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Filed under: Audio, Video, Google, Web

YouTube partners with Universal to launch music video service

Vevo
YouTube is already home to more music videos than probably any other site on the internet. But YouTube and Universal Music Group have announced plans to launch a new site, called Vevo, which will be dedicated exlusively to music videos.

Vevo will be an advertising supported site, and the goal is to generate more money from views of professionally produced music videos than music studios like Warner are currently getting from YouTube. The new site will be owned by Universal and will feature higher quality videos than those found on YouTube. Whether advertisers will be willing to pay higher rates, or computer users will actually bother to visit Vevo instead of YouTube remains to be seen.

Vevo is scheduled to launch within the next few months.

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Apple

Universal to launch online music store

Universal Music Group
It's no secret there's bad blood between Apple and Universal Music. While Apple's iTunes is the premiere online music store at the moment, some of the biggest artists are signed to Universal. You could argue that the two companies need each other. But Universal has decided to let is contract with Apple expire. And Universal began offering DRM-free tracks for download this year, the label went with Amazon, Wal-Mart, and RealNetworks rather than Apple.

Now it looks like Universal is gearing up for a frontal assault. Business Week reports the company is planning to launch its own digital music store, possibly with support from Sony BMG and Warner Music Group. Pretty much the whole goal is to bust up Apple's near-monopoly on the digital music distribution business. Right now, record label execs think that Steve Jobs and friends have too much power. Apple has pretty much set the price for music distributed online.

Now here's where it gets interesting. Universal's proposal wouldn't necessarily cost you more. Not if you're a major music downloader, anyway. The plan is to offer a $5 per month subscription service that would let you access a huge library of music. You wouldn't actually own the music and it would all disappear if you cancel your service. But $5 per month is about as cheap a subscription model as we've seen anyone propose. And Universal is hoping to partner with cellphone companies and hardware makers to cover the costs. Of course, that's not really how the world works, and rather than getting free music with your next handset, you'll probably see a new $5 to $10 fee on your phone bill.

[via Techmeme]

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