Days after SoundCloud CEO Alexander Ljung confirmed plans that their premium streaming service would go ahead, SoundCloud has signed a deal with Merlin, a digital rights agency that oversees the rights of over 20,000 independent record labels.
In a statement from SoundCloud, they say, "The indie community has always been at the heart of SoundCloud, and our deal with Merlin is another way for us to further support the independent community by opening a new source of revenue for them."
The world's biggest independent labels such as Epitaph, PIAS, Domino, Beggars Group, Warp Records and more will now all have the opportunity to join On SoundCloud's partners, allowing their artists to select what songs they'd like to make available to SoundCloud listeners.
A statement from Merlin reports that "Merlin’s membership represents the most valuable set of rights outside of those controlled by the three major labels, commanding in excess of 10% of the global digital market".
With over 100 million tracks uploaded to the service, SoundCloud currently enjoys upward of 175 million monthly users, with SoundCloud ensuring they'lll "be able to discover and listen to more new tracks from the best independent label creators on the planet, safe in the knowledge they’ll now have the opportunity to get paid while you listen".
