Internet video site Joost has officially announced a content deal with Warner Music Group. The relationship was first reported in January, when the site went public.
WMG will provide music videos and exclusive content, including behind-the-scenes footage, artist interviews, original programming as part of genre-based and artist-specific channels. Joost will share advertising revenue from those channels.
Some of the artists associated with WMG's labels include Gnarls Barkley, James Blunt, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Kid Rock, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, Ry Cooder, Wilco and Jews Who Rock. WMG labels comprise Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word.
Joost continues to be available in limited beta form. It was started by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, the founders of Kazaa and Skype, and referred to as "The Venice Project" while it was under development. Described as a Web 2.0 service, Joost is purported by its founders to be a "piracy-proof," peer-to-peer platform without the copyright problems of file-sharing sites such as Kazaa.
