Deezer

Deezer launched in Paris during the summer of 2007 as a fresh alternative to the growing landscape of digital music. Founders Daniel Marhely and Jonathan Benassaya built a platform that quickly expanded beyond simple MP3 files to include podcasts and internet radio stations. The service now operates in more than 180 countries, offering users access to a massive library containing over 120 million licensed tracks. This vast catalog sits on servers accessible through apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, while Linux users rely on unofficial installers to get the experience running.

Ownership of the company shifted significantly after 2016 when Access Industries, an investment fund run by billionaire Len Blavatnik, took a controlling 41% stake. Other major players in the global media world also hold shares. The Orange Group owns 8%, while Saudi royal Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud invested via his Kingdom Holding Company and Rotana Media Group. The Pinault family contributes through their Artémis Group holding. These diverse backers helped Deezer scale its operations into a true international player without losing its French roots.

Recent developments highlight Deezer's aggressive response to the surge of artificial intelligence in music production. As of July 2026, AI-generated content accounted for over 50% of daily uploads on the platform, with approximately 90,000 synthetic tracks flooding the service every day. In response, Deezer introduced a "kill switch" feature in October 2026, allowing users to filter out or fully exclude AI-generated music from their streaming catalogs. Additionally, in June 2026, the company launched a free AI music detector available to users of major streaming platforms and introduced a feature enabling fans to remix songs with explicit artist consent. [edit]