Digital Music News

Universal Music Group (UMG) revenue climbed 5.8% during 2024’s opening quarter due in part to a 10.7% bump in the streaming-subscription category. The major label, now poised to generate more than 1% of its annual revenue from TikTok, posted the Q1 2024 financials today. Factoring for the 5.8% year-over-year (YoY) improvement, revenue hit $2.78 billion […]

Korean regulators have approved Kakao’s acquisition of a 39.86% stake in SM Entertainment, contingent upon some key ‘corrective measures.’ The Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said today that it has imposed two forms of corrective measures to address concerns that the merger of tech company Kakao and K-pop agency SM Entertainment could pose a threat […]

Grammys On The Hill Advocacy Day sees a group including Mark Ronson, Sheryl Crow, Patti Austin, Lauren Daigle, and other industry leaders visiting the White House to talk about AI protections, ticketing reform, and much more. Grammy winners and nominees, along with music industry leaders across the country, kicked May off with a bang as […]

As Universal Music Group (UMG) artists prepare to return to TikTok under a newly finalized licensing agreement, the major label’s head, Lucian Grainge, has shed light on the terms of the pact. While a number of outlets (and relieved TikTokers) are weighing in on the renewed UMG-TikTok tie-up, relatively little attention is being directed towards […]

Members of SAG-AFTRA voted unanimously to ratify the 2024 Sound Recordings Code with the leading record labels, approving a new contract with groundbreaking AI protections and a compounded wage increase. The national voting was completed on April 30, with members of SAG-AFTRA voting 97.69% in favor of ratifying the 2024 Sound Recordings Code with the […]

Hi-res music streaming service Qobuz has added new music discovery features, while dropping an Android TV beta app. Qobuz says it has supercharged its music discovery features and classical search, while making it easier to pay for downloads. Also new is Qobuz Radio, which curates unique playlists of 30 songs that are designed to reflect […]

Rock ‘n’ roll guitarist Duane Eddy died on April 30, surrounded by his family in Franklin, Tennessee. The ‘king of twang’ was 86. The Grammy-winning guitarist was born in Corning, New York in 1938 and began playing the guitar at a young age. Eddy was a self-taught guitarist, bringing a distinctive sound with his playing […]

Hybe (KRX: 352820) has posted its financials for Q1 2024, when revenue slipped 12.1% year over year (YoY) due in part to a 21.3% YoY falloff in recorded music. The professional home of BTS, Illit, Le Sserafim, and more unveiled the first-quarter performance specifics today, amid a much-publicized showdown with its Ador subsidiary. (During the […]

In a sudden turn of events, Universal Music Group and TikTok have announced a new licensing agreement, signifying a hopeful step forward in the fraught relationship between the music industry giant and the global social media platform. The development closely follows the passage of the ‘TikTok ban bill’ in the United States. The agreement, announced […]

Universal Music Group Recordings, a co-defendant in yet another Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sexual assault lawsuit, has opposed an accuser’s request for a court extension ‘to oppose UMGR’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint.’ Sean “Diddy” Combs’ co-defendant in another sexual assault lawsuit — in which the accuser alleges she was forced into having sex with […]

Snapchat announces new ways for users to come together in an evolution of its Live Nation partnership, with the ‘Snap Nation’ public profile. During Snapchat parent Snap Inc.’s NewFronts presentation to its advertisers, the company revealed a slew of upcoming features like a new in-app sports channel, collaborations with figures like writer and actress Issa […]

Nashville’s new 82-acre rehearsal and production campus is gearing up to open in 2025, as a joint venture between the team behind Rock Lititz and leading commercial real estate developer Al. Neyer. In February, the joint venture closed on the Whites Creek property, an 82-acre campus less than 10 miles from downtown Nashville’s key attractions […]

Instagram is making big changes in the way its algorithm recommends content in 2024, with a focus on original content and smaller accounts. The company announced some major updates to its system in a blog post on Tuesday (April 30). Instagram’s updated algorithm will prioritize original content rather than aggregators, with increased distribution for smaller […]

MENA streaming service Anghami (NASDAQ: ANGH) has highlighted its Q1 2024 performance and released its complete financials for 2023, when revenue came in at $41.38 million and subscribers approached 1.73 million despite a sizable usership decline. OSN+-partnered Anghami just recently shed light on its Q1 2024 and 2023 showings, with the latter including a 14.7% […]

Music industry funding fell 77.4% year-over-year in April of 2024, with deal-flow dropping substantially according to DMN Pro’s Music Industry Funding Tracker. Overall, the number of rounds decreased from nine to two, with year-to-date funding approaching $1.3 billion. These and other telling stats come from DMN Pro’s Music Industry Funding Tracker, a one-stop searchable database […]

Live Nation is one again celebrating Concert Week with $25 tickets on offer between May 8 – 14. Here’s a peek at all the participating artists. 2024 marks the tenth year of Live Nation’s Concert Week celebration, where it makes cheap concert tickets available for fans to snag. Promotions this year will run in 20 […]

According to a new poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos over a period of two days—a majority of Americans believe TikTok influences public opinion. Around 58% of respondents agreed with the statement that the “Chinese government uses TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, to ‘influence American public opinion.’” Around 13% disagreed with the statement, while the […]

Federal lawmakers have officially introduced bipartisan legislation designed “to increase music tourism,” and the measure is drawing support from the Recording Academy, the RIAA, and others.  Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) just recently unveiled the American Music Tourism Act, which they say aims to increase the number of “domestic and international visitors” […]

Missy Elliott is joining Universal Pictures’ as-yet-untitled musical production featuring Pharrell Williams, Michel Gondry, Halle Bailey, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and more. Hip-hop and R&B star Missy Elliott is the latest artist to join Universal Pictures’ untitled coming-of-age musical from director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams. Details so far reveal a story set in Virginia […]

SiriusXM has reported a loss of 445,000 total subscribers for its Q1 2024—a massive loss compared to the 281,000 subscriber loss from Q1 2023. The satellite radio company shed 359,000 self-pay subscribers during the first quarter, an accelerated loss compared to 347,000 shed in Q1 2023. Paid promotional subscribers fell 86,000 compared to a gain […]

Reservoir Media (NASDAQ: RSVR) is officially plotting an up to $100 million offering designed to bankroll further acquisitions, pay down debt, and more. New York City-based Reservoir just recently disclosed the $100 million offering plans in an all-encompassing SEC filing. As spelled out at the lengthy S-3’s beginning, the company can “from time to time” […]

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl has testified before Congress in support of the No Fakes Act (and the No AI Fraud Act), federal legislation designed to target, among other things, unauthorized AI soundalike releases. Kyncl appeared before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property today, nearly seven months after lawmakers unveiled the bipartisan No […]

FKA twigs has been advocating for regulated AI ahead of her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee this week. As the bipartisan NO FAKES Act gets deliberated by members of Congress, the artist revealed that she has developed her own deepfake AI. On Tuesday, April 30, the 36-year-old artist’s letter urged the Senate to protect […]

Chinese music streaming service NetEase Cloud Music announces a licensing agreement for digital music distribution with South Korea’s JYP Entertainment. NetEase Cloud Music, a leading music streaming platform in China, has entered into an agreement with South Korean entertainment company, JYP Entertainment, granting NetEase Cloud Music the right to distribute JYP Entertainment’s music catalog in […]

What happens after music fans leave behind the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals in Indio, California? The answer is finding a new home for more than 24 tons of left behind gear, garbage, and more. Things left behind on the 642-acre property include clothing, camping gear, dry foods, and other goods that local charities pick up […]

Spotify this, Spotify that. It’s all we ever talk about. But we forget that tens of millions of listeners use Apple Music. It’s the second biggest streaming platform in the world, so we indie musicians shouldn’t ignore it. That’s why in this article, we’ll walk through how to optimize your Apple Music artist page. Why […]

With the United States passing legislation that would require ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a ban, will Europe be the next to ban TikTok? European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen won’t rule it out. The potential for a European ban came up during a debate in Maastricht reports Politico, featuring parties’ lead […]

Following an expanded agreement with Ticketmaster and an AXS tie-up earlier in April, TikTok has officially unveiled a global ticketing partnership with CTS Eventim. TikTok and Bremen’s CTS Eventim, which is moving to buy See Tickets from Vivendi, announced their union today. As described by the companies, fans can now “easily discover tour dates and […]

Seeker Music grabs an undisclosed rights package and inks a creative partnership with British singer-songwriter Mark Morrison to ‘shine the spotlight on his legendary catalog through various creative campaigns.’ The songwriter-led music rights and publishing company has acquired rights from and formed a partnership with Mark Morrison in a ‘multi-million dollar’ deal. Mark Morrison, the […]

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and his legal team file a motion to dismiss claims dating back to 1991 in a sexual assault case against him, asserting he cannot be charged under laws that didn’t yet exist at the time of the alleged incident. That lawsuit, filed by Joi Dickerson-Neal in November, accuses Sean “Diddy” Combs of […]

Let the bidding war continue: After Concord put up an improved offer of $1.51 billion for Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) – and began purchasing shares from investors – Blackstone has officially come back with a $1.57 billion bid. Blackstone (the majority owner of Hipgnosis Song Management) and HSF formally announced this latest all-cash offer, to […]

The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds Tour kicks off with a sold-out Houston show, the first of 18 performances across 16 North American cities through July. Fans are traveling from far and wide to catch one of the world’s most legendary rock bands in what could be their last tour. The Rolling Stones — formed over […]

Deezer Q1 revenue grew 15% to €132.5 million ($141.8M) with average revenue per user increasing thanks in part to price hikes. Business-to-business subscribers continue to drive growth outside of France. “Deezer’s performance in the first quarter of 2024 highlights the clear momentum and evidence that our strategy is on point,” adds Stu Bergen, interim CEO […]

Who says the album’s irrelevant in 2024? Besides breaking several streaming records, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department approached two million “traditional album sales” during its first week of availability, according to new data. That sales milestone, reflecting albums moved across permanent downloads, cassette, CD, and vinyl alike between April 19th and 25th, entered the […]

Britney Spears has finally settled her long-running legal battle with her father, Jamie Spears, nearly three years since her conservatorship ended in 2021. The pop superstar and her estranged father settled for an undisclosed amount. The dispute initially sparked from both Jamie Spears’ handling of the 42-year-old Britney’s finances during her highly controversial conservatorship, and […]

Just in time for the release of her upcoming album on May 17, Billie Eilish announces a slew of arena dates for her ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour across North America, Europe, and Australia. Beginning in September, Billie Eilish will embark on the North American leg of the tour for her third studio album, […]

Amid an intensifying dispute with Hybe and a related push for her exit, Ador CEO Min Hee-jin has rejected a board meeting request. This newest twist in the high-profile disagreement, which is garnering ample attention in K-pop circles and in South Korean media generally, just recently came to light. For background, Hybe owns 80 percent […]

A new report suggests China could retaliate following President Joe Biden signing into law legislation that would force the sale of TikTok—or ban the app. President Biden signed the legislation into law last week alongside a military aid package for Ukraine and Israel. The bill gives ByteDance around nine months to a year to divest […]

Joel T. Jordan, the founder of Synchtank and co-founder of earthprogram has been chosen as a finalist for the ‘Leading Light Award’ at the Music Biz’s Bizzy Awards program. The following was developed in collaboration with earthprogram, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with. Speaking to Digital Music News about the nomination that […]

Post Malone played at Stagecoach over the weekend, delighting fans with a cover of Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her.” That track is now available for listening on Amazon Music. The track is a studio version of Post Malone’s cover available exclusively on Amazon Music. It also marks the first time Post Malone has delivered […]

Sony Music Entertainment Germany launches a new electronic music label, ‘noted. records,’ with its first signing of Anfisa Letyago, who has released a new single under the imprint. The Berlin-based imprint will cater to electronic music artists on a global scale, with a commitment to cultivating the electronic and techno culture and amplifying the voices […]

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) and BandLab Technologies have inked an exclusive agreement centering on the latter’s ReverbNation artist-services subsidiary. The Warner Music-owned publisher and Caldecott Music Group’s BandLab Technologies reached out today with word of their “groundbreaking” union. As described by the companies, Warner Chappell is set to handle administration for ReverbNation creators enrolled in […]

What avalanche of lawsuits? As he faces multiple complaints over the Astroworld tragedy, Travis Scott is set to headline Summer Smash 2024. Summer Smash reached out today with the line-up for its 2024 edition, now scheduled to kick off at SeatGeek Stadium (located 15 miles from Chicago’s Grant Park) on Friday, June 14th. Tickets also […]

Snapchat drops a new augmented reality lens featuring Billie Eilish, giving fans a first listen to her latest music. It’s quarterly financials season, and Snapchat parent Snap has had a good quarter, with revenue growth of 21% year-on-year to $1.19 billion, while its daily active users climbed by 10% to 422 million. As always, Snapchat’s […]

Following legal threats from the Tupac Estate, Drake has removed his AI-created “Taylor Made Freestyle” that included bars in Tupac and Snoop Dogg’s voices. The song’s first two bars feature AI-generated lyrics mimicking the sound of Tupac’s voice, while the second features Snoop Dogg. While the latter remained mostly quiet about the use of his […]

Potential suitors are lining up to buy TikTok in America with multi-million-dollar bids, but ByteDance would prefer to just shut it down. No sooner had President Biden put his signature to an act that will force Chinese tech company ByteDance to sell TikTok in the US than a handful of American tech tycoons started champing […]

Spotify’s new hotness is bundling—which it touts as offering consumers more choice. But the bundling of audiobooks with its music plans mean a lower mechanical royalty rate for songwriters. The NMPA has spoken out, now the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) joins in. “As our industry partners are aware, changes in our product portfolio […]

As shows are canceled or reshuffled at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, the venue’s general manager has resigned. Gary Roden quit his role just days after shows were canceled as the £365m ($455.95M) venue was not ready in time to host its first shows. Tickets for the first test event last week were also […]

After closing deals to acquire Believe shares (BLV on the Euronext Paris) representing over 70 percent of the company’s voting rights, an EQT-led consortium has laid out a tender offer for remaining investors. Also featuring Believe founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillerie, the consortium formally announced its long-anticipated tender offer today. That offer will be made […]

A revolution of sorts is happening in the sheet music industry.  Just like recorded music, anyone with access to a computer can become a publisher, creating and distributing sheet music with relative ease.  Many artists wish they could publish sheet music of their songs, and this article will walk you through the steps to make […]

Spotify submitted a new version of its app to Apple that includes basic pricing information for European users. Apple has rejected that update—prompting Spotify to complain to the European Commission. One provision Apple has included is a new ‘Music Streaming Services Entitlement,’ rule, which requires up to 27% commission fees on any purchases initiated through […]

To many indie artists, mastering music seems like a magical process. So let’s break down what mastering actually is, why it’s important, and whether or not you should learn how to do it. What Is Mastering Music? Mastering music is the last step you need to take before releasing your song to the world. The […]

Weeks after approving Drake’s request to be dropped from civil litigation filed over the Astroworld tragedy, the presiding judge has rejected Travis Scott’s own dismissal motion. Harris County District Judge Kristen Hawkins just recently issued the relevant order, which entered the media spotlight in a report from the Associated Press. As described by the outlet, […]

As his company prepares legal actions opposing its forced sale in the U.S., TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has come out swinging against the relevant law. TikTok itself penned a brief response to the “unconstitutional ban,” after President Biden yesterday signed the appropriate legislation (along with a number of other measures) into law. Per said […]

Google faces potential South Korean regulatory action over its bundling practices of YouTube Music into its YouTube Premium tier, in an investigation focused on whether the company unfairly hindered competition in the region. The Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has revealed it has been conducting an ongoing investigation into Google for over a year, with […]

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek admits that recent layoffs created more of a ‘significant challenge’ for the company’s day-to-day operations than he initially anticipated. It turns out laying off 1,500 people back in December had a bigger impact on Spotify’s day-to-day operations than CEO Daniel Ek had anticipated. Ek admitted during the company’s quarterly earnings call […]

In the company’s recent Q1 earnings call, Meta says Reels now accounts for 50% of Instagram screen time, while Threads surpasses 150 million users. The uncertain future of TikTok in the United States has left a lot of wiggle room for the short-form social app’s competitors, and Instagram stands to be one of the biggest […]

TikTok has quietly suspended a ‘task and reward’ feature in its TikTok Lite app for the EU following the European Commission opening an investigation. Here’s the latest. The investigation is the European Union’s second formal inquiry into the app, this time investigating whether the platform violates the Digital Services Act. “The Commission is concerned that […]

Over 250 recording artists, including Billie Eilish, Diplo, Dave Matthews, and Lorde, have signed an open letter urging US politicians to pass the ‘Fans First Act’ from the Fix the Tix Coalition. Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews, Diplo, Lorde, Cyndi Lauper, Becky G, Graham Nash, and Chappell Roan are among the musicians to sign the latest […]

Following the release of Drake’s AI-created diss track in which he ‘borrows’ the voice of Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur—the Tupac Estate has issued a cease and desist letter. Actions like this would be illegal under Tennessee’s ELVIS Act, if its provisions were to be adopted at the national level. But it also begs the […]

Yesterday, Concord increased its bid for Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) by nearly eight percent, topping Blackstone’s previous offer. Now, the latter entity, which holds a majority stake in Hipgnosis Song Management (HSM), is “strongly” urging HSF investors “to take no action” on the newest buyout proposal. Blackstone representatives reached out today with the cryptic warning […]

On this episode of ‘The Conduit,’ host Dan Ubick sits down with Ric’key Pageot to discuss the musician’s upbringing in Montreal among a family of musicians. The following comes from Crewest Studio, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with. Location and geography hugely impact a child’s development, from the friends they make to […]

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek promises more subscription options and bundles ahead as the platform’s ‘value-to-price ratio’ gets reconfigured. Spotify has been under fire for a lot of its decisions as of late, not least of all the company’s pivot to audiobooks in a bizarre pricing structure and its shuffling of its overall pricing tiers. The […]

Taylor Swift makes another sweep of music streaming record-breaking, surpassing Spotify’s one-week streaming record, while similar records from Apple Music and Amazon Music trickle in.’ Taylor Swift knows all too well how to break records, and she’s already broken several more with her latest release, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) and its 31-track Anthology. The […]

Diddy’s alleged drug mule Brendan Paul pleads not guilty as the music mogul remains untouched, while his legal team focuses on the character of accuser Lil Rod. Brendan Paul, the 25-year-old former Syracuse University basketball player accused of serving as a “drug mule” for music and business mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, was formally arraigned in […]

As it moves closer to exiting the public market, Believe has revealed “solid” financials for Q1 2024, when revenue jumped nearly 16% year over year (YoY). Paris-based Believe posted its first-quarter financials today, less than one week after an EQT-led consortium took another key step towards privatizing the business. That play is seemingly set to […]

Miranda Lambert signs with Republic Records/UMG in a deal with Big Loud, hot on the heels of the release of her latest solo music and an upcoming appearance at Stagecoach Festival. After wrapping up her twice-extended Velvet Rodeo residency in Las Vegas, Miranda Lambert inks a deal with Republic Records, including support from Nashville-based Big […]

Following an outcry of how Luminate gathers physical sales data from record stores, the data analytics body will now work with independent partners to gather that data. The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), and Department of Record Stores (DORS), who work together as Record Store Day, The Music […]

Last year in November, The Weeknd announced he was postponing the Australia & New Zealand leg of his ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour. Now that leg has been cancelled entirely with full refunds offered. The original postponement was describes as ‘unforeseen circumstances’ and the cancellation email received by ticket holders does not give an official […]

Let the bidding war commence! After getting one-upped by Blackstone, Concord is now back with a slightly better all-cash bid of $1.51 billion. Over the weekend, Blackstone bested Concord Chorus’ $1.4 billion all-cash offer for Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited with a juicier $1.5 billion offer. Now, Concord is quickly responding with a slightly-better, $1.51 billion offer. […]

Warner Music Group has sold its media properties Uproxx, HipHopDX, and Dime Magazine to media veterans Jarret Myer, Rich Antoniello, and will.i.am. The trio have formed UPROXX Studios to manage these properties. The creation of UPROXX Studios also includes the exclusive license to represent WMG’s coveted YouTube inventory for all media sales in the United […]

Despite TikTok’s lobbying efforts and a multimillion-dollar ad campaign opposing the measure, the forced-sale bill has officially been signed into law. The Senate only recently voted in favor of the modified legislation – and a number of other measures – following the House’s approval over the weekend. And in keeping with past indications of support […]

The music industry is pondering what happens next as the ink dries on President Biden’s authorization of a Congressional bill that includes a TikTok divestiture order. DMN Pro subscribers have already parsed through a detailed breakdown of the potential winners and losers following a TikTok ban, thanks to our exhaustive white paper on the topic. For those just tuning […]

Yesterday, Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) shot up to a 52-week high of almost $320 per share after the streaming platform unveiled seemingly strong Q1 2024 earnings. Now, SPOT has come back down to Earth, slipping well beneath the $300 mark. At the time of writing, Spotify stock was hovering around $281 per share, representing a […]

Drake borrowed Tupac’s voice to hype up Kendrick Lamar to respond to his diss track dropped line dubbed, “Taylor Made.” Now Tupac’s brother has responded. It’s worth noting that a release like this would be illegal under Tennessee’s ELVIS Act, which bans the use of AI-generated voices without express permission. A separate provision of that […]

Sony Music Publishing Nashville announces the signing of West Texas’ Randall King to a global publishing agreement — after the country star has amassed over 300 million streams. Celebrated as country music’s “neo-traditional figurehead,” Randall King has emerged as one of today’s promising new voices in country music, accumulating over 300 million streams with singles […]

Primary Wave Music announces a partnership with Neil Finn, founding member of the band Crowded House, in a deal that sees Primary Wave acquire Finn’s music publishing catalog, plus a piece of Crowded House’s IP. The new multi-million-dollar deal will see the leading independent publisher acquiring Finn’s music publishing catalog and writer’s share of public […]

Billie Eilish is joining Fortnite Festival as its Season 3 act—complete with in-game merch to buy until June 13. Here’s a peek at the details. Fortnite Festival Season 3 kicked off today and will end on June 13. During this period, players can unlock new instruments, Jam Tracks, and experience an all-new performance. Jam Tracks […]

Range Media Partners has announced that it has secured a minority investment in the company from a strategic investment group including Liberty Global, Wildcat Capital Management, and Playground Productions. RMP says it will use the funds to spur growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions. Range recently created a music publishing division and opened Nashville offices in […]

Phish has concluded its sold-out, four night run at the Las Vegas Sphere, with each show featuring completely unique set lists and visuals. Who’s next? The four-night residency follows a highly successful U2 residency, with Phish bringing their distinctive style to the experience. 68 different songs were performed across the four shows, made crystal clear […]

Even the sexiest music industry deals crash into reality when the contracts come out. Flou is determined to simplify the necessary evil. Unfortunately, music industry contracts and licensing agreements are typically intricate and dense documents fraught with legal terminology, making them difficult to generate and manage. Once filed away, they become challenging to store and […]

Spotify has reported double-digit subscriber growth – and long-sought profitability – for 2024’s opening quarter. The efficiency-minded audio entertainment company posted its Q1 2024 financials this morning, only weeks after reports pointed to another round of Spotify price increases. Providing additional context as to the confidence behind the latter move, the business today identified an […]

A new article from Word Collections CEO Jeff Price offers damning results of an audit conducted on the Mechanical Licensing Collective. Price says the MLC has not paid out over 25% of the money collected from mechanical royalties from DSPs. Jeff Price, the founder and CEO of global publishing administrator Word Collections, has released an […]

French investment house Ardian has officially unveiled a deal to sell a majority interest in U.K.-based audio mixing company Audiotonix. Ardian representatives reached out today with word of the sale agreement, which the investment house and Paris-headquartered private equity firm PAI Partners just recently finalized. For reference, Audiotonix has north of 750 employees and describes […]

Last year, Latin music’s recorded revenue jumped 16% in the U.S. to top $1.35 billion, according to a newly released report. The RIAA today shed light on the latest datapoints behind the quick-expanding genre’s stateside performance. For reference, this past October had seen Luminate identify a 22.2% year-over-year (YoY) spike in on-demand Latin music streams […]

The past week has been a dizzying one for Hipgnosis Songs Fund, which now finds itself in the earliest stages of a bidding war, a legal war, or both. Here’s a quick, five-minute catch-up on everything that’s happened over the past few days. If you’re twenty emails behind and skimming through the Hipgnosis chaos, then […]

Independent music publisher and record label Bella Figura Music announces the acquisition of RAK Publishing, whose extensive and varied catalog spans over 50 years and features over 1,500 copyrights. Bella Figura Music, the independent music publisher and record label founded by Alexi Cory-Smith and Neelesh Prabhu in 2022, has announced the acquisition of RAK Publishing. […]

Ten years after his phenomenal hit ‘Take Me to Church,’ Hozier officially beats the one-hit wonder curse with his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, ‘Too Sweet.’ Irish singer-songwriter Hozier seemingly came out of nowhere in 2014 with his incredibly successful ballad, “Take Me to Church.” While he accrued an unquestionably devoted fanbase over […]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced several rule changes approved for the 97th Oscars. One of these changes impacts the ‘Best Original Score’ category. Now in the Music (Original Score) category, three composers will be allowed to receive individual statuettes if they all contributed fully to the score. Previously, three composers […]

Live Nation and Madonna “are a consumer’s worst nightmare” – at least according to a new class-action lawsuit filed over the artist’s alleged lip-synching habit and late concert start times. Individuals who claim to have attended Madonna’s Celebration Tour just recently submitted the action in Washington, D.C., about three months after a decidedly similar suit […]

BTS agency Hybe is embroiled in a dispute with Ador over the subsidiary’s alleged attempt to spin off into a standalone company. Regional outlets including the Korea Times just recently shed light on the confrontation, complete with a Hybe-ordered audit of Ador (short for “All Doors One Room”) and a push to remove the business’s […]

Audiodrome Record Pressing, the first entirely in-house solar-powered vinyl pressing plant in the US, opens its doors in Gainesville, Florida. Audiodrome is the project of Dave Newell and Betsy Bemis, with a holistic focus on mitigating the environmental impact of pressing records while meeting the growing demand of vinyl. The rapid regrowth of vinyl has […]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reveals the names of 16 artists who will be inducted in 2024, including Cher, Dionne Warwick, Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, and more. This year’s inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame make up a diverse list spanning R&B and rock pioneers from the […]

TikTok is denying reports it plans to remove Erich Andersen, the general counsel responsible for negotiating with the U.S. government. Andersen was hired by TikTok in 2020 as its global head counsel and has led talks for the social media giant with the American government. Those talks were supposed to convince the government that TikTok […]

After Taylor Swift fans sent death threats to a music journalist reviewing a previous album, Paste Magazine has published their review anonymously. The magazine cites safety reasons for the decision, bringing up the death threats the author experienced while reviewing Lover in 2019. “There is no byline on this review due to how, in 2019 […]

Digital Music News is hosting an event for DMN Pro members on the state of radio in 2024—“What Is Radio In 2024?” Lee Abrams will be one of several panelists joining the discussion on the state of radio in the music industry in 2024 and all its various iterations—AM/FM, internet radio, satellite radio, DSP-based radio, […]

Over the weekend, Blackstone proposed a $1.5 billion buyout of Hipgnosis Songs Fund (LON: SONG), topping Concord’s $1.4 billion offer. Now, with SONG stakeholders anticipating further bids, the publicly traded fund’s “investment adviser,” Hipgnosis Song Management (HSM), has threatened to “fully protect” its contractual rights. This newest twist in the Hipgnosis saga came to light […]

In an age dominated by short-form content, it’s becoming increasingly common for today’s top music videos to go unseen. Should artists still invest in these art forms, and if so, what can we do to support them? The following comes from Chartmetric, a company DMN is partnered with. If you’re an ’80s child or earlier, […]

Rap beef sells records and now Drake is using AI to channel the sound of Tupac and Snoop Dogg to help in his latest freestyle. Here’s the latest. The beef kicked off at the end of March when Future and Metro Boomin dropped the song “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar. The entire feature is a […]

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ breaks multiple Spotify records in 24 hours, becoming the first album in Spotify history to cross 300 million streams in a single day. On Friday, April 19, the day of its release, The Tortured Poets Department was the first album in Spotify history to have over 300 million streams […]