Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music (WCM), has been named the recipient of the 2026 Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS). Source
They previously united in 2023 during the writers' strike to launch a limited-run podcast called Strike Force Five.
Scottish metalcore outfit Bleed From Within will serve as special guests across all dates.
The award will be presented to Moots at a London gala ceremony later this year.
Downtown’s CD Baby distribution mainstay, now part of Virgin Music Group, is expanding its core distribution know-how to include full-service, hands-on support for select indie artists.
Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has made its much-rumored Recognition Music Group catalog acquisition official, thereby securing interests in north of 45,000 high-profile works.
Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper, and Keyla Richardson competed in the three-hour finale
The star-studded finale featured guest mentor Alicia Keys, who performed alongside the top contestants.
“Controversially, I like Blur more … that is why I have no idea,” Lucia said.
Days after disclosing $650 million in song-rights expenditures, Bain Capital-partnered Warner Music Group (WMG) has reportedly scooped up the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ recorded catalog.
The radio company forecast growth in podcast revenue and political ad spending later this year.
The nods span categories across photography, feature writing & culture news.
We’re happy to announce the release of our May 2026 database schema change now! Thanks to all who were patient during Monday’s downtime as we released everything to our production servers. This is a fairly small database schema change release which mostly improves things behind the scenes.
They’ll receive the honor on June 8 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
The Association of Music Offices launches with 14 government music offices, community organizations and industry partners.
Both stars played the role of Effie White in the iconic musical.
Kendrick Lamar’s album GNX disappeared from Apple Music, while the music videos for “Not Like Us” and “Luther” also mysteriously vanished from YouTube. All were restored hours later. Kendrick Lamar seems to be making moves, but no one is sure what they mean just yet.
Daz Dillinger is accusing the late rapper's estate of owing him money stemming from more than a dozen songs
Suno and Warner Music Group (WMG) really don’t want to reveal the terms of their lawsuit-ending licensing agreement: Now, the AI music generator is aggressively firing back against a demand from Universal Music and Sony Music to produce the deal.
Mark Smythe, a New Zealand-born and L.A.-based composer, died Saturday after a medical emergency on the Mount Wilson hiking trail near Los Angeles. He was 53. The L.A. Coroner’s office reported that the cause of death was cardiovascular disease.
Better Sony own these songs than the bank. But what we’ve learned here is all the rightsholders who sold to Hipgnosis based on Merck’s involvement… I hope you had a key man clause, which you couldn’t get anyway. Now the truth is most rightsholders are just interested in the money.
The British singer will make her feature debut in the Yann Demange-directed film Lineage
Mexico’s fastest-growing music genre on streaming is corridos, with recent catalog data from Duetti and Chartmetric showcasing just how deep that momentum runs across platforms and listener behavior.
New California legislation aims to fight ticket resale price gouging in the live entertainment industry amid intense scrutiny of ticketing practices. On Monday, California Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) held a press conference outside the Castro Theatre to emphasize the importance of...
InMusic has announced signing a definitive agreement to acquire music tech company Native Instruments, as the Berlin-based company changes hands again. On Friday (May 8), inMusic and Native Instruments announced that the former had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the latter, the...
Variety has received 100 nominations during the 2025 calendar year for the Los Angeles Press Club’s annual SoCal Journalism Awards. Four journalists were finalists for Journalist of the Year, including Daniel D’Addario for journalist of the year, print (over 50,000 circulation); Brian Steinberg for...
The Beatles’ Apple Corps announces the first-ever official Beatles fan experience at the iconic rooftop stage of 3 Savile Row in London. 3 Savile Row in London is already enshrined in pop culture history as one of the earliest headquarters of the Beatles’ Apple Corps.
Pela primeira vez na história, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de música gravada do mundo, de acordo com o Relatório Global de Música da IFPI 2026.
From under 1 million Spotify listeners to nearly 30 million in three years, Ella Langley now sits ahead of Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, and Chris Stapleton, becoming country music's hottest act.
The former One Direction member has announced an extensive trek, but it won’t start until spring 2027
Gracie Abrams has announced her third album “Daughter From Hell,” releasing on July 17 via Interscope Records. The singer-songwriter revealed the title of the project on social media on Monday morning. “Whoa whoa whoa,” she wrote in a caption. “Freaking out. I am so ready for it to be years.” In...
Abrams’ third studio album, co-produced and co-written with Aaron Dessner, will drop July 17, preceded by first single “Hit the Wall”
Electronics giant is accused of using Dua Lipa's photo on TV packaging without her permission Source
Jiwon No, who previously served as Head of Artist Planning at PLEDIS, was named President of the new label. Source
3 Savile Row in London’s Mayfair district is one of the most iconic locations in Beatles history: It was the legendary offices of the group’s company and record label Apple, songs from the “Let It Be” album were recorded in its basement, and its rooftop was the setting for the group’s final public...
Reuters reported that Zee is seeking $3M in damages over the alleged unauthorized use of its music Source
As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song contest, Spotify is diving into the data to explore how listeners engage with the songs and artists that have come out of the competition. Year after year, Eurovision remains a beloved cultural moment.
Whenever you’re calculating attendances for big stadium tours nowadays, you’ll need to add on a few dozen to cover the camera crews filming concert documentaries.
The Beatles at 3 Savile Row, due to open in 2027, will give the public access to the building for the first time. Source
3 Savile Row in London’s Mayfair district is a very-famous location in rock history. It was an early headquarters of the Beatles’ company Apple Corps, including the rooftop where they famously played their final concert in 1969.
We know from various anecdotal examples that TikTok’s Commercial Music Library (CML) can lead to big spikes in views and video creations on the app. Now licensing firm Chordal has provided some more stats on the impact.
As expected, Sony Music Publishing has announced an agreement to acquire the complete music rights portfolio of Recognition Music Group from funds managed by Blackstone, subject to customary closing conditions.
Planning a holiday in south-east Asia? Two major labels are keen to sway your decision about which country to visit. Universal Music Group’s latest deal aims to “amplify Singapore’s appeal as a must-visit destination”, but Warner Music Group’s wants to “showcase Thailand’s appeal to the world...
The songwriters alleged that NewJeans' creative agency received the demo and told the plaintiffs their topline was liked but would not be used. Source
We have a full set of financial results for the major labels, with Sony Music Group declaring its first-quarter numbers last week following UMG and WMG’s recent announcements. Sony Music Group’s overall revenues were up 21% year-on-year to ¥570bn ($3.63bn at current exchange rates) in Q1 2026.
Warner Music Group clearly realised it didn’t want to be miser when it came to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ recordings. The major’s joint-venture with Bain Capital has reportedly splashed more than $300m on the catalogue.
The deal, announced on Monday (May 11), is subject to customary closing conditions. Source
Taylor Swift's legal team has filed an opposition to a motion for preliminary injunction Source
FKA Twigs will star as Jazz Age icon Josephine Baker in a new biopic from “Cuties” filmmaker Maimouna Doucouré, which begins filming this fall. Variety previously reported that the Grammy-winning artist was in negotiations to portray the trailblazing American-born dancer, singer, actor and civil...
That makes it only the second music biopic ever to cross the $500 million threshold, after 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody. Source
Band had been shopping catalog since early last year, according to reports Source
The memory of music executive John Sweeney, who died in June 2025, was celebrated at the Liverpool Sound City showcase festival.
FKA twigs will play jazz icon Josephine Baker in a new biopic from filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré, which starts filming in the fall. Singer FKA twigs will star as the iconic jazz star Josephine Baker in an upcoming biopic by filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré (“Cuties”), which begins filming in the fall.
The Mayfair building was home to the studio where Let It Be was recorded and the site of the band’s final concert
A federal jury ruled in favor of Jason Derulo in a copyright dispute filed against him and Sony Music over his hit “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat).” On Thursday (May 7), a federal jury in Los Angeles ruled in favor of singer Jason Derulo in a copyright infringement case over his hit “Savage Love...
The members of NewJeans, as well as their label partners Ador and Hybe, are being sued for copyright infringement over the group’s hit “How Sweet”. A group of four songwriters is suing the members of K-pop girl group NewJeans, as well as their label partners Ador and Hybe, alleging the group’s 2024...
To help meet demand, Olivia Rodrigo expands her world tour with 25 new dates, including 11 nights in London and 10 each in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Olivia Rodrigo quickly sold out her global arena outing, The Unraveled Tour, adding 25 additional dates this week in response to incredible fan...
Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung, claiming the company used her image to sell TVs without permission and without paying her. But did Samsung really whip up an entire brand sponsorship ‘deal’ without even contacting the artist?
1 Apple pulled off a masterstroke, but it’s not the fruit company news everybody is talking about. Yes, Apple gained the rights for Formula 1, which used to be free on ESPN and… Free TV is going the way of the dodo. There’s just too much money in desirable product for streamers not to lay […]
Many shows don’t sell out, who’da thunk? Yesterday everybody was complaining they couldn’t get a ticket and now they’re saying no one wants to go, which is it?
The question that woke me up this morning:
At what point does a statutory royalty administrator start looking less like a collective licensing entity and more like a small bank? When they're holding $1.4 billion in other people's money.
It’s already raised over $700,000 on Kickstarter. | Image: Bastl Make no mistake, the Bastl Kalimba is a synthesizer, you just play it like a kalimba. Its tines don't really make much sound.
It’s anything but a dry spell commercially for Kacey Musgraves right now, as her “Middle of Nowhere” album debuted with the best opening-week numbers of her career to date, 100,000 equivalent album units. The recent Variety gover gal landed at a solid No. 3 with that figure.
On Monday, May 11, at 15:00 UTC (8am PT, 11am ET, 5:00pm CEST), we’ll be: See the previous announcement for more information. We’ll be working to restore services as quickly as possible, but expect MusicBrainz, ListenBrainz, the Cover Art Archive, and BookBrainz to be down for the hour.
Rita Wilson is hardly the first Hollywood actress who’s complained of a dearth of interesting parts for women, or to have met that by realizing that she might have to proactively create challenging roles for herself. What sets her further apart is that she’s taken to creating these parts in song.
“I still have to learn how to be kind to myself and the way I speak to myself,” singer writes on social media Saturday
I can’t wait for a proper full length. | Image: Blitzcat Records I've got to thank my oldest friend and concert buddy, Tim, for turning me on to this one. Ashnymph is a London band that blends post-punk melodies with Krautrock rhythms and industrial grime.
Singer’s complaint accuses electronics company of “copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and violation of her right of publicity” after ACL Fest backstage photo appears on television boxes
Warner Music Group, the band's home since 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, acquires the Peppers' catalog as part of Bain Capital joint venture
Indie singer-songwriter performs two songs from his latest album, The Great Divide
Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung, alleging that the electronics manufacturer used her likeness to sell TVs without paying her and without permission.
Janet Jackson shared a message of peace and unity as her fourth album “Rhythm Nation 1814” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame during the organization’s gala last night at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
They keep telling us to believe in the system. And just to wait for the coming election(s). I remember Bill Maher predicting that Donald Trump wasn’t going to leave the White House if he lost in 2020.
The pool seems to have narrowed for contenders to buy the talent agency, but whether a sale actually takes place remains up in the air. Here’s the latest.
Will Live Nation be forced to divest Ticketmaster? And if not, what kind of remedies will states secure following their trial win? It looks as though we’ll have to wait – seemingly until sometime in 2027 – to find out.
Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of May 8th, 2026. 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.
Following Warner Music Group’s seemingly solid calendar Q1 2026 earnings, Sony Music Group has posted respectable first-quarter financials of its own – including the highest quarterly revenue from vinyl and other physical formats since 2017. The overarching Sony Group Corp.
Lionsgate’s Michael is poised to cross $500 million worldwide in its third weekend, an astounding milestone for a biopic that was predicted to flop. But what’s next?
Eric Clapton didn’t give fans in Madrid his usual encore after he was hit in the chest with an object from the crowd and left the stage afterward. Eric Clapton usually returns to the stage for an encore after playing his classic hit “Cocaine,” but that was not the case at his Madrid concert on […]
The EP-136 KO Sidekick sandwiched between two KO-II samplers. | Image: Teenage Engineering The EP-136 KO Sidekick is Teenage Engineering's stylish new two-channel mixer, clearly designed to connect two of its KO-II samplers for live performances and DJ sets.
Native Instruments' suite of music production software and gear, including Traktor and Kontakt, will soon live under the inMusic umbrella alongside other music tech brands like Akai Professional and Moog Music.
Publishers and Authors Sue Meta, Alleging ‘Massive’ Copyright Infringement Behind Its Llama AI Service — “‘Meta’s copying of these literary works was neither incidental nor accidental,’ the publishers’ suit claims.
There is growing awareness of the strains that life on the road can create for DJs and electronic-music artists and their teams. Now US-based non-profit Backline has launched a ‘Mental Health Tookit’ specifically for this sector.
2026 looks like being a big year for new label-imprints, whether they’re joint ventures between entrepreneurs (or artists) and bigger music companies, or simply the latter’s strategic expansion. We’ve got one of each to report on today.
Yesterday we wrote about the ‘blue dot fever’ phrase that’s been prominent in music-trade media this week, following a spate of big tours being cancelled or delayed amid rumours of poor sales.
Spotify has some new recruits to its music-programming team. Maïa, Ben, Alex and Dani began work this week, although they won’t be seen gossiping round the water-cooler any time soon.
Corridos is one of the most traditional music genres, going back through centuries of Mexican storytelling. But it’s now also a thoroughly-modern trend thanks to its streaming growth.
Cactus Music began life in 2013 in Chile as a record label, before pivoting five years later to become a marketing agency.
In the spirit of her new deluxe album ‘Midnight Sun: Girls Trip’, Zara Larsson has been cruising through 20 cities on her latest tour, where 3k fans have gotten the chance to be first listeners – as well as glam out with a full-body glitter spray tan, featuring guided recorded instructions by Miss...
In anticipation of the pop star’s upcoming 3D documentary concert film Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, starting this week Roblox’s “The Block” digital venue underwent a Billie Eilish-themed makeover, giving fans the chance to take the stage as the artist herself.
AI-generated music and streaming fraud are collapsing the assumptions behind the CRB’s “39-step” royalty framework, forcing urgent reform to protect human creators and preserve the integrity of the compulsory mechanical license.
Last week, MIDiA’s public webinar “The State of AI and Music” explored AI’s role in reshaping consumption, creation, and value in the music industry. For those who were unable to attend, a recording of the webinar is available here . Source
From streaming revenue to global market share, discover how Mexico's fastest-growing genre is being built from the bottom up.
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIHM), Spotify is honored to celebrate their impact while spotlighting the next wave of artists defining what’s...
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It’s what’s driven us to expand from music to podcasts to audiobooks, and onto more than 2,000 devices.
Desde o lançamento em 2023, o DJ (beta) já ajudou a deixar a experiência de ouvir música muito mais personalizada para 94 milhões de usuários Premium do Spotify.
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listening experience for 94 million Spotify Premium users. Today, we’re bringing this popular feature to new markets and introducing four new language options: French, German, Italian, and Brazilian Portuguese.
Da quando è stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un’esperienza d’ascolto più personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premium.
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte Hörerlebnis von 94 Millionen Spotify Premium-Nutzer*innen bereichert. Ab sofort ist das beliebte Feature in weiteren Märkten verfügbar – ergänzt um vier neue Sprachen: Deutsch, Französisch, Italienisch und Brasilianisches Portugiesisch.
What makes the Empirical Labs Distressor such a lasting studio classic? On this week’s podcast episode, I sit down with Dave Derr, founder of Empirical Labs and creator of the Distressor.
Komplete is a complete music production bundle even if you don’t spend $2,000. | Image: Native Instruments The latest version of Native Instruments' Komplete music production bundle is here with 62 new additions, including the wonderfully weird Absynth 6.
In November 2024, Australia passed regulation aimed at social media platforms. From December 2025, children under the age of 16 could no longer legally hold accounts, with platforms held liable for infringements. Source
AI Music is flooding the internet, and Apple Music is no exception. The good news is that almost no one is listening to it on the platform. Apple Music VP Oliver Schusser says that while AI-generated music now makes up about a third of the current submissions to the music service, it accounts for...
Missouri State Senator Joe Nicola’s bill rejects the convenient fiction that AI systems can act as legal actors—and with it, the idea that liability can be offloaded onto machines. That fight is already colliding with a much bigger reality: AI isn’t just software. It’s infrastructure.
AI is not only disrupting search engines but dismantling the way people search across the internet. MIDiA’s Q3 2025 consumer survey reveals that 52% of those who reported using generative AI leveraged these tools to find information. Source
It’s clearly a looker. | Image: Telepathic Instruments The Telepathic Instruments Orchid has been unavailable for a few months now. But a new batch is ready to drop on May 11th for $649, and the company is celebrating with a limited edition clear Orchid: Arctic, which will cost slightly more: $699.
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spotify is teaming up with the iconic event to give fans the ultimate festival flex.
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world’s most exciting new sounds. This year’s RADAR artists draw from deep local roots while moving across languages, genres, and cultures.