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. Can Spotify India Win the War Against Free? Latest Disclosures Reveal Surprising Premium Subscriber Gains

   Spotify has just revealed a promising milestone in India by successfully converting a substantial amount free users into paying subscribers. The gains are happening in a market long dominated by free content. India has traditionally remained a market driven by free content, thanks to platforms like YouTube and telecom-bundled music services. So when Spotify entered […]

2. SNEP, SACEM, and 79 Other French Organizations Back Aggressive AI Regulatory Bill — Proposed Law Would Presume Models Trained on ‘Cultural’ Works ‘Unless Proven Otherwise’

   Is it time to make “guilty until proven innocent” the norm in training-focused lawsuits against gen AI developers? SNEP, SACEM, and 79 other French organizations seem to believe so, as they’re aggressively backing a related bill. Those entities, plus different music-space reps, film-sector groups, and others yet, just recently voiced support for the legislation in […]

3. Indie Music Sector Flames Copyright Office Over ‘Disastrous’ 43% Registration Fee Increase

   A2IM led a coalition of indie orgs in filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Copyright Office, opposing the proposed 43% registration fee increase. On Monday, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) filed formal comments with the U.S. Copyright Office, leading a coalition of independent music organizations in opposing the Office’s proposed 43% average […]

4. Zuckerberg Personally Authorized Massive Copyright Infringement to Train AI, Multiple Publishers Allege

   Five book publishers and an author allege that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally authorized mass copyright infringement to train the company’s AI. Now, they’re suing. Meta and its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg now face a copyright infringement lawsuit by five book publishers and author Scott Turow, alleging that the company torrented millions of copyrighted […]

5. French Montana Voluntarily Drops $250,000 Missing-Payment Lawsuit Against Triller — Though the Company Acknowledges Owing At Least $30 Million for Music Licensing

   Eight months later, a federal court has officially acknowledged French Montana’s push to drop his breach of contract and unjust enrichment lawsuit against Triller as well as ex-CEO Bobby Sarnevesht. The presiding judge just recently entered an order concerning the dismissal motion, with French Montana (real name Karim Kharbouch) having submitted the straightforward complaint this […]

6. The $1.4 Billion Question: Will UMG Actually Share Its Spotify Stock Windfall With Artists?

   Late last month, Universal Music Group (UMG) confirmed plans to sell 50% of its Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) – while claiming that “artists will share in the proceeds.” But pressing questions remain about what this possible distribution will look like in practice. Those questions are taking center stage now that the dust has settled from […]

7. Canadian Musician Files $1.5 Million Lawsuit Against Google After AI Overview Incorrectly Labeled Him a Sex Offender

   Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, who was wrongly identified by Google’s AI overview as a sex offender, is suing the tech giant for defamation. After acclaimed fiddler Ashley MacIsaac lost a gig late last year when Google’s AI-generated summary of his life and career falsely identified him as a sex offender, the artist is fighting back. […]

8. YouTube Has Allowed Creators to Quickly Swap Out Copyrighted Music for Years. Now, The Process Is Getting Turned On Its Head With AI

   YouTube is now letting creators generate AI-produced tracks to replace copyrighted audio in their videos as a new means to resolve Content ID claims. For years, YouTube creators have been able to swap out music struck with copyright claims with royalty-free alternatives. Now, that process is becoming easier with the help of AI to quickly […]

9. Billie Eilish Skipped the Met Gala, But She Definitely Showed Up for Roblox’s Latest Blowout

   Billie Eilish is launching an immersive experience on Roblox in support of her upcoming 3D tour documentary, co-directed by James Cameron. On May 5, Roblox’s virtual entertainment space “The Block” will transform into Billie Eilish’s concert stage in an immersive activation to celebrate her upcoming 3D tour documentary film, Hit Me Hard and Soft: The […]

10. He Scored a Surprise Hit in South Africa. Then, an AI Rip-Off Stole the Credit and the Royalties.

    An American act made it big in South Africa, but an AI version of their song went viral on TikTok and stole their thunder. Unfortunately, it’s an all-too-familiar phenomenon. It seems like AI is sticking its proverbial fingers into everybody’s pie, and no artist seems safe from it. To that point, Ineffable Music Group founder […]

11. Indie Music Subreddit Bans ‘Anonymous’ Record Label Accounts

    Independent music subreddit r/indieheads issues a ban on accounts run by record labels posing as regular users to promote artists on their roster. An independent music community on Reddit, the subreddit r/indieheads, has announced that an internal investigation by the moderation team found a surge in accounts run by record labels posing as regular users. […]

12. The Audio Landscape is Overrun by AI ‘Podslop’—It’s Not Just a Music Industry Problem

    The rise of AI isn’t just leading to music slop on streaming services, but a serious increase in automated podcast content flooding the landscape. It’s not exclusive to the music industry. The sheer volume of AI-generated podcast content is beginning to affect traditional discovery methods across the industry that podcast creators and their listeners rely […]

13. The Start of Another Record Quarter? April 2026 Music Industry Funding Hit $2.8 Billion Amid Continued Catalog Acquisition Commitments, DMN Pro Data Shows

    After Q1 2026 delivered nearly $5 billion in core music industry funding, the second quarter hit the ground running with a cumulative total of almost $2.84 billion in publicly disclosed raises during April. Both figures are made possible by DMN Pro’s Music Industry Funding Tracker, which compiles key details about rounds attributable to companies operating […]

14. Pussycat Dolls Cancel North American Tour After Sagging Ticket Sales

    After a broad stroke of tour cancellations across the industry due to weak ticket sales, the Pussycat Dolls pull the plug on their North American run. Just moments after Post Malone pushed back the start of his tour with Jelly Roll and cancelled the first few shows in the process, The Pussycat Dolls have become […]

15. M.I.A. Claps Back After Getting Kicked Off Kid Cudi’s ‘Rebel Ragers Tour’

    M.I.A. got booed for her remarks during her set in Dallas, leading Kid Cudi to remove her from his Rebel Ragers Tour. Now she’s speaking out. Over the weekend, M.I.A. had the crowd booing during her set in Dallas on Kid Cudi’s “Rebel Ragers Tour.” The “Paper Planes” singer and rapper claimed she was “cancelled” […]