Music video service Vevo may be considering leaving YouTube at the end of its contract. Sources have told CNET that Vevo has met at least twice with Facebook, including once in the last two weeks, to discuss partnering with the social network to stream videos and sell ads — the same agreement it currently has with YouTube. The talks are 'very preliminary,' and there's still a year left on Vevo's current contract, but a shift could mean big changes for both YouTube and Facebook.
Vevo, a partnership between several major labels, currently runs its own site but streams its videos on YouTube as well, splitting advertising revenue. For Facebook, adding Vevo music videos would be a way to further its goal of making the network a hub for activity online. Users can already share Vevo songs they've been listening to on Facebook, but now the social network could use Vevo to create a music service similar to its gaming system, with outside content keeping users on the site. YouTube, meanwhile, would no longer have the second-largest video site on the web under its wing, and Google's own music services could end up being seen as a competitor to Vevo in the future. However, CNET's sources also say that Vevo is still making plenty of money from YouTube, and that YouTube's other negotiations with music labels are going well, making the whole situation fairly speculative.

There are 33 Comments. Add yours.
i hope not!!! facebook sucks! Google ftw!
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:39 PM EST reply Recommend (10) Flag actions
tbh if you have a business and have dealt with Google then you realize that they have one of the worst customer service experiences in the world. Engineers don’t understand how to work with businesses.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:40 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Can’t agree with this enough. Google’s support team is horrible and impossible to get a hold of.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 3:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Bittersweet. Hooray Vevo free YouTube. Boo I have no Facebook.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:42 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
Just go on VEVO.com?
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:22 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Wait… are The Wanted popular in the US now? That’s awesome.
Seriously, that’s as far as I got in this post.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:50 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
This only furthers the complication for a solution of copyright law that is fluid or no?
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:50 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Noooo! I don’t want to go back to a world where every music video on YouTube is “not available on mobile”
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:50 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
mmm. Facebook should stay away. This sounds like the direction Myspace was headed.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I don’t see it happening. Google/YouTube have way too much bargaining power and wouldn’t let themselves lose Vevo, I think they would spend to keep it. People don’t watch video on Facebook anyway.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:55 PM EST reply Recommend (5) Flag actions
Vevo on youtube makes a lot of sense, I even thought vevo was owned by google in early days. I wonder how facebook can act like a video streaming site, how is movie streaming going on inside facebook btw?
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 12:58 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Facebook really is the AOL for the new era. Soon we just log on and check our Facebook mail, chat with Facebook friends and share videos/music/cyber with our Facebook friends!
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:00 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
I don’t recall it working out for AOL in the end.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:05 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Facebook will crippling its blogs for pageviews within no time.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:16 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
I hope the same fate is in store for FB.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 3:43 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
This is scary. Ten years down the line, the majority of people will just log onto Facebook and get everything they need there. News outlets, mainstream media are already on Facebook. Now video will be there too. As soon as facebook gets email it’s all over.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:13 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Um… facebook has had email for a long time. Where the hell have you been?
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:16 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
On Vevo.. I suppose.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 2:22 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I’m sure most people don’t know about it, and the majority of ones with @facebook.com address do not use it (me included). It just cannot touch Gmail, not with a 10ft pole.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 2:23 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
Sounds great .. I mean Google has been playing ball with Youtube , blocking competitors from accessing metadata and stuff… Will be good if Vevo took their business elsewhere and made YouTube less relevant.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:31 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
And make Facebook more relevant? Poor tradeoff.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 2:03 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
One day Vevo will become a lifestyle channel just like MTV.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:35 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Nah, I don’t see this happening..
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:36 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I deleted my facebook a month or so ago. Never been happier, and never looking back.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 1:52 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
to me the point of a social network is being able to talk to my friends. Everyone is on Facebook.
Posted on Jan 22, 2012 | 6:34 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 2:01 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Yay, so now I can watch censored versions of my favourite songs while reading inane status updates from my friends…
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 2:03 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Still not understanding why services choose to go with one platform or another. Don’t sign exclusive deals, capitalize on all platforms. DO YOU HEAR ME CONTENT INDUSTRY? Give people access to your content on their terms of consumption, and hire people to count the stupid amounts of money you will rake in.
I wonder how much Google’s opposition to SOPA has to do (if at all) with this.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 3:03 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Because they sign contracts worth millions of dollars up front. They don’t have to worry about how many views or downloads their content gets because they have already made stupid amounts of money up front.
We hardly ever see what the exclusivity contracts amount to be, but take this one for example:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123786503490122053.html
Directv paid the NFL Four BILLION dollars for a four year contract to have the rights to exclusively have Sunday Ticket. Would the NFL make more money if they let all the cable companies carry it? Maybe. Who knows. What we do know is that the NFL is $4B richer no matter what happens.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 5:58 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Yup. You’re right, and I know. Just felt the need to shout. It would be a crazy turn of events if the consumer was actually the customer; wishful thinking I guess. The short term, quick payout seems to be all the rage these days.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 8:29 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Does this mean new music videos won’t be on youtube? i dont have a FB account.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 4:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Hmm, I always thought Vevo was YouTube’s own platform for music videos.
Posted on Jan 20, 2012 | 5:37 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
No, thanks. I have no interest in Facebook. Not even if that means not seeing pictures of the grandchildren because the kids can’t be bothered to email them to us while they have already have the freakin’ phone in their hands!
Posted on Jan 21, 2012 | 1:51 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
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