News

Epic Records Names New CEO—Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Lewis New Chairman & CEO

Photo Credit: Epic Records Epic Records has appointed Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Lewis as its new Chairman & CEO, marking a new chapter for one of Sony Music’s flagship labels. The announcement comes as Sylvia Rhone stepped down last year following a six-year tenure that saw the label achieve consistent chart success across multip

UMG Announces ‘First-Ever Share Buyback Program’ Amid Sagging Stock Price, Intends to Deploy Over $570 Million

The Euronext Amsterdam building. Photo Credit: Bootuitjes Universal Music Group (UMG) has teed up its “first-ever share buyback program”– to the tune of as much as €500 million (currently $573 million) worth of anticipated stock repurchases. The major label formally disclosed its inaugural buyback today, attributing th

SoundCloud Launches ‘Follower Exclusive Releases’ Superfan Feature — Artists Can Now Share Tracks With Followers ‘For a Limited Time or Indefinitely’

DJ Chris Stussy has kicked off the launch of SoundCloud’s Follower Exclusive Releases with ‘What Makes You Feel.’ Photo Credit: SoundCloud Another day, another superfan-geared expansion – this time from SoundCloud, which is now enabling artists to make new projects available to diehards with “Follower Exclusive Release

Why Did Two US Army Apache Helicopters Approach Kid Rock’s House?

Photo Credit: Kid Rock (Twitter/X) Kid Rock shared a video of a pair of Apache helicopters flying by his Nashville home this weekend. Now the Army has opened an inquiry into the matter. On Saturday afternoon, outspoken conservative and Donald Trump pal Kid Rock shared a pair of videos on social media showing two Apache

Artists Fight Back Against AI Slop, But Are DSPs Doing Enough?

Photo Credit: Igor Omilaev Numerous artists have seen AI slop try to cut in on their streaming royalties. But is the matter being taken seriously enough by major streamers? It’s not a new problem, but it’s going to get worse before it gets better. British artist Benedict Cork told TIME that after uploading a clip of hi

Time for Another Supreme Court Battle? Major Labels (and BMG) Move to Take Over Vetter v. Resnik Copyright Recapture Case, Spearhead Appeal

The Supreme Court courtroom. Photo Credit: Phil Roeder Looks like it’s time to kick the Vetter v. Resnik copyright termination battle up a notch. Now, the major labels have taken a stake in the relevant work, moved to step in as defendants, and disclosed plans to seek a higher-court appeal. The noteworthy developments

Universal Music Group Torches Drake’s Defamation Appeal Over Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’ — As Another Dismissal Looms

Photo Credit: Drake (Instagram) UMG argues that any claims against Drake in Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track “Not Like Us” are protected hyperbole in the context of a rap battle. Drake’s appeal seeking to revive his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar’s incendiary diss track “Not Like Us” hit

DOJ Faces Continued Criticism Over Live Nation Settlement — As States’ Ongoing Trial Reveals Exec’s Concerns About ‘Fundamental’ Ticketmaster Issues

Photo Credit: appshunter.io With over 30 state attorneys general continuing to battle Live Nation at trial, antitrust officials are still facing scrutiny over their settlement – including allegations of “improper lobbying.” Those allegations are the latest example of post-settlement turbulence for Live Nation and the D

Deezer Licenses AI Detection Tech to Hungarian Rights Body EJI

Photo Credit: Gabriel Miklós Deezer has announced it has licensed its AI detection technology to the Hungarian rights body, the Bureau for the Protection of Performers’ Rights (Előadóművészi Jogvédő Iroda Egyesület, EJI). Deezer tells Digital Music News that the volume of AI uploads it deals with on a daily basis has r

Major Labels and Spotify Seek ‘Extremely Conservative’ $322 Million Damages Payment from Anna’s Archive — Including $300 Million for Violating the DMCA

Photo Credit: Jonathan Borba Spotify and the major labels are seeking a cool $322.2 million in damages from Anna’s Archive over its alleged “brazen theft of millions of music and other files.” The majors and Spotify jointly requested that sizable sum in a motion for default judgment. Three months later, many are alread

Shakira Frantically Adds Madrid Residency Dates After Selling 500,000+ Tickets In A Few Hours

Photo Credit: Live Nation Shakira has broken sales records by selling over 500,000 tickets in just a few hours for her Madrid residency this fall. She’s added two additional dates in October to accommodate the demand, for a total of 11 dates this fall. Produced by Live Nation Spain, the European residency will take pla