Yahoo is moving into the European online music market
with its Launch music service.
The existing sites in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy
and Spain will now offer content tailored to local markets and will
give free access to more than 1,500 music videos.
Yahoo will, eventually, add premium, chargeable services to the
free offering, as it has done with the US service, said Yahoo UK
spokeswoman Kristin Carlos.
The sites will include music news and features, album reviews,
music charts, mobile phone ring tones and shopping options.
"There are more music videos, and it has a different look and
feel - it's a lot funkier," she said, adding that initial revenue
will come from on-site advertising.
In the US, Yahoo Launch has more than nine million monthly users
and streams more than 110 million music videos each month.
Earlier this month it launched an online dating service in
Europe, having had success with premium dating services in the
US.
Gillian Law writes for IDG News Service