Music News

Downtown Music Publishing Africa managing director Thando Makhunga. Photo Credit: Seventwo Creative Agency Another high-profile expansion in Africa – this time from Downtown, which has rebranded its Sheer Publishing Africa subsidiary as Downtown Music Publishing Africa (DMP Africa). Downtown reached out with word of South Africa-based Sheer’s new identity and broader operational scope. On the former front, the name change is said to be indicative of “a deeper alignment with the global vision

Photo Credit: Too Lost Too Lost, a leading digital music distribution and rights management company, is hosting a panel at Dream Con 2025. Titled “World Building for Music Creators: Weaving It All Together,” the panel addresses the evolving landscape for today’s artists. The following is in collaboration with Too Lost, a proud partner of Digital Music News. Too Lost specializes in empowering independent creators by providing tools for music distribution, rights management, and monetization as

Strangely, it was soon after a conversation with my son that things swiftly began falling into place. I had not long returned from a Chappell Roan gig at the Brixton Academy and felt the effects of post-gig blues creeping in. I simply inquired, “If there is a band you’d wish to go see, that you haven’t yet. Who would that be”? The spontaneous reply from him was Hurts. The reponse, in turn made me extremely happy, since Hurts is one of my favourite duos from this past decade. Even so, little did

Photo Credit: Apple Apple’s new HomePad might launch by the end of this year. Though rumors suggest it may have fewer features than originally planned. Apple has been planning a smart home command center product for a long time, with a 7-inch display and support for Apple Intelligence. The product was originally meant to launch this spring, but continued issues—like the company’s failed AI push—have forced that timeline back. But now, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the so-called “HomePad” may

Producer Deezle (Darius Harrison), who’s filed a missing-royalties lawsuit against Universal Music, posing with his Grammys from Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III. Photo Credit: Claudio Ch Zayas Lil Wayne producer Deezle (real name Darius Harrison) is suing Universal Music for allegedly failing to pay him millions in due royalties from Tha Carter III (2008) and more. Deezle and his Drum Major Music Entertainment company just recently submitted the multifaceted lawsuit to a New York federal court. Th

An Eras Tour performance from Taylor Swift, whose original catalog might be changing hands once again. Photo Credit: Paolo V Shamrock Capital is actively looking to offload Taylor Swift’s original masters – at least according to one new report, which is attaching an astonishing price tag to the possible deal. Page Six’s Jeanette Settembre provided an overview of the rumored catalog divestment, though at the time of this writing, Shamrock didn’t seem to have commented publicly on the matter. N

Photo Credit: Google Android Auto is getting a slew of new features, including a Spotify experience with a brand new app that includes support for its “Jam” feature. Google has announced a series of car-related updates for Google I/O, including an overhaul to the Spotify experience for Android Auto. The updated app will rely on Google’s “Car App Library” for Android Auto and Android Automotive OS, with additional flexibility in how apps can be developed for this platforms. For Spotify, this b

Photo Credit: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office / CC by 2.0 Former Meta executive Nick Clegg says that a law requiring tech companies to ask permission to train AI on copyrighted work would ‘kill’ the industry. Sir Nick Clegg, former deputy prime minister and Meta executive, believes making tech companies ask artists’ permission before using their copyrighted material to train AI will “basically kill the AI industry.” The reason? Because AI systems are already training on the vast

A nighttime shot of Seoul, South Korea. Photo Credit: Yohan Cho YouTube looks to have resolved a bundling-focused investigation in South Korea, where the platform reportedly intends to launch its Premium Lite subscription. Local outlets shed light on the resolution, which will seemingly end a years-long Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) probe. As we reported last month, the investigation centered on YouTube Premium’s music streaming market impact. At present, Premium (offering ad-free acces

I’ve been overwhelmed by the fantastic new album releases lately. And with the bank holiday weekend here, it’s the perfect opportunity to share an exciting album review. Whether you’re gearing up for a lively BBQ, hitting the road for an adventure, or just lounging at home with some snacks and a flavoursome beverage. You’ll doubtless want to discover fresh music to elevate your experience. With this in mind, not long ago, I teased that pop sensation Tom Aspaul was getting ready to unveil his thi

Photo: Krivitskiy For those trying to make sense of the post-apocalyptic hell-scape known as the US Copyright Office, we wish you the best. What started as a tech bro ambush has shifted into an all-out war for control over the US Copyright Office — and the critical policy direction that comes with it. It’s not entirely clear why former US Copyright chief Shira Perlmutter was abruptly fired, though widespread conjecture pointed to the handiwork of tech bro operators like Elon Musk and David Sac

Ticketing platform XP has announced a $6.2 million raise. Photo Credit: Jessica Christian Web3 ticketing platform XP has announced a $6.2 million raise and doubled down on plans “to build the most fulfilling ticketing experience for fans.” The year-old ticket-resale marketplace unveiled the funding in a blog post as well as a formal release. Founded and led by former Grubhub exec Michael Saunders, XP says it “puts fans first with transparent, fair-market prices and tech-forward ticketing inno

Photo Credit: Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0 A new TikTok trend is turning the concept of ‘propaganda’ on its head — and singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams finds herself squarely in its crosshairs. The trend is known as ‘propaganda I’m not falling for’ and sees Gen Z TikTok users creating lists of things, people, or concepts they’ve labeled propaganda—or things they refuse to buy into. The lists are often set to a remix of Charli XCX’s single “I think about it all the time” featuring Bon Iver and can

Photo Credit: Parkwood Entertainment Superfans who dished out thousands to secure Beyoncé tickets during the pre-sale are experiencing buyer’s remorse that on-sale prices have been significantly less. Tickets for major acts like Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé are known to go fast, so fans are accustomed to acting accordingly during pre-sales in order to avoid being shut out. But things have been different for Queen Bey’s Cowboy Carter tour, in which many tickets are winding up availabl

Photo Credit: Lilly Raye Music / Warner Chappell Music Warner Chappell Music extends its strategic partnership with management company and publisher Lilly Raye Music. Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has extended its strategic joint venture partnership with Lilly Raye Music, the management company and publisher run by founder Edward Matthew and A&R Manager Justin Martinez. Established in 2020 and expanded in 2023, the partnership is focused on supporting co

Photo Credit: Chief Fashionista / CC by 2.0 Young Thug has ignited controversy over his take on Kid Cudi’s testimony during Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial in New York. The Atlanta rapper posted “Dam cudi a rat lol” on X/Twitter shortly after Kid Cudi’s appearance in court. The rapper quickly deleted the message, but it has sparked controversy in the hip-hop community over the ethics of testifying in criminal cases involving fellow artists. Kid Cudi—real name Scott Mescudi—took

Photo Credit: Billy Joel by slgckgc / CC by 2.0 Billy Joel cancels all scheduled concerts in North America and England due to a diagnosis of a brain disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Billy Joel has been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a brain disorder in which excess fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles. As a result, the star has cancelled all concerts on his itinerary—17 shows in total, across stadiums in North America and England. “I’m sincerely sorry

Fired Copyright Office head Shira Perlmutter, who’s challenging her dismissal in a lawsuit. Photo Credit: USCO Axed Copyright Office head Shira Perlmutter is suing the Trump administration over her “blatantly unlawful” dismissal – and seeking, among other things, a court order allowing her to remain in the post. Perlmutter submitted that straightforward complaint yesterday, after she was fired as Register of Copyrights earlier in May. One component of a wider Library of Congress and Copyright

YouTube Content ID payouts crossed the $12 billion mark in December 2024, according to a new report. Photo Credit: ilgmyzin After cracking 125 million Music and Premium subscribers, YouTube has reported making a cumulative $12 billion in Content ID payouts as of December 2024. The multibillion-dollar figure emerged in the video platform’s newly released “YouTube Copyright Transparency Report.” As laid out in the concise document, the sum reflects advert “revenue paid to rightsholders as of De

Photo Credit: Kid Cudi by Sellahremy / CC by 3.0 Kid Cudi was called to testify at Diddy’s federal trial over an attack in which his Porsche was allegedly blown up by the disgraced music mogul. Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, was called as a witness to testify during day nine of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Cudi described his reaction when a Molotov cocktail blew up his Porsche convertible, which prosecutors say was at the direction of Combs. “W

Photo Credit: 7digital/Songtradr When it’s not Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube playing your music, chances are it’s powered by someone else — and often, that someone is 7digital. While the biggest platforms dominate headlines, a vast ecosystem of music services is thriving behind the scenes, many of them built on 7digital’s infrastructure. The following comes from Samantha Sawyer, the General Manager of Licensing and Technology Solutions at 7digital parent Songtradr, a company DMN is thrilled

Photo Credit: Myriam Zilles Senator Maggie Hassan is seeking more information from Spotify into the handling of recently discovered fake podcasts peddling real drugs on the platform. Spotify removed dozens of podcasts earlier this week that blatantly promoted online illegal pharmacies selling drugs like Adderall and Oxycontin without a prescription. More than 200 podcasts were removed from the platform, but only after a media frenzy highlighting just how prolific the practice of drug-peddling

Photo Credit: Daniel Williams’ Instagram Dave Shapiro, agent for bands like Sum 41, and former Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams, were killed in a plane crash in San Diego on Thursday. Dave Shapiro, 42, and Daniel Williams, 39, were among those killed in a plane crash in San Diego on Thursday morning. Shapiro was the co-founder of Sound Talent Group (STG), whose clients include Sum 41, Story of the Year, and Parkway Drive. Daniel Williams was the former drummer of The Devil Wears Prada

Spotify execs and board members are still selling company stock, with co-founder Martin Lorentzon having recently cashed in on nearly $660 million worth of SPOT in a single transaction. Photo Credit: Gizmodo Over $2 billion later, Spotify execs and directors still aren’t finished cashing in on company stock. Now, co-founder Martin Lorentzon has once again parted with SPOT shares, unlocking a more than $665 million windfall in the process. Lorentzon just recently confirmed his latest Spotify st

Photo Credit: All-American Rejects TikTok The All-American Rejects are making headlines with a series of surprise pop-up concerts across the United States. Dubbed the ‘house party’ tour, the group is building anticipation for their upcoming comeback tour and their first full-length album in over a decade. The band kicked off their spontaneous tour on April 30 at the University of Southern California, following the release of their new single “Sandbox.” Since then, they’ve hit the road and cris