The first Black woman to go gold on her own label joins a service built on the principle she lived by: artists should own their work and get paid fairly. Timed to Juneteenth. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 17,

<p><i><strong>The first Black woman to go gold on her own label joins a service built on the principle she lived by: artists should own their work and get paid fairly. Timed to Juneteenth.</strong></i></p> <p><strong id="dateline">NEW YORK, NY / <a href='https://www.accessnewswire.com/'>ACCESS Newswire</a> / June 17, 2026 / </strong>Zedge, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ZDGE">ZDGE</a>), $ZDGE, a company that builds and operates creator communities serving 20 million monthly active users, today announced an agreement with the estate of Betty Wright to bring the late soul legend's catalog to the platform, available now and timed to Juneteenth.</p><p>Wright, who died in 2020 at 66, was a six-time Grammy nominee best known for her 1971 hit "Clean Up Woman" - a record sampled by Mary J. Blige, SWV, Afrika Bambaataa, and Chance the Rapper, among others. She won a Grammy in 1975 for "Where Is the Love" and produced Joss Stone's Grammy-nominated <i>Mind, Body & Soul</i>. But one credential made her the right fit for Tapedeck: in 1988, on her own imprint Ms. B Records, she became the first Black woman to earn a gold record on a label she owned.</p><p>That history maps directly onto Tapedeck's model. Every stream pays a minimum of a penny - the floor, not the ceiling - and fans can choose to pay more. Rights holders receive 80% of whatever a fan spends, on every stream and purchase. For Wright's catalog, 80 cents of every dollar flows to her estate.</p><p>"Betty Wright was running the Tapedeck thesis forty years before Tapedeck existed - she just had to do it the hard way," said Tim Quirk, SVP of Product at Zedge, who launched Tapedeck after earlier stints helping build Rhapsody and Google Play Music. "The worst thing a service can do with a legacy artist is treat the catalog like inventory."</p><p>Betty's eldest daughter, Namphuyo Aisha McCray, explained how Tapedeck's model feels like an extension of her mother's vision: "My mother believed that artists should own their art, protect their creative vision, and connect directly with their fans without barriers. She spent years sharing that message and helping independent artists reclaim their power. We are honored to carry that mission forward - ensuring that the next generation of artists has the freedom, ownership, and connection to thrive on their own terms."</p><p>The agreement extends a run of recent Tapedeck licensing deals including Cinq Music, Tuff Gong Distribution, and BWL Entertainment. Tapedeck launched on iOS in the U.S. in fall 2025, with Android, web, and international expansion underway in 2026.</p><p>Tapedeck and the estate will mark the launch with a private, invitation-only gathering for the music and licensing community in Wright's hometown of Miami on June 17, 2026. Wright's children - singers in their own right - will perform and share remembrances alongside remarks from the Tapedeck team and a video tribute. Celebrating Wright on a weekend about freedom and self-determination, in the city where she built her own house in an industry that wasn't designed to accommodate her, is the point.</p><p><strong>About Tapedeck</strong> Tapedeck is a pay-as-you-go music streaming and download service from Zedge that lets artists and rights holders set their own prices, with a penny-per-play floor and no ceiling. There are no subscription fees; fans pay only for what they play and can always choose to pay artists more. Tapedeck pays licensors 80% of all fan spending. The service launched on iOS in the U.S. in 2025, with broader platform and international availability rolling out in 2026.</p><p><strong>About Zedge </strong>Zedge builds and operates creator communities that serve 20 million monthly active users across its platforms. Zedge Marketplace, our flagship platform, is a leading marketplace for mobile personalization content that powers a vibrant creator ecosystem including a full generative AI creation suite. DataSeeds.AI is our B2B business, delivering managed, multimodal datasets that are ethically sourced, rights-cleared, built to spec and delivered at scale to frontier AI developers. The content foundation for DataSeeds.AI is supplied by Zedge's proprietary creator communities, including Zedge Marketplace contributors and photo competition community GuruShots, the world's most popular photo competition game, which is supplemented by crowdsourced content. For more information please visit: <a rel="nofollow" href="https://pr.report/mou9">investor.zedge.net</a></p><p><strong>Media Contact</strong></p><p>Brian Siegel, IRC, MBA, <br/>Senior Managing Director, <br/>Hayden IR <br/>(346) 396-8696 <br/><a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:brian@haydenir.com">brian@haydenir.com</a><br/><a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:ir@zedge.net">ir@zedge.net</a></p><p><strong>SOURCE: </strong>Zedge, Inc.</p><br/><br/>View the original <a href='https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/zedges-tapedeck-adds-betty-wrights-catalog-in-agreement-with-the-1178676'>press release</a> on ACCESS Newswire<br/><br/>
      <img src="https://app.accessnewswire.com/img.ashx?id=1178676" width="0" height="0"/>

ZDGE

Zedge's Tapedeck Adds Betty Wright's Catalog in Agreement With the Late Soul Legend's Estate

Zedge expands Tapedeck with Betty Wright catalog, advancing artist ownership monetization

<section class="insight" data-version="1">
  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>The first Black woman to go gold on her own label joins a service built on the principle she lived by: artists should own their work and get paid fairly. Timed to Juneteenth. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 17,</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>Zedge announces Tapedeck licensing of Betty Wright&#039;s catalog, timed to Juneteenth, reinforcing an artist-empowered, pay-per-play model. The arrangement stipulates licensors receive 80% of fan spending, with Wright&#039;s estate getting 80% of catalog revenue, while Tapedeck expands platform reach in 2026. This could broaden Zedge&#039;s content ecosystem and monetize legacy catalogs more effectively.</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>Zedge inks Betty Wright catalog license for Tapedeck, timed to Juneteenth.</li><li>Tapedeck pays licensors 80% of fan spending; Wright estate receives 80% of catalog revenue.</li><li>Tapedeck launched on iOS in 2025; 2026 expansion to Android, web, international.</li><li>Zedge serves 20 million monthly active users, supporting potential Tapedeck growth.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>Zedge, Inc. (ZDGE)</strong>: Announces Tapedeck licensing of Betty Wright catalog; potential uplift to content ecosystem and monetization.</li><li><strong>Tapedeck (N/A)</strong>: Pay-as-you-go streaming model; 80% to licensors; expansion planned 2026.</li><li><strong>Betty Wright Estate (N/A)</strong>: Licensing of Wright&#039;s catalog to Tapedeck; supports artist ownership and fair pay.</li><li><strong>Cinq Music (N/A)</strong>: Earlier Tapedeck licensing deal; expands catalog library.</li><li><strong>Tuff Gong Distribution (N/A)</strong>: Earlier licensing agreement; strengthens Tapedeck catalog offerings.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>Category: Corporate Developments. The piece highlights strategic licensing and platform expansion that could affect Zedge&#039;s revenue mix and creator ecosystem dynamics.</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>Tapedeck expansion to Android, web, and international markets in 2026 could unlock new monetization streams.</li><li>High-royalty structure (80% to licensors, 80% to Wright estate for catalog) favors rights holders and may attract more catalogs.</li><li>Juneteenth timing adds cultural relevance and media visibility to the rollout.</li><li>Zedge&#039;s 20 million MAU supports potential growth in Tapedeck engagement and monetization.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>June 17, 2026: Betty Wright catalog licensing announced.</li><li>Betty Wright earned the 1975 Grammy for Where Is the Love.</li><li>Tapedeck pays licensors 80% of fan spending.</li><li>Estate receives 80% of catalog revenue from Wright&#039;s catalog.</li><li>Tapedeck launched on iOS in 2025; expansion planned in 2026.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>Licensing of a high-profile catalog may lift Tapedeck usage and near-term ZDGE revenue within 6–12 months.</p>
  </section>
</section>


<p><i><strong>The first Black woman to go gold on her own label joins a service built on the principle she lived by: artists should own their work and get paid fairly. Timed to Juneteenth.</strong></i></p> <p><strong id="dateline">NEW YORK, NY / <a href='https://www.accessnewswire.com/'>ACCESS Newswire</a> / June 17, 2026 / </strong>Zedge, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ZDGE">ZDGE</a>), $ZDGE, a company that builds and operates creator communities serving 20 million monthly active users, today announced an agreement with the estate of Betty Wright to bring the late soul legend's catalog to the platform, available now and timed to Juneteenth.</p><p>Wright, who died in 2020 at 66, was a six-time Grammy nominee best known for her 1971 hit "Clean Up Woman" - a record sampled by Mary J. Blige, SWV, Afrika Bambaataa, and Chance the Rapper, among others. She won a Grammy in 1975 for "Where Is the Love" and produced Joss Stone's Grammy-nominated <i>Mind, Body & Soul</i>. But one credential made her the right fit for Tapedeck: in 1988, on her own imprint Ms. B Records, she became the first Black woman to earn a gold record on a label she owned.</p><p>That history maps directly onto Tapedeck's model. Every stream pays a minimum of a penny - the floor, not the ceiling - and fans can choose to pay more. Rights holders receive 80% of whatever a fan spends, on every stream and purchase. For Wright's catalog, 80 cents of every dollar flows to her estate.</p><p>"Betty Wright was running the Tapedeck thesis forty years before Tapedeck existed - she just had to do it the hard way," said Tim Quirk, SVP of Product at Zedge, who launched Tapedeck after earlier stints helping build Rhapsody and Google Play Music. "The worst thing a service can do with a legacy artist is treat the catalog like inventory."</p><p>Betty's eldest daughter, Namphuyo Aisha McCray, explained how Tapedeck's model feels like an extension of her mother's vision: "My mother believed that artists should own their art, protect their creative vision, and connect directly with their fans without barriers. She spent years sharing that message and helping independent artists reclaim their power. We are honored to carry that mission forward - ensuring that the next generation of artists has the freedom, ownership, and connection to thrive on their own terms."</p><p>The agreement extends a run of recent Tapedeck licensing deals including Cinq Music, Tuff Gong Distribution, and BWL Entertainment. Tapedeck launched on iOS in the U.S. in fall 2025, with Android, web, and international expansion underway in 2026.</p><p>Tapedeck and the estate will mark the launch with a private, invitation-only gathering for the music and licensing community in Wright's hometown of Miami on June 17, 2026. Wright's children - singers in their own right - will perform and share remembrances alongside remarks from the Tapedeck team and a video tribute. Celebrating Wright on a weekend about freedom and self-determination, in the city where she built her own house in an industry that wasn't designed to accommodate her, is the point.</p><p><strong>About Tapedeck</strong> Tapedeck is a pay-as-you-go music streaming and download service from Zedge that lets artists and rights holders set their own prices, with a penny-per-play floor and no ceiling. There are no subscription fees; fans pay only for what they play and can always choose to pay artists more. Tapedeck pays licensors 80% of all fan spending. The service launched on iOS in the U.S. in 2025, with broader platform and international availability rolling out in 2026.</p><p><strong>About Zedge </strong>Zedge builds and operates creator communities that serve 20 million monthly active users across its platforms. Zedge Marketplace, our flagship platform, is a leading marketplace for mobile personalization content that powers a vibrant creator ecosystem including a full generative AI creation suite. DataSeeds.AI is our B2B business, delivering managed, multimodal datasets that are ethically sourced, rights-cleared, built to spec and delivered at scale to frontier AI developers. The content foundation for DataSeeds.AI is supplied by Zedge's proprietary creator communities, including Zedge Marketplace contributors and photo competition community GuruShots, the world's most popular photo competition game, which is supplemented by crowdsourced content. For more information please visit: <a rel="nofollow" href="https://pr.report/mou9">investor.zedge.net</a></p><p><strong>Media Contact</strong></p><p>Brian Siegel, IRC, MBA, <br/>Senior Managing Director, <br/>Hayden IR <br/>(346) 396-8696 <br/><a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:brian@haydenir.com">brian@haydenir.com</a><br/><a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:ir@zedge.net">ir@zedge.net</a></p><p><strong>SOURCE: </strong>Zedge, Inc.</p><br/><br/>View the original <a href='https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/zedges-tapedeck-adds-betty-wrights-catalog-in-agreement-with-the-1178676'>press release</a> on ACCESS Newswire<br/><br/>
      <img src="https://app.accessnewswire.com/img.ashx?id=1178676" width="0" height="0"/>

Zedge announces Tapedeck licensing of Betty Wright's catalog, timed to Juneteenth, reinforcing an artist-empowered, pay-per-play model. The arrangement stipulates licensors receive 80% of fan spending, with Wright's estate getting 80% of catalog revenue, while Tapedeck expands platform reach in 2026. This could broaden Zedge's content ecosystem and monetize legacy catalogs more effectively.

Zedge's Tapedeck Adds Betty Wright's Catalog in Agreement With the Late Soul Legend's Estate

AI Summary

Sentiment Rationale

Trading Thesis

Market-Moving

Key Facts

Companies Mentioned

Corporate Developments

Related News