Sony expands Roblox partnership despite $200M music publisher lawsuit

Online gaming and gane creation platfrom Roblox and Sony Music Entertainment today announced an expansion of their partnership which will bring more Sony artists into the Roblox metaverse.

The growing relationship comes despite a pending $200 million lawsuit lead by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) alleging widespread copyright infringement by the company.

Today’s Sony deal seems to fall just short of the blanket license Roblox signed last week with BMG. Earlier this year WMG signaled its approval of the popular platform with a $520 million investment.

Under the new agreement, Roblox and Sony Music “will work together to develop innovative music experiences for the Roblox community that offer a range of new commercial opportunities for Sony Music artists to reach new audiences and generate new revenue streams around virtual entertainment.”

The deal builds on an existing relationship that led to Lil Nas X’s hit virtual performance on Roblox in November 2020 and the Zara Larsson Launch Party on Roblox in May 2021. 

MORE: Building a music community on Roblox and why you need to get involved NOW

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and an online professor for the Berklee College Of Music.