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. Sony Music Acquires “Spookiz” Franchise

   Sony Music Labels takes a leap into animated character content, acquiring the popular non-verbal animation series “Spookiz.” Global success “Spookiz,” the popular non-verbal animation series with over 6.1 million YouTube subscribers and billions of views, has been acquired by Sony Music Labels. The deal is a significant shift in strategy for the music company, marking […]

2. Jonas Brothers Tour Retread Continues—New Dates in Smaller Cities

   The Jonas Brothers Tour has been rebranded from ‘Living the Dream’ to the ‘Greetings from your Hometown’ tour after several arena dates shifted to smaller venues. Digital Music News reported yesterday that six stadium concerts were canceled and replaced with shows at smaller venues in cities including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Washington D.C., and […]

3. Leonard Cohen Concert Documentary Celebrates Artist’s Life with Sting, Elvis Costello, Lana Del Rey, Lumineers, Courtney Love, More

   The 2017 concert celebrating the life of Leonard Cohen is now available on Canada’s CBC Gem as a documentary, “Leonard Cohen: If It Be Your Will.” Just a year after legendary Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen passed away in 2016, numerous artists and fans gathered at the Bell Centre in Montreal to honor his contributions to […]

4. Timbaland Faces Criticism for Allegedly Stealing Music to Train Suno’s AI

   Timbaland faces pressure online after a video surfaced of him allegedly stealing music from artists to use in AI beat prompts in association with Suno. Producer Timbaland is under fire after a video made the rounds online showing him allegedly stealing music from KFresh and using it for an AI beat prompt in association with […]

5. Supreme Court Decides Against Reviewing Ed Sheeran Copyright Case — High-Stakes ISP Petitions Take Center Stage

   The Supreme Court has decided against reviewing the Structured Asset Sales (SAS) v. Ed Sheeran copyright infringement case. The top court confirmed as much in an order list today, about one month after Sheeran’s legal team formally fired back against the cert petition. As we reiterated then, this dispute is technically distinct from the similar […]

6. Believe Continues India Expansion With Mahra Tora Launch: ‘A Strong Platform for Haryanvi Artists’

   Believe is once again expanding in India – this time with a new imprint called Mahra Tora, which will work towards “fostering the growing Haryanvi music scene.” Paris-headquartered Believe formally announced the launch of Mahra Tora today. Translating to “my swag,” the label was first disclosed on social media about three weeks back. Meanwhile, north of […]

7. Open Letter by Chief Economist Amelia Fletcher Spurs EU Scrutiny of UMG/Downtown Acquisition

   The proposed $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Universal Music Group (UMG) has drawn sharp criticism from prominent competition experts. Former Chief Economist Amelia Fletcher has sent an open letter to DG Competition at the European Commission urging an in-depth investigation. Fletcher’s concerns center on UMG’s growing dominance in the global music market […]

8. Jonas Brothers Shift Six Dates to Smaller Venues Amid Low Demand

   The Jonas Brothers have announced a significant shake-up to their highly anticipated 20th anniversary stadium tour. Six previously scheduled stadium shows will instead become smaller arena and amphitheater shows in the same cities on the same nights. The impacted dates in this shakeup include stops in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, and Los Angeles. […]

9. Base for Music Raises $1.73 Million to ‘Redefine Music Marketing’

   Base for Music has scored a $1.73 million fundraising round with strategic investors to “redefine music marketing” through fan engagement. French startup Base for Music, founded by Maxence Bazin and specialized in fan acquisition for artists and labels, has raised €1.5 million ($1.73 million) from strategic investors—including LeanSquare, a leading music tech investment fund in […]

10. Major Labels Fire Back Against U.S. Government in Cox v. Sony Music Infringement Battle

    Labels are “bewildered” by the US government’s view that an ISP isn’t automatically liable for not banning users for repeated copyright infringement. The latest shot has been fired in the landmark ISP piracy liability showdown between Cox and major record labels spearheaded by Sony. The internet service provider has fought to find the law on […]

11. Nelly & Ashanti Reveal Trailer for Peacock Reality Show, ‘We Belong Together’

    Nelly and Ashanti launch the trailer for their reality show, “We Belong Together,” premiering on Peacock on June 26. After rekindling their relationship two years ago and the birth of their son last year, Nelly and Ashanti are giving fans a peek into their lives with a new reality show. The eight episode series premieres […]

12. Bonnaroo Becomes the Latest Bad Weather Casualty In the Festival Space

    The 2025 Bonnarro Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee was canceled this year due to severe weather conditions. Organizers announced the decision on June 13 after a successful first day. Organizers cited persistent heavy rainfall and flooding that would make traveling to the festival grounds unsafe for camping and travel. Officials announced the move […]

13. Latest Music Industry Hires: BMI, Imagine, Insignia Assets, PRS, Gyro Group, More

    Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of June 13th, 2025. 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 […]

14. More Ticketing Regulatory Scrutiny: Secondary Platforms’ Shady Reseller Connections Reemerge in BBC Investigation

    Secondary ticketing platforms’ reseller relationships are once again facing scrutiny – this time in a new “ticket tout” investigation from the BBC. That investigation arrives amid continued Live Nation/Ticketmaster regulatory woes both domestically and across the pond. (Certain competitors are grappling with operational obstacles of their own, however.) Meanwhile, given the inherent...

15. EXIT Festival Exits Serbia Following ‘Undemocratic Pressures’

    EXIT Festival is pulling out of Serbia, as organizers blame “undemocratic” issues. The 25th anniversary edition will be the last to take place there. EXIT Festival, one of Europe’s largest music festivals, born 25 years ago as a student movement for peace and freedom in Serbia and the Balkans, is exiting Serbia. The festival will […]