OpenPlay Inc., provider of the music industry’s leading platform for asset and catalog management, is expanding its Direct Delivery offering by teaming up with Stem, widely known for its comprehensive distribution offering, including artist-development services and data-driven insights exclusive to its curated roster of artists and labels. Now, OpenPlay users will be able to seamlessly send music and video assets, and corresponding metadata, directly to DSPs without needing to negotiate their own licensing deals.
OpenPlay launched Direct Delivery in 2023 to help independent labels deliver music to DSPs without friction or proprietary data barriers, using their own DSP or Merlin licenses. This new deal allows OpenPlay users, whether Merlin members or not, to utilize Stem’s existing licenses with DSPs, streamlining the process even further. Stem will also manage statements and payments for select OpenPlay Direct Delivery customers, all for a competitive single-digit rate of net royalties that is unmatched in the industry. This discount is made possible by OpenPlay’s ability to deliver complete, fully validated, market-ready DDEX files that conform to every DSP’s unique style guide, allowing Stem to simply pass them to DSPs, hands-free, with no intervention required. In addition, OpenPlay will refund a portion of the fee to labels that generate enough revenue, thereby reducing their OpenPlay subscription costs.
Qualifying OpenPlay clients can also access Stem’s full range of client services, from marketing and promotion, to payments processing, to advance funding opportunities, and more. Additional fees may apply.
“We’re very pleased to add Stem to our Direct Delivery options for our labels. Stem has a well-earned reputation for its terrific services for artists,” said Jonathan Bender, Chief Operating and Growth Officer of OpenPlay. “Using Stem’s DSP licenses, OpenPlay clients can send their music and video directly to DSPs from within the very system they already use to organize their metadata and assets, saving money while receiving top-quality statement and payment processing.”
“Working with OpenPlay just makes sense,” said Kristin Graziani, President of Stem, “because they’ve developed tools that provide artists and their teams the ability to operate autonomously, a shared ethos that is at the core of Stem and the work we do. They’ve done all the hard work of generating DDEX files that deliver to every DSP, so we can offer favorable rates to their clients, saving artists and labels money that can be reinvested into marketing their artists and running their business.”
Direct Delivery is available to all OpenPlay users along with other powerful tools, including OpenPlay’s release management platform for distributors and major label groups. Other recently released tools include artist tour date visibility, marketing and merchandise support, bulk editing, an enhanced API, and more.
