OpenPlay Teams with Stem to Expand Direct Delivery Service for Seamless Music and Video Distribution

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, May 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- OpenPlay Inc., provider of the music industry’s leading platform for asset and catalog management, is expanding its Direct Delivery offering by teaming up with Stem, widely-known for its comprehensive distribution offering, including artist-development services and data-driven insights exclusive to its curated roster of artists and labels. Now, OpenPlay users will be able to seamlessly send music and video assets, and corresponding metadata, directly to DSPs without needing to negotiate their own licensing deals.

OpenPlay launched Direct Delivery in 2023 to help independent labels deliver music to DSPs without friction or proprietary data barriers, using their own DSP or Merlin licenses. This new deal allows OpenPlay users, whether Merlin members or not, to utilize Stem’s existing licenses with DSPs, streamlining the process even further. Stem will also manage statements and payments for select OpenPlay Direct Delivery customers, all for a competitive single-digit rate of net royalties that is unmatched in the industry. This discount is made possible by OpenPlay’s ability to deliver complete, fully validated, market-ready DDEX files that conform to every DSP’s unique style guide, allowing Stem to simply pass them to DSPs, hands-free, with no intervention required. In addition, OpenPlay will refund a portion of the fee to labels that generate enough revenue, thereby reducing their OpenPlay subscription costs.

Qualifying OpenPlay clients can also access Stem's full range of client services, from marketing and promotion, to payments processing, to advance funding opportunities, and more. Additional fees may apply.

“We’re very pleased to add Stem to our Direct Delivery options for our labels. Stem has a well-earned reputation for its terrific services for artists,” said Jonathan Bender, Chief Operating and Growth Officer of OpenPlay. “Using Stem’s DSP licenses, OpenPlay clients can send their music and video directly to DSPs from within the very system they already use to organize their metadata and assets, saving money while receiving top-quality statement and payment processing.”

“Working with OpenPlay just makes sense,” said Kristin Graziani, President of Stem, “because they've developed tools that provide artists and their teams the ability to operate autonomously, a shared ethos that is at the core of Stem and the work we do. They've done all the hard work of generating DDEX files that deliver to every DSP, so we can offer favorable rates to their clients, saving artists and labels money that can be reinvested into marketing their artists and running their business.”

Direct Delivery is available to all OpenPlay users along with other powerful tools, including OpenPlay’s release management platform for distributors and major label groups. Other recently released tools include artist tour date visibility, marketing and merchandise support, bulk editing, an enhanced API, and more. To learn more about OpenPlay Direct Delivery and the company’s suite of music industry solutions, visit http://openplay.co.

About OpenPlay
OpenPlay is the music industry’s leading asset management platform, trusted by major labels and independents alike to manage their catalogs — it bridges the gap between content creation, metadata management, assets, and delivery. Designed and built from the ground up by music industry experts, OpenPlay services customers that manage the largest libraries of valuable media assets in the world. OpenPlay’s coupling of an intuitive interface with an extremely powerful enterprise toolset places it in a class above its competitors. With offerings for multiple different industry verticals, their entire suite of applications has solutions for every company no matter their size. Learn more about OpenPlay at http://openplay.co.

About Stem
Stem empowers artists and their teams to thrive while retaining full control over their music careers. Through a comprehensive distribution offering, including artist-development services and data-driven insights, Stem arms artists with the tools and resources needed to flourish creatively and commercially. Widely known for its intuitive interface, Stem provides a seamless experience, allowing artists to effortlessly track, split, and disperse revenue to multiple recipients in real time. By working collaboratively with its clients on their overall career strategy and financial literacy, Stem’s commitment goes beyond distribution, including their expanded artist advance product following their partnership with Victory Park Capital to secure $250 million to offer artists longer-term strategic and financial planning for their careers. The experienced executives at Stem work closely with artists, serving as an extension of their team. Leveraging a vast network of artist marketing resources, Stem offers personalized guidance and support with artists and their teams in the driver's seat. Utilizing Stem’s bespoke servicing and data-driven approach are artists and labels of every genre and size. Recognizing the innovation and lucidity of this ecosystem, Billboard deemed Stem one of their Top 20 Distributors, Fast Company hailed Stem among its “Most Innovative Companies” in 2021, while BuiltIn named it one of the “Best Places to Work” for the last 4 years. For a hi-res version of the Stem logo, click here.

OpenPlay Press Contacts:
Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications, 646-484-6764, laurie@jaybirdcom.com
Bill Greenwood, Jaybird Communications, 609-221-2374, bill@jaybirdcom.com

Stem Press Contacts:
Kevin Cordon, Orienteer, kevin@orienteer.us
Nick X. Dierl, Orienteer, nick@orienteer.us

Laurie Jakobsen
Jaybird Communications
+1 917-697-2274
email us here