On eve of launch, Vevo strikes deal with EMI

(All Rights Reserved)

On the eve of its launch, Vevo announced Monday that it has struck a deal with EMI Music to include artists from the major label on the new music video website.

EMI music videos will join those of artists from Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment on Vevo, which is scheduled to go live in the United States and Canada on Tuesday, Vevo said in a statement.

Vevo is a partnership between the Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media Co.

Vevo, which describes itself as a "music video hub for consumers, advertisers and content owners," is being powered by Google-owned YouTube.

"Our agreement with EMI Music marks a milestone in our mission to provide fans everywhere with the world's best premium music video programming, when, where and how they want it," Vevo president and chief executive Rio Caraeff said.

"Vevo offers the value of a powerful, new environment where our artists can showcase their work and create a deeper relationship with fans," said EMI Music CEO Elio Leoni-Sceti.

EMI Music's record labels include Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, Capitol Latin, Capitol Nashville, EMI Classics, EMI CMG, EMI Records, Manhattan, Mute, Parlophone and Virgin.

VEVO last week announced that it had also reached a content deal with CBS Interactive Music Group to feature programming from CBS radio and CBS-owned online music station Last.fm on the site.

As album sales decline and online piracy bites into their profits, major record labels have been forging new arrangements such as deals with MySpace, Apple's iTunes and YouTube to generate new revenue streams.