Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, and streaming behemoth Spotify on Sunday announced a multi-year direct deal that will affect both recording and publishing royalty rates.

The joint statement did not provide details on the value or specific length of the agreement, but said UMG and Spotify "will collaborate closely to advance the next era of streaming innovation."

"Artists, songwriters and consumers will benefit from new and evolving offers, new paid subscription tiers, bundling of music and non-music content, and a richer audio and visual content catalog," the statement read.

The deal notably........

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