Warner Music Group Singa deal

Warner Music Group has brought its catalog to karaoke platform Singa. Photo Credit: WMG

Warner Music Group (WMG) is getting in on the karaoke action under a new deal with Singa, which has already added “a vast collection of original master recordings” from the major label.

WMG and the self-described “first truly digital streaming service for karaoke” unveiled their pact today. Extending to Warner Music proper as well as Warner Chappell, the agreement is Helsinki-headquartered Singa’s first with a major, the parties emphasized.

Now, the nine-year-old karaoke service, which offers a paid tier for $9.99 per month, is bolstering its existing library of 120,000 “soundalike” renditions with WMG’s “extensive catalog.” Besides the latter detail and the initially mentioned “vast collection” particular, the companies didn’t elaborate on the tie-up’s precise scope.

However, a cursory glance at the karaoke platform points to an all-encompassing WMG-catalog integration; the “Originals” section currently features releases from Cardi B, Linkin Park, Dua Lipa, and a variety of others.

And the ADA parent Warner Music further relayed that Singa has separate contracts in place “with publishers and indie labels.”

Shifting to compensation, WMG rather unsurprisingly opted against diving into hard terms. But the major went ahead and applauded “Singa’s investment in rights management technology,” which purportedly “ensures that all music use is transparent to rights holders.”

“The company has partnered with leading back-office service providers to develop usage tracking and revenue reporting tools, setting a new standard for industry accountability,” WMG indicated here.

In any event, a new revenue stream is (at least in theory) a new revenue stream, and WMG SVP of strategy and business development John Rees in a statement touted the resulting “opportunities for our artists and songwriters.”

“With this partnership, we’re ushering in a new era of karaoke where music becomes a more dynamic experience for fans,” weighed in Rees.

“This collaboration not only enhances the way people engage with music, but also creates valuable opportunities for our artists and songwriters, enabling them to reach more fans and unlock new revenue streams. Together, we’re paving the way for continuous innovation in music,” the 15-year Warner Music vet concluded.

Time will tell whether Singa can parlay the deal into separate unions with Sony Music and Universal Music. Bigger picture, Robert Kyncl’s comparatively tech-friendly Warner Music – which didn’t consider joining Universal Music’s since-resolved TikTok standoff – is apparently pulling out the monetization stops against the backdrop of slowing revenue growth.

All that’s certainly worth keeping in mind amid rumored settlement discussions between the majors and Suno as well as Udio. If the AI platforms and the individual labels are actually racing to hammer out licensing terms as reported – and that isn’t necessarily the case, we previously noted – WMG might be the first to seize an agreement.