Sony Music, one of the leading music companies worldwide, has signed a partnership agreement with GlobalCollect, the world’s premier payment service provider of local e-payments, to boost webshop functionalities on its labels’ artist websites

Amsterdam, The Netherlands -- Sony Music has struck an agreement with GlobalCollect and Materna GmbH to create a unique retail offering on its labels’ artist websites across the EMEA region to enable consumers to download digital content. To this end, Sony Music uses GlobalCollect’s unrivalled portfolio of local and international payment methods to facilitate all related e-payment transactions.  With the help of a viral widget, a software embedded into online platforms and social networking sites, Sony Music is driving traffic directly to the website of an artist to allow fans to share information and to download the artist’s repertoire.  GlobalCollect’s single-interface online payment platform, WebCollect, offers fans a broad array of payment products form credit cards to alternative payment methods to purchase MP3 music downloads.  At a later stage, the e-commerce offer will be expanded to include artist merchandise, concert tickets, and more.

Patrick Bingley, Director D2C Sales Europe, Sony Music Entertainment International, said: "The international payment strategy proposed by GlobalCollect not only offers the broadest choice of payment methods to our visitors but also the advantage of a scalable one-stop shop solution. Plus, the WebCollect platform reduces risk thanks to comprehensive fraud screening tools and increases conversion rates thanks to a multitude of currencies and popular payment products."

Jan Manten, CEO of GlobalCollect, added:  "We are delighted to welcome Sony Music to our ever growing portfolio of worldwide clients. As a full-service PSP who understands the particulars of the music industry, we enable Sony Music to reach out to a global audience and simultaneously reduce costs by implementing revenue models that are effective and relevant to the online music and entertainment world."

Contact GlobalCollect
Bettina Duske
Manager PR & Marketing Communications
e-mail: press.globalcollect@globalcollect.com