Under the deal, the Chinese repertoire from EMI's Typhoon Music will be made available for streaming, free of charge, to all users of Baidu.Today Baidu and EMI Music announced that they were teaming up to launch an ad-supported online music streaming service in China, the first revenue-sharing arrangement between an internet search engine and international music company in the country. EMI and Baidu have also agreed to explore developing ad-supported music download services as well. Today’s agreement will see Chinese content from EMI’s Typhoon Music being made available for streaming, at no charge, to all the users of Baidu, China's leading search engine. Baidu will also set up a special ‘EMI Music Zone’ in its music search channel which will legally stream all of EMI Music’s Chinese content While consumers listen to the music for free they will be exposed to advertising. and the revenue generated from which will be shared between EMI and Baidu. Baidu is the largest internet portal in China and the 4th largest in the world. It controls 62 percent of the online music market in China, and has over 150 million internet users there as well.
"With Baidu’s close relationship with Chinese digital music lovers, EMI and Baidu‘s co-operation is a major breakthrough in the history of online music in China. It provides an efficient digital distribution platform to reach Chinese consumers, allowing fans to listen to EMI’s latest quality music immediately on the internet,” said Norman Cheng, Chairman of EMI Music Asia and Director of Typhoon Music. EMI called the deal a major breakthrough that would help it to combat digital piracy in China, where the illegal copying of films, music, and software are commonplace. Baidu said the partnership would set the stage for further deals between the Internet and music industries. “The cooperation between Baidu and EMI 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." There have been various attempts to start such a service here in the United States but, as of yet none have been formally brought to market. |
 
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Mr Robin Li, chairman and CEO of Baidu said: "We believe this co-operation between Baidu and EMI will create a meaningful ecosystem for value generating services for Baidu users, content providers and advertisers. The co-operation with EMI, the world’s best music major and no.1 Chinese repertoire music company, has set the stage for win-win co-operation between the internet and music industries. It also sets the direction and a new model for future ongoing digital music business development in the internet era." 
