Vevo signs on Waer Music's videos, finally hitting major-label trifecta - CNET

Online music-video company Vevo said Tuesday is has sealed a license with the last of the three major labels, Waer Music Group, to add selections of Waer's official videos into the Vevo library.

It already has videos from the two other majors, Universal Music and Sony Music Entertainment, which together own Vevo. (YouTube's parent Google and outside investor Abu Dhabi Media also hold stakes.)

For Vevo, Waer Music checks off a big box as it prepares to launch a subscription service. Aiming to set up a service that it hopes is worth paying for, Vevo also revamped its app last month for the second time in less than a year. Vevo's ambition is to build a sleek app catering to music video lovers strongly enough to get them to subscribe Vevo or watch more there, even though they can already do the same on YouTube. Waer was crucial for launching with a complete product.

Waer's deal with Vevo marks a flurry of activity for the label's video catalog. Last week, Waer was the first of the majors to license its videos to Vadio, a start-up that plugs in official music-video feeds into apps and websites.

Tuesday, Vevo and Waer said select "premium" videos from Waer Music Group artists would be added to Vevo.com and the Vevo mobile app within days. Waer's conglomeration of labels include artists like Bruno Mars, Coldplay, the Grateful Dead, the Black Keys, Ed Sheeran, Wiz Khalifa, Skrillex, Neil Young and Blake Shelton.