Hulu Steps Into Music Video Ring Against Google

First Published: April 23, 2009 6:48 PM EDT Credit: RCA Records

Caption Avril Lavigne - ‘Girlfriend’

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Hulu.com is in talks with the four major record labels to add music videos to its library of TV shows and films, according to Bloomberg News.

The video Web site, jointly owned by NBC Universal and News Corp., is reportedly negotiating with EMI Group Ltd., Warner Music Group Crop., Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, for access to their extensive music video libraries to compete with Google’s YouTube.

YouTube and Universal Music Group are readying a rival site, Vevo.com, which is also said to be reaching out to the other major labels.

Formerly the domain of TV networks such as MTV, music videos have found a second life on the Web, where videos such as Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” and Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop The Music” have been viewed tens of millions of times.

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