Spotify and Apple Music are attempting to take some of Soundcloud’s appeal by adding unofficial DJ remixes to their catalogues.
Before, Spotify and Apple Music hosted and allowed for streaming of official versions and remixes of tracks. Soundcloud was the platform for artists to upload and fans to listen to remixes that weren’t solicited by the artist or a label.
Both streaming platforms have entered into a partnership with Dubset, a music rights management company that scans a remix or mix and figures out which songs have been used. That way, royalties can be fairly distributed to the rights holders.
Apple Music signed the deal in March and Spotify followed in May with the first unofficial remixes and mixes starting to appear on both platforms now.
As TechCrunch report, the first unofficial remixes have started appearing including a DJ Jazzy Jeff remix of Anderson .Paak’s Room In Here.
According to Dubset CEO Stephen White, 700 million people listen to unofficial mixes a month but record labels have long fought against it because it was considered a piracy as they weren’t getting paid royalties.
This “allows some of the content that until now has only been on YouTube and SoundCloud to come to these great paid services where content owners will get paid,” White told TechCrunch.
Soundcloud has had plenty of problems with playing royalties in the past and has since launched a paid subscription service. Now, according to the Financial Times, Spotify is looking to acquire Soundcloud which is no doubt a move to capatalise on its huge range of unofficial remixes and mixes and users who consume and upload them.
Souncloud has been valued at $700 million.
Listen: Anderson .Paak – ‘Room In Here’ (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix)
