Mattel has announced that it has entered into an exclusive, multi-year global music licensing agreement with Warner Music Group’s Arts Music division as the sole distributor of Mattel’s current catalog of more than 1,000 songs from brands including Barbie, Thomas & Friends, Hot Wheels, American Girl and Fisher-Price.

“Music is an important part of Mattel’s DNA, and has been integral to our brands’ ability to connect with children of all ages to help them learn and grow,” says Fred Soulie, senior vice president, content distribution and business development, Mattel. “WMG’s Arts Music division will unlock our substantial library of music to help us broaden our reach across digital and streaming platforms. Additionally, their significant expertise in nurturing music creation across genres will enable us to significantly expand our catalog with new music for generations of children to come.”

In addition, Arts Music and Mattel will make hundreds of songs from Mattel’s catalog available for the first time and will collaborate on the creation and distribution of new music including the upcoming Thomas & Friends’ birthday album, which will launch on digital streaming services on May 8. 

“Arts Music has been steadily building a powerful repertoire of family-friendly material over the last few years, and adding Mattel to our offering absolutely takes it to a new level,” says Kevin Gore, president, Arts Music, WMG. “Mattel’s iconic brands have been bringing joy to children around the world since its founding 75 years ago, and we are honored that they’ve trusted our team as the exclusive stewards of their musical enterprises. We very much look forward to releasing new music full of positive messages, fun adventures and educational themes to delight kids and families for generations to come.”

Arts Music will partner with WMG’s ADA Worldwide for global distribution.