Music News

Jony Ive, who’s sold a company called io to OpenAI at a reportedly $6.5 billion valuation. Photo Credit: Marcus Dawes Welcome to the hardware world, OpenAI: The artificial intelligence giant has acquired a startup, reportedly valued at $6.5 billion, founded by Apple vet Jony Ive. But is the play indicative of an AI bubble? Ive and OpenAI head Sam Altman announced the agreement in a brief release as well as a 10-minute video. Described by some as one of the iPhone’s main designers, Ive (and hi

Photo Credit: Ashley King Media conglomerate Ziff Davis is suing OpenAI for copyright infringement. The suit alleges that OpenAI “intentionally and relentlessly” exploited Ziff Davis’s copyrighted content to train its AI models without authorization or compensation. Ziff Davis is one of the largest digital publishers in the U.S., overseeing more than 45 media brands and employing 3,800 people. The brand’s gaming portfolio includes some of the biggest sites in the gaming ecosystem, including IG

Photo Credit: OpenAI OpenAI announces its plan to remain under a non-profit structure, while continuing with plans to modify its for-profit arm to enable more capital-raising. OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, said it would remain under the control of its nonprofit parent. The company also announced plans to push ahead with the restructure of its for-profit arm, allowing for more capital-raising to keep OpenAI competitive in the AI race. “We made the decision for the

Photo Credit: Jenna Ortega in Hurry Up Tomorrow / Lionsgate The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, a psychological thriller co-starring Jenna Ortega, bombed at the box office in its opening weekend. The Weeknd’s first feature film, Hurry Up Tomorrow, didn’t get off to the best start during its opening weekend. The R-rated film co-stars Jenna Ortega and features The Weeknd, who goes by his real name, Abel Tesfaye, in the credits. It’s his first major acting role since the controversial HBO Max series,

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

Photo Credit: Sheléa for PBS Sheléa stars in the upcoming special, “Aretha! With Sheléa and The Pacific Symphony,” a televised tribute to soul legend Aretha Franklin. Hot off a national tour as Stevie Wonder’s special guest on his 2025 “Sing Your Song!” tour, Sheléa is now starring in an upcoming PBS special, “Aretha! With Sheléa and The Pacific Symphony.” The televised tribute to the legendary Queen of Soul will premiere on PBS stations starting May 30, and will also be available for free str

Photo Credit: PBS PBS files a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over an executive order signed earlier this month to cut funding to the public television network and NPR. On Friday, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) sued Donald Trump and his administration over the executive order signed early last month. The order aims to cut funding to public broadcasters like PBS and NPR. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., follows NPR and three of its Colorado-base

Pershing Square’s Bill Ackman, who’s exited the Universal Music board, testifying before Congress. Bill Ackman has officially stepped down from the Universal Music Group (UMG) board, citing “increasing demands on his time.” The Pershing Square Capital Management head confirmed that departure in a brief release, with UMG having put out a concise disclosure of its own. Per the former announcement, the aforementioned demands pertain to Ackman’s “other Pershing Square commitments,” among them hi

Photo Credit: Lance Anderson The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled its 2025 inductees, with this year’s class representing a wide spectrum of music innovation and influence. Noted fan-favorite Phish was left off the list, though Warren Zevon finally takes his place among the honorees. Seven artists were selected in the Performer category including Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes. These inductees reflect the enduring legac

Photo Credit: Rajiv Perera Fyre Festival 2 appears to be off to a familiar start as organizers seek to assure the public the festival is happening in Mexico. But local government officials for Playa del Carmen have stated no permits have been granted. Organizers for Fyre Fest 2 took to Instagram with a statement saying they are working with the local government. “FYRE has been working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2024 to ensure a saf

Spotify is facing criticism for allegedly hosting a number of ‘podcasts’ promoting illegal drug sales. Photo Credit: Joshua Coleman Audio entertainment with a side of drugs: Spotify has reportedly booted a number of “podcasts” advertising the online sale of illegal substances. Multiple outlets have written about and claimed credit for the takedowns. However, it appears that an X user named Lauren Balik was first to bring attention to the pill-plugging podcasts. Early last week, Balik posted S

Photo Credit: Poo Bear’s Facebook Producer Poo Bear is diving into “street country” with Randy Savvy’s debut album, drawing inspiration from Shaboozey’s Where I’ve Been Isn’t Where I’m Going and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. Randy Savvy of the Compton Cowboys is gearing up to release his first studio album with producer Poo Bear, best known for his work with Justin Bieber. On the heels of the release of the first part of his four-part EP, which debuted last month, Savvy is inspired by his own eques

Photo Credit: TC Restaurant Group (Post Malone) Post Malone has partnered with TC Restaurant Group to open a Nashville entertainment venue under his name. The new venue will be designed around honky tonk grit and country soul with 26,000 square feet featuring six bars, three stages, and a full-service dining room and rooftop. The venue will be located at 305 Broadway, right down the road from Morgan Wallen’s This Tennessee Bar & Kitchen (also a TC Restaurant Group property). Right now the

Photo Credit: @ruthsviveros on TikTok Coachella attendees went viral on social media after they showed off their pricey meals: tacos, nachos, and lemonades for two costing $102. It may not come as a surprise to some that the prices of concessions at live events can get a little ridiculous. But in the post-pandemic economy, where concerts and music festivals are struggling to break even, Coachella attendees are stunned to see food and drink going for three times the normal cost. Just like the a

Photo Credit: The Cars by E.J. Camp Primary Wave Music announces a royalty deal with The Cars. This deal comes less than a year after partnering with the Estate of Ric Ocasek on his publishing catalog. Independent publisher Primary Wave Music has announced their partnership with The Cars. Terms of the deal will see the publisher acquire the band’s artist royalties. It comes less than a year after Primary Wave partnered with the Estate of Ric Ocasek on his music publishing catalog—including all

Rezonate Music Rights co-founders Tom Tyler (left) and Cam Blackwood. Photo Credit: Rezonate Does the music IP arena have room for another investor? Rezonate Music Rights believes so, and it’s set sail with a $150 million war chest as well as a focus on producer catalogs. Rezonate announced its official launch – and several already-wrapped plays – today. Founded by producer Cam Blackwood and former London Stock Exchange Group higher-up Tom Tyler, the self-described “leading solution for music

A live performance from Quavo, who, along with Hybe America and Quality Control, is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from sculptor Daniel Arsham. Photo Credit: Jørund Føreland Pedersen Hybe America, its Quality Control subsidiary, and Quavo are facing a copyright lawsuit for allegedly infringing on a visual artist’s work in social media posts. Daniel Arsham, touted as “one of the most well-known contemporary artists in the world,” submitted the unique action to a New York federal court

Photo Credit: Cumulus Media Radio group Cumulus Media is set to be delisted from the NASDAQ after repeatedly dropping below $1 and rapidly burning through cash. Prominent radio broadcasting group Cumulus Media is set to be delisted from the NASDAQ Global Market after a notification of noncompliance with the exchange’s listing rules. The company, which reports annual revenues of $827 million, operates with a significant debt burden of $797 million. According to data, it has rapidly been burning

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / CC by 2.0 Reggie Watts attended the first week of Coachella this year, taking to social media to share his thoughts. They might explain why Coachella has struggled to sell-out both weekends for several years now. With the first weekend of Coachella behind us and the second week upcoming, many live music fans have taken to social media to criticize the festival. Attendees highlighted the poor food experiences, with one couple paying over $100 for a couple tacos, na

The reintroduced TICKET Act is riding a fresh wave of congressional support. Photo Credit: Claudio Schwarz Riding a new wave of bipartisan support, the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act (TICKET Act) is one step closer to becoming law. Lawmakers made this latest round of approval official during a House Energy and Commerce committee markup today. Nearly all the involved representatives voted in favor of the reintroduced TICKET Act, which is also picking up steam in the Senat

Photo Credit: Reservoir President & COO Rell Lafargue, Fool’s Gold Co-Founder A-Trak Reservoir Media announces a new deal with independent label Fool’s Gold Records, seeing the former acquire the catalog master rights of the latter. Reservoir Media has announced a multifaceted deal with independent record label Fool’s Gold Records. The deal sees Reservoir acquire the catalog master rights of the label’s artists, A-Trak, Danny Brown, Grande Marshall, The Brothers Macklovitch, and Low Pros.

Reservoir exec Spek, who oversees the operations of Musicraft Entertainment purchaser PopIndia. Photo Credit: Reservoir Media One month after launching a Mumbai-based subsidiary called PopIndia, Reservoir Media (NASDAQ: RSVR) has officially closed its first catalog deal in India. New York City-headquartered Reservoir today revealed the song-rights purchase, executed via PopIndia and covering the IP of 45-year-old Musicraft Entertainment. According to the involved parties, PopIndia scooped up t

Photo Credit: RCA Records Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” has reached a new milestone—surpassing one billion streams on Spotify. The achievement comes nearly four decades after the track’s original release and is propelled by the internet phenomenon known as ‘rick rolling.’ “Never Gonna Give You Up” now joins the exclusive Spotify Billions Club playlist, a feat achieved by fewer than 1,000 tracks so far. Astley, 59, expressed his thanks to the public for the feat. “So who woul

Photo Credit: Rihanna at Met Gala 2017 by Danilo Lauria / CC by 3.0 Warner Bros. says Chris Brown has no standing in suing them over their documentary about his violent history, citing his past with Rihanna to prove it. Rihanna’s very public history with Chris Brown is being cited as evidence against him in his defamation battle with Warner Bros. over their documentary, “Chris Brown: A History of Violence.” The company, which produced the documentary, submitted multiple media reports documenti

Photo Credit: Rod Wave by Michealjordan45 / CC by 4.0 Rapper Rod Wave was arrested in Georgia on 14 counts, including aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, and felony tampering with evidence. Rod Wave, known for hits like “Street Runner” and “Tombstone,” was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia, and released on $50,000 bond yesterday, according to court records. The musician, whose real name is Rodarius Green, was arrested in connection to an incident back in April when he returned to hi