EMI joins Vevo at the last minute

Just hours before the launch of YouTube’s premium music portal Vevo, British music company EMI has joined the ranks of music labels contributing content to the site.

After Universal Music and Sony Music, it is the third major music label; Vevo is still talking to the remaining major, Warner Music.

Vevo plans to become “the MTV of the web generation”. Vevo will launch tonight, December 8, with a big event in New York. Initially, only visitors from the US and Canada are welcome, but Vevo plans to roll out in other countries next year.

“Our agreement with EMI Music marks a milestone in our mission to provide fans everywhere with the world’s best premium music video programming, when, where and how they want it,” Rio Caraeff, president and CEO of Vevo, said in a statement.

The British label has artists such as Amy Grant, Kylie Minogue, Alice in Chains, Coldplay, Joss Stone, Norah Jones, and Willie Nelson under contract.

Norah Jones (pictured above; courtesy of EMI) is one of the artists whose videos will be shown on Vevo