Deezer strikes long-term partnership with speaker maker Sonos to power Sonos Radio globally – Music Business Worldwide

Spotify’s France-based rival Deezer has teamed up with US speaker maker Sonos to power the latter’s streaming radio service Sonos Radio and its subscription service Sonos Radio HD globally.

The partnership will see Deezer deliver its catalog of 90 million tracks, metadata, licensing, reporting and royalty management, business intelligence and data to Sonos users, starting in April.

Deezer says it will also provide key services for Sonos Radio and Sonos Radio HD, as well as strategic collaboration for growth and monetization of the service, according to a press release.

The new alliance will deliver services to 16 countries including the US, Canada, the UK, France and Germany.

In addition, both companies will also explore opportunities to expand “the Sonos music experience,” and collaborate on new ways to help listeners discover music and soundtrack.

“Through this partnership Deezer can reach new listeners in major markets around the world, including the US.”

Jeronimo Folgueira, Deezer

Sonos launched its ad-supported radio streaming service in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In a time of heightened uncertainty and disrupted routines, consumers are turning to radio as a trusted source of information and community connection,” Sonos said at the time.

Commenting on the new partnership, Deezer CEO Jeronimo Folgueira, said: “This is the start of a very exciting journey for Deezer and Sonos. Through this partnership Deezer can reach new listeners in major markets around the world, including the US.”

The deal comes at a time when Deezer carries out a new strategy of focusing on select key markets including France, Germany, the UK, Brazil and the US, as the platform lags far behind Spotify in most markets.

As of September 2022, the company had 9.4 million subscribers after losing 300,000 subscribers in the first half of last year when it exited Russia.

The company, in September, pledged to turn in a profit by 2025. 

Deezer says it supports more than 45 partners and 80 hardware integrations worldwide.

The latest partnership with Sonos builds on the two companies’ previous deals. In 2015, Deezer started offering high definition audio on Sonos in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Canada.

And most recently in June 2022, Deezer launched Sonos Voice Control and a brand new Deezer interface on the Sonos App. The integration also gave Sonos users access to Deezer exclusive recommendation feature Flow, an AI based recommendation engine which lets the listener choose music based on moods.

“Delivering a best in class branded content experience for our customers is an essential part of our long-term growth strategy and Deezer continues to be an excellent partner for supporting our ambitious goals to help the world listen better.”

Patrick Spence, Sonos

Last year, Sonos also unveiled its Voice Control assistant, competing against Alexa and Siri, which has been made available on voice-capable Sonos speakers, compatible with Sonos Radio, Deezer, Apple Music, Pandora and Amazon.

“As a pioneer in music streaming, Deezer has a proven track record in developing and growing a music service globally and I look forward to working together to improve the overall listening experience for our customers,” Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said about the latest deal.

“Delivering a best in class branded content experience for our customers is an essential part of our long-term growth strategy and Deezer continues to be an excellent partner for supporting our ambitious goals to help the world listen better.”

Music Business Worldwide