. The Rise of Reels — Meta Says Reels Now Accounts for 50% of Instagram Time, with Threads Surpassing 150 Million Users

    In the company’s recent Q1 earnings call, Meta says Reels now accounts for 50% of Instagram screen time, while Threads surpasses 150 million users. The uncertain future of TikTok in the United States has left a lot of wiggle room for the short-form social app’s competitors, and Instagram stands to be one of the biggest […]