EMI Music is to make thousands of music tracks, music videos and artwork available to application developers to help them develop new web and mobile apps for the music company’s artists.
The project is part of EMI’s OpenEMI initiative, which hopes to “streamline” music licensing, and create innovative digital music applications.EMI said the collaboration with more than 10,000 app developers, in partnership with The Echo Nest, a digital music technology company, was the biggest of its kind.
The Echo Nest and EMI have created a web site to let developers collaborate on building apps for EMI’s artists including Gorillaz, Pet Shop Boys, Tinie Tempah, Professor Green, Eliza Doolittle, and Chiddy Bang.
The site also includes music from thousands of EMI catalogue tracks, including Culture Club, Simple Minds, and Shirley Bassey.
Revenues are shared between developers and rights holders. EMI will handle all licensing and clearance requirements, and marketing of the apps.
The developer web site also includes access to The Echo Nest’s repository of music information, developer tools and remix software.
Developers can register for an API key, and submit ideas for apps to EMI and The Echo Nest. Approved apps – both free (ad-supported) and paid – will be released for the web, iPhone, iPad, Android, and other app platforms by EMI. The developer of the app will retain the intellectual property.
Jim Brady, EMI group executive vice president strategy and insight, said it’s developer site was a “fantastic resource for tapping the passion and innovation of the best developers in the world.”
