Russian social network VKontakte has reached arrangements with three majors and now it thinks how to recoup legalisation of opportunity for its users to listen music for free. It could make paid options for musical part of its service. The way the users consume music would also be “rethought”.
User would listen musical track for free, but new paid options will be included in service, like “add” music to user personal library. “If you like performer, you should support him. Musicians should earn money in order to write new songs. In Vkontakte you can do it at the price of cup of coffee.”, – said Aleksandr Blinov, CEO of Warner Music Group in Russia. Social network wants to promote music with a help of playlists. Musicians should have their own pages with full description and discography, like on Facebook or Apple.
“VKontakte is the unique place in internet, where music is very close connected with social interaction. People share playlists, send songs to each other. But currently you can “pin” only ten songs, it is about 30 minutes of listening; it should be enlarged and be possible to make long full playlists. Artists should have description, all their singles, layout by albums”, – stated Arina Dmitrievna, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment in Russia. All new declared features should be made available for users already in this year.
But social network will keep free streaming. The music will be free but additional options should make money for using of this music. It seems right holders made everything to make social network happy and glad to their cooperation and are glad themselves to this cooperation much more than social network. As executive of one major said, the services will be “cool”. It is intended to offer additional options in musical services to users by way of subscription model. New arrangements also cover other social network Odnoklassniki (Classmates) and MoyMir (My world).