ZuneInsider:

Today (November 9th) we're announcing that we'll pay UMG a per device royalty for every Zune player sold – a first in the industry. Why? We're about supporting artists, and ensure they continue to prosper with the emergence of the digital music model. The distribution of digital music isn't that old, and the current method isn't really doing a lot to compensate artists fairly.   We worked closely with Universal to create this revenue opportunity for artists, as the industry transitions to a time when it can fully take advantage of new opportunities that digital experiences offer, both for consumers and for artists and labels.

Yes, UMG will share a portion of the proceeds with their artists. No, neither MS or UMG are disclosing the specifics. And we're already talking to labels (yes, both indies and majors) and offering up the chance to participate in a similar way. There's a lot of work to be done in this area. We're the first to admit that.  But we, along with Universal, are willing to take the first step.

This deal isn't the only thing we're doing to support artists. The Zune device has some cool independent artists like the Editors and Small Sins pre-loaded. We partnered with CSS for their tour with Ladytron. You'll see some other cool stuff come through in the next few weeks.

Check the previous article we had on this here.

Check Cesar's (ZuneInsider) announcement here.

Check a very interesting article on the history and perspective of this Microsoft's move on BetaNews .