UMA, iHeartRadio ink deal with Optus for quota-free streaming and live events

Universal Music Australia, iHeartRadio and Optus have entered a ground-breaking partnership to give Optus customers quota-free music streaming and experiences via events with big-name music acts– to be produced by the BRING agency.

Announced today and titled Optus Music, prepaid Optus customers can stream music on half a dozen different music services including Pandora, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Guvera without tapping into their data allowance. The offer kicks off on May 2.

Prepaid customers on My Prepaid Ultimate, My Prepaid Daily Plus and “other selected plans” can take advantage of Optus Music as long as they have some data or prepaid credit applied to their accounts. Downloads, video and non-music content is excluded.

One streaming service omitted from the offer is Apple Music. Apple is of course tied to major telco Telstra following the shuttering of Beats-owned service MOG in 2014. Telstra has 3.8 millionprepaid network customers, just beating Optus’ approximate 3.7 million. Both are ahead of competitor Vodafone however, which has 1.7 million on its prepaid network.

Another major element of UMA’s partnership with Optus and iHeartRadio is the promise of 20 live music experiences each year. Universalwill produce events and content for Optus through its branded entertainment agency, BRING. The content to be hosted by Optus will include partner-generated editorial and video content, online experiences, music news, footage of live performances, and social content.

George Ash, President, Asia Pacific at Universal Music, said in a statement: “With the passion for and consumption of music at an all-time high, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Australia’s most innovative telco, Optus, to create platforms that bring artists and Optus’ customers together to experience life changing events and content.”

Geraint Davies, Chief Operating Officer, iHeartRadio Australia, added: “We’re excited that Optus customers are able to get closer to the artists and music they love, anytime all for free through iHeartRadio. With access to multiple ‘money can’t buy’ iHeartRadio LIVE events here in Australia, as well as the opportunity to be part of some of the world’s biggest music events, streaming iHeartRadio has never been easier and we look forward to Optus customers connecting with the extensive range of content available to them.”

Cameron Farrelly, ECD of BRING filmedtwo content pieces for Optus at SXSW featuring Troye Sivan and Jack Garrett.View the piece on Troye Svan below and the piece on Garrett here.