Internet radio company Pandora Media has struck a deal with independent label group Merlin, an agency that represents independent artists such as Arcade Fire and Wilco.
This licensing deal is the first of its kind that Pandora has ever made directly with artists, and has benefits for both companies as reported by the Associated Press.
For Pandora, the move could go far towards improving relations between the Internet radio company and the artists who are played on their website. Artists often feel as if the royalties on digital streaming services are too low for what the artists supply. Through their partnership with Merlin, Pandora will have a closer relationship to thousands of record labels and distributors, giving the artists more of a chance to be heard according to the Toronto Sun.
As for artists represented by Merlin, the partnership means more exposure on Pandora, with their representatives now able to lobby Pandora for a place on a playlist. Speaking of the benefits, Merlin CEO Charles Caldas stated according to the Associated Press that, “In a world where it's very difficult to get onto terrestrial radio, a deal like this gives us an incredible opportunity to get our music in front of an enormous amount of people."
The partnership also gives artists access to data about Pandora users, and allows them to use information about where more people are “liking” their songs in order to schedule their tours.