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 Noah Kahan Single-Handedly Beat Scalpers?—Artist Rolls Out $100 ‘Front Porch’ Tickets Before General Onsale

   Noah Kahan launches “The Great Divide Tour,” offering fans a chance to get “front porch” seats for just $100 ahead of the general onsale. Alternative rock singer-songwriter Noah Kahan announced his “The Great Divide Tour” on February 2, with the general onsale kicking off on Thursday, February 12. Now, fans have the chance to snag […]

2. Spotify Stock (NYSE: SPOT) Records Double-Digit Post-Earnings Jump — As Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, and Others Slice Their Targets

   Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) is riding relatively high following the release of a solid Q4 2025 earnings report. But analysts are continuing to slice their target prices and remain divided about shares’ exact path forward. That much is clear from the flurry of Spotify stock assessments put out yesterday, on the heels of seemingly strong […]

3. Mozart AI Announces ‘Oversubscribed’ $6 Million Seed Round, Says It’s Topped 100,000 Users

   Artificial intelligence musicmaking startup Mozart AI has scored a $6 million seed raise and confirmed topping 100,000 users. London-based Mozart AI reached out with word of that “oversubscribed” round – and its aggressive expansion plans for the rest of 2026. As some will recall from this past July, when the company pulled down $730,000 (later […]

4. Musician Ramsey Elkholy of Monotronic Appears 2,000+ Times in Epstein’s Emails—Here’s What They Discussed

   Fresh from his 18-month sentence in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor, Jeffrey Epstein found a willing ally in Ramsey Elkholy of the New York-based music collective Monotronic. An October 14th, 2009 email captures Elkholy adding Epstein as a Facebook friend—igniting close correspondence that would span more than a decade. Elkholy first surfaced in […]

5. Ziqing Gong: Composing at the Edge of Sound and Systems

   Ziqing Gong is a New York-based composer whose work unfolds where sound, structure, and systems meet. Rooted in contemporary composition and computer music, his practice reflects a sustained inquiry into how musical ideas behave over time, how technology can shape form from within, and how listeners enter and experience sound as an evolving process rather […]

6. Just-Introduced ‘CLEAR Act’ Would Force AI Companies to Disclose Copyright Inputs — And Seriously Complicate Things for AI Mega-Giants

   Senators Adam Schiff and John Curtis unveil the CLEAR Act, which would require tech companies to disclose copyrighted works used to train their AI. On Tuesday, February 10, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Senator John Curtis (R-UT) proposed the Copyright Labeling and Ethical Reporting (CLEAR) Act, a bill that would require tech companies to disclose […]

7. Bad Bunny Posts Strong Super Bowl Numbers, But Fails to Beat Kendrick, MJ, and Usher Viewer Records

   Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show raked in an average of 128.2 million viewers on Sunday, just behind Kendrick, Usher, and MJ’s numbers. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday saw an average of 128.2 million viewers, according to data released by Nielsen. It’s just above the 124.9 million average viewers this year for […]

8. Spotify Posts Double-Digit Q4 2025 Subscriber and Operating Income Growth — Global MAUs Top 750 Million

   Spotify has posted seemingly solid Q4 2025 results, including double-digit Premium growth, “the highest MAU net adds” of any quarter to date, and an operating income spike to boot. The DSP shed light on that quarterly showing (plus its full-year results) just moments ago; right on cue, pre-market trades propelled Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) closer […]

9. Wasserman Fallout Could Spell Disaster for the Agency’s Music Business

   The DOJ’s recently revealed emails between Casey Wasserman and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell could be disastrous for the Wasserman agency. It should come as no surprise that Chappell Roan called it quits with talent agency Wasserman Group following the news that its founder Casey Wasserman had steamy email exchanges with convicted sex offender and […]

10. Live Nation’s Reported Backroom Dealmaking With the US Government Isn’t Going Over So Well

    Yesterday, reports emerged of alleged attempts by Live Nation to strike a backroom deal with the US government and sidestep a difficult DOJ trial. Now, industry advocates are speaking out. Fresh on the heels of Semafor’s report alleging that Live Nation is attempting to negotiate its way out of its upcoming federal antitrust trial, industry […]

11. Wax Poetics Raises $1 Million from Top Music Execs — Apparently the Music Collectibles Market Is Bigger Than We Think

    Music collectibles platform Wax Poetics raises $1 million in funding from top executives to support the next phase of its expansion. Wax Poetics, the music collectibles platform and journal founded in Brooklyn in 2001, has announced the closing of a $1 million funding round from investors including Kickstarter founder Perry Chen, WhoSampled founder and CEO […]

12. Is the European Union’s ‘AgoraEU’ Overlooking Music? Industry Orgs Call Out the Proposed Program’s Lack of ‘Sector-Tailored Incentives’

    Organizations including IMPALA, GESAC, and the European Festival Association (YOUROPE) are calling on the European Union to tackle music-specific challenges under the proposed AgoraEU program. The mentioned entities, besides the IMPF, the Europe Jazz Network, Live DMA, and 17 others yet, made that request in an open letter yesterday. Taking a step back for a […]

13. The 2026 Grammy Awards DMNTV Recap—A Look Back at a Night of Wins, Tributes, and Stellar Performances

    As the 68th annual Grammy Awards moves into the rearview, we recap an event that set the creative trajectory for 2026. Unfolding under clear skies in Los Angeles, the Grammys brought together the music world’s biggest stars for a night that celebrated artistry, legacy, and fantastic live performances. The ceremony opened with an electrifying performance […]

14. Turning Point USA’s ‘All-American Halftime Show’ Drew Millions to YouTube—But Did It Put a Dent In the Super Bowl’s Halftime Ratings?

    Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” drew 6.1 million realtime viewers on YouTube, but how did it compare to Bad Bunny’s ratings at the real thing? Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” streamed on YouTube opposite Bad Bunny’s headlining halftime performance, drawing in 6.1 million viewers on Sunday night according to stats tracked by DMN. […]

15. Spotify Stock Slips Again As KeyBanc Lowers Its Target — Can a Decent Q4 ’25 Earnings Report Turn Things Around?

    KeyBanc is the latest firm to settle on a reduced Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) target price, and SPOT is now down 28% since 2026’s beginning. But with the company scheduled to post its Q4 2025 financials tomorrow, could an unexpectedly good report turn things around? Despite their relatively measured Spotify stock assessments, analysts would presumably […]