Universal Music Group and Deezer are to jointly launch a music streaming model aimed at generating bigger royalties for artists.
It will mean artists will be paid more if users actively choose to listen to their music, rather than doing so because a song auto-plays.
Songs which appear in algorithmic playlists will also generate less money than those selected by users.
Deezer will launch the model in France later this year.
The move could have a significant impact on the music industry, particularly if major streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music adjust their own models.
The collaboration is designed to “better reward the artists, and the music that fans value the most”, Deezer and Universal said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
It is a response to over-saturated current music streaming model, which they said “needs to be re-imagined” to encourage “meaningful engagement” between listeners and artists.
This will include the replacement of “non-artist noise content” – such as ambient background music, popular with people who work from home – with Deezer’s own content, which will not receive royalties.