Licensing2025-08-13confirmed
Spotify × Kobalt Music Group
Spotify and Kobalt, the largest independent music publisher, entered into a direct, multi-year licensing agreement for the US market. The deal allows Kobalt to be paid mechanical royalties on bespoke terms, bypassing the compulsory license and the controversial 'bundling discount' Spotify had applied after adding audiobooks to its service. The agreement was also framed as enabling new formats and innovations on the platform.
Price paid
—
Not disclosed
Losing bid
—
Per unit
—
no meaningful ratio
The asset
A multi-year, direct licensing agreement for Kobalt's music publishing catalog in the United States.
The record
- Seller status
- Going concern
- Sector
- Music publishing
- Modalities
- audio, music
- Jurisdiction
- US
What it means if you hold data
This deal demonstrated that not only the major publishers, but also the largest independent publisher, had the leverage to negotiate direct licensing terms with Spotify, setting a new standard for the industry.