Social Listening Platform Hangout Launches With Universal, Sony, Warner Music Backing
Social music platform Hangout, a “virtual listening community,” has opened its digital doors with access to over 100 million tracks, including from Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and licensing partner Merlin, the company said on Wednesday.
The service from Turntable Labs is available online, as well as on iOS and Android devices. Users can sign up, select an avatar, invite friends to their personal space, known as a “hangout,” and take turns playing songs from their favorite artists in a virtual DJ booth.
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Hangout founder and CEO Joseph Perla, who was one of the pioneers of social listening when he worked on social media music service Turntable.fm more than a decade ago, said: “With our broad global partnerships across the music companies in place, Hangout begins its journey to redefine the intersection of music and social media. Our vision has always been to create a platform that celebrates the joy of music but also helps support the music industry.”
Mark Piibe, executive vp, global business development & digital strategy at Sony Music, said the company enjoys supporting “the continued growth of opportunities for fans to experience and listen to Sony Music artists in shared social spaces that fairly value their work.” He added: “We look forward to working with Hangout to enable its users to build communities around their favorite stars and discover and curate music together.”
Added Kristen Bender, senior vp, digital innovation strategy & business development at Universal Music Group: “UMG has always strived to support the development of innovative new licensing models that drive music consumption and increase fan engagement, so we are delighted to announce our strategic alliance with Hangout. Social listening continues to become a key component of the fan experience, driving loyalty and conversation amongst engaged artist communities, and Hangout will help power these fan experiences in a unique and compelling way.”
Calling Hangout an “innovative music platform,” Rachel Scarpati, vp, business strategy & business development at WMG, said. “This partnership underscores WMG’s commitment to pioneering new avenues for music discovery, fostering community, and providing fans with dynamic ways to engage and share their love for music.”
Through strong partnerships with the music industry, Hangout said it was “committed to benefitting artists by cultivating an environment that fosters creativity, connection, and collaboration.”
Perla told The Hollywood Reporter that Hangout is bringing back the key focus on socializing around music and sharing songs but this time with broad-basic licensing deals to get major labels on board. “We have solid business models from the very beginning,” the CEO said. “Our two main business models are no ads, but subscriptions for streaming music, and virtual goods. We expect to get millions of users by the end of the year.” He didn’t discuss the subscription price.
The Hangout founder did, however, emphasize that he is concentrating on making social media more social again. “Social media these days are based on fighting, conflict, and division,” Perla said. “So I’m building a new social platform focused on connection, unity, and harmony.”
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