Chinese search giant Baidu announced it’s teaming with EMI to launch a an ad-supported streaming online music service in China.
EMI’s Typhoon Music Chinese repertoire will be available free to Baidu users in a specially created ‘EMI Music Zone’ residing on China’s leading search engine (62.1%, according to the recent figures). The two companies will split the ad revenue, which a press release calls “a pioneering approach to monetising and promoting digital music in China.”
The move is obviously geared toward promoting EMI’s catalogue in China, with DRM and copy protection overtones: “The cooperation…also moves us towards jointly controlling digital piracy, something that is important to EMI in the Chinese digital music market. Our co-operation with the world’s largest Chinese search engine is also part of EMI’s strategic roadmap to expanding digital music development across the region,” said Norman Cheng, Chairman of EMI Music Asia and director of Typhoon Music, in a statement.