Universal Music Group and Mixcloud ink global licensing deal

Universal Music Group has signed a licensing agreement with Mixcloud. The global agreement covers use of UMG’s music in markets excluding China and Japan. Artists with the major label will be compensated for their music on Mixcloud’s ad-supported and future subscription services. The deal includes payments for past uses of UMG’s catalog.

“Our focus has always been on empowering artists and curators alike, and this deal with Universal Music will help us usher in a new era of collaboration in which everyone wins,” Mixcloud Co-Founder Nico Perez said. “Our platform ensures that all rights-holders are paid fairly for the use of their work in long-form audio, and we are excited to work directly with the world’s largest record label Universal Music to continue to enhance what we can offer to our curators, their listeners, and to the artists that created the great tracks in the first place.”

“Mixcloud has developed an innovative platform where audiences can uniquely discover artists and experience music through curated stations, podcasts, DJ sets and other influencer-driven audio formats,” said James Healy, UMG’s vice president of digital business. “Working together, we will expand the programming that’s available across Mixcloud and give their passionate fans more choice over how they consume music and interact with their favorite artists.”

Anna Washenko