Music licensing and streaming platform Jamendo launches in the U.S.

Music licensing platform Jamendo is launching in the U.S. The company specializes in serving independent artists, running both a licensing platform for performers and a free streaming service for private, professional use. It has been operating in Europe for more than a decade, and now is officially bringing its two-pronged business model state-side.

Jamendo Licensing paid out more than $1 million to thousands of artists last year. The company assists with licensing out tracks to for use in films, online videos, or in brick-and-mortar storefronts. Jamendo Music is the streaming side, with a library of more than 500,000 tracks that can be streamed for free under Creative Commons licenses.

“Jamendo provides a solution, not replacing the PRO but providing a choice for the artist, an alternative,” said Emmanuel Donati, Jamendo’s managing director.

Jamendo is owned by MusicMatic, a holding company that also has a stake in Radionomy.