Global indie label digital rights agency Merlin has announced a deal with Joox, the Tencent-owned streaming service that operates in various Asian markets as well as South Africa. The licensing outfit says the new deal will "drive new value for Merlin members, including access to new audiences, while offering a richer music experience for Joox users".
Whereas the various streaming platforms owned by the Tencent Music Entertainment business - like QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo and WeSing - operate within the Chinese web giant's home market, its Joox service is available in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and South Africa.
Confirming the deal, Joox SVP Poshu Yeung says: "Joox always strives to bring users a wide range of music entertainment content from around the globe in different languages and genres, catering to music lovers’ various tastes. We are THRILLED about our strategic collaboration with Merlin as it reinforces this goal by unlocking abundant content from hundreds of thousands of artists via Merlin's membership for our users".
Meanwhile, Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota adds: "In every deal we strike, Merlin strives for the absolute best - not only for our members, but for each of our digital partners. Our agreement with Joox is one that expands access for our members across new markets while also driving value back to Joox. We're truly pleased to explore new ideas and features with them in order to help Merlin members make the most of this exciting music platform".