Sony Music Entertainment has been very busy lately.
Originally reported by the Wall Street Journal’s AllThingsD blog, and independently confirmed by Billboard, Sony has indeed finalized its long-rumored “almost there” deal with Spotify for U.S. licensing.
No official word yet from either party, but sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations say the deal is indeed complete. No confirmation on deal terms, but the rumor is that the deal covers a service similar to Spotify’s European offering that includes a limited time free tier supported by ads and a paid premium tier.
That of course doesn’t mean Spotify is launching in the U.S. anytime soon though, but it’s a step.
In far less sexy but interesting nonetheless news, Sony and smartphone app development platform Mobile Roadie, have formalized a long-standing relationship under which Sony artists can now use the technology to create mobile apps for the iPhone and Android devices. Mobile Roadie offers a self-service platform of customizable templates for artists to create free apps that include news, photos, tour information and so on.
The deal with Sony means they can now offer streaming music and premium content available to purchase from within the app itself — such as karaoke, remix features and games. Launch artists include David Archuleta, Marc Anthony, Camila, Chayanne, Daughtry, Jerrod Niemann, Gerardo Ortiz, Brad Paisley, Passion Pit, P!nk, Mike Posner and Thalia, with additional artists added in the coming months.