Universal and Amazon Music Strike Deal to Collaborate on Streaming 2.0, Audiobooks and AI Protection

variety.com:

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Universal Music Group and Amazon Music have announced an expanded global relationship that will “enable further innovation, exclusive content with UMG artists, and advancement of artist-centric principles including increased fraud protection,” according to the announcement.

While full details were not disclosed, the deal is intended to advance UMG’s “Streaming 2.0” strategy, which focuses less on scale in streaming and instead aims to increase value through different subscription levels and selling merchandise and other products to fans.

On that note, the announcement states that UMG and Amazon Music will collaborate “to explore new and enhanced product opportunities designed to benefit artists and enrich the experience of their fans.” UMG will also collaborate with Amazon Music as it continues to expand in audio, including audiobooks, audio and visual programming, and its investment in livestreamed content.

UMG and Amazon will also work collaboratively to address, among other things, unlawful AI-generated content, as well as protecting against fraud and misattribution.