BMG, and YouTube Curator BroadbandTV Launch Joint Venture to Boost Music Artists on YouTube

The Bertelsmann music division, led by Hartwig Masuch, will pact to launch Windfall to turn music talent into media stars.

BMG is teaming up with Canadian YouTube aggregator BroadbandTV to turn new musical artists into online media stars.

The pact will see their joint venture, Windfall, discover and promote untapped musical talent across a range of digital platforms. That includes using BMG's music publishing, rights management and distribution expertise, and BroadbandTV's online video production, distribution and monetization tools.

New artists on Windfall will tap a range of revenue streams, including online video advertising, branded entertainment deals, digital album and track downloads and physical distribution. The alliance brings together BMG, the music division of Germany’s Bertelsmann SE, and BroadbandTV, part of German broadcaster RTL Group and the operator of two music-driven YouTube networks, Opposition and WIMSIC.

BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said Windfall is timely as new music artists increasingly debut on YouTube and music fans sample their latest songs on the Google platform. "With online video emerging as a breeding ground for new talent, our partnership with BroadbandTV brings an innovative new offering to the market, creating an artist-friendly suite of online video services which we believe will be a game-changer.”

BroadbandTV and BMG will both invest to develop artists that join Windfall. BroadbandTV CEO Shahrzad Rafati said launching the new venture aimed to double the size of her company's music network in 12 months.

"Not only does this partnership with BMG break new ground in expanding the relationship between artists and labels, it's a big step forward in the music industry as a whole, where online video has become such a massive strategic component to engage with fans," Rafati said in her own statement.