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. Social Streaming Startup Airbuds Discloses $5 Million Raise, Says MAUs Have Topped Five Million

   Is it time to take social music streaming to the next level? Airbuds believes so, and the “go-to social music widget” has scored $5 million in funding to pursue the goal. Word of this multimillion-dollar raise came to light in a TechCrunch piece, though Airbuds has apparently been making waves for a while now. Founded […]

2. Massive Attack Tell UMG to Pull Their Music From Spotify

   Massive Attack joins King Gizzard, Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, and others in protesting Spotify by pulling their music from the streaming platform. Progressive trip hop band Massive Attack has announced their intention to pull their music from Spotify, expressing solidarity with other artists who have removed their music from the streaming platform. Massive Attack, like King […]

3. Kali Uchis Pulls D4vd Collaboration After Missing Teen Discovered in Trunk—And It Gets Crazier

   Kali Uchis says she’s pulling her song with D4vd following the latest developments in which the body of a missing teen was discovered in his car. Singer Kali Uchis has announced she’s pulling her collaboration with rising star D4vd after the latest developments in a case in which the body of a missing teenage girl […]

4. FTC and Seven States Sue Live Nation and Ticketmaster Over ‘Illegal Ticket Resale Tactics’ and ‘Deceiving Artists and Consumers’

   The FTC and seven states sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster for allegedly coordinating with brokers in illegal resale tactics. This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and seven states—Virginia, Utah, Florida, Tennessee, Nebraska, Illinois, and Colorado—filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster with allegations of engaging in illegal ticket resale tactics. According to the […]

5. Behind the Ticket Resale Curtain: How Platforms Tacitly Profit From Resale

   In live music, ticket resale remains a lucrative market shaped by secondary market ticket brokers and the platforms that enable them. These brokers use many of the automated tools that Digital Music News highlighted in our second article on how these ticket resellers operate. But the real harm comes when they deploy speculative tactics that […]

6. Diddy Lawyers Hit Back With an Unexpected Defense Tactic: Testimony From Dozens of Hired Escorts

   Diddy’s lawyers hope testimony from some of his former escorts will aid in his quest for leniency during his October 3 sentencing. Sean “Diddy” Combs and his legal team are hoping for help from an unlikely source in their quest for leniency during his sentencing next month on two counts of prostitution. His legal team […]

7. Musicinfra Announces $5 Million Funding Round, Adds Former Spotify Exec Jules Parker to Its Team

   AI-powered rights management startup MusicInfra has announced a $5 million raise, an executive hire, and new expansion plans. New York City-headquartered MusicInfra, which was founded in 2023 and bills itself as “a neutral, rights-data focused clearinghouse,” confirmed all three developments to DMN. Also maintaining teams in Europe and Latin America, the company told us that […]

8. BMG Acquires 1,000+ Songs In ‘Single Largest Catalog Acquisition Investment’ in the Company’s History — Led by Jason Aldean’s Catalog

   BMG makes the single largest catalog acquisition investment in its history, including the works of Jason Aldean amid 1,000+ songs from 23 artists. Today, BMG has announced the acquisition of country music superstar Jason Aldean’s music catalog. The get is part of a broader deal that sees the company gaining interests in the recorded catalogs […]

9. Secretly Distribution & Third Man Records Announce Global Distribution Deal

   Secretly Distribution announces a global distribution deal with Third Man Records, with upcoming vinyl releases from The Belair Lip Bombs and Snõõper. Today, Secretly Distribution has announced a worldwide distribution deal with Jack White’s Third Man Records. Launched in Detroit in 2001, Third Man Records is an innovator in the world of vinyl records and […]

10. 3-Stringed Guitars for Kids? Gibson’s Iconic Les Paul Gets a Mini-Me Shrink-Down

    Gibson partners with Loog to release a series of three-string Les Paul guitars for kids. But will the youngest demo care? Word on the street is the youngsters don’t like rock anymore. But maybe this will help stir a new generation of ax-wielders. Gibson says these fun-sized three-string guitars are the real deal—Loog’s take on […]

11. Sony Music Publishing Joins the Direct Deal Party Under New Spotify Agreement — Companies Say They’re ‘Working to Develop Futuristic Approaches’

    Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has officially inked a direct deal with Spotify, joining Warner Chappell, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), and others. The streaming platform confirmed the pact – one component of a broader multiyear Sony Music Group agreement – in a brief announcement this morning. Against the backdrop of Spotify’s bundling shenanigans and adjacent […]

12. Cardi B’s Career Ascends to the Next Level with 31-Date Headlining Arena Tour

    Cardi B announces her first tour in six years, and her first-ever headlining arena tour, with 31 dates kicking off in February. If her career is up, then it’s stuck. Cardi B has announced her first tour in six years, and her first-ever headlining arena tour. The Little Miss Drama Tour—in support of her highly […]

13. Body Found In Car Registered to D4vd Identified as Missing 15-Year-Old Girl — D4vd Cooperating With Authorities

    A teen girl who was found dead in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd in Los Angeles was identified as a 15-year-old who was missing for nearly a year. The decomposing body found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to singer D4vd two days after it had been towed from a Los Angeles street […]

14. Bad Bunny Residency Makes Puerto Rico’s Travel Industry Surge In Broader Economic Boost

    In Puerto Rico’s typical slow season, the island’s travel industry surges as part of the broader economic boost brought on by Bad Bunny’s residency. Bad Bunny’s three-month San Juan residency has boosted Puerto Rico’s local economy over the summer, during what is usually the island’s slow season. The 30-show concert series has spurred a short-term […]

15. Settlement Talks Stall Between X and Music Publishers — Litigants ‘Will Continue Their Discussions’ As the Case Resumes

    Back in June, X and several major music publishers moved to pause their copyright infringement battle to explore settlement discussions. Now, the parties have revealed that the talks failed to produce a resolution. The social platform and the NMPA-corralled plaintiffs relayed as much to the court in a brief notice. Technically, said notice arrived a […]