Warner Opens Video Library to YouTube
DealBreaker: Warner Opens Video Library to YouTube
Recognizing the power that YouTube has a promotional tube, Warner Music has agreed to open its videos up for the site, and make them available to fans for, ahem, mashing up.
This is the first time a major record company is opening up its library of music videos to the public.
From MSNBC:
Under the agreement, YouTube users will have full access to videos from Warner artists. They will also be permitted incorporate material from those videos into their own clips, which are then uploaded to YouTube. Warner and YouTube will share advertising revenue sold in connection with the video content.
The move represents a strategic shift for the music industry in its dealings with YouTube, which they have blamed for allowing millions of users to trade their content illegally and infringe on their copyrights by manipulating the original material.Universal Music, the largest record company, last week threatened to sue YouTube for compensation.
By embracing YouTube, Warner has acknowledged that the technology behind user-generated websites could not be pushed back into a genie's bottle.
It's also interesting that it took them so long to use music videos for what they were created for: as advertising vehicles for artists and songs. Until now, they've been monopolized by the music video networks--and therefore grossly limiting their distribution.
September 18, 2006 10:33 am 
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