Traditionally indie-focused eMusic has now licensed content from major Warner Music Group, according to details shared by the companies early Tuesday morning.
The deal spans recordings from Atlantic Records, Rhino Records and Warner Bros. Records, as well as various independent labels distributed through WMG-owned ADA. “We are pleased to be making our music available to eMusic’s passionate membership,” said Stephen Bryan, senior vice president of Digital Strategy and Business Development at WMG.
The licensing round follows a similar agreement with Sony Music Entertainment, and continues a shift in content and pricing strategy for the site. Earlier, eMusic chief Danny Stein strongly challenged a characterization that eMusic was pursuing an ‘iTunes, Jr.’ strategy, though Stein has been making significant content changes to scale revenues.
Separately, eMusic representative Cathy Halgas Nevins told Digital Music News that the Warner deal would focus on catalog, though newer artists (including Plies, Jason Mraz, and Micheal Buble) will also be included. “Generally it will be catalog, but each label will determine what they would like us to sell,” Nevins relayed.