Apple Music Signs Deal With Worldwide Independent Network, Including Beggars Group (4AD, Matador, XL, Rough Trade)

When it was initially reported that Apple Music would not pay rights holders during the service’s three-month free trial period, indie giant Beggars Group cried foul. Then, Apple changed their tune and decided to pay artists during that trial period after all. Now, they’re finally in business with Beggars. Billboard reports that Apple Music have struck a deal with the Worldwide Independent Network, which represents independent record labels worldwide (including Beggars), as well as the independent digital rights organization Merlin. Update: The Quietus reports that label group PIAS has also shared a statement about its agreement with Apple Music, in which it recommends that labels embrace the service. It concludes, “despite what one might read, this was not entirely down to Taylor Swift.” Read more below.

In a statement released through the Worldwide Independent Network, Beggars Group boss Martin Mills says:

Over the last few days we have had increasingly fruitful discussions with Apple. We are now delighted to say that we are happy to endorse the deal with Apple Music as it now stands, and look forward to being a big part of a very exciting future.

Merlin CEO Charles Caldas wrote a letter to Merlin members:

I am pleased to say that Apple has made a decision to pay for all usage of Apple Music under the free trials on a per-play basis, as well as to modify a number of other terms that members had been communicating directly with Apple about. With these changes, we are happy to support the deal.

And that PIAS statement:

“Over the last three weeks or so we and others have worked hard to secured a range of significant benefits, protections and improvements on the originally proposed terms. A key point of improvement is that we will now receive a per stream payment from day 1 of any free trial period. Other controls and protections have been added such that we feel this is a genuinely good deal for the labels and artists we represent. It should be noted that [PIAS] made it contingent that in us approving this agreement the same terms would be made available to all 4000+ independent labels, thus providing a fair playing field for all… Our recommendation to labels is that we now embrace the service.”

Apple Music is set to launch on June 30.