Universal to launch own music video website

Universal Music Group is planning on creating its own online music video hosting website that would include other content as well, as per a recent rumbling. The site would be similar in execution to NBC’s Hulu video streaming site, and also include artist focused content and editorial, such as interviews and behind-the-scenes looks, and content from other labels and partners would also be welcome, the article says, quoting unnamed sources.

Universal Music already has a deal in place with YouTube to host its labels’ music videos, though it’s set to end by 2009, and the new site would offer higher-quality, premium content. The UMG video channel is the most popular on YouTube, and the music giant was one of the main proponents of host sites compensating rights holders for streaming music videos. Creating its own source would put more of the revenue generated by such distribution methods back into the pockets of Universal. UMG has criticized the terms of its deal with Apple via its iTunes store as limiting the label's ability to adopt new distribution methods in the past.

No launch dates or subscriber costs, if any, are known at this time.

Filed under: industry
Other story tags: Universal Music Group