The deal, which includes exclusive music, video content, and games, follows Twitch’s deal with rapper Logic earlier this week.
Brazilian funk music company KondZilla, which operates one of the world’s largest YouTube channels, has entered into a partnership with Twitch to operate a channel on the streaming platform, in one of the first major deals Twitch has made with a international artist or label.
Under the terms of their agreement, KondZilla provides exclusive music, games, video, and podcast content, including live remixing of video game tracks produced by DJs on Kondzilla Records, Andre Izidro, head of marketing and intelligence at KondZilla, says Billboard. The Twitch channel will promote games, chats, and feature funk music and KondZilla stars like Mc JottaPe.
The deal is one of the first deals that Amazon-owned Twitch has signed directly with an artist or music label. While Twitch has traditionally focused on the gaming community, the platform has seen an increase in music content during the coronavirus pandemic, with artists like Linkin Park’s Diplo and Mike Shinoda creating new channels and hosting regular live streams. Twitch vertical music posted 17 million hours viewed in April, a massive jump of 385% year-over-year, according to a recent report from software developer StreamElements and analytics company Arsenal.
Now, the company is signing exclusive deals with artists, starting with rapper Logic, who earlier this week signed a seven-figure deal to stream music and game content.
“The synergy of this moment, when Twitch is also embracing music, comes at the perfect moment when KondZilla is increasingly establishing itself as a cross-platform company,” says Izidro.
A Twitch spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Born in the slums of São Paulo, KondZilla started in 2012 as a YouTube channel started by Konrad Dantas, known as KondZilla, and became a popular reference in Brazilian visual productions, advertising, and music. His success comes largely from his 59 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, which brought funk to the mainstream with his music videos. Today, KondZilla properties include KondZilla Films, KondZilla Records, KondZilla Licensing, and KondZilla.com (a lifestyle content website). Last year, Dantas signed an exclusive worldwide management agreement with Universal Music Publishing.
The KondZilla channel on Twitch will run daily shows until the end of July. Then in August, she will stream videos three times a week: “You Direct and We Produce,” where live tracks will be built; “RemixZilla”, which will feature the remix of popular game bullets; and “SquadZilla”, where artists will play the video games most requested by fans.
The Twitch channel will be directed by Denilson “Noiskitá”, a YouTuber and DJ who is known in Brazilian funk circles.
The channel begins on Friday (July 24) with “KondCast”, an exclusive podcast for Twitch. The first guests on the show will be Tainá Costa, a recent label firm, and Juninho Love, an A&R executive.
Additional reports from Tatiana Crisado
