Vevo signs on Warner Music's videos, finally hitting major-label trifecta
Adding the last of the three major labels to its catalog, Vevo will expand with videos from artists like Coldplay.
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Videos by Coldplay, fronted by Chris Martin, are among the first that Vevo will offer through its agreement with Warner Music.
Online music-video company Vevo said Tuesday it has sealed a license with the last of the three major labels, Warner Music Group, to add selections of Warner's official videos into the Vevo library.
It already has videos from the two other majors, Universal Music and Sony Music Entertainment, which together own Vevo. (YouTube's parent Google and outside investor Abu Dhabi Media also hold stakes.)
For Vevo, the Warner Music deal checks off a big box as it prepares to launch a subscription service, following a revamp of its app last month for the second time in less than a year. Vevo's ambition is to build a sleek app catering to music video lovers strongly enough to get them to subscribe Vevo or watch more there, even though they can already do the same on YouTube. Warner was crucial for launching with a complete product.
Warner's deal with Vevo marks a flurry of activity for the label's video catalog. Last week, Warner was the first of the majors to license its videos to Vadio, a startup that plugs in official music-video feeds into apps and websites.
On Tuesday, Vevo and Warner said select "premium" videos from Warner Music Group artists would be added to Vevo.com and the Vevo mobile app within days. Warner's conglomeration of labels includes artists like Bruno Mars, Coldplay, the Grateful Dead, the Black Keys, Ed Sheeran, Wiz Khalifa, Skrillex, Neil Young and Blake Shelton.