Sony BMG, Starwood Hotels in harmony on music pact
By Mitchell Peters
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Sony BMG Entertainment has entered into an exclusive partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to develop uniquely branded music- and entertainment-based programming for hotels that fall under the Starwood banner.
Under the long-term deal, Sony BMG will work closely with Starwood to create in-house song playlists, digital music stores, in-room TV offerings, customized compilation albums, live entertainment experiences and more. The program will be implemented in such U.S. Starwood hotels as Sheraton, W Hotels, Westin, Four Points, Le Meridien, St. Regis and Luxury Collection brands. A global expansion is planned for later this year.
"The appealing thing for Sony BMG is that we can help expose our guests to their different artists," said Rod Mano, senior director of entertainment strategy for Starwood. "People can be in a hotel for several days at a time, so they have more time to explore new music."
The first part of the initiative is to create custom song playlists that cater to the sensibility of each hotel. The playlists, which include but are not limited to Sony BMG artists, will be heard throughout each Starwood hotel property.
"The sound of Sheraton will be very different from the sound at St. Regis," said JJ Rosen, executive vice president of Sony BMG's Commercial Music Group. A W Hotel visitor, Mano explains, will more likely hear such artists as Imogen Heap, whereas Sheraton patrons will be exposed to the more "familiar" sounds of Bruce Springsteen. "Working in collaboration with Sony BMG," Mano said, "we're coming up with artists that fit each brand."
Another goal is to create compilation CDs that will be sold at each hotel. At a price of $20, a compilation for W Hotels -- including such acts as Goldfrapp, Nina Simone, DJ Krush and Dirty Vegas -- has already been developed. Sony BMG and Starwood will share revenue on each CD sold.
Starwood is also giving Sony BMG a free in-room TV channel that will be looped with approximately 60 minutes of artist interviews, short-form music videos and other exclusive programming. "We'll also have snippets of our long-form concert videos that are sold on DVDs," Rosen said, noting that viewers will be given the option to purchase the full concerts via pay-per-view.
The program also includes live music at each hotel, which would be available to hotel guests and the public alike. "When they open new hotels, for example, they often have press events and parties," Rosen said.
The first concert under the agreement is a September 19 performance from Train's Pat Monahan at Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers.
Reuters/Billboard
