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Warner music disappears from Last.fm On-Demand

9 June 2008 0:20 by Rich "vurbal" Fiscus

Warner Music Group has pulled all of their music from Last.fm's "Free On-Demand" streaming service. In case you're not already familiar with the service, it allows visitors to stream tracks for free just 3 times, after which they're prompted to buy it from a retail partner such as iTunes or Amazon.com.

A statement from Last.fm's parent company CBS said "We are currently negotiating a new agreement with Warner Music Group and are working hard to build the most comprehensive music service on the Web. While we work things out, be assured that there�s more than enough music to fill a lifetime of listening on Last.fm, and we are continually adding to it."

The details of Warner's move are a little sketchy right now. If a report from one source are correct it appears that the basic problem is their insistence on making more money for each song streamed. The demands may even include a cut of ad revenue from any area of the site related to WMG music, even including pages containing discussions about their songs.

Although not officially confirmed, it wouldn't be the first time they went after such an arrangement. Last July they made a similar deal with iMeem after settling a lawsuit, and ended up with a stake in the company. Earlier this year they also invested in a joint venture with MySpace.

Whatever terms they're looking for, Warner appears to be alone among the four major labels. The other three, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and EMI, all have deals in place with Last.fm for now.

WMG songs are still available on Last.fm's internet radio service which doesn't allow listeners to choose specific songs.

Permalink to this article | Topics: MP3 & Digital Audio Online music services