EMI will publish music videos created by fans for the first time under a new scheme being tested in Japan. Under the plan, fan-created videos, such as 'The Back Dorm boys' will be distributed through EMI's website alongside official video releases, according to Japanese press reports.
Fans are being encouraged to create their own videos based on music tracks from EMI artists. Videos uploaded to the EMI website will be checked for quality and legality and then published on the site.
The move represents a significant turnaround for EMI, which once tried to completely block the distribution of fan-created videos, because the music tracks were seen as illegally pirated, and EMI was unable to control the distribution of the videos.
Despite recording industry protests, fan-created videos such as 'The Back Dorm boys', two Chinese students who mimed to the Backstreet Boys hit, 'I want it that way', have proved tremendously popular on video sharing sites like Youtube and Google Video. The most popular videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
Mobile phone users will also be able to download the user-created videos from EMI Japan.
EMI Japan has not yet released full details of the plan, and whether any financial compensation will be offered to video creators. The company has not said if it will begin distributing fan-made videos in other countries.
EMI operates in Japan as EMI-Toshiba, but is in the process of buying out Toshiba's share of the joint venture. EMI currently holds a 55 per cent majority stake in the company, which was established in the 1970's from Toshiba's existing music publishing division. EMI also acts as a published and distributor in Japan for other labels, including Virgin and Capitol.
The Back Dorm boys became quite famous
The Back Dorm boys became quite famous in China. I think they made a lot of money in the end