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. UK Recorded Music Sales Grow a Respectable 4.9% to 210.3 Million Albums In 2025 — Here’s the Just-Released BPI Data

   The UK recorded music industry grew for the 11th consecutive year at a respectable 4.9% in 2025, according to the latest data from BPI. Breakthrough artists like Olivia Dean, Lola Young, and Skye Newman led a British music renaissance in the UK, leading the region’s recorded music market growth in its 11th consecutive year. The […]

2. Remembering Those We Lost in 2025—From Industry Titans to Celebrity Musicians to Behind the Scenes Operators

   Every year, the music world loses irreplaceable voices, visionaries, and pioneers whose impact continues to echo long after their final notes fade. In 2025, the industry mourned artists, executives, and creatives who helped shape genres, launch movements, and define eras—from stage legends and studio innovators to architects of entire soundscapes. This remembrance honors those who […]

3. Live Nation Redoubles Efforts to Shut Down US Government Antitrust Case — Late-Year Summary Judgment Filing Questions Whether ‘Real World’ Damages Are Actually Occurring

   Live Nation makes a high-stakes move to kill the US government’s antitrust lawsuit, claiming that prosecutors have failed to produce any evidence. Live Nation hopes to cut off the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust case at the legs before it makes it to trial. In the latest move, Live Nation’s attorneys filed a brief on […]

4. Artist Manager Michael Lippman Passes Away; George Michael, Matchbox Twenty, Bernie Taupin Among the Celebrated Clientele List

   Prominent artist manager Michael Lippman, known for his work managing George Michael and Matchbox Twenty, has passed away at age 79. Michael Lippman, a prominent artist manager who helped guide the career trajectory of George Michael, Matchbox Twenty and Rob Thomas, and Elton John’s writing partner Bernie Taupin, passed away at his Santa Ynez, CA, […]

5. NewJeans Legal Drama Intensifies—Danielle Slapped with $31 Million Lawsuit After Abruptly Departing Group

   NewJeans’ label Ador is suing member Danielle, one of her family members, and former label head Min Hee-jin for $31 million for breaking contract. The legal drama between K-pop sensation NewJeans and their label Ador takes another twist as the label sues one of the band’s members for breach of contract. Ador’s parent company Hybe […]

6. Hilliary Media Group Acquires Multiple Oklahoma Radio Stations In $900K Deal

   Dustin Hilliary’s Hilliary Media Group acquires Mollman Media’s eight Oklahoma-based radio stations and four translators for $867,500. Oklahoma native Dustin Hilliary’s Hilliary Broadcasting Co. has acquired Mollman Media’s eight radio stations and four translators in a deal valued at close to $900,000. Thanks to an LMA (Loan Market Association) that took effect on December 1 […]

7. Red Rocks Ties the Vegas Sphere In 2025 Attendance Rankings—Venue Finishes as Top US-Based Amphitheater

   The Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado has set several attendance records for 2025—with over 1.75 million fans attending 236 events this year. Pollstar reports that the popular music venue west of Denver is also the best-attended amphitheatre in the United States. It also earned the second-highest attended music venue in the US, only second behind […]

8. Trump Kennedy Center Cancellations Pile Up Ahead of New Year’s Eve

   Cancellations at the newly Trump-renamed Kennedy Center are piling up as artists pull out of performing at the venue following a controversial decision to add Trump’s name to the memorial building. The Kennedy Center previously promoted two New Year’s Eve jazz performances by the Cookers, but those performances and the annual Christmas Eve jazz concert […]

9. Early KISS Guitarist Vinnie Vincent Charges $225 for His New Single—and Doubles Down After Fans Complain

   Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent is selling his latest single for $225 in an effort to avoid bootlegging—despite fans “whining” about the price. Vinnie Vincent, the musician who played guitar with KISS as “The Wiz” from 1982 to 1984, is charging a hefty sum for his latest single. But while he understands fans’ “bitching” and […]

10. Man Alleged to Have Killed Tupac Seeks to Suppress Evidence

    Attorneys for Duane “Keefe D” Davis, the man accused of killing Tupac Shakur in 1996, are pushing to suppress evidence obtained in an allegedly “unlawful” search. Attorneys representing the man accused of killing rap legend Tupac Shakur in 1996 have filed a motion to suppress evidence obtained in what they claim was an unlawful search. […]

11. Reports Suggest D4vd Could Be Indicted for Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez

    A new report from TMZ suggests that singer D4vd could be indicted on murder charges for the death of 14 year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Hernandez was reported missing several months before her body was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer. The outlet sources familiar with the matter say “the grand […]

12. Billions In Music Industry Funding Splashed Around In 2025 — Here’s a Quick Look at a Few of the Raises That Stood Out

    As DMN Pro preps its in-depth review of 2025 music industry funding, here’s a quick look at the year’s largest rounds and their significance heading into 2026. Like with our prior funding analyses and the upcoming full-year report, this overview is made possible by the Music Industry Funding Tracker. As many are aware, the one-stop […]

13. Sound Stock Launches the World’s Largest AI-Cultivated Royalty-Free Audio Library

    Sound Stock has entered the market with what it calls the world’s largest AI-cultivated royalty-free audio library, housing more than 10 million original assets. The company’s launch aims to disrupt the stock audio space by combining in-house production, AI-driven curation, and a transparent subscription model designed to remove download barriers for creators. This article was […]

14. Late-2025 Legal Paperwork Flies Between the Majors (Minus Warner Music) and Suno — New Confidentiality Order Points to Intensifying 2026 Showdown

    With days remaining in 2025 – and despite Warner Music’s Suno settlement – the legal paperwork is continuing to fly between the AI platform as well as Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music Entertainment (SME). This latest indication of a protracted courtroom confrontation arrived in the form of a signed-and-sealed confidentiality order. Just recently […]

15. The FTC Fires Back Against Key Investment Group as Ticket Reseller Moves to Dismiss Case

    The FTC claps back against Key Investment Group’s motion to dismiss their suit against the ticket reseller, asserting violations of the BOTS Act. Key Investment Group (KIG), which was sued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in August with allegations of violations of the BOTS Act, filed a motion to dismiss the FTC’s case against […]