UMG Begins 2015 Goals, Forms Global Data Alliance

Universal Music Group (UMG) has formed the Global Music Data Alliance with global communications group, Havas Group.

The partnership enables the billions of data points that UMG and its artists generate through music, ticket (Vivendi) and merchandising sales (Bravado), streaming, social media and airplay to be analyzed by algorithmic and data scientists. The result expects new revenue opportunities for UMG artists and labels by creating marketing and advertising opportunities.

The announcement will be made by Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of UMG, and Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas Group, at the 2015 International CES.

Grainge said: We want to continue to find new revenue and marketing opportunities for all of our artists around the world by leveraging our industry-leading big data tools and working with forward-thinking companies such as Havas to supercharge our efforts to realize previously untapped revenues from consumer brands and other new business partners.

Bolloré commented: Music transmits emotions, cultural symbols, and values like no other form of creative expression. By managing the most successful artists and largest music communities in the world, Universal Music Group is at the forefront of the industry and has already gathered unique consumer insights and databases to empower its labels, artists and fans. This first Global Music Data Alliance will allow our clients and other brands to further expand the common passion they share about music with fans and create more meaningful experiences for them.

The launch of GMDA follows a 14-month research program overseen by Havas’ Sports & Entertainment (HS&E), in collaboration with the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Innovation Lab.

This comes after the UMG chief notified staff that his 2015 aim will transform business models by working with non-traditional partners to “build the greatest level of compensation.”