Back to MIDEM, and an announcement from Universal Music Publishing and SonyBMG who say they will collaborate to offer digital music services in Southeast Asia and India with a range of licenced music products.
The aim of the collaboration is to simplify digital licencing and royalty reporting in the region, to capitalise on the opportunities of a growing market there, and to better deal with the relationship between recording and publishing licencing - in particular by introducing a mechanical royalty on record sales in India for the first time. The two majors say they will work with local collecting societies in the region to deliver their services.
Confirming the plans, SonyBMG's Senior VP Of Digital And Business Development in Asia told reporters: "For many years, digital music resellers have been challenged with licensing content from a myriad of content owners and similarly challenged in effectively reporting sales in return. We expect to see a significant increase in our respective businesses as content flows to our partners and consumers are able to find their favorite artists and discover new music to get excited about".
Universal Music Publishing's Exec VP Of International, Andrew Jenkins, added: "This multi-lateral deal should enable the legitimate digital business in the region to operate with certainty. Through the combined efforts of UMPG and SonyBMG, and our common line of action with this agreement, we are providing a digital model for the whole industry to adopt".