Google Music is supposed to launch tomorrow in the US, but it is still hustling to ink deals with major record labels. According to Bloomberg, it’s a high-wire act — Universal might even sign tomorrow. Cutting it awfully close aren’t we Google?
It has been rumoured for some time that Google would flex its user base for leverage in negotiating deals with the major record labels, but this is crazy. Google has implied it would launch without all of the majors on board, but if today’s report is true, it would mean that Google still hasn’t signed deals with three of the four biggies — even as Google is set to launch something music related at a press event tomorrow.
The last time we heard rumblings about this, Universal, which is the largest music conglomerate in the world, was on the list of likely partners for Google, and it appears it could be ready to sign the dotted line tomorrow before the event. But according to today’s report, Sony Music and Warner Music Group — the two majors who had concerns before — are still holding out. EMI is the only major label to have a deal with Google Music. [Bloomberg Businessweek]
Penmonicus
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 11:05 AMHah! EMI’s been sold to Universal and Sony [publishing] so I guess they don’t have a deal with anyone?
Box Guru
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 1:22 PMIf the EMI deal has already been inked then any buyer of EMI would have to honour that deal.
jeremy
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 3:54 PMJust the way it is in the music biz – they are different companies with thier own particular politics and needs and need managing by people who know thier shit. I had the great pleasure to work with such a person, and we lauched all majors on MP3 BEFORE apple (second in the world with all majors on MP3, here in little old aus). If google are having issues, they are noobs …