YouTube, Warner Music Ink Deal

29 Sep, 2009 By: Chris Tribbey

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Music videos from Warner Music Group — removed from YouTube for nearly a year —will be back on the Google-owned site as early as the end of the year, under a new agreement.

The multiyear revenue-sharing agreement covers Warner catalog and user-generated content with Warner Music Group artists, which include Madonna, Linkin Park, Seal, the Bee Gees and Neil Young.

“With Warner on board, we now have artists from all four of the major music labels and publishers together with hundreds of indie labels and publishers on our platform,” Chris Maxcy, director of YouTube partner development, wrote on the site’s blog Sept. 29. “Warner will also be able to sell their own ad inventory and will use our Content ID technology to claim and monetize user-generated videos uploaded to YouTube by Warner Music fans.”

In late December 2008, YouTube removed videos from Warner Music after Google and Warner Music were unable to reach new licensing terms for the content.

“We’re pleased to announce that we’ve reached a new and expanded agreement with Google and its YouTube subsidiary that will bring WMG content back to the service as early as the end of the year,” Warner Music said in a statement. “Under the agreement, members of the YouTube community will not only be able to access videos and other music-related content from Warner Music Group recording artists and songwriters, but will also gain access to an enhanced user experience on YouTube with a feature-rich, high-quality premium player and enhanced channels.”

YouTube now has agreements with all four major music labels: Warner Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music and EMI Music.
 

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