Warner Music Group Signs Pandora Direct Deal Paving Way For New Spotify, Apple Music Competitor

Holdout Warner Music has become the last of the major music group to sign a direct deal with Pandora. The deal paves the way for Pandora to launch a full service on demand streaming music service.

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Two days after it announced direct deals with UMG, Sony, Merlin and 30 indie distributors and labels, Pandora today added Warner Music Group. The agreement is for the US only.The music streamer is now clear to launch an on demand streaming music service that competes directly with Spotify and Apple Music. “Pandora has built a huge audience with a compelling product and we’re looking forward to new and enhanced subscription services for music fans and improved monetization for our artists,” said Ron Wilcox, Executive Counsel for Business Affairs, Strategic and Digital Initiatives, Warner Music Group.“Warner has been a tremendous partner to Pandora and we’re thrilled to expand the relationship in a way that truly supports both of our businesses and the artists we serve,” said Tim Westergren, founder and CEO of Pandora. “With this agreement, we’re on a path to launch the world’s most personal and complete music experience that our listeners will love.”Pandora Plus And A TimelineEarlier today. Pandora launched Pandora Plus, a rebranding of its $4.99 per month ad free service Pandora One with the addition of predictive offline listening and new features. While Pandora is now clear to launch a full $9.99 per month on demand service, most observers expect the company to wait several weeks before adding the new tier.