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Business News Deals Digital Labels & Publishers
Lickd signs up Warner
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 17 August 2020
Lickd, the company that aims to make it easier for creators on platforms like YouTube to use commercially released music in their videos, has announced it now has a partnership in place with Warner Music. The company recently also confirmed a deal with Universal Music.
The Lickd business model seeks to change the relationship between the music industry and the grassroots creators who post videos to user-upload and social platforms. Rather than relying on things like YouTube’s Content ID system to spot the music being used after someone’s posts a video – and then having the owner of said music grabbing any ad income linked to that content – with the Lickd approach a video-maker can pre-clear the music for an affordable upfront fee.
The benefit of that system is that labels and publishers get guaranteed income quicker, while the video-makers don’t risk having their content blocked or their ad income grabbed down the line.
Confirming Warner Music’s involvement, the firm’s Business Development Director Charlie White said: “We’re delighted to partner with Lickd and offer fans the chance to creatively use our artists’ music in a licensed environment. We’re keen to embrace models where fans can become content creators too, but rightsholders can be paid fairly for the use of their music. Deals such as this are expanding the horizons of the digital music market”.
Lickd boss Paul Sampson said he was “THRILLED” that Warner was now on board, noting the deal came at a time “when people are consuming more content than ever, when the music industry is actively looking for new income streams and when creators are more active than ever before”.
“Over the last twelve months”, he went on, “we have seen more and more creators flock to the Lickd platform which underscores just how important using licensed popular music is in video. We are very much looking forward to continuing to provide value by working hand in hand with both the majors and with our creators as we continue to grow”.
Elsewhere in Warner Music and social content news, on Friday the major announced it had bought social content maker IMGN Media. It furthers the mini-major’s interests in online media and content, having bought youth culture platform Uproxx back in 2018.
