Last.fm, which has been one of a growing number of online services to offer consumers free ad-supported access to music, has partnered with Universal Music Group to license and stream music videos from UMG's video catalog.

Last.fm heralds the agreement, announced today, as its first major video partnership. "This is a hugely empowering partnership that really takes Last.fm to the next level," comments Martin Stiksel, Last.fm co-founder, in a joint statement.

Rob Wells, senior VP, digital, Universal Music Group International, notes, "Our relationship with Last.fm is evolving. The use of Universal Music videos on the Last.fm platform is a great opportunity for both consumers and artists, with the latter earning revenues from every video played on the service." Wells adds, "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."

Universal Music and the featured artists will receive an unspecified cut in revenue for each stream.

To continue reading about the partnership, click here.
  

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