BEATPORT ACQUIRES DJ STREAMING & SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE PULSELOCKER TO BOOST ITS OWN STREAMING OFFERING
By Colin Stutz
Originally published in Billboard on April 4, 2018
The purchase is focused on patented “locker” technology that allows DJs to access an integrated cache of music from the cloud without an internet connection.
Beatport has acquired Pulselocker, Inc. in a strategic deal that taps into the DJ streaming and subscription service’s patented technology for use in its own streaming service later this year, Billboard has learned.
Pulselocker software allows DJs to access an integrated “locker” of music via a number of different performance software applications, including Pioneer DJ’s Rekordbox, Serato, Virtual DJ and more. The purchase will allow Beatport to create an advanced DJ experience for its customers and expand the company’s product offering beyond digital downloads.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
hough downloads on iTunes are plummeting, with digital song sales in the U.S. falling 23 percent last year, according to Nielsen Music, Beatport has seen downloads increase in recent years CEO Robb McDaniels tells Billboard. That’s because its professional DJ users want higher-quality sound than most streaming services deliver and they can’t risk an internet outage on the job. McDaniels adds it will take six to nine months to integrate PulseLocker into its platform.
“Pulselocker spent years developing an innovative solution that provides DJs with the flexibility to access the content they want when they want it — all through the DJ software they want to use — while providing copyright holders with the security and tracking mechanisms to calculate royalty payments,” said McDaniels in a statement. “Beatport is committed to delivering the best tools to create a more seamless and interoperable user experience for our massive ecosystem of DJs, and Pulselocker accelerates our timeline to deliver just that type of product.”
Beatport is currently experiencing its second consecutive year of growth under parent company LiveStyle’s new management team and shows further commitment to the business model.
LiveStyle president and CEO Randy Phillips added, “Within six months of taking the helm at Beatport, Robb and his gifted leadership team have consistently validated LiveStyle’s vision of supporting innovative strategies and fiscal responsibility by taking Beatport to the next level.”
Pulselocker launched in 2012 as a subscription service that provided DJs with the ability to stream music from the cloud using the company’s locker technology without an internet connection. Pulselocker then tracks the number of plays, along with specific user information about cue points and loops, and delivers copyright holders a pro rata share of the subscription revenue.
But the process of integrating with the large DJ software and hardware manufacturers took years to establish and the company ceased operations in late 2017, leaving customers unable to access content since. By way of Beatport’s user base, when Beatport launches its new subscription service later this year with the Pulselocker technology the company expects further adoption of the system.
“They were so far ahead of their time” that they had trouble getting everyone in the supply chain on board, McDaniels says of Pulselocker.
Pulselocker customers will be able to sign up for Beatport’s new integrated subscription and locker later this year and Beatport has set up a dedicated customer service information page at www.beatport.com/pulselocker for further information.
