AfterDawn: News

UMG music videos removed from MTV.com, VH1.com

Billboard is reporting this week that UMG (Universal Music Group) has pulled its artist's music videos from MTV.com, due to a breakdown in negotiations over licensing fees.

UMG has long licensed music directly to MTV but it now does all its direct licensing through Vevo, the joint venture site which includes Sony Music, YouTube and AT&T as stakeholders.



MTV's deal with UMG has now expired and Vevo was in negotiations with MTV before the talks broke down. The deal is only for online properties and also includes the sites for VH1 and CMT.

The popular TV network had this to say on the matter:

"For almost 30 years, we have enjoyed long and colorful partnerships with all the music labels, including UMG and their talented roster of artists on MTV, VH1 and CMT. As the industry evolves, we continue to seek out new and innovative ways to connect artists with their fans that are mutually beneficial to everyone. However, during our recent discussions with Vevo, we were unable to reach a fair and equitable agreement for rights to stream UMG artists’ music video content. As a result, UMG has elected to pull their music videos from our web sites. We are disappointed by this move and sincerely hope that UMG will work with us toward a fair resolution and allow their artists to once again connect with the millions of music fans who visit MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com every month."

UMG struck back with the following:

"MTVN has been unwilling to negotiate a fair syndication deal with Vevo to carry our artists’ videos and consequently our videos will not be shown on their online properties. We believe that using Vevo as our online music video syndication platform is the best way to maximize revenue for our artists, our songwriters and ourselves, while bringing our videos to the widest possible audience. In less than 8 months since its launch, Vevo has already become the web’s #1 rated video network with over 49 million unique visitors monthly, dramatically eclipsing those on MTV’s online properties, while attracting scores of major advertisers and tens of millions in advertising dollars. As a result, our artists are enjoying tremendous exposure on Vevo on YouTube and Vevo.com, and will enjoy even more as Vevo continues to complete syndication deals supplementing the existing arrangements with leading destinations as AOL and CBS Interactive.”



The talks are ongoing.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 8 Aug 2010 16:09

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• 7 comments

• bigfamei

  Wow people still watch music videos.....how strange
  

  8.8.2010 16:12 #1

• beanos66

  MTV should pull UMG videos from the TV stations as well, see how they like them apples
  
  Originally posted by bigfamei: Wow people still watch music videos.....how strange Only Katey Perry, and that has nothing to do with the music :)

  8.8.2010 18:14 #2

• TBandit

  Yeah sounds like we're starting to see the shift over to the net

  8.8.2010 18:45 #3

• Tristan_2

  ALL RIGHT THIS REALLY HAS GONE LONG ENOUGH! First WMG with youtube after not seeking negotiation with what they want they either mute, remove or Auto Remove or all the above on Youtube. Even with new negotiation WMG still removes videos on youtube..when I thought things on this couldn't get worse it does but to MTVO_O. A company who even has full authority to post Music Videos on their site and their TV Channel but to remove UMG content only on their Internet Channel?
  
  And to always makes things worse the opposing side UMG in this case always goes probably to the likes of "Oh MTV has failed to negotiate what we desire so were ending our contract and pulling our videos down from their servers"
  
  ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT! The Media Companies practically has full powers to either fully disable a website or remove"Their content" even when its legitimate purposes remove an Artists work and claim it as their own and yes I know this is also a VH1 issue but it annoys me the Media Companies when ever they have a child fit when they don't get something THEY GO ON A REMOVING RAMPAGE even on LEGAL SITES.
  
  With all the crap we the regular users on False DMCA claims you'd think we'd and the Legal Sites get's a break BUT NO we don't...
  

  8.8.2010 22:36 #4

• VENOM79

  hey tristan heres your break buddy "just down load what you want" you keep playing there game going on legal sights paying for every piece of media its never gona change or get better
  

  8.8.2010 23:52 #5

• elbald90

  mtv along with radio stations should dump them completely the amount of publicity they get from airplay is what funds them, no airplay = no publicity = no money theyll be screaming for any deal possible in no time
  

  9.8.2010 03:05 #6

• KillerBug

  Music Videos = Advertising
  
  Very few people ever buy music videos unless they are included as a CD-extra on a CD...and then they usually don't even know it is there. The whole point of music videos is proliferation; ideally, a music video should work like a viral video...spreading itself to all corners of the net without the need to invest resources doing it all yourself.
  
  I see only three possible reasons for their actions...
  1.) Loose enough money to get a government bailout. (they are the largest record company on earth; by Obama standards, that is "Too Big To Fail")
  2.) Crash the stock price, buy up lots of shares (AKA insider trading)
  3.) Give some relaxation time to their staff; they spend too much time writing contracts for new artists...or at least they did back when new artists were still willing to sign with them.
  
  I sure hope that UMG goes away...but I doubt it is going to happen any time soon. They have a lot of cash on hand...and they can afford to make a lot of mistakes.

  9.8.2010 03:11 #7