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. Who Owns ‘Twigs’? FKA twigs Claps Back Against 90s Duo The Twigs in Trademark Legal Battle

   FKA twigs files suit against 90s alt-pop duo The Twigs, claiming they issued numerous cease-and-desist letters over her trademarked stage name. Who gets to claim the stage name “twigs?” FKA twigs has filed a lawsuit against 90s alt-pop duo The Twigs with allegations that they have issued numerous cease-and-desist letters over her stage name’s associated […]

2. Seeker Music Bags $267M ABS Funding Tranche with London’s M&G Pulling the Strings

   M&G Investments announces a $267 million asset-backed securities financing deal for Seeker Music, providing financial firepower to fuel growth. Music publishing and record company Seeker Music, established in 2020 with backing from M&G Investments’ Life business, has secured a $267 million asset-backed securities financing deal with M&G. The transaction provides Seeker with the...

3. Major Publishers Make a Decisive Legal Strike Against Anthropic’s ‘Limitless AI Rip-Offs’

   Major publishers push for summary judgment against AI giant Anthropic for its use of copyrighted song lyrics to train its Claude model. Universal Music Group (UMG), alongside fellow music publishers Concord and ABKCO, has asked a California judge to rule that U.S. copyright law does not shield AI company Anthropic from liability for having used […]

4. Airbnb Says Gen Z ‘Groupie Getaways’ On the Rise As ‘Show Hopping’ for Concert Travel Trends

   Gen Z is traveling far and wide to catch their favorite artists in concert in a trend defined by groups of friends staying together to cut costs. Airbnb says “show hopping” is on the rise when it comes to concert travel, with fans “traveling far and wide to catch their favorite acts live.” To cut […]

5. Timbaland’s AI Artist Is Going Global — TaTa Taktumi Inks With Ne-Yo’s Pacific Music Group

   Pan-Asian entertainment company Pacific Music Group just announced a partnership with Timbaland’s Stage Zero to sign AI artist TaTa Taktumi. Pacific Music Group (PMG), the Pan-Asian global music and entertainment company founded by Ne-Yo, Sonu Nigam, MC Jin, and veteran executive Jonathan Serbin, has announced a partnership with Timbaland’s entertainment company Stage Zero to sign […]

6. OpenAI Shutters Sora AI Video App; Disney’s $1 Billion Investment Is Kaput

   OpenAI is discontinuing Sora, the generative-AI video app it launched last year to significant backlash over its blatant copyright infringement. After a launch fraught with backlash from copyright holders, OpenAI is discontinuing its generative-AI video creation app Sora. The news comes just a few months after Disney laid the groundwork for a deal with OpenAI […]

7. Nicki Minaj Faces Lawsuit for Allegedly Failing to Pay a Quarter Million to Production Company in 2023

   Nicki Minaj is reportedly facing a lawsuit alleging she owes over a quarter million in fees to a production company for her Jingle Ball shows in 2023. Nicki Minaj and her company Pink Friday Productions are facing a lawsuit from a company called 24/7 Productions, alleging that she still owes over a quarter million in […]

8. Spotify Rolls Out ‘Artist Profile Protection’ Beta Amid Mounting Fake Release Issues: ‘The Rise of Easy-to-Produce AI Tracks Has Made the Problem Worse’

   One small step for Spotify, one giant leap for the fight against AI slop: The DSP is now testing Artist Profile Protection, an optional feature allowing professionals to review uploads before they hit their profiles. Spotify just recently confirmed Artist Profile Protection’s beta, which arrives about six months after an outlined collection of AI-focused safeguards […]

9. Sony Music Snaps Up Copenhagen’s One Seven Music, Taps Co-Founder Janus Barnewitz as Denmark MD

   Another day, another acquisition for Sony Music, which has scooped up Copenhagen’s One Seven Music and added co-founder Janus Barnewitz as managing director for Denmark. The major label confirmed its One Seven Music buyout, which builds on an existing JV pact with the eight-year-old company, today. Focused “on electronic music with pop elements with international […]

10. Apple Music Integrates Bandsintown Events Across Artist Pages to Expand Global Live Event Discovery

    Bandsintown announces a new integration with Apple Music that brings concert listings directly to artist pages on the streaming platform. Live music and event discovery platform Bandsintown has announced a partnership with Apple Music that integrates the service with concert listings directly into the music streaming platform. With the release of iOS 26.4, tour dates […]

11. France’s Recorded Music Revenue Grew 3.9% in 2025 Amid Solid Streaming Gains — As Local Artists Dominated the Charts, SNEP Report Shows

    Thanks mainly to solid streaming growth, the French music industry generated €1.07 billion (up 3.9% year over year) in recorded revenue during 2025, when local artists dominated the airwaves and on-demand platforms alike. These and other newly released figures come from France’s Syndicat National de l’Edition Phonographique (SNEP), which, on one hand, pointed to slower […]

12. Epic Games Layoffs Impact 1,000+ People as Fortnite Wanes

    Epic Games cuts over 1,000 jobs in its second major round of layoffs in three years. It’s part of an effort to offset spending more than it’s making on Fortnite. Despite being one of the most popular video games on the market since its 2017 debut, Fortnite is spending more money than it’s making in […]

13. Is ‘BTS-Mania’ Over? HYBE Stock Remains Sharply Down Despite Splashy ‘Spotify x BTS’ Comeback Show In New York

    Two days after their reunion concert in Seoul, BTS hit NYC for an exclusive fan event with Spotify. But is “BTS-mania” now a thing of the past? HYBE investors seem to think so. Only two days after their free reunion concert in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, K-pop princes BTS jet-setted to New York City for a […]

14. Are UK Radio Airwaves Falling Behind the Streaming Charts?

    Does radio truly reflect listening tastes in the streaming era? New data shows Spotify hits can take weeks to reach UK radio’s Top 10, revealing a gap between viral chart momentum and slower, programmed airplay cycles. This article was written by Jubran Haddad in collaboration with How Music Charts. Music Trends on Digital Music News is […]

15. Spotify Launches SongDNA — And Somehow Connects Harry Styles to Wu-Tang Clan

    Spotify rolls out SongDNA in beta for Premium users to pull back the curtain on the collaborators, samples, and interpolations woven into any track. After Spotify confirmed in November that it was developing a feature to help users discover music through a song’s credits, SongDNA is finally here in beta form. Now available to Premium […]