Warner Music acquires ShareMyPlaylists, the UK-based Spotify playlists specialist

UK startup ShareMyPlaylists, which runs Spotify playlists sharing platform Playlists.net, has been acquired by WEA, the artist and services arm of American recording giant Warner Music Group (WMG), for an undisclosed sum.

Playlists.net has carved a niche for itself in the online music space, becoming known as the preeminent go-to for those wishing to share and explore Spotify playlists. The user-generated themed-playlists cover anything from year- or decade-specific compendiums, to niche genres and cover versions. Anything goes at Playlists.net, and it’s a useful tool for those seeking inspiration ahead of big events, such as weddings, Christmas parties and so on.

We first covered Playlists.net way back in 2009 when the platform was still known as ShareMyPlaylists. Two weeks after Spotify announced its platform for third-party apps in 2011, ShareMyPlaylists rolled out a music discovery and playlist-sharing Spotify app.

In early 2013, ShareMyPlaylists launched its own API for developers to tap its wealth of Spotify playlist data, before rebranding its consumer-facing platform as Playlists.net later that year.

This is a notable exit for what could be described as an ‘under-the-radar’ UK startup. As one of the so-called ‘big three’ recording companies, alongside Sony and Universal, Warner Music is the umbrella for a number of well-known labels, including Parlophone Records, Atlantic Records and, of course, Warner Bros. Records.

“We were approached by WEA earlier in the year to discuss ways in which we could collaborate and it became apparent that there was much to be gained by us joining forces,” explained founder Kieron Donoghue. “What’s really exciting is that WEA have committed to support Playlists.net as an independent platform, invest in its future and grow the team to take advantage of new opportunities in the streaming ecosystem. There is a huge appetite in WEA to further embrace streaming, develop new concepts and really innovate in this growing sector.”

Warner Music has used Playlists.net in the past to publish its own playlists, so it’s clear that Warner is a fan of the service.