Lickd Makes Music Accessible to YouTubers with UMG

Lickd, the world’s leading service for providing video creators with access to label owned music, has today announced global partnerships with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leader in music-based entertainment and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), a leading global music publisher. The collaboration will see YouTube content creators given access to a diverse selection of new releases and tracks from the two companies’ unrivalled music catalogues, across multiple UMG territories. 

An industry-first, the deal shines a spotlight on the rapid growth in creators who use music as a key part of social video production and offers further opportunity for social content creators to use commercial music. Facilitating a streamlined path through the rights landscape, the partnership extends creativity for Youtubers and ensures new and established artists reach the highly engaged audiences of some of the world’s most active creators. 

Paul Sampson, chief executive officer, Lickd said: “Partnering with UMG and UMPG represents a huge step forward in the creation of a streamlined path for social content creators to access pre-cleared commercial music. This is one of many positive moves helping to craft a more artist, songwriter and creator-friendly world comprising of fair compensation and affordable licensing. This collaborative partnership will undoubtedly deliver new ways for creators and musicians to actively engage with fans globally.”

James Healy, SVP digital strategy and business development, UMG added: "We’re delighted to enter into a partnership with Lickd at a time when UGC is experiencing exponential growth and music remains the number one passion point for many globally. UMG recognises that by embracing and connecting these creative forces, our artists, their fans, who themselves are content creators and today’s social content creators, we are enabling an environment of deeper collaboration and discovery, under a scalable model.”

With 100% month on month growth in creator sign ups, 89% growth in licences over the last quarter and 25,000+ chart songs available, Lickd has quickly becoming the de facto platform for accessing pre-cleared music.

Senior director business development and digital at UMPG, Alex Ianev, commented: “At a time when more and more people are consuming content, we are thrilled to be working with Lickd to deliver greater value to creators, artists and consumers. We look forward to continuing to support the creator industry and to seeing how this partnership will evolve.”