Apple Music Signs New Multiyear Deals With World's Largest Record Labels

Apple Music has secured new deals for songs from major record labels that include Universal Music, Sony Music, and Warner Music, reports Financial Times.

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The licensing deals, which have been signed "in recent months," will allow for music from popular artists like Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Adele, and others to continue to be streamed on the ‌Apple Music‌ service.

There are no terms in the deals for bundling ‌Apple Music‌ with Apple TV+, so despite rumors that Apple is working on bundling its subscription services, such a bundle does not appear to be in the works at this time.

Apple revisits deals with major record labels every few years to determine royalty rates and renew rights to songs. Apple has inked multiyear deals at this time, but ‌Apple Music‌ competitor Spotify is said to be having a harder time.

Spotify has been in licensing talks with Universal Music and Warner Music for approximately a year and the record labels have been extending existing agreements on a month by month basis as they work to agree on new terms.

As of last summer, ‌Apple Music‌ had 60 million paid subscribers. Apple hasn't released updated data since then, but Spotify in October said that it had 113 million paying subscribers.

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Top Rated Comments

H3LL5P4WN Avatar
74 months ago
Any mention of Apple Music increasing payout to artists?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sos47 Avatar
74 months ago
When does Apple Music support ALAC (or ... FLAC)?
thank you for any hint
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
74 months ago

I would be interested to hear a response to this from someone who knows the answer. At least in the media, streaming companies are criticized for how much money is paid to artists, making it seem as if streaming companies like Spotify and Apple are at fault for the amounts artists receive.
All I know is this... the music industry has never been fair to the artist. There are too many fingers in the pie.

In the old days... artists would be lucky to make $1 for each $16 CD sold. The other $15 went to labels, producers, songwriters, distributors, manufacturing, retailers, etc.

The artists were getting screwed long before we had MP3s and streaming.

I'm assuming it's the same today... where the artist still only gets a tiny portion.

We know Apple and Spotify pay royalties for every song streamed. But I'm guessing it then gets split among of those entities listed above.

I, too, would love to know the intricacies of how this all works.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
74 months ago

When does Apple Music support ALAC (or ... FLAC)?
thx
Dude.

(Probably when they release a 1tb iPhone.)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
74 months ago

Any mention of Apple Music increasing payout to artists?
Isn't that between the labels and the artists?

If artists aren't getting enough money... I'd think it would be the labels' fault (Universal, Sony, Warner)... not the distribution mechanism (streaming services, record stores, etc)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
74 months ago
Streaming was the answer to theft. People are more likely to contribute revenue if it's affordable. Like it or not, the money streaming does pay is better than the alternative.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)