Twitch has expanded its relationship with Universal Music Group. According to a report from Variety, both parties will “work together to foster new innovative opportunities for artists and labels to creatively and commercially engage with their fans and new audiences.” Additionally, Twitch will reportedly create opportunities for Universal Music Group artists to directly connect with fans.
“With the breadth of their music services and products, and their dedicated focus on customers and creators, Amazon Music and Twitch are excellent strategic collaborators, committed to creating the best and most diverse experiences for fans across streaming music, live streaming, artist collaborations, and physical merchandise,” Michael Nash of Universal Music Group said in a press release.
“Twitch embodies a creator-first culture, including empowering musicians. Now, more than ever, we’re excited to work with UMG in an effort to further broaden the scope of tools available for their artists to engage with fans, while also providing new avenues for their artists to earn meaningful income while streaming on Twitch,” Tracy Chan of Twitch added.
Twitch has made an effort to build relationships with music labels in recent years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform was accused of utilizing unlicensed music. While Twitch has denied those accusations, the Amazon-owned entity has spent the last two years to reduce those tensions by working with Amazon to strengthen ties with major artists, put on events, etc. Along the way, Kanye West and Drake put on a live show through Amazon Music and Travis Scott worked with Fortnite to host a virtual show on Twitch.
“UMG has been a strategic collaborator for us, as we continue to evolve our service and bring our customers even more ways to engage with their favorite artists, and discover new music,” Steve Boom of Amazon stated in a press release.
“With these agreements, we’re strengthening and expanding how we can continue to work together to provide unique and exclusive experiences and create even more content for listeners.”
