EMI to sign content deal with Samsung
EMI Music is to supply exclusive content to the Samsung UK Fun Club website, www.uk.samsungmobile.com. The deal will result in the music giant delivering news, features, competitions and access to events and festivals involving all its labels and signed artists.
EMI Music digital media director Danny van Emden says: “The deal gives us a close relationship with a key handset manufacturer and access to their audience, while Samsung gets access to our music, our artists and our audience.”
Samsung will continue to offer owners of its mobile phones the opportunity to download tracks from a range of music companies, not just EMI. However, van Emden stresses that all non-music content will be exclusively EMI sourced, which will give EMI a significant advantage over its rivals.
Samsung head of content Imogen O’Rorke says: “The addition of EMI’s unique editorial is great for making our site more ‘sticky’ and adding value for members.” In industry jargon, a ‘sticky’ site is one that holds visitors’ attention for longer and which people return to on a regular basis.
EMI Music claims to have been the first major record company to set up a dedicated digital media division, which it did in 1998. The division is now headed by van Emden and is responsible for the digital activity of EMI Music and its labels.
