Spotify and Warner Music Group have inked a new multi-year deal covering publishing and recorded music that aims to “shape the future of audio-visual streaming.” In its announcement, Spotify says the agreement will expand the streaming platform’s catalog of audio and visual content and provide “new paid subscription tiers.”
Spotify and Warner Music Group didn’t disclose financial details for the deal or the number of years it will be in place. No specifics were included about the future subscription offerings either, but it could plausibly include a “deluxe” streaming tier to deliver the long-awaited HiFi lossless audio features Spotify announced back in 2021.
This speculation is bolstered by a similar deal Spotify signed with Universal Music Group last week. That agreement referenced additional subscription tiers anchored in UMG’s “Streaming 2.0” principles, which envisions superfans paying “Super-Premium” subscriptions for features like higher quality audio. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek mentioned in remarks for the company’s recent earnings report that “the higher priced premium tier we’ve discussed” is expected to be released this year and that Spotify would “aggressively pursue” opportunities to bring new music experiences to the platform.
“For Spotify, 2025 is a year of accelerated execution, and our partners at Warner Music Group share our commitment to rapid innovation and sustained investment in our leading music offerings,” Ek said in the deal announcement. “Together, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for audiences worldwide — making paid music subscriptions more appealing while supporting artists and songwriters alike.”
The new Warner Music Group agreement also introduces a direct licensing model with Warner Chappell Music, which Spotify says “builds on the companies’ existing alignment” around royalty payments for artists. The platform reportedly has lower per-stream artist payout rates than rival services like Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music and has been widely criticized by artists who claim Spotify’s payouts are too small.
The new multi-year agreement comes as Warner Music Group announced it had purchased a controlling stake in Tempo Music. The catalog company owns rights to songs by Wiz Khalifa, Florida Georgia Line, and Shane McAnally, with Billboard reporting the WMG acquisition deal to be worth “several hundred million dollars.”