Vevo sets launch date for online music video portal

Vevo, the music video site developed by Universal and Sony in conjunction with Google, announced November 19 that it will launch its service on December 8. Vevo is a joint venture between Google and the two music labels, "powered by YouTube," and is intended to become an online destination for all videos owned by the labels involved.

Just a day before, EMI announced a limited agreement to use Hulu as a channel for its high-quality videos. From the biggest four music companies, which include Universal and Sony, neither EMI nor Warner Music Group is on board to show its videos on Vevo.

Vevo has been called "Hulu for music," a premium alternative to YouTube's relatively low-quality video and audio. Still, Hulu is likely to be one of its major competitors (in the US, the only country where Hulu content can be streamed), along with the Google-owned YouTube, which, despite its lower quality, is currently many people's choice for streaming music. MTV and MySpace are other likely competitors.

Vevo content will be available on YouTube, on vevo.com, and through a Vevo-brand embedded player. The service will also serve as a syndication platform, allowing sites throughout the world to carry Vevo content.

Video clips will be free to view, with revenue likely to come from high-priced advertising on the site.

Stay tuned at vevo.com.