Warner Music has pulled its music catalogue from Germany’s third-biggest streaming service.
Tracks from Warner and other smaller labels haven’t appeared on Simfy since late January, with the Spotify rival writing to tell its customers that “some licensing changes have occurred” and that “titles are now currently unavailable”.
It added that it hoped to reinstate the missing music on the service soon.
Warner Music Germany licensed Simfy in 2010, when the label’s senior manager of business development, Marec Lerche, said: “Simfy’s subscription offer is easy to use, flexible and wide-ranging, whilst appropriately compensating artists and labels for the first-rate entertainment experience their content creates.”
“Unfortunately, some licensing changes have occurred… titles are currently unavailable.”
Simfy letter to users
At the end of last week, Warner Music confirmed to Germany’s Wirtschafts Woche that its catalogue had been removed from Simfy.
The Group did not give a specific reason, or say whether the move constituted a temporary measure or a longer-term strategic decision.
Warner Music Group‘s streaming income jumped by $26m in the last three months of 2014.
The removal of WMG’s catalogue will hurt Simfy’s core marketing promise: “Every song, anytime and anywhere.”Music Business Worldwide
