Online music ‘jukebox’ Deezer has reached agreement with music giant Warner Music International for a “global content and revenue partnership” which will see the service gain access to Warner’s extensive catalogue in return for a share in revenues generated by Deezer’s ad-supported platform which offers a free-to-access, on-demand music streaming service.
Deezer founders Jonathan Benassaya and Daniel Marhely said they were “thrilled” to be able to ffer users access to Warner acts and said the agreement “represents a very important step in our business development and further strengthens Deezer’s offering to its ever-widening community of users.”
Under Wednesday’s agreement Warner content will be rolled out initially in France with UK and Germany scheduled to follow by early 2009. The agreement sees Warner gain access to promotional opportunities across the site, including editorial content management of Warner Music artist pages. Links to purchase downloads from well-known online retailers are also embedded throughout the Deezer network.
Eric Daugan, Vice President for Digital Business at Warner Music International, described the service’s ad-supported platform as “compelling” and said his company were now “in a position to work with Deezer and third party advertisers to monetize a wide range of listening habits and to create online events and products that connect our artists with audiences in new, exciting ways.”