Universal is Expanding Agreements with Amazon Music and Twitch

Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced it is expanding its initial agreement with Amazon Music and Twitch, according to Variety.

Universal says in the announcement that the revised agreements will give customers more access to the world’s most popular music through Amazon. That access also includes live streams, high-quality and spatial audio, artist merchandise and exclusive experiences with UMG’s artists.

“UMG has been a strategic collaborator for us, as we continue to evolve our service and bring our customers even more ways to engage with their favourite artists and discover new music. With these agreements, we’re strengthening and expanding how we can continue to work together to provide unique and exclusive experiences and create even more content for listeners,” Amazon VP of Music, Steve Boom said in a statement.

A part of the agreement will allow Twitch and UMG to create new opportunities for artists to engage with their current/new fans both creatively and commercially. Back in the fall of 2020, Twitch was criticized by multiple music organizations for using unlicensed music on the Amazon-owned platform. This led to streamers being hit by DMCA strikes which Twitch reacted to by partnering up with the National Music Publishers’ Association to help curb accidental punishments against its content creators which are still vulnerable to. 

Source: Twitch

“Twitch embodies a creator-first culture, including empowering musicians. Now, more than ever, we’re excited to work with UMG in an effort to further broaden the scope of tools available for their artists to engage with fans, while also providing new avenues for their artists to earn meaningful income while streaming on Twitch,” Twitch Head of Music, Tracy Chan said in a statement.

The revised deal will give Amazon Music subscribers more access to stream music from UMG’s catalogue in HD, Ultra HD, and spatial audio. In addition, both companies will work toward allowing customers to purchase artist merchandise directly through the Amazon Music app. As a part of a new album campaign, UMG created collaborative merchandise with Universal artists like Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, and The Weeknd.

“With the breadth of their music services and products, and their dedicated focus on customers and creators, Amazon Music and Twitch are excellent strategic collaborators, committed to creating the best and most diverse experiences for fans across streaming music, live-streaming, artist collaborations, and physical merchandise,” Universal Music Group EVP of Digital Strategy, Michael Nash said in a statement.