Warner Music Taps Outrigger To Help Sell Video Ads

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Warner Music Group Corp. has picked marketing firm Outrigger Media to help it sell ads in music videos of its artists, which are returning to YouTube following a lengthy dispute.

The recording company said in a statement the partnership with New York-based Outrigger will be a key element of its strategy on YouTube, where it will sell targeted ads "embedded in the video experience."

Warner had pulled all of its music from Google Inc.'s video site YouTube in December, saying the payments it received did not fairly compensate the company or its artists and songwriters.

Last month, the companies agreed to share revenue on ads that Warner sells on high-quality videos on artist-branded channels on YouTube.

Although YouTube typically gives content owners the majority of revenue in ad-sharing deals, under the new arrangement, Warner will get an even larger share by handling the sales process.

Most of the catalog of videos from artists such as Madonna, Metallica and Green Day will be available for free viewing by the end of the year.