Universal Music Group (UMG) has teamed up with Yoto, an online audio platform tailored for children, to provide the latter platform with access to UMG’s music catalog and labels.
Yoto was founded by Ben Drury and Filip Denker, who developed a device that allows kids to access music and audio without being exposed to advertisements, unsuitable content or racking up too much screen time.
The “Yoto Player” device is a compact speaker that comes with physical cards, referred to as “Yoto Cards,” each representing a specific piece of content, such as a storybook, an album, or a set of songs. The cards are inserted into the Yoto Player, which then plays the corresponding content.
Kicking off this month, the Yoto-UMG partnership’s first release under their venture features rock band Queen’s Greatest Hits: Volume 1 . The card for this album is listed at $14.99 on Yoto’s website. The 52-minute card consists of 16 tracks from the album including ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Killer Queen’ and ‘Another One Bites The Dust.’
It will be available on Yoto webstores in the US, UK, Canada and European Union alongside Yoto Amazon stores in the US, UK and Canada.
Yoto and UMG said their partnership will later provide Yoto access with other works by artists like Bob Marley & the Wailers. The alliance will also extend to labels such as Motown Records and Disney Music Group, with contemporary hits compilations in the pipeline.
The agreement with UMG follows Yoto’s partnership with Warner Music Group (WMG), which launched in June with the rollout of music from Super Simple Songs on the Yoto platform.
Yoto is available worldwide including in major markets like the UK, France and North America. The company launched the third-generation Yoto Player in June, priced at GBP £99.99 in the United Kingdom and USD $119.99 in the United States.
The new version preserves Yoto’s existing features while introducing immersive stereo sound.
“Research consistently shows that music plays a crucial role in a child’s development, stimulating their creativity, enhancing cognitive abilities, teaching language and creating social bonds. This new partnership with Universal Music Group helps up access their extraordinary catalogue so we can now offer kids an even richer and more diverse audio experience,” Yoto Co-Founder and CEO Ben Drury said.
“This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to inspire children through the power of audio, and we can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces and watch kitchen dance floors fill up as Yoto families explore the magic of music.”
“This partnership allows us to curate exceptional music content tailored specifically for young audiences, helping create the next generation of music lovers.”
Dom Hodge, Yoto
Yoto’s Head of Music and Sound, Dom Hodge added: “With Universal Music Group on board, Yoto is poised to take its musical offerings to a whole new level. We are thrilled that by joining forces with the world’s largest music group, kids across the globe will be in control of experiencing the songs from the world’s best artists at the twist of a button.
“This partnership allows us to curate exceptional music content tailored specifically for young audiences, helping create the next generation of music lovers.”
Andrew Kronfeld, Executive Vice President, International and Label & Artist Ventures at Universal Music Group, said: “We’re delighted to bring UMG’s unparalleled roster of artists and labels to Yoto’s growing global audience of kids and family listeners for the first time.”
“By collaborating with Yoto, we offer a great new opportunity to introduce children to music that has influenced and shaped fans around the world. Music is an intrinsic part of people’s lives and it’s a great introduction to the most iconic artists in music history,” added Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO, UMe.
“The partnership between UMG and Yoto is the first time any major frontline music will be available on the Yoto service.”
Sarah Boorman, Universal Music UK
Sarah Boorman, General Manager, Youth Strategies, Universal Music UK said: “The partnership between UMG and Yoto is the first time any major frontline music will be available on the Yoto service.
“At UMG, we believe that children should have access to a rich and varied musical offering so that they may foster a life-long love of music of all types. We are excited to launch with Queen’s iconic Greatest Hits 1 album as our first release, with many more historic releases set to follow in the coming months.”
The partnership marks UMG’s latest venture in the kids’ entertainment space after signing an exclusive global partnership deal with Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind popular kids and family music catalogs, including CoComelon, Little Baby Bum and Blippi.
Last year, UMG-owned Republic Records launched a Kids & Family division.
Music Business Worldwide