Spotify’s Latest Music Licensing Deal
Spotify has concluded a direct license agreement with Cobalt, the companies shared on Wednesday, the latest music licensing offer that the streaming service secured in 2025. This deal is a significant step for Spotify, as it continues to expand its music licensing agreements with major music publishers.
The Partnership with Cobalt
As the largest independent music publisher, Cobalt is devoted to fighting for the rights of songwriters. According to Cobalt, this deal confirms their commitment to ensuring that songwriters are paid fairly for their work. The partnership is seen as a step in the right direction, and both companies are looking forward to continuing to work together to increase the value of license fees for songwriters.
Recent Licensing Deals
The deal with Cobalt follows previously announced offers from Spotify with the Universal Music Group and its UMPG subsidiary in January, as well as a subsequent deal with the Warner Music Group and Warner Chappell in February. These license contracts are remarkable, given the controversy surrounding Spotify’s audio book-bundling strategy, which has led to lower license fees for songwriters.
The Impact of Licensing Deals
The music publishers and Spotify have been at odds over the audio book-bundling strategy, which has resulted in significant losses for publishers. According to the National Music Publishers Association, publishers lost $230 million last year. However, Spotify has reported that it paid $4.5 billion to songwriters and publishers over the past two years. The company believes that better partnerships lead to better results, and this agreement with Cobalt is expected to increase support for songwriters through a license model that unlocks new growth and expands the way music is made and shared today.
A Positive Step Forward
"We have always believed that better partnerships lead to better results," said Spotify’s co-president and chief business officer, Alex Norström, in a statement. "This agreement with Cobalt increases our support of songwriters through a license model that unlocks new growth and expands the way music is made and shared today." This deal is seen as a positive step forward for both Spotify and Cobalt, and is expected to have a significant impact on the music industry.
