So we have been hearing rumors that YouTube could be launching a music service soon. Then again we have heard this rumor for quite a while now, so we’re not sure if this time it will be any different. That being said, a report from the Financial Times (paywell; via Engadget) has revealed that YouTube could be weeks away from making it official.
Apparently one of their sources has informed them that YouTube has finally managed to strike up a deal with Merlin, one of the rights group that represents over 20,000 indie music labels. The deal with Merlin was supposedly one of the reasons why we have not seen the rumored music service despite all the reports that have been floating about the internet.
In fact it was a couple of weeks ago that YouTube’s CEO claimed that a launch was nearing so we guess it looks like there is a chance this report could be the real deal. It is said that the deal is now more favorable than what YouTube had previously offered, which could be why Merlin finally decided to sign on with YouTube.
While we can’t be sure if having a bunch of indie artists will make YouTube’s service more favorable than say iTunes Radio, Spotify, or Beats Music, but it will certainly give them a slight edge, especially if you’re looking for new artists to explore. In any case take it with a grain of salt for now, but check back with us in the coming weeks for the details.
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