Spotify, Amra Strike Multi-Year Licensing Deal

Spotify and amra, the global digital licensing collection society, have struck a cross-border, multi-year licensing deal.

The new, expansive agreement, announced by way of a 180-word joint statement, should provide greater flexibility to amra’s songwriter and publisher clients, and covers a range of digital mechanical and performing rights across the organisation’s global network, including Australia.

The license’s “framework reflects a genuinely collaborative effort” between both parties, the presser continues, “with considerations to enable new product features and formats.”

This new deal “increases our support of publishers and songwriters with new rights,” comments Alex Norström, co-president & chief business officer, Spotify. “It expands the benefits of streaming for writers, artists, and rights holders, and unlocks additional value for fans as we deliver music around the world.”

Adds Tomas Ericsson, CEO of amra: “Our priority and mission at amra is and will always be to maximize the digital value for our songwriter and publisher clients and to ensure their works are protected and valued fairly in the marketplace." This partnership with Spotify, notes Ericsson, "enables new innovation" and "reaffirms that commitment. We look forward to continuing to work with Spotify over the coming years.”

Spotify has been on a notable expansion of its publishing licensing efforts in recent times.

Just last week, Spotify and independent music publisher Kobalt forged a separate, direct, multi-year licensing agreement, with both sides say is designed to deliver greater flexibility, efficiency, value, and protections to songwriters in the US market.

Kobalt’s catalog is globally licensed outside the US by amra, its sister company.

Universal Music Publishing Group and Warner Chappell Music have also signed direct licensing deals with Spotify. The third major publisher, Sony Music Publishing, is in talks with the Sweden-based streaming giant, according to MBW.

Spotify has bragging rights as the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, boasting more than 696 million users, including 276 million subscribers, and operates in at least 180 markets.

According to amra, its platform last year ingested over 30 billion usage lines, recorded more than 5 trillion transactions, and processed over 4 billion royalty payments.