- Steve McClellan

NEW YORK Music giant Warner Music Group has signed online sales company Outrigger Media to sell Web ads for its music videos that are displayed across all digital platforms.

The deal comes at a time when the music business is rethinking its long-term strategy for growth as iPods, MP3 players and other tech advancements have transformed the way consumers access such content.

For example, WMG is developing a strategy to focus on artists and the close relationships they forge with their fans.

Outrigger will sell pre-roll ads and other formats such as brand sponsorships for WMG videos when they air on third-party sites such as YouTube and other social networks, artist sites and venues owned and operated by WMG.

WMG has recently retaken control of its advertising rights from third-party distributors such as YouTube. Going forward, Outrigger will sell the advertising while YouTube and other distributors receive a cut of the revenue.

"This new partnership allows us to leverage Outrigger's ad targeting platform to effectively exploit key audiences," said Michael Nash, evp, digital strategy and development at WMG.

Outrigger CEO Mike Henry said that WMG "understands that their most powerful brands are their artists and the significant investments it makes to develop and strengthen those brands creates enormous opportunities for advertisers."

See also:

"Women More Ravenous for Music Sites"

"Has Music Become Devalued as a Branding Tool?"

"The Not-so-Big Generation Gap in Music Taste"

"Web Music Players Strike a New Chord"