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Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected , digital video recorders, digital media players, and streaming television services. The service once offered a consumer mobile and tablet app; this was shut down in May 2018 to allow the service to focus on its other platforms.
The service was launched on June 16, 2009, as a joint venture among three major record companies: Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music (SME), and EMI. In August 2016, Warner Music Group (WMG), the world's third-largest record company, agreed to license premium videos from its artists to Vevo.
Initially, the service hosted only music videos from UMG and SME, syndicated on YouTube and its app, and the advertising revenue was shared by Google and Vevo. Originally, WMG was reported to be considering hosting its content on the service after it launched, but formed an alliance with rival MTV Networks (now Paramount Media Networks). MTV Overtakes Vevo as Top Online Music Destination - Wall Street Journal, September 8, 2010 In August 2015, Vevo expressed renewed interest in licensing music from WMGFlanagan, Andrew (August 13, 2015). "Vevo, Revivified, Looking to Strike a Deal with Warner Music Group", Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2015. and a deal with WMG was completed on August 2, 2016, making again the entirety of the "big three" record companies' music available on Vevo.
Despite its early success, Vevo faced significant challenges. In early 2013, many YouTube videos added by Vevo had their views inflated, and these inflated views were later subtracted, affecting various Vevo channels, including Lady Gaga's. Notable videos affected by this included "Just Dance," which lost more than half of its existing views, as well as "Heartless" and "Toxic." The inflation and subsequent correction of view counts raised questions about the accuracy of Vevo's metrics.
In June 2012, Vevo launched its Certified awards to honor artists whose videos achieved at least 100 million views on Vevo and its partners, including YouTube. These awards highlighted the popularity of Vevo's platform and its influence in the music industry. In 2017, Vevo saw a leadership change when CEO Erik Huggers departed, and CFO Alan Price took over as interim CEO.
In April 2018, Vevo's YouTube channel was hacked by two individuals, Prosox and Kuroi'SH, leading to the renaming of many videos and the deletion of the most viewed YouTube video, "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi.
On May 24, 2018, Vevo announced that it was shutting down its consumer website and removing its app from mobile platforms to focus on YouTube syndication. This decision marked a significant shift in Vevo's strategy, as it aimed to leverage YouTube's vast user base and infrastructure to distribute its content. Despite this change, Vevo continues to be available through various apps and devices, including YouTube, DVRs, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices such as Roku.
In October 2020, Vevo partnered with Netherlands-based music video service Xite to further expand its reach and offerings. This partnership aimed to enhance the user experience by providing a more comprehensive and diverse selection of music videos.
Vevo TV ran on an automated schedule, similar to video-exclusive networks run by Paramount Media Networks. Music videos would play twice within an hour and original programming, such as Top 10 Now and Vevo Lift, would air several times per day. After rebranding in 2016, Vevo TV was slowly phased out. Vevo's mobile app continued to run the channel until they were relaunched later that year.
The Vevo service in the United Kingdom and Ireland was launched on April 26, 2011. On April 16, 2012, Vevo was launched in Australia and New Zealand by MCM Entertainment. On August 14, 2012, Brazil became the first Latin American country to have the service. It was expected to be launched in six more European and Latin American countries in 2012. Vevo launched in Spain, Italy, and France on November 15, 2012. Vevo launched in the Netherlands on April 3, 2013, and on May 17, 2013, also in Poland. On September 29, 2013, Vevo updated its iOS application that now includes launching in Germany. On April 30, 2014, Vevo was launched in Mexico.
Vevo is also available for a range of platforms including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Fire OS, Google TV, Apple TV, Boxee, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.
In May 2018, Vevo announced that it would be discontinuing its consumer website and app on mobile platforms in order to focus on YouTube syndication. However, Vevo is still available through various apps and devices including YouTube, DVRs, , gaming consoles and streaming devices such as Roku.
In 2012, Nicki Minaj's "Stupid Hoe" became one of the first Vevo music videos to receive a significant amount of media attention upon its release day, during which it accumulated around 4.8 million views. The record has consistently been kept track of by Vevo ever since. Total views of a video are counted from across all of Vevo's platforms, including YouTube, Yahoo! and other syndication partners. On April 14, 2013, Psy's "Gentleman" unofficially broke the record by reaching 38.4 million views in its first 24 hours. However, Vevo did not acknowledge this record because it was not associated with them until four days after its release to YouTube.
On August 19, 2014, Minaj broke the record with her "Anaconda" video which garnered 19.7 million views. Swift broke the record with "Bad Blood" with 20.1 million views, on May 17, 2015, which was later surpassed by Adele's "Hello", which received 27.7 million views in first 24 hours.
On August 28, 2017, both YouTube and Vevo records were eclipsed by Swift again, with "Look What You Made Me Do", which gained 43.2 million views in 24 hours. On December 1, 2018, Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" broke the record, accumulating 55.4 million views in 24 hours. Swift then regained the record on April 27, 2019, when her video for "Me!" garnered 65.2 million views in first 24 hours. Swift's channel is the first and only to break the record three times. One Direction, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, and Miley Cyrus, have all broken the record twice (Minaj would have tied Swift if features were included in the count).
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