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Universal To License Music To SoundCloud In Streaming Deal (thestack.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Universal Music Group has agreed to license its music to online audio platform SoundCloud – a major step for the popular startup, which has struggled to receive legitimate recognition in the industry. SoundCloud will enjoy access to Universal material, including work from top global artists signed to the label such as Adele, Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Conversely Universal will be able to access SoundCloud's advertising, analytics and data tools with the aim of increasing revenue streams and bolstering fan/artist engagement.
shut this down! Their kind hates music.
Is Bieber included?
I only listen to Taylor Swift when I'm Taylor Swifting
Although, considering the music coming out these days, I've already got all I need.
The idea of "legitimate recognition in the industry" is ludicrous. Soundcloud is the new music industry, or at least the face of what is to come. It's a huge gamechanger because artists take their content straight to Soundcloud with very little overhead and no gatekeepers, and they can reach fans directly. I'm a huge music person, and I rarely ever have to leave Soundcloud to stay entertained. There's a huge number of very talented people and good content. I don't listen to pop music or the radio, and I'm actually genuinely excited because a lot of people in my age group are starting to be the same way. The electronic dance music umbrella of music genres is particularly interesting in that it is significantly divorced from the megalabels like UMG and yet still growing rapidly. Over the last couple of years I've watched a number of small artists that I found early on grow a significant following and start touring. If anything, this is the establishment music industry trying to stay relevant to younger people. I've slowly seen Soundcloud continue "selling out" and seeing more of the corporate branded pop garbage being pushed in my face on the site which is disappointing. I really wish they could find a more "wholesome" way of staying funded
Has the level of achievement dropped so dramatically that this clown is considered to be a top artist?
because youtube videos without video annoys autistic people
Before you get too excited, what will a membership cost?
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Thought it said "steaming deal".
Have gnu, will travel.
artists take their content straight to Soundcloud with very little overhead and no gatekeepers
I thought the gatekeepers were the traditional music publishers. A music publisher differs from a record label in that a record label owns copyright in a recording (as embodied in a CD), while a music publisher owns copyright in the underlying musical work (as embodied in sheet music). There are millions of existing musical works, with BMI alone controlling a repertory of over nine million, and only so many possible hooks in the seven notes of the scale. (Proof available on request.) So when an artist writes and records a piece of music and uploads it to SoundCloud, what steps is the artist supposed to have taken to ensure that his song doesn't accidentally infringe copyright in one of the millions of existing songs? I ask because I compose music, am considering seeking extra exposure through SoundCloud, and want to limit my liability in cases of accidental infringement. Has anyone heard from a lawyer on this?
Soundcloud is one of the more dynamic and interesting sources for music. Who cares if it receives "legitimate recognition in the industry"? The industry is a dinosaur and is best left for the junkpile of history alongside the whale oil industry.
I find some of the most interesting new music on Soundcloud. Nothing from Taylor Swift or Adele is going to make me more likely to use it.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Somehow I don't see a lot of money flowing in the direction of Soundcloud from Universal, and wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of changes to allow people to access music only in ways they really wouldn't want to, and eventually Soundcloud is completely different and ends up fading away.
Just posted a couple tracks. Now they are going to feel shy....
You appear to refer to a defense that an alleged infringer never had access to the copyright owner's work, in the "access plus similarity equals copying" formula from copyright case law. But I seem to remember reading that the court can impute access if the copyright owner can show that the alleged infringer reasonably should have heard the copyright owner's composition. This would appear to make the independent creation defense unavailable if the earlier work had been played on FM radio during the alleged infringer's lifetime.
Soundcloud makes you pay if you want to upload more than 2 hours of content (unless its changed now)
Also they are heavy on copyright takedowns and give you no choice to appeal or even respond in any way. I uploaded a parody and it got slammed so fuck you SoundCloud!
Mixcloud is a lot better http://www.mixcloud.com/
To me, one of the major benefits to Soundcloud was that it wasn't clogged up with major label artists whose music, if I were inclined, I could get at one of dozens of online music retailers already.
I don't see a benefit here, but then again I'm just the end-user of this (for now) free service. Hopefully they don't fuck it up, but there will always be someone ready to accept the majority of their users if they do.