Warner Music to provide music videos, other content to free online video site Hulu

Warner Music Group to provide content to Hulu

NEW YORK — Warner Music Group Corp. said Tuesday that it will provide music videos, concerts and other programming to Hulu, a free online video site.

The agreement also includes access to artist interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from recording labels including Atlantic Records, Rhino Records and Warner Bros. Records. The first artists from Warner Bros. to go on Hulu are Brit rockers known as Muse.

Last month, EMI Group PLC became the only major recording company to provide similar content to Hulu, which currently mainly offers TV shows and movies.

A rival music Web site called Vevo already has deals with most record companies. Vevo is owned by Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media Co., an arm of the Abu Dhabi government.

Hulu is jointly owned by NBC Universal, in which a controlling stake is being acquired by Comcast Corp., News Corp. and Walt Disney Co.

Faced with declining sales of compact discs, recording companies are experimenting with new ways of distributing their music online and to get a share of advertising revenue.

Shares of New York-based Warner Music Group fell 20 cents or 3.3 percent to close at $5.83 on Tuesday.