Spotify and Universal Music Group have announced a new, multi-year direct licensing pact that will cover the United States and several other companies, according to a Sunday release. "When we first presented our vision for the next stage in the evolution of music subscription several months ago -- Steaming 2.

The deal establishes a direct license between Spotify and Universal Music across the streaming subscription service’s current product portfolio in the U.S. and beyond, the companies said.

The new publishing agreement establishes a direct license between Spotify and Universal Music Publishing Group.