Microsoft launches program for publishers to license content for AI

Microsoft has launched ‘Publisher Content Marketplace,’ a new product that allows publishers to license their content into AI products and get compensated when the content is used.

According to Microsoft, the Publisher Content Marketplace is a platform where publishers can make selected content available under defined licensing terms for developers building AI and agentic tools. Publishers retain ownership of their content and can choose whether to participate.

How the Publisher Content Marketplace works

Publishers upload or register content in the marketplace and attach licensing conditions specifying how the material can be used. Microsoft then provides infrastructure for registering and managing licensed content, reporting how often content is used by AI systems, and paying publishers based on usage.

Developers building AI and agentic tools can access this pool of licensed content for scenarios approved by publishers. Examples include using licensed articles to support answers in conversational search or within automated agents that carry out tasks for users.

The system tracks when licensed content contributes to an AI response and shares that usage information with publishers. Payments are tied to recorded usage under agreed terms rather than to traffic referrals alone.

This model represents a shift from traditional search, where referral traffic has historically been the main way publishers monetize discovery through advertising.

Publishers involved and demand-side onboarding

Microsoft says it has partnered with publishers, including The Associated Press, Business Insider, Condé Nast, Hearst, People, USA Today, and Vox Media, in building the marketplace. The company says it is also onboarding demand-side partners like Yahoo, including developers and organizations building AI-powered products.

Microsoft has not disclosed pricing or revenue-share structures. Compensation depends on usage and the licensing terms set by publishers.

Publishers’ concerns over traffic decline

The launch comes as many publishers have raised concerns about declines in search-referral traffic and the effect on ad revenue due to generative AI. Last year, some publishers reported that organic search traffic from Google fell sharply as AI overviews replaced traditional links with AI-generated summaries at the top of results pages. These changes have led some publishers to experiment with internal AI tools and alternative distribution methods to keep users engaged within their own properties rather than relying primarily on search.

It has also prompted legal and industry pushback. In September, Penske Media filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that AI overviews use its content without permission and contribute to reduced referral traffic and ad revenue.

However, startups such as Perplexity AI have introduced revenue-sharing programs to compensate publishers whose content is accessed within their AI systems. Meta, in December, also entered AI licensing deals with publishers.

Microsoft says the Publisher Content Marketplace is intended to provide another way for publishers to be compensated when their work is used by AI, even if users do not click through to the original source.

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