This is fantastic, but as someone who's playing around with making a music app, I'm still not really able to use it.
The unfortunate fact is if you don't have all the labels on board you're just going to irritate users- they have no idea who is on what label, and why should they?
That said, this is huge step forwards. Hopefully other labels will see the benefits and follow suit- it could make Echo Nest a huge player.
A developer will be paid the lion's share of 40% of net revenues derived from the sale of the application. Net revenues means after any application store fees, direct technical costs (e.g. streaming and hosting) and sales tax deductions.
"They can just build. And when they’re done, their creations will go and live in the iTunes, Android, or any other app store, with a clear, pre-established revenue split with EMI."
---From the FAQ---
"How much will a Developer be paid?
A developer will be paid the lion's share of 40% of net revenues derived from the sale of the application. Net revenues means after any application store fees, direct technical costs (e.g. streaming and hosting) and sales tax deductions."
"Who else gets a share of that 40%?
The Echo Nest will take a small share."
"Who decides what share of the 40% a Developer will get?
This will be negotiated between the developer and The Echo Nest, and will depend solely on how much (or little) the application is reliant on The Echo Nest’s tools and APIs. Let’s be clear though – the Developer will be getting most of that 40%."
So you get 40% of the revenue after some unknown and potentially arbitrary fees (remember, EMI will be levy anything they consider "direct technical costs") are taken out, and then Echo Next will take some part (less than "most") of the remaining 40%.
That's a funny definition of a "clear, pre-established revenue split." I guess if you desperately want to use EMI's music catalog in your app, this at least makes it easy to do so.
I don't think you will receive 40%, the way it is worded; "the lion's share of 40% of net revenues" and "Net revenues means after any application store fees, direct technical costs (e.g. streaming and hosting) and sales tax deductions.".
So you will receive an unspecified (but assumed larger) proportion of the 40% but not 40% .
For now I will stick with Soundcloud - the future going forward is to support artists who put their music out there without holding a gun to anyone's head.
how does this fit with the current change of ownership of emi? the company is in the process of being bought and, likely, split up. i guess this deal was done before all that - any idea how it will affect things? (my sympathies with the people behind this - must be frustrating to get a coup like this just as the company goes through such changes).
See http://developer.echonest.com/sandbox/emi/emi_classics.html, end of section "Approval Process for Application Development".