WebProNews

Universal Music Group and social music site Last.fm have partnered to make Universal's video catalog available for free streaming to users of Last.fm.

The deal is Last.fm's first major video partnership and will bring thousands of music videos to the site. Universal's catalog of artists includes Jay-Z, Nirvana, Amy Winehouse, The Killers and Kayne West.

"Video streaming services are an increasingly important source of income, and it's great to have another new partner on board, tapping into this rich revenue stream," said Rob Wells, Senior Vice President, Digital, Universal Music Group International.

The Universal video content will be ad-supported in the same way as Last.fm's free-on-demand service, which launched in January. As part of the on-demand offering, artists, labels and copyright holders receive a share of revenue from the ads displayed next to their content. In the first month of offering Universal videos, Last.fm will promote the content exclusively on the site.

The Web site has existing streaming partnerships for music with Universal, EMI, Sony BMG, CD Baby, and independent distributors like The Orchard.

"We want to offer a video library that rivals our unparalleled music catalogue, as we work towards Last.fm becoming the only place you need to go to for all music-related content, and this deal marks the first step towards that goal," said Martin Stiksel, Last.fm co-founder.