Music News

Matt Blackhouse, ATG Entertainment-operated Swansea Building Society Arena’s new venue director. Photo Credit: ATG Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of May 30th, 2025. If you have a job shuffle to share, we’re all ears. Send us a note to [email protected]. If you’d like to post a job on our Job Board, just send us a request to [email protected]. And, keep track of all the latest music industry hires here. TouchTunes TouchTunes has hired

Washington, D.C.’s James Madison Memorial Building, which houses the U.S. Copyright Office. Photo Credit: UpstateNYer The battle for Copyright Office control isn’t letting up: Shira Perlmutter is now seeking a high-speed summary judgement resolution, while the Trump administration is firing back against the sought “fast-track schedule.”   Those developments might come as a surprise in light of the court’s most recent determination. Upon denying Perlmutter’s restraining order ask, the presiding

Photo Credit: Creative Community for Peace More than 400 prominent leaders from the music and entertainment industries—including executives from YouTube Music, Warner Music Group (WMG), Universal Music Group (UMG), VEVO, Roc Nation, and the Recording Academy—have signed a powerful open letter denouncing anti-Israel extremism and antisemitism. The initiative, organized by the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), marks a significant stand against the rising tide of hate speech and misinformation

Photo Credit: RTR Distribution RTR Distribution has issued a formal cease and desist letter to UnitedMasters over the use of the term ‘Real-Time Royalties’ on their website. RTR Distribution, a platform for real-time royalty payments for content creators, has issued a formal cease and desist letter to UnitedMasters. This legal kerfuffle is over the unauthorized use of the term “Real-Time Royalties” on their website. RTR Distribution holds a pending patent for real-time royalty payment technolo

Photo Credit: Taylor Swift Taylor Swift has bought her masters from Shamrock Capital, reclaiming the rights to her first six albums after Scooter Braun bought them in 2019. On Friday, Taylor Swift made an announcement on her website that she had bought her masters back from Shamrock Capital. The Los Angeles-based investment firm, which acquired her masters from Scooter Braun in 2019, was founded by Roy E. Disney, a nephew of Walt Disney. Scooter Braun had acquired the masters as part of a larg

Photo Credit: Flaco2xs / reddit Apple’s removal of the popular music streaming app Musi from the App Store has sparked a high-profile legal battle. Musi’s creators allege the tech giant engaged in collusion and ‘backroom dealings’ with major labels to force the app offline. Apple has dismissed these claims as ‘unfounded conspiracy theories.’ Musi garnered over 66 million downloads on the App Store before it was removed, serving millions of users across the globe. The app acted as a simple wrap

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) headquarters in Seoul. Photo Credit: Wikiwater2020 The trading-focused investigations into Hybe founder Bang Si-hyuk and other execs look to be intensifying. According to regional reports, authorities have conducted a raid of the K-pop giant’s Seoul headquarters. As things stand, we don’t know the precise extent of these investigations. However, it’s been nearly six months since local media first linked Bang to scrutiny concerning alleged private-equity

Last year at the Paris Olympics, the innovative French artist Christine and the Queens teamed up with Cerrone, the godfather of French disco. Their collaboration brought a reimagined performance of Cerrone’s classic track “Supernature” to life in front of the iconic Arc de Triomphe. This partnership has proven to be more than just a one-time event. Namely, since these talented artists plan to capitalize on their musical chemistry by releasing an upcoming 4-track EP filled with fresh material. Th

Photo Credit: Vijat Mohindra TikTok launches an in-app experience and hosts a surprise album listening party for Miley Cyrus. Superfans enjoyed a live performance of her ninth studio album—Something Beautiful. To kick things off, TikTok hosted an event for superfans of Miley Cyrus on Tuesday at the iconic Chateau Marmont. Miley personally invited fans she discovered through TikTok to join her for the event, which (unbeknownst to them) was a surprise album listening party and live performance.

Photo Credit: Hybe Corp. K-pop powerhouse Hybe has set up a Chinese subsidiary to support its artists’ expansion into the market. Hybe China Co., Ltd. was launched April 2 in Beijing—Hybe’s fourth overseas branch following those in Japan, the US, and Latin America. Its new Beijing-based entity will focus on backing artists’ activities in China, notably to compete with its rival agencies, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. According to industry insiders, Hybe’s latest m

Photo Credit: Fenway Park Two concerts at Fenway Park have been abruptly canceled. Fans eager to see Shakira tonight (May 29) and Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn (May 30) will now receive refunds. The Boston ballpark made the announcement on their Instagram. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Shakira and Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn performances originally scheduled for May 29 and May 30 respectively at Fenway Park have been canceled,” the announcement reads. “Refunds will be avail

Rodney Jerkins, who’s sold an interest in his work to HarbourView. Photo Credit: HarbourView Let the IP acquisitions continue: HarbourView Equity Partners has officially purchased “select catalog assets” from veteran producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. HarbourView disclosed the deal today – albeit without getting too specific about the precise song rights at hand or the transaction’s price tag. However, the Newark-headquartered firm in its formal release did emphasize that the play “was faci

A live performance from Dirty Heads, which has sold “publishing and artist royalties” to Round Hill Music. Photo Credit: Constantino14 Back in “acquisition mode,” Round Hill Music has scooped up “a range of different rights and income streams,” among them interests in Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and Icona Pop’s “I Love It.” Round Hill reached out with word of the plays today. Beginning on the compositional side, the UK-based IP investor now owns the publishing catalogs of Terry Shadd

Photo Credit: Bang Si-hyuk for Metropolitan City of Busan Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the mastermind behind BTS, is under investigation by South Korea’s financial watchdog for allegedly fraudulent trading. South Korean outlets report that the country’s Financial Supervisory Service has been looking into claims that Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk misled investors during Hybe’s pre-IPO phase in 2019. Investigators have reportedly found evidence that Bang privately informed institutional investors th

Photo Credit: Robin Canfield Live Nation expands its presence in Latin America through the acquisition of the Dominican Republic’s SD Concerts, a rising force in Central and South America. Live Nation announces the acquisition of SD Concerts, the leading live entertainment company in the Dominican Republic and a rising star across Central and South America. The move bolsters Live Nation’s commitment to this fast-growing touring region and reinforces its mission to bring more live music to fans

Photo Credit: Matthewc95 / CC by 4.0 Irish rap group Kneecap have confirmed they were removed from appearing at the upcoming TRNSMT music festival in Glasgow. “Due to concerns expressed by the police about safety at the event, Kneecap can no longer perform at TRNSMT,” the band says the message they received states. Speaking to their fans, Kneecap says: “To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights, and hotels to see us play, we are sorry… it is out of our hands.” “Glasgow has always

The E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, where the lawsuit filed by former USCO head Shira Perlmutter is unfolding. Photo Credit: Toohool A federal judge has rejected a request from Shira Perlmutter for a restraining order against the Trump administration. But the fired Register of Copyrights could be preparing to push for a separate preliminary injunction. Both developments came to light in docket updates following a related in-person hearing. Per one of the updates, Judge Timothy Kelly

Photo Credit: Jonathan The Trump administration has thrown its support behind Cox Communications in the high-profile Cox v. Sony case as the case heads to potential review by the U.S. Supreme Court. At the heart of the case is whether internet service providers (ISPs) like Cox should be held liable when subscribers use their networks to illegally download copyrighted music. If found liable, Cox would be required to boot offending customers and may face massive financial penalties for continuin

Wannasee Limited has shut down and canceled a number of its music festivals. Photo Credit: Adrià Sánchez Roqué The UK’s Wannasee Limited has confirmed that it “will not be able to continue” operating, and the development has resulted in nearly a dozen festival cancellations. Wannasee announced the unfortunate news on its website and in a media statement, after pulling the plug on the namesake Wannasee Festivals last week. One of those cancellations was made official at the last minute; Wannas

At Coachella 2025, the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed with artists like Laufey, LL Cool J, and Zedd, highlighting the growing intersection of orchestral music with pop, hip-hop, and electronic genres. Similar collaborations are happening on stages worldwide, with some of the most prominent artists fueling the trend. This article was written by Harry Levin in collaboration with How Music Charts. Music Trends on Digital Music News is powered by Chartmetric. When Coachella is in full swing, s

Emerging Scottish producer and singer-songwriter Possibly Jamie is making waves with the release of his captivating new EP, “Erotic and Mostly Empty.” This powerful body of work fearlessly explores themes of apathy and emotional fatigue, diving deep into the complexities of modern life. Jamie’s recent focus singles, “Want” and “DNR,” serve as poignant previews, vividly capturing the essence of disillusionment, struggle, and indecision. At the heart of this collection lies a raw introspection on

Photo Credit: MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME / CC by 3.0 President Trump pardons rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who was sentenced last year to 23 months in prison for possession of firearms as a felon. YoungBoy Never Broke Again had also been given 60 months of probation and was released from federal custody in March. Since then, he has been under home confinement. The rapper recently announced a headlining US tour, which is set to kick off in September. “I want to thank President Trump for

Photo Credit: Chris Daughtry, lead singer of Daughtry, by Luis Blanco / CC by 2.0 Gebbia Media has acquired Big Machine Rock from Hybe America. The roster includes Daughtry, Badflower, Sammy Hagar, Olive Vox, and more. Gebbia Media, a subsidiary of Siebert Financial Corp., has acquired Big Machine Rock, the rock imprint of Big Machine Label Group, which has played a major role in shaping the future of modern rock. The acquisition marks a new chapter in Gebbia Media’s rapid ascent within the mu

Photo Credit: United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) Today the NYC Council voted to pass Resolution 368, which calls for fair pay for artists in music streaming. The council also endorsed the passage of the Living Wage for Musicians Act introduced in the U.S. Congress in 2024. “I’m thrilled the New York City Council has passed my Resolution 368 today, in support of the Living Wage for Musicians Act. In the music capital of the world, artists deserve fair pay and dignity,” shared Council Me

(l to r) Warner Chappell France senior A&R exec Valentin Zucca, Bob Sinclar, and Warner Chappell France MD Matthieu Tessier. Photo Credit: Warner Music Bob Sinclar (real name Christophe Le Friant), the DJ behind perennial dance hit “World Hold On,” has inked a global admin and sub-publishing deal with Warner Chappell. The publisher and the Paris-born “dance legend” announced their agreement today. As described by those parties, the tie-up extends to north of “350 works written or composed