Spotify and Common Music Group have signed a brand new multi-year settlement that would lead to a tiered subscription strategy aimed toward offering additional perks for “superfans.” The 2 didn’t announce any specifics, together with the variety of years the deal lasts, however UMG says it’s in line with a “Streaming 2.0” imaginative and prescient it presented to investors final 12 months.
UMG chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge referred to as the settlement “exactly the sort of partnership growth” the corporate hoped for when describing Streaming 2.0. That presentation envisioned a “Tremendous-Premium” subscription for superfans that would imply issues like early entry to music, unique deluxe editions, hi-res audio, and artist Q&As. The businesses have been rumored to be discussing such a deal for months.
UMG additionally referenced Streaming 2.0 when it signed an settlement with Amazon Music final month, as World Music Business pointed out when it broke information of the Spotify settlement previous to Sunday’s announcement.
The deal additionally “seems” to extend royalty charges, the Nationwide Music Publishers Affiliation told Variety. The outlet identified yesterday that the NMPA and others had criticized Spotify over modifications final 12 months that led to decrease mechanical royalty charges for songwriters, spurring an NMPA complaint to the FTC.
Sony Music Publishing additionally criticized Spotify’s royalty modifications, and even considered options to problem them. It’s not clear if Sony or some other publishers are in talks for related offers with Spotify, however that would change in mild of the UMG deal, which Billboard notes is Spotify’s first direct cope with a music writer because the Music Modernization Act handed in 2018.