For those who long for the days when MTV regularly featured music videos, Vevo has unveiled Vevo TV with the aim of reinvigorating the tradition of 24/7 music video programming. Vevo TV launched March 12 as a part of Vevo’s desktop experience and mobile app, and can also be accessed through a Roku box or Xbox. The scheduled programming, handpicked by Vevo’s staff, is broken down into hour-long chunks that include hit videos from major labels like Universal and Sony, as well as a litany of top-notch producers.
The app’s interface couldn’t be easier to use. Aside from simple pause-play controls (which also bring up the song title and video director), the app facilitates one-click sharing across Facebook and Twitter. Vevo TV also enables users to save any video being viewed to a “watch later” playlist that’s accessible at any time.
So far, the lineup features an assortment of shows: “Global Hits” showcases clips by superstars like Michael Jackson and U2, “Vintage” serves up throwbacks from Digable Planets and Cyndi Lauper, and “Old School New” plays back-to-back videos from one artist, pairing an older clip with a newer video (for example, Justin Bieber’s “One Time” and “Beauty and a Beat”). The broadcast is punctuated with commercial breaks featuring advertisers like McDonald’s, as well as spots for such bands as Volbeat. Fortunately, these breaks are more truncated than what one would experience when watching broadcast TV or a service like Hulu.
Vevo TV is still in its infancy, so the variety of its programming has room to grow. Random video showcase “Vevo Shuffle,” which can hopscotch from Alice in Chains to 2 Chainz, still dominates much of the programming lineup, so there’s plenty of opportunity for new and unique channels to be added. For now, however, Vevo TV can aptly serve as programming for music video obsessives, or for a DJ at any house party.