Warner to Return Music to YouTube Under New Deal

Warner Music Group Corp. has agreed to return songs and music videos from its artists to the YouTube video site, after a monthslong boycott over what it called unfair terms, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The deal would involve sharing advertising revenue with the Google Inc. unit on music videos provided by Warner from artists such as T.I., Red Hot Chili Peppers and Michael Buble, as well as on song streams uploaded by users, said the person.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal deal has not yet been announced.

In December, Warner Music pulled all of its music from YouTube, saying the payments it received did not fairly compensate the label or its artists and songwriters.

Under the new arrangement, Warner will gain a greater share of advertising revenue because it is also bearing the burden of selling ads, for which it will contract a third-party agency. Artists will have individual channels that will allow for greater fan interaction but also give advertisers a more defined demographic for marketers to target.

It was not immediately clear when the channels would launch.

A Warner Music Group spokesman declined to comment. A YouTube spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

9/28/2009 8:08 PM RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES