Sirius Satellite Radio has reportedly reached a deal with Warner Music and SonyBMG regarding its S50 device, which enables listeners to capture and store tracks that are playing on one of the US satellite radio network's stations. This follows that previously reported deal with Universal Music.
As previously reported, the record labels initially expressed concern regarding the new satellite radio devices that include the track capture function. The new deals with the major record companies will see Sirius compensating rights holders for tracks that their subscribers acquire through the capture system. However the arrangements only cover the specific S50 device, Sirius' first receiver to include capture functionality - it remains to be seen if and how the licensing agreements are extended to any future similar devices.
Sirius announced its latest major label agreements as it confirmed it has crossed the 4 million subscriber mark. People who have the brain power to calculate these things reckon that means Sirius is now signing up in the region of 9000 subscribers a day, which is an impressive rate and means the network is now properly in the race with its bigger competitor XM, which had 6 million subscribers at the last count.
Much of that success at Sirius is, of course, being put down to their newest recruit Howard Stern. Meanwhile Sirius' terrestrial competitors and Stern's former employers CBS Radio are proceeding with their lawsuit against the shock jock relating to his use of their airtime to unofficially advertise the satellite network while he worked out his contract on the CBS owned Infinity network. Stern seems to be enjoying the lawsuit - it giving him a good excuse to knock the US media establishment - though he is said to be genuinely pissed off that CBS have decided to publish full details about his salary while he was working for them in their court papers.