Children’s programming studio Moonbug Entertainment has signed an exclusive global music deal with Universal Music Group.
While its main focus is on children’s shows, music is a major part of Moonbug’s offerings in programs like CoComelon and Blippy.
Under the terms of the agreement, UMG will provide worldwide distribution, publishing and licensing for the Moonbug Music label and its hugely popular kids and family music catalogs, including CoComelon, Little Baby Bum & Blippi, which currently generate more than 150 million monthly streams across Moonbug brands.
You can click here to listen to a sample of the Moonbug playlist.
Moonbug says music is an essential tool in early childhood development, helping children learn and grow through repetitive rhymes and rhythms.
“We could not be more thrilled to partner with a respected and influential industry powerhouse like Universal Music Group to expand the possibilities of our music content,” said René Rechtman, co-founder and CEO of Moonbug Entertainment. “Music plays a critical role not only in our company’s growth strategy but also in childhood development. We look forward to the possibilities for our already popular nursery rhymes and songs, and the new music that we’ll produce together.”
The multi-year partnership will see the two companies work closely together to reach new audiences globally, explore new opportunities to improve the accessibility of kids music for parents as well as infants, toddlers and other key learning phases. Moonbug says that will be accomplished through optimization of voice-activated technology and in-home devices, playlisting and other innovations.
UMG will also work closely with Moonbug to maximize the impact of its catalog through sync and licensing for its popular IP, through Universal Music Publishing (UMPG) worldwide.
Over the past three years, Moonbug Entertainment Ltd. has built up a massive global family audience through its popular shows like CoComelon and Little Baby Bum.
These shows not only promote healthy values (like compassion, empathy and resilience), but also help children learn by singing-along to playful nursery rhymes that help them learn letters, numbers, animal sounds, colors and more. These educational and behavioral-themed songs have struck a chord with parents and children alike across the world, helping Moonbug boost its viewership numbers. Moonbug currently has two of the top 20 most-watched YouTube videos in history. Its ‘Bath Song’ from CoComelon has been viewed more than 4.4 billion times.
With this exclusive agreement, UMG says it will leverage its world-leading expertise in publishing, distribution and its unparalleled global network of 300+ partners and DSPs to bring Moonbug’s library of great audio entertainment to families all over the world. UMG is keen to reaffirm its position as a global market-leader for Kids and Family music of all ages.
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group said, “We are delighted to partner with Moonbug Entertainment, reinforcing UMG’s position as the leading distributor and publisher of kids music globally. We have seen tremendous growth in the kids and family segment in recent years, thanks to advances in streaming and voice-technology. We look forward to working with Rene and the talented Moonbug team to amplify the reach of their catalog to families around the world, and to further improve the accessibility of music for children of all ages.”
Grainge points out kid’s music consumption has increased dramatically across streaming services over the past two years, particularly in the early childhood phases (1-5 years old). The rapid adoption of voice-enabled devices globally in the home has meant that children are engaging with music at a younger age than ever before. As families spent more time in the home due to the pandemic, new behaviors were established, with children increasingly able to access music utilizing in-home technology via premium streaming subscription services.
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