YouTube daddy Google has partnered with Universal Music, the recording industry's big poppa, on a new music video website. Like a celebrity baby, they gave it an ugly name: Vevo. How 'new media' is that?
Most importantly, at least to CNET, the company's will split ad revenue.
Least importantly, of course, is the product: a "standalone music-video service" only for Universal artists. It remains unclear whether the quality will be high-def or still Flash-based but what is clear is that the bottom line is in ads, or more specifically, dollars and cents. "Ever since MTV became a cultural force and huge financial success by offering music videos on TV, the record industry realized that it goofed in thinking of music videos as a promotional tool," writes Greg Sandoval in the piece linked above. But in times like these, promotion is dead and everything is a product.
Based on the scope of Universal's roster, this bodes well for fans who sure as hell aren't seeing their favorite videos on MTV. Though MTV's only music-video site, MTV Music, is actually amazing, featuring no spam videos or bedroom cover songs, I still find myself going to YouTube for all of my video needs. The "one-stop-shop" model works. This new glorified commercial for Universal? Not so much.
Dave Meyers (pictured) is the godfather of the golden age of music videos (the 1990s), but Bret Ratner did this one, which happens to be my favorite music video:
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