Music streaming site Deezer to launch in 100 countries

French on-line music streaming service Deezer will launch in more than 100 countries in the coming weeks, and the start-up is negotiating with roughly a dozen telecom operators on partnerships in a bid to expand its global reach. Chief Executive Axel Dauchez told Reuters on Tuesday that Deezer's approach differed from its rivals, such as U.S.-based Pandora and Sweden's Spotify, because it had decided to avoid the U.S. market because of the high costs and intense competition involved. Instead he said Deezer will soon launch in a slew of other places overlooked by its rivals, including Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico and Brazil. "The minute that I tell the major music labels that I am not interested in signing for rights to the U.S., the negotiations over terms become much much easier," Dauchez said in an interview. "Instead we aim to sign global licencing deals, without the U.S. or Japan, so we can roll out in dozens of countries quickly."

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