It looks like the recording industry has learned that the promotional value of music videos is worth more than revenue from digital music video sales. Both EMI and Warner have announced plans to offer free Internet music videos.

EMI Music, Google and YouTube Announce Partnership

EMI Music, Google and YouTube today announced an agreement which will give YouTube users unprecedented access to authorized videos and recordings from EMI Music artists, including those featured in user generated content.

YouTube users will now be able to enjoy professionally-produced music videos from EMI Music artists including David Bowie, Coldplay, The Decemberists, Fat Boy Slim, Gorillaz, Lily Allen and Norah Jones. EMI will make authorized video content available to YouTube for the first time, helping artists to reach and interact with a new audience while enhancing the entertainment experience on YouTube.

EMI Music has agreed to work with YouTube and Google to develop business models in which the YouTube community will be able to access user generated content featuring EMI-owned and copyrighted audio and video works. EMI Music will use YouTube’s industry-leading content management tools which feature a content identification and reporting system that will help EMI track and monetize its content and compensate its artists.

“With this deal, all four of the world’s major music companies are now official YouTube partners,” said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-founder of YouTube. “EMI is a proven leader in the emerging digital music landscape and one of the world’s largest and most respected music companies. We’re excited to add EMI Music’s stellar roster of artists’ content to our site and make it available to our community.”

Warner To Offer Free Music Videos

Warner Music Group Corp has also announced that it plans to put up its entire music video archive online for free access by fans.

The world’s fourth-largest music company said it would enter into a partnership with the online TV company Premier TV to offer the content on an ad-support basis.