Spotify's new direct deal with the Universal Music Group is good news for publishers and songwriters. Will other companies get to benefit as well?

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.

Universal Music Group (UMG) , the world's biggest music label, and Swedish streaming giant Spotify have reached a new multi-year agreement for recorded music and music publishing, they said on Sunday.