Expect plenty of surprises when the show returns on Tuesday & possibly some anniversary celebrations for the girl group.
Another year, another Roots Picnic on the books. This year, the legendary Roots crew staged the almost decades-old festival at Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau, assembling a lineup that offered the best of both hip-hop and R&B across a seamless two days.
System relies on a proprietary storage layer as AWS moves to separate storage and compute to fit mega AI demands
Last week we reported on LyricFind filing an updated complaint in its lawsuit against rival Musixmatch. Now the latter company has responded. LyricFind published its new filing in a ‘redlined’ version to highlight some of the new accusations of anticompetitive behaviour that it is making against...
It’s SXSW London this week, with all manner of talks and events focusing on music and tech in the UK’s capital. But a report released as it kicks off has some warnings about funding for the UK’s music-tech scene.
Veteran singer Brenda Lee has 1.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, although that figure spikes enormously in December – to more than 60m according to Chartmetric – thanks to a certain Christmas-tree classic.
If you had ‘The actual White House publishes a mysterious but firmly military-themed Instagram reel soundtracked by Boards of Canada, with added side-eye emoji’ on your 2026 bingo card… well, you’re a winner. We’re just not sure if you’ll feel celebratory about it.
“Is AI music the next Snapchat filter?” wonders the latest thinkpiece from Rolling Stone, focusing on a burgeoning ‘text to song’ trend on TikTok. What’s that?
Rapid7: Attackers exploit authentication bypass flaw in the wild, meaning more emergency patching for PAN-OS users
Founder/CEO Federico Lauria will continue to lead the company
The lawsuit alleges that Kid Cudi "instructed Live Nation to breach the Agreement to generate publicity and ticket sales for the Tour." Source
Forget Wintel, we're living in a Winvidia world now
Well, that didn’t take long then. A couple of days after UMG shareholder the Bolloré Group firmly rejected hedge-fund Pershing Square’s acquisition bid for the major label, now UMG itself has followed suit.
Engineers' weekends ruined as Dashlane's automatic protections kicked in
Orville Peck, Melissa Etheridge, Jonathan Bailey, Laverne Cox and Billie Jean King also participated in the podcast series.
Proposed legislation threatens fines and prison for reckless damage. Russian Prez must be shaking in his boots
Koh brings more than 18 years of experience across sports, entertainment, venue management, commercial strategy and ticketing. Source
The man behind Redmond's direct billing model and its geo rollout explains why the new version forgets the channel to its cost
The clip, assembled by founding guitarist Rick Brewster, features all of the vocalists who have fronted the band across its five-decade career
Jenkins announced his exit on Monday (June 1) Source
Notebooks up 11%, desktops 10% as chipmakers ditch consumer kit for AI server bling
Papal's 40k-word encyclical drops and lawyers already asking if Catholics can refuse workplace AI on religious grounds
The musician confirmed a tour won't happen in 2026, but will be "as soon as possible"
He knew this was amazingly dumb but couldn’t stop laughing as the fruit went splat
Chipzilla’s first 2nm-class Xeon is finally here bristling with 288 cores
Jenkins joined BMG Music Publishing International in 1993 as Vice President.
Code in Apple Music’s Android client beta hints at new subscription tiers and features that don’t exist in the current iteration of the music service. Apple Music has long been a streaming service that provided all users with the same level of service regardless of their subscription plan.
The interview arrives ahead of the band's 25th studio album Foreign Tongues, due July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music
The film is set to open in Australia and New Zealand on June 18.
After several artists dropped out of the planned US Freedom 250 festival, Trump said “cancel it,” calling the planned performers “overpriced” and “boring.” President Trump is cancelling the planned musical performances for the United States’ 250th birthday after several artists dropped out.
Carpenter Brut comes to Fortnite from May 29 to June 26 in an immersive and gamified racing project with nods to the Hellfest summer rock festival. Darkwave synth artist Carpenter Brut is in Fortnite for a limited time, thanks to the ARTE Riff Mountain project, an immersive and gamified island...
The announcement arrives alongside a newly released collaboration with Tom Waits, "Boots on the Ground."
Threads on a half shell, Intel power!
Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People won the Freedom to Publish Award while Meta and Mark Zuckerberg personally are defendants in multiple copyright lawsuits alleging Zuckerberg directed Facebook/Meta employees to use pirated books via BitTorrent to train AI systems.
M.I.A. is suing Kid Cudi for $2.8 million after the British rapper was kicked off his Rebel Ragers Tour for “making offensive remarks” during her opening act.
This week on The Kettle, we mull over whether the Steam Deck is a canary in the coal mine for the future of hardware prices, and the effect of Blue Origin's blowout on NASA's Moon missions
Veteran R&B singer Peabo Bryson, best known for his duets from the Disney films “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast,” has suffered a stroke and is undergoing treatment, according to a statement from his rep to Variety on Sunday.
Singer claims it breached her contract with Live Nation which guaranteed her “full creative control” of her performance
Ari's new single brought in more than 50% of the vote.
The rapper delivered a surprise a cappella freestyle on Saturday
The films on this list cover a wide range of genres, including rap, classical, country, Latin and contemporary Christian.
The wedding took place on Sunday, May 31, at Old Marylebone Town Hall
Initially on the lineup, Martina McBride, Morris Day, Young MC and more announced they would not perform at Washington, D.C. event after learning about organizers' Trump ties
The bassist died in Auckland, where he lived for four decades
Even the cover revels in a low-bit digital aesthetic. | Image: Saddle Creek / Feeble Little Horse From the opening moments of bitknot, it's obvious that Feeble Little Horse has found an entirely new gear.
We have released Picard 3 beta 4. The recently released beta 3 did crash on macOS and when running the picard-plugins command line tool, both has been fixed in this. In addition beta 4 fixes display issues in the new log view.
Another full moon brings another new single from the musician’s o\i project
Italian authorities have canceled upcoming concerts by Kanye West and Travis Scott that had been scheduled to take place in July in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, citing security concerns.
As it turned out, Jay-Z had been quietly setting the stage over the past few months for what we could expect during his headlining show at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. On streaming, he’d changed his name from Jay-Z to its original spelling, JAŸ-Z, perhaps a wink and a nod that it would be a […]
Project Headroom could save you big money, too
In a recent interview with The Times of London, Niall Horan opened up about the death of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who died in 2024 at the age of 31 after falling three floors from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Horan said he was with Payne in Argentina just a few […]
President Donald J. Trump is now saying “cancel it” about the concert series his Freedom 250 organization is putting on in June and July, after five of the nine artists announced backed out within 48 hours of the shows being announced.
Several artists, including Martina McBride, the Commodores, and Bret Michaels, have pulled out, citing being told it was nonpartisan
Bill Ackman said he wanted to "unlock value" at UMG. Then UMG unlocked part of that value itself. Why Bolloré was right, why artists deserve more than buybacks, and why AI infrastructure may be the better investment.
"I’ll go play for Putin and I’ll play in Iran if you want," the rapper said of keeping his shows non-political
The Four Seasons singer will take six months off to get well and will consider resuming touring in 2027
Multiple artists have dropped out of the Donald Trump-backed “Freedom 250” festival this summer. But Vanilla Ice is sticking to his guns and plans to keep his gig at the D.C. event.
Foundation sparks revolt after disbanding team responsible for many community-requested fixes and moderation tools
5, 4, 3, 2, 1... pfft
As expected, Universal Music Group’s board has formally rejected Pershing Square’s $64 billion takeover proposal after being urged to do so by Bolloré Group.
A US District Court judge has now ruled that adding Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center was a violation of federal law, while further ordering the immediate removal of the Trump name from the building. A two-year renovation plan has also been nixed by the Obama-appointed judge.
Too Lost has appointed Jay Moore as Chief Investment Officer (CIO), signaling a deeper push into catalog investment and artist financing within the independent music sector. This article was created in collaboration with DMN partner Too Lost.
Tune in Saturday May 30th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West. Phone #: 844-686-5863 If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
They used to make movies like this. As a matter of fact, this Netflix series is based on a movie of the same name that was released back in 1981. I saw it at a screening. That was a big thing forty years ago. You would be walking down the street, shopping at the mall, […]
Frankie Valli, who at 92 has never lost his love for the road, announced Friday that he is canceling the remainder of his concert dates for 2026, due to health issues. “I’m so sorry to disappoint the folks who have purchased tickets to my shows,” he said on social media, “but I have decided to […]
Anthropic announces a $65 billion funding round at a valuation of $965 billion, pushing it ahead of OpenAI in the artificial intelligence race. On Thursday, Anthropic said it had raised $65 billion in its latest funding round at a post-money valuation of $965 billion, bolstering the Claude chatbot...
Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of May 29th, 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.
The energy drink of frontier models
President Donald Trump took aim at the judge who halted his plans to renovate the Kennedy Center — and ordered Trump’s name taken off the building — saying the judge should “be ashamed of himself,” because the center is “structurally dangerous” and a threat to public safety.
And then Microsoft busted them all
CEO Todd McKinnon says customers including ServiceNow want an off switch
And you thought a face recognition app was intrusive?
Live Nation has settled a lawsuit with the families of two women shot and killed during the 2023 Beyond Wonderland festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre. Live Nation has reached an undisclosed settlement with the families of two women, Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, who were shot and...
Researcher reported the vuln in March. Maintainers haven't responded to his messages since
Universal Music Group has rejected Bill Ackman's takeover offer. Source
Sean Welch, a music business manager accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients including Juice WRLD, is battling to stay out of federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
The biggest headlines from the past few days... Source
Today, we’re making available another pre-release version for the upcoming MusicBrainz Picard 3. This beta release offers various bugfixes and improvements over the last beta.
Deal covers publishing administration and sync licensing, alongside representation of the late artist's NIL rights. Source
Sync continues to be an important source of income for rightsholders and musicians alike, and there are new startups trying to help.
CNN Sues AI Firm Perplexity, Alleging It Engaged in ‘Massive Copyright Infringement’ — “In the 54-page federal complaint, CNN points to Perplexity’s former ads claiming that it helps users skip the ‘extra steps and clicks’ they’d normally take to access news content.
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify’s global editors have been keeping a close eye on the musical landscape and are ready to unveil the songs they think could shape this year’s soundtrack.
YouTube has been labelling AI-generated videos since 2024… IF the creators disclosed their use of AI tools when uploading it. Now the company has made some changes to its labelling system.
LabelWorx has been building its distribution and label-services business for 15 years, focusing on clients in the electronic-music world. Now it wants to provide some of them with funding too.
LyricFind sued rival Musixmatch – and TPG Global, one of the latter’s key investors – in March 2025, accusing them of anti-competitive behaviour, zeroing in on a licensing deal with Warner Chappell.
TikTok’s recent renewal of its licensing deal with Universal Music Group came with no public drama, suggesting that relations with that major label have improved since their fallout two years ago.
As one of the key music providers for online-video creators, Epidemic Sound has a big community of customers to draw on when studying how they feel about music and new technologies. Its new ‘Future of the Creator Economy Report 2026’ puts a focus on AI, with some interesting findings.
While content creation can be time consuming, it remains to be a key element in any sort of artist campaign in 2026. To this end, social media content batching – a strategy to help with creating better workflows and creative output – can be a useful tool.
TikTok has launched season two of their live interview series with T-Mobile. Hosted by the returning Jack Coyne of Trackstar. This year features a short and sweet four episodes with artists Lykke Li, Bebe Rexha, Malcolm Todd and Josh Groban.
Rapper 2 Chainz and global soccer YouTuber OussiFooty have announced their ‘Boots Across America’ series, based around the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted in North America in the past 30 years.
An LA court says a Texas millionaire has to pay Katy Perry nearly $5 million in legal fees after losing a court battle over the sale of a mansion. Katy Perry has been awarded over $3 million in legal fees following a multi-year legal battle against Carl Westcott over the sale of a California...
Digital Music News and Open On Sunday returned to Atlanta for Music Biz 2026 at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel. Industry leaders, executives, artists, and tech innovators gathered to focus on sync licensing and celebrate this central theme.
Ouch. The attorney who sued Nelly for allegedly excluding his former bandmates from credits for his wildly successful debut solo album Country Grammar has been ordered to pay the rapper’s legal fees. Precious Felder Gates—the attorney for former St.
The “Cox effect” continues to ripple across the music industry litigation landscape. In the latest development, Anthropic has shrugged off vicarious liability in the newer copyright infringement suit it’s facing from major music publishers including Concord. Judge Eumi K.
Last.fm is independent again, nearly 20 years after it was acquired by CBS. And it’s still keeping track of your scrobbles across streaming platforms. Remember Last.fm?
An Austrian court convicted a man who planned to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna two years ago, sentencing him to 15 years in prison. The trial and ongoing investigation have revealed the involvement of a far broader and involved terrorist network.
LyricFind has filed yet another amended antitrust complaint against Musixmatch and its parent company TPG, alleging an underhanded scheme involving Warner Chappell Music. But did Lyricfind get cheated out of plum deals, or simply get outmaneuvered? LyricFind has now filed its second amended U.S.
Have Melon, Tencent Music, and Line Music developed the definitive ranking authority for K-pop artists? We’re about to find out, as the companies are preparing to release a “Global-K Chart” that they’re billing as “the global K-pop standard.” Kakao Entertainment’s Melon DSP, the Tencent-owned...
The Podcast Show 2026 reflected an industry entering a more mature and commercially sophisticated phase. While previous years of often focused on podcasting proving its value within entertainment and media , this year’s conversations centred far more on sustainability, audience growth, and...
GIRL DON’T TELL ME I can’t tell you how much I liked “California Girls.” I used to ride my cherry red Raleigh with my transistor hanging from the handlebars waiting for the song to come on the radio. And I rode my bike down the hill to Topps discount store to purchase “Summer Days (And […]
Mid-tier festivals might be next to suffer from “blue dot fever,” according to analyst Annick Maas. The growing malady of “blue dot fever,” the phenomenon of seats going largely unsold at live events — as represented by endless blue dots on Ticketmaster’s site — isn’t getting better anytime soon.
A judge weighs an injunction against Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl branding in light of her trademark’s prior suspension due to actual showgirl Maren Wade’s own trademark.
Since early last year, our quarterly Creator Milestone Awards have celebrated podcasts from around the world that hit major streaming milestones on Spotify. Today, we’re announcing the first round of 2026 recipients.
Amy has a new album, “The Me That Remains.” Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amy-grant/id1316200737?i=1000769983611 https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/4a70e0cc-b93a-41f9-bb28-9efff9097d55/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-amy-grant
Reservoir Media has published its fiscal Q4 (calendar Q1) and full-year financial results for its fiscal 2026, ended March 31, 2026. Source
Three things you might have missed from Grainge's fireside chat at the GREATER Together LA summit last week Source
A little refresh can go a long way. We’ve been making behind-the-scenes updates to make Spotify easier to use and more reliable. Based on your feedback, we’re rolling out a series of improvements focused on the everyday features that help keep listening smooth.
Moore will lead the indie distribution and services platform's investment strategy Source
The law also bans speculative ticket sales, where a reseller lists tickets they do not yet own. Source
Music streaming, like most other digital entertainment types, has never been more personal. Every listener is now super-served their own algorithmically-generated world of personalised playlists, AI DJs, and hyper-specific recommendations. Source
On May 8, 1,500 of Olivia Rodrigo’s top fans gathered in Barcelona’s Teatre Grec for the pop star’s first live concert of her you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love era. Now, fans who couldn’t be there—and those who want to relive it—can watch Billions Club Live with Olivia Rodrigo: A Concert...
On Purpose is one of the most popular podcasts in the world, known for conversations with influential voices across culture, wellness, and personal growth. Now, Spotify, Netflix, and host Jay Shetty are teaming up to bring the show to video across both platforms beginning July 13.
In early May 2026, New York Magazine and The Verge published articles outing the secret sauce of marketing in the social video era: clipping campaigns. In summary, thousands of accounts across social media are mobilised – through formal companies like Floodify or through informal networks on...
ElevenLabs' new model will let users regenerate a section of a song without affecting the rest of the track.
The best podcast moments deserve more than just a mental note. That’s why today, we’re making those moments easier to save and share with clips. Whether it’s a piece of advice that reframes how you think, a conversation that makes you laugh, or a segment you know a friend needs to hear, those...
Social video platforms are often portrayed as the home of modern entertainment fandom. There is no question that YouTube and TikTok have enabled audiences to deepen their relationships with entertainment IP compared to the pre-digital era. Source
The Memorymoog is legendary for being an absolutely massive-sounding synth and being incredibly unreliable. But now you can enjoy its classic Moog sound without the headaches or the sky-high vintage price, thanks to Arturia's Memory V emulator.
Do you even like art? | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images There's this alarming trend in the Suno subreddit. People aren't just prompting AI songs; they're sitting around listening almost exclusively to their own slop.
Spotify already brings together listeners’ favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks in one place. Now, we’re trialing a new format that expands the content available on our platform: narrated Articles.