Spotify has announced that it has reached an agreement with Kakao Entertainment (previously KakaoM), making their content available on the platform across the globe, including for the first time in South Korea.
The two companies had been in a bitter dispute that saw Kakao — which last month launched a streaming service in Korea — removing the rights to hundreds of songs by its artists from Spotify after the licensing deal between the two companies expired and they failed to agree on new terms. A source tells Variety that the uproar on social media from fans of the label’s artists, which include IU and APink — as well as some artists themselves — led Kakao to return to the negotiating table, with terms not dramatically different from those originally offered.
“We are pleased that Kakao Entertainment’s content and artists are back on Spotify, allowing our 345M+ global listeners across 170 countries to once again enjoy the music they love,” a Spotify spokesperson said. “Spotify’s mission has always been to connect artists to their fans all over the world and to give listeners access to all of the world’s music. We are delighted that our Korean listeners will now also be able to enjoy this local music alongside our 70 million+ songs and 4 billion+ playlists. We remain committed to making a positive impact on Korea’s music streaming ecosystem through our partnerships with artists, labels, and local rights holders.”
The two companies had been in a bitter dispute that saw Kakao — which last month launched a streaming service in Korea — removing the rights to hundreds of songs by its artists from Spotify after the licensing deal between the two companies expired and they failed to agree on new terms. A source tells Variety that the uproar on social media from fans of the label’s artists, which include IU and APink — as well as some artists themselves — led Kakao to return to the negotiating table, with terms not dramatically different from those originally offered.
“We are pleased that Kakao Entertainment’s content and artists are back on Spotify, allowing our 345M+ global listeners across 170 countries to once again enjoy the music they love,” a Spotify spokesperson said. “Spotify’s mission has always been to connect artists to their fans all over the world and to give listeners access to all of the world’s music. We are delighted that our Korean listeners will now also be able to enjoy this local music alongside our 70 million+ songs and 4 billion+ playlists. We remain committed to making a positive impact on Korea’s music streaming ecosystem through our partnerships with artists, labels, and local rights holders.”
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