EMI, Google, YouTube form "axis of consumption"

May 31, 07

A nice suckerpunch to NewsCorp and anyone else standing in the way of the user-generated monster. From Billboard.com:

Under the terms of a new agreement, unveiled in a statement issued Thursday, the British-based music major has agreed to enable YouTube users "unprecedented" access to authorized sound and visual recordings from its roster, which includes David Bowie, Coldplay, The Decemberists, Fat Boy Slim, Gorillaz, Lily Allen.

"With this deal," comments Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder of YouTube, "all four of the world's major music companies are now official YouTube partners."

He adds, "EMI is a proven leader in the emerging digital music landscape and one of the world's largest and most respected music companies."

EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli notes,

"Working with YouTube under this agreement meets EMI's objectives to offer consumers the best possible entertainment experiences, to create new ways to connect our artists to fans and to enter into innovative business models that will generate revenues for our
business and our creators."

As part of the arrangement, EMI Music will liaise with YouTube and its parent Google to develop revenue-generating business models, which will enable the company to track, monetize and control its content.