Turntable.fm signs deals with all four major record labels

Just a few days after Turntable.fm signed a deal with record label EMI, the company now has deals in place with all four of the major record labels. This announcement was made at South by Southwest today by founder Billy Chasen and co-founder Seth Goldstein as part of a panel about the social future of music. These licensing deals come only nine months after Turntable.fm first launched, prompting Goldstein to note that “this feels like an all-time record speed launch.” As for what the record labels hope to get out of Turntable.fm, Warner Music executive Stephen Bryan said that he looks at the service as a way “to attract more lean-back customers into the digital space and figure out how to monetize them over time.” Despite the service’s newfound legitimacy, Goldstein noted that Turntable.fm isn’t looking for “traditional” advertising, so your late-night sessions hopefully won’t be interrupted by commercials between songs any time soon. It remains to be seen what other changes might come to the service in the future at the behest of the record labels.